Shower Drainage Problems

[COLESTER]

Hi,

I have recently had a new bathroom installed and a shower cubicle added. The hole where the waste is is almost full of water at all times and when showering the tray fills until almost spilling over onto bathroom floor. When I turn the shower off the tray does drain. We have a septic tank so when the drain becomes partially blocked from a build up of hair I can not use a regular drain unblocking chemical as it will damage my septic tank which will open up a whole new can of worms. My point is that if it is filling so quickly when it is not blocked surely it is eventually going to spill into my bathroom. My plumber is telling me it drains fine and the water is supposed to sit in waste. He has left it open because when he fits the plughole chrome cover it spills over the edge into bathroom. Can anyone confirm how much water should sit in the waste and if there is any type of drain unblocker that can be used on a septic tank?

Can I add that the plumber has been disasterous from the word go. He started the 2 week installation in October and is still returning to correct the mistakes he has made every week to this day. He installed a pump suitable for just the shower as we have low mains pressure but he connected it to every water outlet in the house which would cause it to burn out. He has had to fit a new pump that is suitable for whole of house but only when I pointed out he had installed the wrong pump initially. He also didn't fit a side entry anti-gravity flange to stop air getting trapped. This information I have recently been told by the pump manufacturer.I won't bore with you with the countless other mistakes he has made but just thought I should let you know he does not seem very competent.

Hope somebody can help

 

[secret squirrel]

There should be water in the trap, how much depends on the sort of trap you have. The purpose of this is to stop nasty smells entering the bathroom.

Depending on the length of run the shower waste should be independently run in either 40mm or 50mm.

It sounds like the fall on the waste is too shallow or the waste pipe is too small.

The waste should be able to cope with the amount of water being thrown down it within reason. If you have a 3 bar shower pump working on 1 shower with it turned up max then you may have an issue.

Can you take a couple of pics of the waste?

As for unblocker on sceptic tanks can't help there.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

it's possible that there isn't enough fall on the waste pipe to the drain or it may even go up which would lead to the problems you are having. the water in the trap itself should sit below the top. it is also possible he used the wrong size waste pipe which would slow down the water through it, also length of run would have an impact on working correctly.

 

[COLESTER]

I will take some pics tonight - uploading them to pc might be fun will give it a go though. I have no idea what size pipe he has used. When I ask him a straight question he tells me what I want to hear. For example : I said " Have you fit a side entry anti-gravity flange to the cylinder?" he replied " Well...Ive sorted that don't worry" I noticed a lot of air bubbles on my waterfall tap then called his bluff and said " A side entry flange hasn't been fitted so can you do it next time you come please?" he replied " Yes no problem".
He is assuming I will just beleive everything he tells me, which was the case until luckily another plumber came to look at a different job and pointed out the errors.

Counting to 10 will not work for much longer

 

[secret squirrel]

I will take some pics tonight - uploading them to pc might be fun will give it a go though. I have no idea what size pipe he has used. When I ask him a straight question he tells me what I want to hear. For example : I said " Have you fit a side entry anti-gravity flange to the cylinder?" he replied " Well...Ive sorted that don't worry" I noticed a lot of air bubbles on my waterfall tap then called his bluff and said " A side entry flange hasn't been fitted so can you do it next time you come please?" he replied " Yes no problem".
He is assuming I will just beleive everything he tells me, which was the case until luckily another plumber came to look at a different job and pointed out the errors.

Counting to 10 will not work for much longer

Yes, it is frustrating but on the up side he is coming back to sort the problems slowly. No, you shouldn't have had all the hassle but better he's coming back to rectify than programming you in his phone under 'IGNORE'.

After its done just don't use him again (not that you would).

 

[COLESTER]

Thanks Steve - The tiling has all been completed so i have no way of checking the angle of the waste pipe but going on his track record it sounds like that could very well be the problem. He would never admit it. He has never apologised for any of the errors to date. He even plasterboarded down onto the shower tray so when he came to fit shower enclsure doors they obviously didn't fit. I had to get a glass specialist to make doors to the correct size to prevent all of the tiles being ripped out. Is there any way of correcting the waste pipe without ripping out my lovely tiles?

 

[secret squirrel]

Need pictures, however, if the waste runs under the floor and then you've tiled the floor. I'd say no, tiles up.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i agree with SS this really needs investigating even if it means taking floor tiles up. you may be lucky and he has used the wrong adhesive and they will be easy to take up with no breakages.

 

[secret squirrel]

i agree with SS this really needs investigating even if it means taking floor tiles up. you may be lucky and he has used the wrong adhesive and they will be easy to take up with no breakages.

because he'll just be that lucky...... hopefully anyway.... I wouldn't be, You?

 

[PlumbBobBob]

probably not

 

[SimonG]

I'd be worrying about the stuff he's done that you can't see. Hats off to you for being so patient, however I think this is your problem. Majority of customers would have given him the heave ho. You might want to get somebody in officialy to look over the work and present him with a list of things that need rectifying. I've just had to redo somebodys bathroom that was only done a year ago by a 'plumber'. It was the stuff you couldn't see that was causing all the problems, starting with the waste pipe not falling from the trap.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

if you put where you are there may be one of the members near you who could have a look as SimonG says

 

[easylife]

has the drain ever worked correctly ,if so and it is a slimline waste fitting it could be that the holes that let the water out which are at the top of the waste inside become quickly blocked with slime and crap/ get a piece of solder or something similar make a u shape of about 1 and a 1/2 inches and use it to clear the holes as they are very close tollerance and soon get clogged up i know i have one myself.