How long before a leak can be detected?

bluedrop

Hi all,
I am having my bathroom done. The fitter is making my life very stressful. He put in a flexible tube for the shower cubicle waste outlet . I told him to change it and put a proper one, but he was insisting that it will be okay no prob. He said he did this for a number of jobs and no one complained until now. he installed the tray before I could think!

The bathroom is nearly done now, I am worried sick about this and other things. My kitchen is right under it. If there was a leak, how long would it be before it surfaces via the kitchen cieling? Can I run the shower and other taps for like 10-15 mins and then use a damp meter or someothing downstairs to check if there is a leak?

Any relevant advice gratefully recieved.

Thank you.

Odster

You won't get a satisfactory answer to this because it depends on too many factors. In my opinion, it sounds like you're over thinking it - you've hired a professional so you need to trust him to do the job properly.

Having said that, personally I would still check any work I've had done - run the taps and feel the pipe joints to make sure they're staying dry.

Gloomendoom

I've used those flexible tubes on several jobs now. None of them have leaked.

Nilrem

The flexible tubes are probably not much more likely to leak than traditional pipework as long as they're fitted properly.

We've got them on our toilets due to the way they're fitted and issues with space to fit fixed pipes, and in probably 15 years of use they've never leaked - we've had to replace them, but that's only because we were doing work around the loo (including replacing it) and did not want to reuse them

Remember they're not going to be under any real pressure, not going to be moving (other than expansion/contraction and flexi pipes are slightly better suited to that than normal ones), and as long as they're fitted properly about the only reason for them to leak is if they are physically damaged, or you go pulling the fittings around

Hintza

You don't need a damp meter, if it is leaking you will see soon enough.

Mr_Ted

:)A flex is less likely to leak than solid fixed pipework as the very nature of the design allows for movement which a solid pipe does not, and there a likely to be less joints that could also possibly leak:)

sillygoose

If its just on the waste then its taking no pressure or anything, the only place it would leak is the ends which have connections and seals same as any pipes so no more or less likely.

andyhop

Flexis are all good and well but they restrict and slow flow. The ring/ ribs collect crap

Flexible pan connectors are one of the worst things ever invented. Every blockage I get called to has one

muckybutt

^^ Agree.

Flexi pipes are muck traps, all the soap gunge and hair soon gets clogged up in them and the other stuff too if its on the toilet waste !

I personally would never use them as ive seen the crap that they hold, might work for some but I hate em - cant beat rigid pipework and fitted correctly you should never get any problems.