Shower tray filling with water if sink running.

justaquestion

Hi folks,

Just noticed that if we run the wash-basin taps at same time as having electric shower on, then the shower tray fills up with water.

Bathroom was first done about 20 years ago and got refitted recently with a shower pod. All the waste pipes are interconnected I think so I feel that is the problem, the waste pipes are not big enough to let all the water escape at same time, so something has to fill up.

Highly unlikely that someone will be running basin at same time as shower, and as shower seems to be emptying ok when its the only thing that is running, will probably have to live with it.

Do you think the above is the reason for the problem? If it was you would you just live with it?

Ruski

A joint flow from a basin running taps and an electric shower should easily be discharged by 40mm pipework.

Several reasons that this may not be happening:
Blocked trap.
Insufficient fall on waste.
Backfall on waste.
32mm pipework used.
Pipework joints fitted in reverse (yes, I've seen this)

In an ideal world, if your bathroom is sharing a single waste, this should also terminate with 50mm pipework, but we rarely see this in existing installations.

When using just the shower does the basin gurgle?
When using the basin does the shower gurgle?

Do you have easy access to the waste pipework?

Russ

justaquestion

Thanks a lot Ruski for taking the time to reply and your obvious expertise in dealing with this kind of thing.

Unfortunately the floor is tiled so no easy way to get to waste.

I have messed around a bit this morning running shower etc seeing how quick tray enpties. It does seem that if I remove the removable trap things (there to catch the debri and hair) then the shower tray empties a lot quicker. Or don't have those traps fitted perfectly down with cover tight, then tray seems to empty quicker.

The thought has ran through my mind maybe if I was to get plumber to enlarge the hole in the removable trap thingies it might possibly help letting the water out faster.

Not sure though.
Thanks a lot for your expert advice.

martinsurrey

Ruski wrote: »

When using just the shower does the basin gurgle?
When using the basin does the shower gurgle?

Russ

OP,

can you answer those questions.

I see where Russ is going with the questions, and if you answer yes to either its a pretty simple fix (as long as you have the space and access.)

justaquestion

Thanks for reply, had a double check there and doesn't seem to be any gurgling in either.

Thanks again

Wookey

If you do not have access to the waste pipework from inside you maybe able to clean it from the outside, combined wastes from showers can clog up quite quickly with the combination of hair and liquid soaps if to great a fall or not enough of a fall is put into the pipework.
If the fitting is easily removed where it comes outside then get something (like bamboo cane) that can be pushed up inside to try to scrape the internal pipe walls, you could also try using a chemical cleaner like sodium percarbonate (oxi bleach) put a stop end on outside and fill the waste pipe with the oxi/water mix and leave it for at least an hour.