Leaking pipes in kitchen

El_Torro

A bit of an odd one here (for me, since my handyman skills are next to none). I'll try to describe the problem as best I can. 

I live in a flat and the pipes in my kitchen have started leaking whenever I use the washing machine or kitchen sink. At first I thought it was an issue exclusively with the washing machine but I haven't used it for a few days and I'm still getting the problem. I've tried putting chemicals down to clear the pipes though that hasn't helped, the problem persists. I even got a plumber in when I thought the issue was exclusively with the washing machine and he found nothing wrong. 

One thing I haven't tried is using a plunger. I don't own one (easy enough to acquire one, I know) and as I understand it a plunger is only really useful when the drain is full of water, which it isn't. Is it worth a try anyway? 

The leaking water is clear, doesn't have any foodstuffs or anything else in it. I'm starting to think that maybe the issue is not in my flat at all, but in the communal areas or even the flat downstairs maybe. I'd like to know for sure before contacting my neighbours or management company though. 

My Google (and Youtube) skills are failing me, all I can find is advice on how to clear a blocked drain. Any tips on what to do next or anything obvious that I haven't tried yet would be great.

stuart45

Which pipe is leaking? Have you got a photo of it?

Ectophile

Chemicals won't stop a leak, and neither will plungering it.  The pipes should be water-tight even when they are filled with water.

Try wiping down everything with a rag/kitchen paper to dry it.  Then you may be able to see where the water is coming from.

If it's the waste pipe that's leaking, then it's unlikely it's coming from somewhere else.  Water can trickle along underneath the outside of a pipe, but only downhill.  More likely it's a loose joint somewhere.

El_Torro

It's not a leak, as in a hole in one of the pipes. What's happening is that the pipe is overflowing when I use the kitchen sink or washing machine. 

I actually got another plumber out yesterday. He confirmed that there is a blockage, though it's not in my flat. The blockage is lower down, below my flat. I've told my downstairs neighbour and have also informed the management company by e-mail, though they won't read it until Tuesday at the earliest. I expect them to tell me to sort out with my neighbour, though hopefully they'll do more than that. 

Here is a photo, the water comes out of the white vertical pipe on the right / center of the photo.