Water leak from upstairs flat

AskAsk

We have a ground floor flat and there is a slow water leak from the upstairs flat into our bathroom.  The owner, who is a plumber, has looked in his bathroom, which is directly above our bathroom and said he can't find any leaks.  The leak is every now and then so we would find a small puddle on the floor but it doesn't seem to be constant.

However, it has made the wall damp because it happens occasionally and probably in different amounts so we don't always see a puddle.

Unfortunately it is coming through the light switch in our bathroom, which is pretty dangerous but doesn't seem to affect the electrics so it must not actually go inside the light switch, which is a pull chord switch.

The owner has asked that we let them know the next time we see a leak and they will ask their tenants as the property is rented out.

If it came to the point where they can't find the leak but it is still leaking into our flat, is there a way to force them to employ a leak specialist company to look harder?

Or can we involve the management company to enforce the detection and repair of the leak?

MEM62

AskAsk said:

The owner, who is a plumber, has looked in his bathroom, which is directly above our bathroom and said he can't find any leaks.  

AskAsk said:

If it came to the point where they can't find the leak but it is still leaking into our flat, is there a way to force them to employ a leak specialist company to look harder?

What kind of specialist company are you thinking of?  Generally, a plumber is the right trade to find a leak.  Intermittent leaks can be hard to find and, as the flat is rented you cannot rule out a 'user issue' causing the issue.   

Mark_d

I expect the management company would be able to assist with tracing the leak.  It might be hidden within the ceiling of your flat, but more likely somewhere in the flat above.
A plumber should be able to fine the leak but I use specialist quipment to find issue around my home:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/di-log-dl7108-digital-humidity-meter/9325k
I suggest you contact the management company.  They would need to be involved with your buildings insurance claim for damage to your flat.

eddddy

MEM62 said:

What kind of specialist company are you thinking of?  

If you google "specialist leak detection", they'll be quite a few companies.


As an example, they might take a sample of the leaking water and analyse it...
- If it contains fluoride, it's coming from mains water (as opposed to rain water)
- If it contains human waste, it's coming from a soil pipe (I bet that thought has cheered up the OP!)

They might also pour water with different 'additives' down the sink, bath, shower etc upstairs and see which of the those 'additives' come through the ceiling.

They might also use damp sensors/meters to determine the pattern of the damp. i.e. They might be able to determine the route the water takes before dripping down.

pramsay13

Does it coincide with rainfall?
We had a leak in our building that was going down to the flat below ours, so they thought it was from our bathroom. 
Eventually we figured out it coincided with heavy rainfall and the downpipes were backing up and leaking into the building before eventually making its way through their ceiling. 
A proper clear out of drains and downpipes solved the issue. 

AskAsk

MEM62 said:

AskAsk said:

The owner, who is a plumber, has looked in his bathroom, which is directly above our bathroom and said he can't find any leaks.  

AskAsk said:

If it came to the point where they can't find the leak but it is still leaking into our flat, is there a way to force them to employ a leak specialist company to look harder?

What kind of specialist company are you thinking of?  Generally, a plumber is the right trade to find a leak.  Intermittent leaks can be hard to find and, as the flat is rented you cannot rule out a 'user issue' causing the issue.   

he said he can't see any signs of water overflow in his bathroom, which you would do if the tenants left the water to overflow the bath or the shower base is blocked.

there are specialists companies who have leak trace equipment and also may be a plumber that is independent as the owner may not be too keen to starting lifting floor boards or break the floor tiles to look for a leak that may be under his bathroom.

AskAsk

eddddy said:

MEM62 said:

What kind of specialist company are you thinking of?  

If you google "specialist leak detection", they'll be quite a few companies.


As an example, they might take a sample of the leaking water and analyse it...
- If it contains fluoride, it's coming from mains water (as opposed to rain water)
- If it contains human waste, it's coming from a soil pipe (I bet that thought has cheered up the OP!)

They might also pour water with different 'additives' down the sink, bath, shower etc upstairs and see which of the those 'additives' come through the ceiling.

They might also use damp sensors/meters to determine the pattern of the damp. i.e. They might be able to determine the route the water takes before dripping down.

they can also use coloured gas to see where the leak is coming from.  but being a specialist company, they will be more familiar with leaks and their probable cause than a plumber who can fix visible leaks.

AskAsk

pramsay13 said:

Does it coincide with rainfall?
We had a leak in our building that was going down to the flat below ours, so they thought it was from our bathroom. 
Eventually we figured out it coincided with heavy rainfall and the downpipes were backing up and leaking into the building before eventually making its way through their ceiling. 
A proper clear out of drains and downpipes solved the issue. 

no, it doesn't coincide with rainfall as far as i can see.  the bathroom is like in the middle of the property so it is shielded from the outside.

Ratkin007

When there was a leak from the property above mine, a number of plumbers attended and could not find the issue.
It was a Council flat above and eventually they sent out a surveyor. 
Turned out the tenants had tiled over the bath panel so under the bath was not accessible 🙂
Was sorted after that. 

AskAsk

Ratkin007 said:

When there was a leak from the property above mine, a number of plumbers attended and could not find the issue.
It was a Council flat above and eventually they sent out a surveyor. 
Turned out the tenants had tiled over the bath panel so under the bath was not accessible 🙂
Was sorted after that. 

how come the many plumbers didn't notice this obvious fact?

MEM62

eddddy said:

MEM62 said:

What kind of specialist company are you thinking of?  

If you google "specialist leak detection", they'll be quite a few companies.


As an example, they might take a sample of the leaking water and analyse it...
- If it contains fluoride, it's coming from mains water (as opposed to rain water)
- If it contains human waste, it's coming from a soil pipe (I bet that thought has cheered up the OP!)

They might also pour water with different 'additives' down the sink, bath, shower etc upstairs and see which of the those 'additives' come through the ceiling.

They might also use damp sensors/meters to determine the pattern of the damp. i.e. They might be able to determine the route the water takes before dripping down.

Well I never knew that.  Every day is a school day  :-)