Downstairs neighbour experiencing leak, not sure from where?

mathilde

My downstairs neighbour came by last night and said she's got wet patches on her living room ceiling. I'll attach a picture.

My living room is above hers, but the bathroom is right next to it. I've got a shower.

I've engaged a plumber who will hopefully come by later today. Does it look like it might be my shower waste pipe? Not sure what else it might be.

MyRealNameToo

mathilde said:

My downstairs neighbour came by last night and said she's got wet patches on her living room ceiling. I'll attach a picture.

My living room is above hers, but the bathroom is right next to it. I've got a shower.

I've engaged a plumber who will hopefully come by later today. Does it look like it might be my shower waste pipe? Not sure what else it might be.

Purpose built block or converted house? 

What's the construction of the floors?

Do you know where the services run? 


In our purpose built flats the services are in the ceiling so something like that is more likely to be a problem with my pipes than the pipes/applicances  of the floor above

bjorn_toby_wilde

Impossible for anyone to say from the pictures I’m afraid. The water has found its way to the joints in the plasterboard but the source of the leak could even be a couple of metres away from the damp patches.

Your plumber should be able to track it down.

mathilde

Sounds good, thank you. 

It's a block of flats. We don't have plan of where all the internal pipes run but the freeholder has (if needed).

mathilde

MyRealNameToo said:

mathilde said:

My downstairs neighbour came by last night and said she's got wet patches on her living room ceiling. I'll attach a picture.

My living room is above hers, but the bathroom is right next to it. I've got a shower.

I've engaged a plumber who will hopefully come by later today. Does it look like it might be my shower waste pipe? Not sure what else it might be.

Purpose built block or converted house? 

What's the construction of the floors?

Do you know where the services run? 


In our purpose built flats the services are in the ceiling so something like that is more likely to be a problem with my pipes than the pipes/applicances  of the floor above

That's interesting. Yes, the wet patches aren't under my shower, so it's not really clear where the issue is coming from. But as a start it makes sense to look at my shower to rule it out.

mathilde

Just by way of update, my drainage pipe under the shower had totally disintegrated! Note: don't put high-concentrated vinegar and oyclean doekwn the drain! Lol. Found lovely local plumbers who fixed nicely. Gave flowers and chocs to neighbour. 

bjorn_toby_wilde

mathilde said:

Just by way of update, my drainage pipe under the shower had totally disintegrated! Note: don't put high-concentrated vinegar and oyclean doekwn the drain! Lol. Found lovely local plumbers who fixed nicely. Gave flowers and chocs to neighbour. 

Interesting, particularly when there have been recent posts about buying hydrochloric acid in Europe and bringing it back to clear drain pipes!

Never had to resort to using any kind of acid to clean drains in 40 years of house ownership but seems that some people swear by it.

grumpy_codger

mathilde said:

Just by way of update, my drainage pipe under the shower had totally disintegrated! Note: don't put high-concentrated vinegar and oyclean doekwn the drain!

If the pipe was plastic it's hard to believe that any acid (let alone weak one like vinegar) or hydrogen peroxide are the ones to  blame for its disintegration.