Plumbing problem - can anyone advise please?
Dec 8th 2005, 4:00 am
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,347
Plumbing problem - can anyone advise please?
We moved into our rental in Port Kennedy on 26th October. First day here we found that there was a leak in the washbasin. The water wasn't draining properly and was leaking from the joint in the u-pipe underneath. We phoned the agent the same day and told them about it; they promised to get their maintenance guy to come and see us.
He came the following week and sealed the leak. When he tried it the water wasn't moving at all, and he said that there was a blockage further down the outlet pipe and we'd need to get a plumber in.
About ten days later, a fully-fledged plumber came round to sort it out. He dug up lots of paving slabs outside, threatened to have to dig up the bathroom floor to find the blockage, and eventually tracked it down to the outlet pipe. He reckoned it was a block of cement from when the house was built - about a year ago - and he poked a rod down the pipe and broke up the cement. Blockage cleared. Fine.
While he was here he mentioned that there were a couple of things about the plumbing that concerned him. The biggest issue is the pipe that vents from the drains under the house. Apparently it is supposed to run up the side of the house, go through the roof, exit the top of the roof and have a terminal to close it. Well ours doesn't exit the roof! He explained that this was illegal and a health hazard because effectively the drains were venting straight into our roof space. He pointed out that when the weather gets hotter, the smell would not be nice! He said he was putting in a report and complaint to the plumbers' licensing board and that we should hear from the original plumbers shortly to fix the problem.
Three weeks have gone by since then. I called at the agent's once and asked what had been done and was told the matter was in hand. Phoned them again last week and was told it was being dealt with. This week, having heard nothing further, dh phoned. He was told that the property manager, who had been dealing with it (?) had left. Another woman took the details - again. Yesterday morning, she rang me - and asked for the details....again!
She has rung back this morning to tell me that she's spoken to the owner, and that a complaint has been made to the PLB; now they're trying to contact the builders!
I'm getting a bit concerned about this now, and am wondering if anyone here can tell me in what way this is a health hazard, apart from the smell, and what I can do, if anything, to protect our family? I am hopeful that something may be done within the next week, but there's a strange smell around here this morning that is making me wonder if it is getting serious. Should I threaten to withhold the rent if it isn't fixed very soon?
Advice please? TIA.
Sue
He came the following week and sealed the leak. When he tried it the water wasn't moving at all, and he said that there was a blockage further down the outlet pipe and we'd need to get a plumber in.
About ten days later, a fully-fledged plumber came round to sort it out. He dug up lots of paving slabs outside, threatened to have to dig up the bathroom floor to find the blockage, and eventually tracked it down to the outlet pipe. He reckoned it was a block of cement from when the house was built - about a year ago - and he poked a rod down the pipe and broke up the cement. Blockage cleared. Fine.
While he was here he mentioned that there were a couple of things about the plumbing that concerned him. The biggest issue is the pipe that vents from the drains under the house. Apparently it is supposed to run up the side of the house, go through the roof, exit the top of the roof and have a terminal to close it. Well ours doesn't exit the roof! He explained that this was illegal and a health hazard because effectively the drains were venting straight into our roof space. He pointed out that when the weather gets hotter, the smell would not be nice! He said he was putting in a report and complaint to the plumbers' licensing board and that we should hear from the original plumbers shortly to fix the problem.
Three weeks have gone by since then. I called at the agent's once and asked what had been done and was told the matter was in hand. Phoned them again last week and was told it was being dealt with. This week, having heard nothing further, dh phoned. He was told that the property manager, who had been dealing with it (?) had left. Another woman took the details - again. Yesterday morning, she rang me - and asked for the details....again!
She has rung back this morning to tell me that she's spoken to the owner, and that a complaint has been made to the PLB; now they're trying to contact the builders!
I'm getting a bit concerned about this now, and am wondering if anyone here can tell me in what way this is a health hazard, apart from the smell, and what I can do, if anything, to protect our family? I am hopeful that something may be done within the next week, but there's a strange smell around here this morning that is making me wonder if it is getting serious. Should I threaten to withhold the rent if it isn't fixed very soon?
Advice please? TIA.
Sue
Dec 8th 2005, 4:17 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,808
Re: Plumbing problem - can anyone advise please?
Originally Posted by Bella Donna
We moved into our rental in Port Kennedy on 26th October. First day here we found that there was a leak in the washbasin. The water wasn't draining properly and was leaking from the joint in the u-pipe underneath. We phoned the agent the same day and told them about it; they promised to get their maintenance guy to come and see us.
He came the following week and sealed the leak. When he tried it the water wasn't moving at all, and he said that there was a blockage further down the outlet pipe and we'd need to get a plumber in.
About ten days later, a fully-fledged plumber came round to sort it out. He dug up lots of paving slabs outside, threatened to have to dig up the bathroom floor to find the blockage, and eventually tracked it down to the outlet pipe. He reckoned it was a block of cement from when the house was built - about a year ago - and he poked a rod down the pipe and broke up the cement. Blockage cleared. Fine.
While he was here he mentioned that there were a couple of things about the plumbing that concerned him. The biggest issue is the pipe that vents from the drains under the house. Apparently it is supposed to run up the side of the house, go through the roof, exit the top of the roof and have a terminal to close it. Well ours doesn't exit the roof! He explained that this was illegal and a health hazard because effectively the drains were venting straight into our roof space. He pointed out that when the weather gets hotter, the smell would not be nice! He said he was putting in a report and complaint to the plumbers' licensing board and that we should hear from the original plumbers shortly to fix the problem.
Three weeks have gone by since then. I called at the agent's once and asked what had been done and was told the matter was in hand. Phoned them again last week and was told it was being dealt with. This week, having heard nothing further, dh phoned. He was told that the property manager, who had been dealing with it (?) had left. Another woman took the details - again. Yesterday morning, she rang me - and asked for the details....again!
She has rung back this morning to tell me that she's spoken to the owner, and that a complaint has been made to the PLB; now they're trying to contact the builders!
I'm getting a bit concerned about this now, and am wondering if anyone here can tell me in what way this is a health hazard, apart from the smell, and what I can do, if anything, to protect our family? I am hopeful that something may be done within the next week, but there's a strange smell around here this morning that is making me wonder if it is getting serious. Should I threaten to withhold the rent if it isn't fixed very soon?
Advice please? TIA.
Sue
He came the following week and sealed the leak. When he tried it the water wasn't moving at all, and he said that there was a blockage further down the outlet pipe and we'd need to get a plumber in.
About ten days later, a fully-fledged plumber came round to sort it out. He dug up lots of paving slabs outside, threatened to have to dig up the bathroom floor to find the blockage, and eventually tracked it down to the outlet pipe. He reckoned it was a block of cement from when the house was built - about a year ago - and he poked a rod down the pipe and broke up the cement. Blockage cleared. Fine.
While he was here he mentioned that there were a couple of things about the plumbing that concerned him. The biggest issue is the pipe that vents from the drains under the house. Apparently it is supposed to run up the side of the house, go through the roof, exit the top of the roof and have a terminal to close it. Well ours doesn't exit the roof! He explained that this was illegal and a health hazard because effectively the drains were venting straight into our roof space. He pointed out that when the weather gets hotter, the smell would not be nice! He said he was putting in a report and complaint to the plumbers' licensing board and that we should hear from the original plumbers shortly to fix the problem.
Three weeks have gone by since then. I called at the agent's once and asked what had been done and was told the matter was in hand. Phoned them again last week and was told it was being dealt with. This week, having heard nothing further, dh phoned. He was told that the property manager, who had been dealing with it (?) had left. Another woman took the details - again. Yesterday morning, she rang me - and asked for the details....again!
She has rung back this morning to tell me that she's spoken to the owner, and that a complaint has been made to the PLB; now they're trying to contact the builders!
I'm getting a bit concerned about this now, and am wondering if anyone here can tell me in what way this is a health hazard, apart from the smell, and what I can do, if anything, to protect our family? I am hopeful that something may be done within the next week, but there's a strange smell around here this morning that is making me wonder if it is getting serious. Should I threaten to withhold the rent if it isn't fixed very soon?
Advice please? TIA.
Sue
Explain your situation (tenant) to them.
Advise of plumbers comments about the vent into roof.
Ask council if a final certificate has been issued (they may not tell but may turn up on your door
). Technically you shouldn't be in a house without a final certificate or certificate of occupancy.
If the council tells you no final, go back to the agent and tell them.
You will see action then
especailly as you are paying rent for a non-habitable house.Go for it!
WW
Dec 8th 2005, 4:36 am
#3
.
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 21,374
Re: Plumbing problem - can anyone advise please?
It wont be a health hazard, it's just that it should be vented to the atmosphere and not under the house unless it has an air admittance valve at the end then it should be ok.
