Blocked overflow

[overflow]

Hi,

Can anyone help me with some advice on an overflow pipe that needs extending. I live in the middle flat over a basement flat in a converted terrace house. The overflow pipe from my toilet cistern and from the cold water tank used to run below my floorboards and straight out at my floor height into the back garden.

My neighbours downstairs had an extension put on the side of the house which blocked the path of my overflow pipe and it appears that their builders just boxed in the pipe to run into the roof cavity of the extension! The toilet cistern has recently been overflowing and my neighbours now have a very damp ceiling. We've fixed the toilet cistern but we now need to do something about the overflow pipe.

It's a big job to run the pipe through the roof extension as there are several joists to be drilled through. My neighbour has suggested running the pipe vertically up through the roof, but this would mean that the end of the pipe would be above the level of my floor and would effectively create a large U bend that could hold water. As this pipe is only going to be used if there is an overflow, then any water stuck in the overflow U bend could become stagnant water.

Is this a bad idea or am I being too cautious?

Many thanks
Dan

 

[buff]

Can you not run the pipes into the wc waste pipe/soil stack
bob

 

[Gray0689]

Change the syphon to an internal overflow then there no problem and an easy fix simple

 

[Dannypipe]

You can't put the overflow above the height of the cistern!!

You have two options.

Option One----- change the flush valve (siphon hopefully) with one that has an integral overflow. ----What happens is, instead of overflowing the WC basically auto flushes and the water just goes down the pan....they're now fitted as standard.

Option two ---- If you can't change the siphon, you may be able to change the pipe at the back of the toilet to one with a union on it. I fitted one recently in a cloakroom. It is a Multiquick with 1 1/2" mechanical coupling on the top of it. This is the last resort, as you would have to put a trap inline and adapt the pipe sizes. Look at option 1 first...it's an easy fix.

Good luck.

 

[sparky]

Hi all,
Shouldnt an overflow pipe be ran in a conspicuous position ie: one that you can see when overflowing? You cant see it overflowing into a soil or waste pipe!

 

[Dannypipe]

No - as far as I know it's not a problem on a WC. With the intergral overflows, you could miss it overflowing very easily.

As for it going straight into the stack, then I don't see a problem, it'll probably still overflow at some point, the old fashioned overflow pipes can't deal with mains pressure filling for long.

You must have a visible overflow on certain things, like your CWST & F&E...for safety reasons, but I think you're OK with WC's.

 

[overflow]

Thanks for all your replies.

I could redirect the toilet cistern overflow as you suggest, but I would still need to do something with the overflow from the cold water tank and that would mean taking apart some of my bathroom and lifting more floorboards. It would probably be easier to run the overflow through the joists.

Does anyone know if there are any health issues with an overflow pipe holding standing water?

Thanks
Dan

 

[sparky]

Understand about the w/c, it was the overflow off the cold water cistern i was referring to.

 

[oldplumber]

what ever the issue you can always use a tundish, visual aid and then run pipe to wherever you want

 

[Dannypipe]

Understand about the w/c, it was the overflow off the cold water cistern i was referring to.

Yes the overflow to the CWST should be visible outside the building.

If the stat on the immersion heater fails, and the tank fills with boiling water, it could fail, and you'd have no idea it was overflowing.

So you are indeed correct on that point.

 

[Bernie2]

The idea of an overflow really, is to avoid wasting water not to redirect overflowing water away from the inside of your property. As such they are meant to discharge as a warning and in a conspicuous place. The idea being you go and get the overflow fixed quickly.

The internal wc syphon change is okay as is the tundish but where do you run the tundish waste to? You could I suppose run it to one of the positions mentioned in the soil stack but you would have to put a deep seal trap in the line somewhere.

 

[tamz]

Tell your neighbour to get his builder back to rectify the problem or get a bucket to put under it.
The builder should have re routed the overflow when he built the extension. It is his problem to fix it.
And if you end up putting a country pattern in to solve the problem the builder (or your neighbour) should foot the bill.
Builders!

 

[Gray0689]

Tamz is right the builder is the one in wrong and should fix it at his expense

 

[overflow]

Thanks again for your replies. The builder left the job before it was complete (but after he had blocked in my overflow) so getting him back isn't an option. Redirecting the cold water tank overflow in my flat isn't an option either.

So the reasons for not redirecting the pipe straight upwards are, the standing water could freeze or I wouldn't notice that there was problem until the water had managed to fill up the entire overflow pipe.

I'm more worried about breaking any standards so it would be difficult to sell the flat in the future or about any health issues if water gets trapped in the overflow and becomes stagnant. Does anyone know about these?

Thanks

 

[dick999]

Thanks again for your replies. The builder left the job before it was complete (but after he had blocked in my overflow) so getting him back isn't an option. Redirecting the cold water tank overflow in my flat isn't an option either.

So the reasons for not redirecting the pipe straight upwards are, the standing water could freeze or I wouldn't notice that there was problem until the water had managed to fill up the entire overflow pipe.

I'm more worried about breaking any standards so it would be difficult to sell the flat in the future or about any health issues if water gets trapped in the overflow and becomes stagnant. Does anyone know about these?

Thanks

I still think its not your problem, your pipes were there before the extension and they did what they were ment to do with no problem.
let him get his plumber to fix the problem, if you do it yourself and break his roof then who will pay for the damages??

 

[Gray0689]

Listen to dick 999 if you touch it then it becomes your problem you did not get the builder and it's not your extension so let them get it sorted

 

[overflow]

Cheers for the advice so far. I agree that it's not my problem and my neighbour will arrange and pay for the repairs but he wants to run the pipe vertically upwards through the extension roof which will create the U bend. I'd prefer that he ran the pipe horizontally to the external wall.

Is there any building regulation, health regulation or something which states that the pipe should not go vertically upwards and should instead be directed to the external wall? Does anyone know of anyone i can contact about this?

Thanks

 

[Dannypipe]

Cheers for the advice so far. I agree that it's not my problem and my neighbour will arrange and pay for the repairs but he wants to run the pipe vertically upwards through the extension roof which will create the U bend. I'd prefer that he ran the pipe horizontally to the external wall.

Is there any building regulation, health regulation or something which states that the pipe should not go vertically upwards and should instead be directed to the external wall? Does anyone know of anyone i can contact about this?

Thanks

This sounds dodgy to me. I'd call in an independant and experienced plumber. It's impossible to say if your neighbour is full of it, but I don't like the sound of what's being proposed.

 

[dick999]

Cheers for the advice so far. I agree that it's not my problem and my neighbour will arrange and pay for the repairs but he wants to run the pipe vertically upwards through the extension roof which will create the U bend. I'd prefer that he ran the pipe horizontally to the external wall.

Is there any building regulation, health regulation or something which states that the pipe should not go vertically upwards and should instead be directed to the external wall? Does anyone know of anyone i can contact about this?

Thanks

The outlet end of a warning or overflow pipe is not to be at a higher level than the inlet end; it should be installed on a downward inclined plane, and not comprise, include, or have connected to it, any flexible hose.

When two or more cisterns have a common warning or overflow pipe the pipework should be arranged so that the overflow from any cistern cannot enter another. The location of the cistern overflow must be readily indentifiable and discharge should be in a conspicuous position.

[ source water regulation guide 2000- G16.8 and G16.12]

 

[Dannypipe]

The outlet end of a warning or overflow pipe is not to be at a higher level than the inlet end; it should be installed on a downward inclined plane, and not comprise, include, or have connected to it, any flexible hose.

When two or more cisterns have a common warning or overflow pipe the pipework should be arranged so that the overflow from any cistern cannot enter another. The location of the cistern overflow must be readily indentifiable and discharge should be in a conspicuous position.

[ source water regulation guide 2000- G16.8 and G16.12]

Exactly....so tell your neighbour he can forget about running the overflow up vertically. Or as I suggest, call a decent plumber in.

 

[overflow]

That should cover it. Thanks again for all the replies.