Strange overflow problem...

[d712]

Hello

This is my first post on this site, I know nothing about plumbing at all so I'm sorry if this is a stupid question!

I live in a first floor which is also the middle floor. I think all of the flats have an overflow pipe going out the back. About 6 weeks ago after doing the washing up, I noticed that water was pouring out of my overflow pipe which leads out of the bathroom. I had to turn the stopcock to prevent this.

However I needed to turn it on again if I wanted to use the water. Shortly afterwards I was told by a neighbour that water had been flowing from it all night even though I didn't have any water running in the house.

Then mysteriously it stopped. Since then it has started up and stopped as inexplicably as before. My dad thinks that my overflow maybe some central one that serves some purpose for the each of the flats even though every flat has its own pipe.

Can anyone explain what could be causing this intermittent problem?

 

[SteveW]

Not a stupid question, but a difficult to understand one...

I take it you are in the UK? That may have a bearing on understanding what's going on.

When you talk about the "overflow pipe" which each flat has, is this something you can see on the exterior of the building?

Where does the overflow pipe originate inside the flat?

What stopcock did you shut off?

If possible, post a couple of pictures - will help immensely.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Ian Gills]

The toilet is overflowing. The valve is not shutting off when the tank is full, so water is spilling out of the overflow.

You may be able to adjust the ballcock, or you may need a new one. Because it is intermittant, it sounds like you need a new one.

Lift the lid off of the tank to see what is going on.

 

[d712]

Hello

The overflow pipes are visible externally from each flat and yes I do live in the UK I'm not sure where the overflow pipe comes from, but the stopcock is in the bathroom next to the toilet.

When it is overflowing there doesn't to be any noise from the toilet, it seems to comes from the tank which is next to the bathroom.

 

[Ian Gills]

What is in the tank next to the bathroom? I did not think flats had hot/cold water tanks like many houses do in the UK.

To rule out the toilet, lift the lid, push the ballcock down so the tank continues to fill and starts to overflow and then get someone to go outside to look at the pipe.

And get someone to help. I do not want your toilet to overflow from the tank onto the floor!

 

[Gary Swart]

I don't know how much help member of this forum can be. Obvious, things are done differently in the UK than there are in the US, and most of use are not well versed in the plumbing methods and codes for other countries. In fact, we sometimes disagree about the methods and codes for the US Of course, there are a couple of regulars here that I think install the baths in Rome for Caesar, so maybe one of them will chime in with some help for you. If not, you would be well advised to find a local plumber that could answer your questions. Good luck!

 

[Herk]

I'm not very familiar with Brit plumbing, but could it be an overflow from a hot water cistern? Perhaps the float isn't shutting off properly?

 

[d712]

Hello again

The problem stopped but now it’s started again... The last two occasions where I've had this problem it’s happened after I did a lot of washing up!!

Today I was doing the washing up and after I'd finished I could hear the hot water cylinder which I always do so that wasn't anything unusual. I checked twice to see if there was any overflow coming out the back but there wasn't. But about twenty minutes after finishing the washing up, it started again and I immediately used the stopcock to switch the water off.

My dad thinks that maybe the overflow pipe serves some of the other flats in the building. However each flat has its own overflow pipe and also the last two occasions where I've had this problem, it has resulted from something I've done, that is LOTS of washing up.

He says that I need to find out whether the cold water is coming directly from the mains or a cold water cistern in the roof.

I'm also wondering if resolving this problem comes under the monthly management fee I pay as a resident.

 

[Redwood]

Are you in the UK? If so you may want to try posting at this forum link... [url]http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/forum1/index.php[/URL] Your systems our very different than the ones we have on this side of the big pond and you will probably get a better answer faster there.