Overflow in a flat- Any suggestions?

[Colobus]

Was doing work for a customer some months ago, and he mentioned that a few neighbours had told him his overflow was leaking outside. He lives in a block of about 8 flats. He said he hadn't noticed anything, but I had a look round and couldn't see anything myself. Left it at that.

He's called this week and said his management company have told him he needs to get the overflow fixed, so I'm going back out. What is it likely to be? I'm fairly new at this game and still working on fault finding! Is it likely that his management company may have the wrong flat? What would you check?

Thanks in advance

 

[joni os]

Arrange, through customer, for site meeting with management company. Start by clearly identifying over flow. Possible management company are taking word of neighbours as fact. State neither you or customer were able to identify fault during previous inspections.

 

[Simon F]

is it an overflow?
or a dripping pressure valve?

needs to be identified where the problem is then work back.
depending what it is you may or may not be qualified to recolve it??

 

[Colobus]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I went to the flat and could not find anything that may have been the cause. I emailed the management company to let them know (it sounds like they've been hassling the customer) and they've sent me a photo of his overflow outside. It's made the surrounding brickwork damp and moss appears to have grown- but on the photo it isn't showing flowing water. And I couldn't see anything. The flat has no boiler so doubt it's anything to do with that! Any further help would be greatly appreciated as the tenant is very elderly and the management company seem to be giving him a lot of grief, even though he's clearly trying to sort it.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I went to the flat and could not find anything that may have been the cause. I emailed the management company to let them know (it sounds like they've been hassling the customer) and they've sent me a photo of his overflow outside. It's made the surrounding brickwork damp and moss appears to have grown- but on the photo it isn't showing flowing water. And I couldn't see anything. The flat has no boiler so doubt it's anything to do with that! Any further help would be greatly appreciated as the tenant is very elderly and the management company seem to be giving him a lot of grief, even though he's clearly trying to sort it.

toilet, cold water tank, water heater ?????????????

 

[PlumbBobBob]

unvented discharge?

 

[Colobus]

unvented discharge?

This isn't something I looked at (or have had before- I am very new to this!) can you explain how I'd know? The water is heated by an immersion heater in a cylinder. Thanks so much!

 

[Masood]

This isn't something I looked at (or have had before- I am very new to this!) can you explain how I'd know? The water is heated by an immersion heater in a cylinder. Thanks so much!

Is it an unvented cylinder?

 

[Masood]

This isn't something I looked at (or have had before- I am very new to this!) can you explain how I'd know? The water is heated by an immersion heater in a cylinder. Thanks so much!

Is it an unvented cylinder?

 

[Colobus]

Yes it is- just a cylinder underneath the tank.

 

[Colobus]

This is the outside of the building

 

[deg]

not very helpful to the OP

 

[PlumbBobBob]

looks like the overflow above has leaked in the past as well. possibly toilet?

 

[Colobus]

Excuse me?

 

[PlumbBobBob]

Excuse me?

look at the picture, as well as the overflow of your customer leaking, there is staining on the brickwork from above.

 

[Colobus]

Sorry my 'excuse me' wasn't aimed at you- it was in reference to the person about who thought the best advice they could give was to tell me that I should have gone to Specsavers! Thanks for your help so far though- do you think the entire mark on the wall could have been caused by the overflow above leaking? Or that perhaps they both are? Thanks!

 

[PlumbBobBob]

I think they both have been at one time just the lower one now

 

[Masood]

Yes it is- just a cylinder underneath the tank.

If there's a cold water tank as well as the cylinder, it's not unvented. I would respectfully suggest that you team up with a more experienced plumber on this job. You'll gain a lot from doing that...

 

[Colobus]

See- told you I was a newbie! Have asked someone I've worked with to come round but he's not free for a few weeks. Thought I'd ask here in the meantime. Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Masood]

See- told you I was a newbie! Have asked someone I've worked with to come round but he's not free for a few weeks. Thought I'd ask here in the meantime. Thanks for everyone's help!

Good on you for asking but do please be careful. If you're that much of a newbie that you haven't yet learned the different types of cold/hot water systems (week 3 or 4 of Level 2 if my memory serves me right) then I would be very wary of working in peoples' properties. You may not be able to identify which pipe does what, and end up cutting into mains, for example. Or something may go wrong which you won't have the skills or tools to fix and end up causing a flood..

 

[jtsplumbing]

See

Are you working for a company ? If so why are they sending you out on your own if you only have basic knowledge !

 

[jtsplumbing]

See

Are you working for a company ? If so why are they sending you out on your own if you only have basic knowledge !