Builder won't fix problems - advice please

fivefour

Hi,

Just looking for some advice really so I hope this is in the correct forum. Feel free to move!

We recently bought a new house, with a guarantee that the builder fixes problems within the house for the 1st year. We are nearly 7 months into this agreement and are having awful trouble with a sewery smell from the kitchen and drains. The smell is extremely over powering and actually like raw sewage in both the kitchen and sitting room most days when we come home from work.

The builder has so far sent numerous handymen to the house to check out the problem, with no 'fixes' actually working. If anything, the smell is worse than before.

We have recently had another handyman out. He is completely baffled and admits that it is an issue that needs attention from someone trained in plumbing or the likes.

The builder is very resistant to send someone out, even though we have the year long guarantee. We are at the stage were we have hired a plumber to come out to give a professional opinion, but of course this is not something we should have to pay for or do TBH.

Has anyone had such a problem and where do we stand with this? I know the house still has a 4 month guarantee but the builder will not send out the proper handymen. What are our rights here or has anyone got experience with such difficulties with their builder?

papsita

I don't know what kind of guarantee you have from the builder, and I'm not sure what your rights are. However, what you describe sounds like a drainage issue. This is something for professional drain specialists to address, and not a builder. Again, I'm not really sure what you agreed with the builder, but I wouldn't think it covers drains, so this may be something you need to sort out yourself. I take it you didn't get the drains surveyed before you bought the house?

Jennypops

fivefour wrote: »

Hi,

Just looking for some advice really so I hope this is in the correct forum. Feel free to move!

We recently bought a new house, with a guarantee that the builder fixes problems within the house for the 1st year. We are nearly 7 months into this agreement and are having awful trouble with a sewery smell from the kitchen and drains. The smell is extremely over powering and actually like raw sewage in both the kitchen and sitting room most days when we come home from work.

The builder has so far sent numerous handymen to the house to check out the problem, with no 'fixes' actually working. If anything, the smell is worse than before.

We have recently had another handyman out. He is completely baffled and admits that it is an issue that needs attention from someone trained in plumbing or the likes.

The builder is very resistant to send someone out, even though we have the year long guarantee. We are at the stage were we have hired a plumber to come out to give a professional opinion, but of course this is not something we should have to pay for or do TBH.

Has anyone had such a problem and where do we stand with this? I know the house still has a 4 month guarantee but the builder will not send out the proper handymen. What are our rights here or has anyone got experience with such difficulties with their builder?

Hi,

This could be a number of things, I had a similiar thing in my last house where the downstairs loo and kitchen had a really awful smell, like an acrid eggy kind of smell. A friend of ours is a plumber and when he looked into it he found that in the downstairs loo the seal at the waste pipe was slightly off (not put on properly) and the same with the kitchen waste pipe.
There could also be a problem with the main sewers around your property, anything from blockages causing the flow of everything passing through to slow down but this would usually result in you having issues with toilets etc backing up.
Your best bet is to get a proper contractor out to do a full report and see what that says. Then if it is a matter that the builder is to address present that report to him. If you give them a call to advise you are going to do this (following up with the same in writing, always always always keep it in writing) note to them that you have given them ample opportunity to resolve this but the problem is still ongoing therefore you will expect reimbursement for any costs incurred.
Smells generally come up through the plumbing, either due to the seals as I mentioned before or possibly the pipes are not in properly and the water that acts as a trap for smells is lying at too low a level in the pipe (if that makes sense)
Good Luck

Victor

It could be anything, but is likely to be one of the above.

Fixing this may cost money, but it needs to be fixed. You can either spend €1,000-2,000 now on solicitor fees and a plumbing specialist, or you can spend €10,000 in a few years.

Talk to your solicitor now.

ricman

THIS could be a hole in a pipe under the ground floor ,under the floor boards ,or a broken sewer pipe cover .SO even if all the pipes are all ok, sewer gases escape thru the cover.SEWER pipes have covers , for maintenance,acess ,or unblocking.
CAN you inspect all the covers yourself, can you get a plumbing diagram from the builder.
I KNOW someone who had the identical problem, it was a missing sewer pipe cover, the cover was 4ft under the floor boards, sitting room, close to the dividing wall to the kitchen.cost TO FIX IT 20 EURO, ie install new sewer cover.IT WAS THE MAIN sewer pipe from the bathroom.
AFTER YOU GET diagram, call a plumber, he,ll at least identify what is the problem.GET a receipt ,you might have to pay him 60euro.
THEN get a written estimate from him, it,ll cost x amount to fix this, eg cracked pipe ,whatever is the problem.
IT was the gas,escaping upwards from the pipe coming up thru the floorboards.

SO get him to check all the sewer pipes ,and sewer traps, on the ground
level first.
THE builder will have map, blueprints of all the pipes in your gaff.
BEST to get them be4 you get a plumber .
say the smell is worst in the kitchen well then its likely the main sewer pipe under the kitchen,or close to it.
ITS prbly a cracked pipe or cover.
I FIND it hard to believe the builder doesnt know any plumber at all,
hes trying to save money.
SAY you have 2 bathrooms you,ll then have 2 sewer pipes that join
on to 1 pipe under the floors that goes outside to the main sewers.
IF THE house is properly designed there should be at least
2/3 sewer covers for acess .These could be under the stairs , under the sink , out in the garage etc or in the gardens ,if you have a garden.
OF course if its a cracked pipe, in the sitting room, then part of the floor will have to be lifted to get acess to it.IT COULD be just a loose cover ,over a sewer pipe, 8x8 inchs.

dan_d

Try and get the drawings for the drainage and pipework in the house from your builder. (don't call them maps, he'll laugh at you!!). At least that way you'll know where to look. Sounds more like a job for a plumber, so firstly try and get a plumber in to check all internal pipes for correct seals, cracks, blockages etc. Check the falls on toilet pipes to make sure they're not too shallow (allowing stuff to sit in them) and bends on drains to make sure they're not too tight, and blocking easily. Then move outside to the external drains.
Did you buy in an estate, a new build? Friends of ours have ahouse in a new build estate that has not yet been handed over to the council and has been left unfinished. The sewer pipes between the houses have not been cleaned out, meaning there's bits of concrete/rough edges etc in manholes and along the pipes. Solids travelling along the pipes get caught on these rough bits, and bits of building debris, and build up and block the pipe eventually.At least once a year for the last 3 years, the rodding lids on the sewers have lifted as a result of this blockage and they've had to rod the sewers themselves. Would it be possible you have this problem too?
At least if you can narrow it down to an external problem, you get in Dyno Rod or somebody to do the job. As was said before....spend the money now, not twice the amount in 10 years time.

fivefour

Hey guys,

Thanks for all of your help.

The foreman for the site is due at the house and I have a plumber coming out tonight to get a second opionion. I will ask him to draw up a report for me to give to the builder. Next step... I suppose it's to get a professional drainage outfit out and try get to the bottom of it,

I will be taking your advise and sending the bills to the builder.

Thanks again and I'll let you know what happens

LillyVanilli

We had a similar problem and we got a drainage company out to put cameras down the drains. Cost about €150 and they analyse the video and give you a copy. Our problem was that the drains slightly sloped up instead of down in one part. The builder dug them up and put them back down again.

Edelle

solution to this problem can be really simple! im an undergraduate engineer and we have had a leak in our home and solved this problem which got rid of an odour that built up due to dampness of screed and floor etc. but my own bed room has began to smell and it always got worse after rain.

Every outlet/drain has a trap or u bend in it that will hold water when the sink/shower etc. is not in use. this stops the odour from your sewer or sceptic tank from travelling into the house. if a drain is not being used very often or for some reason doesnt hold water in the trap/u bend then odour will travel into your room. allow taps to run for a few minutes of the outlet is not in use or check to make sure the drain will hold water in the trap... no need for expensive plumbers.. common sense will prevail!