Water!!

Today I got up to find I had a water leak. The sink in the WC has been draining very slowly for quite a while, and I accidentally left the tap dribbling last night. I guess the water was going into the sink faster than it could drain, due to the blockage. Anyway, it hadn't overflowed, but the floor in the hall and in the airing cupboard was wet.

The previous occupant of the house, in his wisdom, decided that it was a really good idea to box in all the pipes, seal the boxing up and tile right up to it and on top of some of it (to make a shelf). It looks nice, but the pipes are totally inaccessable. He also sealed the lino down so I can't lift it to dry the floor.

I managed to get some of the boxing off without wrecking it, and got the u-bend off. The joints around the u-bend were all quite damp but I couldn't tell if that's where the leak was coming from or not. I was hoping it would be as simple as a blocked u-bent, but no. Nothing in my life could ever be as simple as a blocked u-bend.

The u-bend was quite mucky but I've cleaned it all out and put it back on and the sink is still not draining properly. This means that the blockage is further down the pipes, which means removing more of the boxing....

However, the floor is drying nicely (had to lift the carpet up) and I've switched the mains back on (didn't think it was a mains problem but better be safe than sorry!) and so far all seems well.

I think that further investigations can wait until Dad gets back from holiday!!

And why is it, that when I had just spent half an hour ripping the boxing off and removing the u-bend, I then completely forgot what I'd just done and turned the tap on to wash my hands!!!!

(luckily I'd put a bucket under the open pipe....)