Slow draining sink and washing machine waste backing up

Question

I own the top floor flat of a 3 story building. In May, my tenant noticed that the kitchen sink was draining slowly so after a lot of trying with drain unblocker, I got a plumber out who chucked stronger stuff down there which seemed to do the job. A few weeks ago, the problem came back as well as the washing machine waste backing up and leaking all over the floor. Someone came out who found a block in my pipework and cleared it out and the sink was draining fine, until she used her washing machine which seemed to block it all up again. Next I had a drainage company out who suggested it could be a blockage or build up in the stack pipe. They put a camera up the pipe and couldn’t see any blockage, but they couldn’t get right to the top. They also played around with the pipes and noticed that as soon as you loosened the joints, water drained away easily. So, they recommended an air admittance valve was installed. So a plumber did that and STILL no luck.

Christopher · Accepted Answer

Have any of the other tenants of the other flats had any of the same problems? Is it only the washing machine and the kitchen sink that block?

Lee · Answer

there will be a blockage in the entry to the soil stack or in the drain. Does the toilet slow when flushing or rise a little when flushed

Mehmed · Answer

Sanyflo and connect somewhere elsie for example toilet waste

Norral · Answer

Unfortunately Drain Blockers if not applied correctly can compound the problem. You may have had a simple and straightforward problem but now  now it has grown into a major problem.
If other traders have attended my guess is they will have checked the trap. You may need to replace the pipe run. 
Did you use Caustic Soda by any chance? Great stuff but must be applied very
Carefully.

Oliver · Answer

We had a very similar blockage in Cheadle Hulme apartments top floor, but after further investigation no one else was affected, drain blocker will not cure a full blockage it’s for small trap blockages and even then it’s not a permanent solution. 
A drain snake also will unblock partially but not fully, what joints where loosened because an air admittance valve is for the toilet and 4inch pipework and your problem is with the sink is this all connected? 
On our Cheadle Hulme job we pressurised the system and the blockage was completely cleared and no problems since, this was last year.

Slow draining sink and washing machine waste backing up

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