Dam% Damp

[thetyreman]

I've tried several mould-killing/removing products, each with limited success. By far a better solution was just bog-standard bleach.

most of them are just thinned out bleach anyway re-marketed as a new product.

 

[johna.clements]

@Limey Lurker So difficult to tell. I have no idea what was causing the leak only that is was into the macerator system and overflowing from the shower tray. It could have been the shower itself. When I removed and tipped water from the macerator the water looked clear and clean with no additional substances. I haven't taken it apart.

I am no expert on pumped sewage systems so this is speculation on my part.

Maybe the macerator/ pump was switched off because no one was in the house. Maybe that is what is recommended for an unoccupied house.

The macerator/ pump will be at the low point in the system. toilet, wash basin shower will flow down into it. You need the pump because you are putting the toilet etc in a place where a gravity out flow will not work. If you can not use gravity to discharge then most likely you can not have a gravity overflow to by pass the pump, unless it discharged say down the wall of the house into the garden (If you could conect this discharge to the mains sewer then you would not need the pump).

Someone goes for a pee just before they leave and then wash their hands. They leave the tap dripping. Since the macerator/ pump is not switched on the water builds up in the system and flows out of the lowest point, the shower.

As I said this is just speculation with little knowledge on my part so I could well be barking up the wrong tree.



Regarding chlorine based mould stopping solutions, bleach, milton fluid etc, people should bare in mind that chlorine promotes rust.

 

[davethebb]

Martin, Sorry to hear about your problem. If there has been any risk of effluent in the leaked water from the macerator then you must remove as much of the plasterboard as you can. From a strength point of view, the plasterboard may be compromised but more important from a health point of view. There are some serious long-term issues of mold, fungal growth, etc. from effluent so you need to remove as much of the contaminated material as possible. Most importantly you must treat the wood (joists etc.) multiple times with a good fungicidal product, perhaps something like Centrecoat GS36, etc. ideally before it is dried out as this helps ensure the biocide mixes with the entrained water soaked into the timber.- you should do this frequently to ensure the timber soaks up the treatment. If it is left some very nasty mold etc will grow and rot the timber very quickly. Mold from the effluent is a serious long term health hazard in this instance. Dave.

 

[Fergie 307]

most of them are just thinned out bleach anyway re-marketed as a new product.

I have used the HG mould remover, no idea what's in it but it does work much better than bleach.

 

[Fergie 307]

Martin, Sorry to hear about your problem. If there has been any risk of effluent in the leaked water from the macerator then you must remove as much of the plasterboard as you can. From a strength point of view, the plasterboard may be compromised but more important from a health point of view. There are some serious long-term issues of mold, fungal growth, etc. from effluent so you need to remove as much of the contaminated material as possible. Most importantly you must treat the wood (joists etc.) multiple times with a good fungicidal product, perhaps something like Centrecoat GS36, etc. ideally before it is dried out as this helps ensure the biocide mixes with the entrained water soaked into the timber.- you should do this frequently to ensure the timber soaks up the treatment. If it is left some very nasty mold etc will grow and rot the timber very quickly. Mold from the effluent is a serious long term health hazard in this instance. Dave.

Dave makes some good points. Not sure you have any underlying problem, you would be surprised how quickly mould forms on plasterboard in the presence of any moisture, let alone when it's had a good drenching. Will all need to come out I'm afraid. I feel for you, last thing you need. We had similar issues with our house as it has been repossessed, and had stood empty for 18 months. It too had suffered burst pipes, in this case from freezing. Difference was we knew what it was like when we bought it, and it was too much of a bargain to pass up. We also had the advantage that we were able to break the back of the work before moving in.

 

[MorrisWoodman12]

@davethebb Thanks Dave: that looks like good advice. I'll look out Centrecoat GS36 and see what it's about.
@Fergie 307 I'm coming to the conclusion that the garage ceiling has to go and I'll probably not replace it as such just ensure there's a fireproof barrier between the garage and the room above. As an aside we were quite keen on another house when we first started looking around. We were about to put in an offer when their car caught fire in the garage and burnt out the rooms above and smoke damaged most of the rest of the house. I definitely understand the need for that barrier.

Thank you all for those helpful suggestions.

 

[johna.clements]

@davethebb Thanks Dave: that looks like good advice. I'll look out Centrecoat GS36 and see what it's about.
@Fergie 307 I'm coming to the conclusion that the garage ceiling has to go and I'll probably not replace it as such just ensure there's a fireproof barrier between the garage and the room above. As an aside we were quite keen on another house when we first started looking around. We were about to put in an offer when their car caught fire in the garage and burnt out the rooms above and smoke damaged most of the rest of the house. I definitely understand the need for that barrier.

Thank you all for those helpful suggestions.

Since you are ripping the garage ceiling down have you thought about installing a gravity sewage system. I assume that the toilet, shower is for an ensuite or a second bathroom and they went with pumped to reduce the disruption and cost. If there is a foul manhole near the garage you could install a pipe down through the garage and out.

This would cost more but you would save the on goung costs of macerator/ pump maintenance/ future replacement. Plus the chance of a future flood would be greatly reduced.

 

[MorrisWoodman12]

Since you are ripping the garage ceiling down have you thought about installing a gravity sewage system. I assume that the toilet, shower is for an ensuite or a second bathroom and they went with pumped to reduce the disruption and cost. If there is a foul manhole near the garage you could install a pipe down through the garage and out.

This would cost more but you would save the on goung costs of macerator/ pump maintenance/ future replacement. Plus the chance of a future flood would be greatly reduced.

Yeap! We always planned extensive modifications to the house including either plumbing the toilet/shower/basin directly into the foul water drain within the house or removing the the macerator etc entirely. Plumbing through the garage isn't really feasible not so much because of the garage but running through the front of the garage to the manhole.

 

[Jameshow]

Yeap! We always planned extensive modifications to the house including either plumbing the toilet/shower/basin directly into the foul water drain within the house or removing the the macerator etc entirely. Plumbing through the garage isn't really feasible not so much because of the garage but running through the front of the garage to the manhole.

Can you not run it in a trench?

 

[MorrisWoodman12]

Can you not run it in a trench?

Why bother when a more elegant solution is to run it horizontally with appropriate slope through the floor (the joists run in the right direction) and down inside the house into the downstairs toilet at the front of the house.

 

[johna.clements]

Why bother when a more elegant solution is to run it horizontally with appropriate slope through the floor (the joists run in the right direction) and down inside the house into the downstairs toilet at the front of the house.

That is better. Most likely will have cost the seller more in the lost sale price than they saved with the macerator. But you have to deal with the problem.

 

[MorrisWoodman12]

That is better. Most likely will have cost the seller more in the lost sale price than they saved with the macerator. But you have to deal with the problem.

Yes. Two people out of about a dozen offered on the house the weekend we viewed. It first went to the others but they pulled out (this was before the flood) so bought it. It would have cost the vendors money (it was vacant so insurance voided) and another three or four months getting it sorted. They coughed up the money, we're sorting it out and modifying bits as we go along. We were always going to do some of this work but thought we'd have more than floorboards and/ or joists to walk on and that we'd have ceilings.

 

[johna.clements]

Yes. Two people out of about a dozen offered on the house the weekend we viewed. It first went to the others but they pulled out (this was before the flood) so bought it. It would have cost the vendors money (it was vacant so insurance voided) and another three or four months getting it sorted. They coughed up the money, we're sorting it out and modifying bits as we go along. We were always going to do some of this work but thought we'd have more than floorboards and/ or joists to walk on and that we'd have ceilings.

But you can buy insurance for unoccupied houses! It just costs a lot more.

When I have gone on holiday I have always turned off the water. But I did have a small leak once that I discovered just before I went away and could not get it fixed. My mum poped around to check up on the house and turned it back on again, "well you did not tell me to leave it off" she said. Only superficial damage.