How plumbing works in a shared building
- Vertical stacks carry waste from units stacked above each other
- Supply risers feed each floor through branch valves
- A main drain and lateral leave the building at the lowest level
- Some taller buildings rely on booster pumps for upper floors
Calls we get from buildings
- Kitchen sinks backing up on the lowest floors of one stack
- Water coming through a ceiling from the unit above
- A branch valve that will not close when a unit needs isolating
- Hot water slow to reach the far units
- Odours in a corridor from a dry trap or open cleanout
How we work in occupied buildings
- Management confirms which stack or riser and which units
- Notices go to tenants before water or drains are shut
- The stack is opened at a cleanout and cabled or jetted
- Leaks are traced with moisture readings and opened at the source
- Water is restored and each affected unit is checked
Signs a stack needs cleaning
- Repeated calls from the same column of units
- Gurgling in one unit when another drains
- Grease found at the base cleanout
- Slow drains on lower floors only
For condominium corporations, repairs to common elements usually go through the board or the property manager. Unit owners should check their declaration and call their manager first.
Included on every commercial visit
- Access agreed with the person in charge
- Fault found and shown before the repair
- Fixtures run and checked when we finish
- Short written summary of the work
Straight answers
Who pays when a stack backs up into a unit?
That depends on the building, the declaration or lease, and insurance. We can document where the blockage was and what it was made of.
Ready when you are. One call, a real plumber, an arrival window.
Call now(365) 517-6415