[G-man]

My washer Drain had a pretty serious leak. It is commomed up with a drain from the suite above me right after the drain trap. The day that it leaked the drains were augered as a part of routine building maintenance. The leak stopped on it's own and hasn't leaked since. Can anyone suggest some possible explanations for this and recommend a course of action? The locations of moisture indicates that the leak occurred just after the trap. The pipes are cast iron or copper, I cannot tell, the fittings were sauldered about 20 years ago.

Thanks.

[labman]

Have you checked with building maintenance? If you are in an apartment, usually you aren't responsible for repairs. You should let them know, they caused you problems.

[G-man]

It's a condo. My strata had it diagnosed as a faucet leak. I would buy that diagnosis except on the day of the leak there was no moisture with 2 of near the faucet that was supposedly "leaky". All the moisture was well below the faucet on the walls around the drain trap. It's a long story. I'm simply trying to get an idea of whether it's absurd of me to think that the drain pipe leaked and stopped leaking all by itself. No one else in my building believes that this is possible.

[tommytman]

Do you live alone? I have sometimes found that others will spill large quantities of water on the floor and not admit it. This has put me on several wild goose chases... looking for leaks that were never there.

[G-man]

I should have clarified what I meant by serious leak. There was at least 15-20 litres that poured through to the parking garage beneath my suite. Also my floating floor was literally floating on water in my bedroom. There is no way that it was a spill.

I really just want confirmation that it is possible that drain pipes can leak and stop leaking all by themselves without proper repair. If anyone knows of this happening and can recommend a way to find a leak that is not leaking consistently that would be great. My belief is that the pressure in the drain was particularly high that day, possibly due to the augering and since has not been under the same pressure.

[labman]

''the locations of moisture indicates that the leak occurred just after the trap.'' Do you mean you saw water on the outside of pipe near the trap, or just water on the floor under it? I am thinking somehow, maybe breaking a clog above you or just blocking flow below you, the auguring caused water to back up in the washer drain and run out. This could be either out the top, or through a hole near the trap that normally does not leak because the water runs down the drain too quickly. If the stand pipe over flowed, you may or may not have seen water at the top.

I am extremely doubtful this leak just happened to come when they were auguring the drain, then went away for reasons having nothing to do with the auguring.