Steam coming out of outside wastepipe - Piglethjohn, please

[Icyblue]

This morning I noticed a wet patch in the garden by the wall where the waste pipes are. I saw steam coming out from the top of the black waste pipe (near the soffitt) when hot tap was on. The steam was causing condensation on the soffit, that's why there was a wet patch on the ground.

Is the top of the pipe open so steaming is coming out? Do I need to get a plumber out? (see photo, the steam is coming out from the big vertical black pipe)

That is the soil pipe. It should not be ending under the soffit and close to the window. It should have a cranked end on it to take it above the gutter. A plumber with a scaffold tower, or a small builder, can do it.

It might steam a bit if the water is very hot and the morning is very cold.

There is a risk the steam will enter the eaves and make your roof timbers and loft damp and mouldy, and it will smell. Soil pipes are sometimes called stink pipes because they attach to the sewers and WC outlets.

Thanks Pigletjohn, I will get a plumber to fix it.

How much do you think a local plumber will charge and is this a small job that doesn't take long to fix?

The cost will mostly be in getting access. He is not supposed to work off a ladder. It might take half a day, of which only 15 minutes would be fitting the extra pipe, and an hour would be driving to and from your house, setting out tools, and packing away.

A scaffold tower would be very suitable, but might need to be hired. It might need two people to manoevre and fix the pipe, which is quite large and ought to have a extra supporting bracket.

Somewhere in the hundreds perhaps, but not thousands.

Thanks for your help, Pigletjohn, much appreciated.