That Bloody Hole In The Water Pipe

There I was thinking that all’s fine with the new flat save for a few hiccups. When my contractor and plumber ran a final check through the system, they found a separate, and almost sneakily hidden main switch for the water pipe that led to the washing machine. They turned it on, lo and behold, water came gushing of the cabinets above the washer, including the sides of the electrical sockets. WTF.

That singular water pipe had burst right above the washer, either from an accidental hole drilled into it or from sheer water pressure. From the looks of it, the leak was located right behind the kitchen cabinets. These cabinets were installed by the developer. And this is one side of the kitchen untouched by my contractor. It had to be a defect from the initial installation by the developers. This is a water pipe that doesn't feed any other area; it brings water to the washer exclusively. So when I tested the flat for leaks, it didn't occur to me that the washer is fed by a different water line. I don't know enough about it, but even my plumber said that it's rather peculiar that the washer has a water main all to itself.

Long story short, the estate defects team answered my distress call in record time. Their various technicians (electricals, cabinets/furniture, plumbing) turned up to troubleshoot and managed to resolve the issue over the weekend. I was seriously thankful for that. When the estate defects team and I saw the gaping hole in the water pipe (clearly caused by a drill), we collectively went OMG in about five languages, and hurriedly took many photos. Some idiots (either the previous team's electricians or carpenters) drilled a hole into said water pipe, realized what they had done, and quietly turned off the water supply to that pipe, hoping that nobody would know it till much much later. 🤯🤬

A concealed pipe leak is such a pain. At least it's discovered at this juncture rather than later when I attempt to turn on the washing machine. That entire stretch of cabinets would have to be ripped apart to get to the pipes behind. The developers also put the row of safety switches (for kitchen appliances) within these cabinets. The electrical wires and water pipes sit this tight together. Very silly. While neat and nice, repairing a concealed pipe leak behind these cabinets is a nightmare. Basically you have to rip the cabinets apart. Two days of work by three different teams (shelving/carpentry, electrical and plumbing). Prep for dust and a ton of pain by both homeowners and workers.

Beyond relieved that I didn't rip out this side of the kitchen to rebuild. If my contractor had touched it, the estate defects team would never have agreed to rectify this 'defect' that hadn't been logged. I had thought that it looked fine, and left it stock, figuring that I'd change it out a few years later. Whewwwww. I was more than mildly upset, to say the least. I was already a little ill that day, and literally threw up my lunch and coffee when I saw the videos my contractor and plumber sent. I'm super grateful that my contractor and plumber spotted this at this point of the renovation when the situation hadn't deteriorated into a catastrophe. I really hope that pipe stays fixed. I'd hate to have to rip out kitchen cabinets a few months down the road to do this all over again.