Office Cassette Leaked After Relocation: Hose Kinked
A leak after a relocation gets treated as an obstruction. Whether the pipe is blocked or was never left able to carry water.
By Team Snowflake | Updated 24 Aug 2026
Teaching case based on recurring Snowflake service patterns; identifying details are combined.
How this presents
Water at a unit shortly after it was relocated, on pipework that is new along the whole run. The line tests clear from both ends. Nothing was reported as difficult during the move.
- Setup
- Samsung Cassette4-6 yearsOfficeRiver Valley
- Misread as
- An obstruction that has formed inside the line, needing the drain cleared or replaced.
- Check first
- Whether the whole new run has been followed by hand for a flattened section
What else produces this
New pipe that has never carried a blockage, testing clear from both ends, still fails to pass water. That combination points at the shape of the run instead of at its contents. Flexible pipe pushed round a tight corner flattens rather than bending, and the restriction it creates is invisible from either end because nothing stops a rod or a probe. The run has to be followed by hand.
New pipework along the whole run rules out any accumulated deposit inside it.
A line testing clear from both ends shows nothing is obstructing the bore.
A section flattened at a tight turn restricts flow while leaving the pipe technically open.
Water passing freely again once the bend is eased confirms the shape of the run was the whole problem.
Why it happens
Flexible drain pipe holds whatever shape it is pushed into. Forced round a corner tighter than it allows, the wall collapses inward and the bore closes to a fraction of its size. Water still passes, just far more slowly than the unit produces it, so the pan fills over an hour rather than backing up at once. A rod goes through the flattened section without difficulty, which is why testing finds nothing.
What resolution involves
Easing the bend and supporting the pipe so it holds its shape is the repair. Where there is no room to make that turn properly, the section gets rerouted instead. On any relocation the whole new run is worth following by hand before the ceiling closes, because a kink is easy to feel and impossible to see once it has been covered over.
How to tell it worked
The run followed by hand along its full length rather than tested from the ends. A flattened section is obvious to fingers and invisible to any test that only proves the bore is open.
Before you approve a quote
Flexible pipe keeps the shape it was pushed into
- A tight turn flattens flexible pipe rather than bending it. The bore closes and stays technically open.
- Testing from the ends proves nothing here. A rod passes through a flattened section perfectly freely.
- Follow the new run by hand before the ceiling closes. A kink is easy to feel and impossible to see later.
Related diagnostics
Questions this case answers
Can moving a cassette during a fit-out cause it to leak?
How can I tell whether the cassette was damaged or just badly plumbed?
What happens if a drain hose is rerouted with too tight a bend?
Can I stop this happening at the next office move?
Describe your situation
Tell us what’s going on. Symptoms, setup, photos, anything we should know. We’ll assess and come back with the right next step.