How common is it for a plumber's sewer unblocking machine to 'go the wrong way', smash through the back of the client's toilet pan, water blast the walls and ceiling, and flood the floor? TWICE? On different occasions.
Second time, yesterday, they didn't notice, so again all the above plus it had also punched a hole in a wall and had started to shred it; with paint chips and brown lining paper stuck to all walls and ceiling - before I yelled at them to stop.
Am I just unlucky?
westward1,
Aug 11, 3:25pm
Oh for god sake, bloody cowboys. I would be furious, and I feel very sorry for you :-( :-(
kaddiew,
Aug 11, 3:39pm
It's all being put right (yet again) but today I'm furious. Yesterday all I could do was laugh hysterically as I handed them my entire bath towel collection.
budgel,
Aug 11, 5:06pm
I've only seen it once where a volunteer fireman used a portable pump to do the job. Like your situation, it was hilarious to see his wife running out screaming Stop! Stop! followed by a tidal wave of crap. If you pressurise any line it will let go at its weakest point. It must have been a hell of a wad!
If it is the second blockage, you need to address what is being flushed down there. Talk to the women in the household. In my property maintenance days it was always women who caused blockages. Tell them to flush once before they are finished, then a final flush or they can sort it out themselves!
kaddiew,
Aug 11, 5:15pm
Er. I AM the 'wimmen folk' in the household and and can only assume you"re jesting.
Its a years long complex issue to do with previously replaced slumped pipes which is not the subject of this thread.
apollo11,
Aug 11, 5:52pm
My daughter manages to go through so much toilet paper. Had stern words to her after the first toilet blockage to cut down on how much she uses. She must be giving things a darn good polishing.
kaddiew,
Aug 11, 7:00pm
Ok so it's turning into a thread on toilet blockages. Not helpful to my original question so I'm out. Carry on.
carter19,
Aug 11, 7:11pm
Have you checked to see if he really was a licensed plumber. Regardless of whether he was or not, you can report him via the report a cowboy ap or by ringing the Plumbing Board
pauldw,
Aug 11, 11:22pm
Where was the cleaning tool inserted into the pipe? If they don't work out why it happens it will probably catch the next guys.
snoopy221,
Aug 11, 11:29pm
As in their public liability insurance has not rebuilt ya loo?
kaddiew,
Aug 12, 8:25am
Well established and regarded company I've used for several years so I'm not plumber bashing; at this stage reaslly more curious to know how often it happens.
kaddiew,
Aug 12, 8:29am
No issues with the co putting it right.
kaddiew,
Aug 12, 8:51am
Into a join in the vertical pipe that goes to the roof, beside the gully trap. First time I was told it was a new machine (handling issues?); this time, told probably due to a "T" something. Between the 2 incidents (almost 2 years apart) there was a machine flush with no issues.
pauldw,
Aug 12, 10:39am
I am not a plumber but my understanding is that with a T junction the snake could easily go either way at the end. When the pipes join at an angle less than 90 degrees (like a merge lane) the flow or snake naturally goes in the downstream direction. If this is an ongoing problem I'd be getting a better access point.
kaddiew,
Aug 12, 11:42am
There is another access point on the other side of my section - an inspection pipe put in when a section of pipe was replaced on each side of the boundary fence, of the neighbour I share the sewer with - but that can only clean out the blockage from that point, along the neighbour's and out to the street.
Thanks, definitely need to discuss with the plumber.
budgel,
Aug 12, 11:42am
It sounds like it is time to address the problem instead of the symptom, and yes it is unusual for that disaster to happen twice. But you already knew that.
kaddiew,
Aug 12, 12:35pm
No, I didn't already know it was unusual. I was told "it happens", with a shrug. Hence why I asked on here. And yes, of course, it's now going to be addressed, after the 2nd time. If you read my previous post you would see that it was explained as new machine/operator issue the first time.
boby11,
Aug 12, 1:31pm
My drain unblocker men put the hose into the main outside drain so it went the right way down the pipe and excess water just came out of the drain and across the lawn until it unblocked
elect70,
Aug 12, 4:10pm
Could be he put the 'eeel in at a y junction & it went up wrong part to the toilet instead of up the pipe to sewer connectoin . It is a brutal thing with a cutting head on it & will wreck porcelain . Expensive mistake by bum plumber .
tegretol,
Aug 12, 5:11pm
Once has a friend living in a high-rise block in the East End of London whos toilet got blocked. They came along with some sort of pressure system that sealed onto the pan and pumped pressure out from the pan.
Anyway after setting it all up and opening the pressure, there were screams from all levels of the building. Seems that the pressure backed up thru every other toilet on the same pipe and 14 bathrooms got sprayed with the neighbours effluent. Apparently one toilet had an elderly chap sitting on his pan when it happened and it lifted him off the seat,
aredwood,
Aug 16, 12:24am
Camera inspect the pipe. There is probably a junction that is swept the wrong way. This will cause the pipe to block all the time. And will also cause the "snake" to go the wrong way through the pipe.
the-lada-dude,
Aug 18, 11:15am
Jesus, your a techy prick . NEGATIVE people bring BAD fortune on themselves. so you get it
dajoki,
Aug 18, 12:55pm
"previously replaced slumped pipes". so they are not the problem now. i have cleaned enough pipes to have a fair idea what gender the problem causer is.
mrfxit,
Aug 18, 4:25pm
LMAO, Classic "presumption" Plumber assumed the blockage was at the clients toilet. You know what that word means aye
nzjay,
Oct 2, 11:41am
The vertical pipe will be a vent pipe and most probably only has a 90' tee where it junctions the sewer pipe. It's 50/50 which way the plumbers cleaning snake will turn when it hits the tee. Sounds like you need to get a better cleaning access installed if you have reoccurring problems.
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