I recently had a situation with a sewer main replacement (a partial replacement actually) pop up, so I thought I would tell you the story, and see if maybe it will help others to make good decisions when faced with similar circumstances.  Out of all the types of . . . → Read More:]]> I recently had a situation with a sewer main replacement (a partial replacement actually) pop up, so I thought I would tell you the story, and see if maybe it will help others to make good decisions when faced with similar circumstances.  Out of all the types of emergency plumbing repairs that are made, sewer main repairs are one of the most common.  The situation that I am about to describe is also very, very common.

About a month and a half ago, I received a call from an old ex-girlfriend of mine (yea, it happens to the best of us).  She could not figure out why the shower was taking so long to drain, and while draining, it was making the toilet gurgle.  Well, if you read the post on this blog about “Residential Drain Plumbing”, you likely know that if any other fixture affects the toilet, it is a sewer main back up.

So, I gave her advice on what she should have the plumber do when he got there, and wished her the best.  The plumber came over; she had him do what I said to do and left her with a “cleared” sewer line, and a warranty.  He did recommend running a camera, but she did not like the plumber, so she declined… besides, he left no incentive for her to run the camera that day, rather than waiting.

Well, the other day, it backed up again.  This time she called for a manager to come by.  He came over, cleared the line under warranty, and ran a camera.  It turns out that the roots had infested the plumbing so badly that there was a major break in the line just barely under the sidewalk.  They gave her a quote for $2800 to replace the section of damaged plumbing.  She approved the quote without consulting me first, and the work began.

Now, it turns out that they did a pretty good job making the repair, and left the yard looking pretty good, considering the scope of work that was involved.  So what went wrong?  There are a few things, all of which I explained to her after the fact.  I am hoping you get to read this before the fact.

Where I live, the sewer line is divided into sections in front of the house.  The property owner’s line actually ends at the easement, which is five feet back from the sidewalk, or ten feet from the curb, if there is no sidewalk.  The city’s line begins there and runs to the connection to the city main, in the street.

If there is a problem with the connection within that easement, AND there is no approved cleanout within the easement, the homeowner is responsible for the repair.  This was the case in this situation.  The plumbing was broken within the easement, and there was no sewer main cleanout there.  The problem is that she should have had them install one.

In order to install a cleanout, and have the city take responsibility for the sewer line from that point out, the plumber (or the homeowner) must pull a permit, install the cleanout, and have the cleanout inspected before backfill.  In fact, whenever making a repair within the easement, permits need to be pulled and the work inspected.  They did not pull permits, not did they install a cleanout there.

Finished sewer line replacement with cleanout

The most popular place to have a main sewer problem is in the area where she had it.  The second most popular place is the connection form the lateral to the city main, in the middle of the street.  So what happens of there is a break there?  Well, if the line can be cleared, I recommend putting in a cleanout at the property line easement; so that the city will take responsibility for it next time there is a problem.  Once an approved cleanout is in place, it is the city’s problem, and they will fix it at no charge to the homeowner.  The line has to flow, however, to pass inspection (in most cases).

If the sewer line will not clear, a repair has to be made in the street.  The cost for a plumbing repair in the middle of the street can cost upwards of $20,000 or more.  In some cities, the permits alone cost around $5,000.  I would have liked it if I was consulted prior to the contact being signed, so I could have warned her about this.  There are also other things that could have gone wrong that would have cost her a lot more money.  Fortunately, all went well.  My concern now is what might happen if the connection to the main proves bad in the future.

This is all research she could have done on her own prior to getting the repair done.  She told me that she felt as if she was under the gun due to the nature of the problem.  She could have, however, had the line cleared again to restore flow temporarily, had the camera run, done some research, and collected some bids.  She could have likely had the work done with a cleanout and permits for the same price.

The moral of the story here is that, when dealing with your plumbing, always do your homework.  Many plumbers will try to make you feel like you are under the gun to make a decision right now, but the situation is seldom as dire as they make it seem.  Listen to your gut.  If it tells you that you have a day or two to do due diligence, listen to it.  It could save you a lot of money and headaches in the future.

Another bit of advice – it is a point of fact that if you have a sewer line blockage, the chances are better than not that you will have a problem with it again, unless there is a repair made.  Running the line with a sewer cable (even with a big blade on it) will NOT fix the problem.  It is a temporary solution at best.  Expect the problem to get worse with time, and prepare for it.  Get a camera survey done to asses the nature and location of the damage, and prepare, prepare, prepare.  If you stay in that property for long enough, you will likely need either a full or partial sewer main replacement eventually.

In this article, I would like to approach emergency plumbing from a different angle. Today I would like to discuss some of the most common plumbing emergencies, and what you can do to sort of stem the flow . . . → Read More:]]> In my last article I touched on what constitutes emergency plumbing.

In this article, I would like to approach emergency plumbing from a different angle. Today I would like to discuss some of the most common plumbing emergencies, and what you can do to sort of stem the flow (so to speak) until the plumber can get there.

Sewer main backup

This is by far the most common plumbing emergency the average homeowner experiences. It usually starts with a toilet that just doesn’t seem to want to flush correctly, followed by a sort of burbling, and finally the toilet overflowing onto the bathroom floor. The biggest problem with a mainline backup is that it can often be mistaken for a regular toilet blockage. The symptoms look almost identical at first, especially to the untrained eye. The easiest way to tell if it is your Main line that is backed up, is that often a tub or shower will also refuse to drain.

Often, when a sewer main is backed up, not using any water in the house for a while will allow the line of partially drain. Sometimes the line will drain down far enough where it appears as though everything is working correctly again. Usually a few flushes of the toilet will demonstrate otherwise. Keep in mind that any water that goes down a drain in your home will backup into the lowest fixture in your house. That means that if you have a toilet downstairs and your sewer line is backed up, flushing the upstairs toilet may very well flood your downstairs restroom. The best thing that you can do here is to stop using all water and call a plumber immediately.

Water pipe burst

Gate Valve

Having a water line burst inside, or even outside, of your home can be one of the scariest plumbing emergencies that a homeowner can experience. Water supply piping is all over your house, is pressurized, and is mostly hidden from view. Unlike a sewer main backup that starts draining slower and slower before it finally backs up completely, a water pipe bursting often gives no warning whatsoever. One day everything is peaches and cream and the next day you’ve got a flood on your hands.

When faced with this particular type of plumbing emergency, you need to immediately focus on the one thing: shutting off the water. There are usually a number of ways to get this accomplished. If you have a Main shutoff valve at the front of your house, this will be the easiest way to shut your water off. If you have an older gate valve, it will have a circular handle on it. You want to turn this handle clockwise to turn the water off. Remember the old adage, “righty tighty – lefty loosy”. If you have the newer style ball valve, the handle will look like a lever. Turn the lever one quarter turn, which will shut off your water.

Ball Valve

The second option would be to turn the water off at the meter. The water meter is where the local utility company goes to read how much water you’ve used every month. Often times turning off the water at the meter can be extremely difficult without the proper tools. For this reason, if you do not have a shutoff valve at the front of your house, I recommend that you go to your local hardware store and buy a meter key. It is always better to spend a few dollars on a tool you may never use, than not have the key when you need it and suffer thousands of dollars of water damage.

Two things that you should make sure you do any time you turn the water off your home:

1. Turn off the gas to your water heater
2. Open up all the hose faucets outside of your home

Turning off the gas to your water heater, either with the gas caulk or setting the control unit to pilot, will keep the water heater from firing on a partially empty tank. Opening up all the hose bibs outside of the home will allow residual water from inside of the water pipes to drain outside instead of inside.

Gas leak

As far as emergency plumbing situations go, having a gas leak inside of your home is by far the most dangerous. Not only is natural gas very combustible, so that little more than a tiny spark can create a huge explosion, but breathing the gas can kill you. Natural gas itself is odorless. Odorant is added to make it smell like rotten eggs so that we’ll know when we have a gas leak.

Most homeowners, when they smelled gas, have a natural tendency to want to call their utility provider (here in California, it’s Pacific Gas & Electric Co.). Believe it or not, that’s not usually the best idea. Most utility companies will not fix a gas leak if it is in your piping. Usually, they will just let you know if you have a leak, and sometimes the general location aware that leak might be. Then they will shut down your gas, and will often insert a device so that it may not be turned back on. The reason this is not always the best option, is because most plumbers need to be able to turn on the gas to find out where the leak is coming from.

If you smell a gas leak in your home, or around your home, there is one thing that needs to be done immediately: shut off the gas! High on the list of objects in your home that you need to know how to locate and operate is the gas meter. Each gas meter will have a shutoff valve that usually shuts the gas off with a quarter turn. Most home improvement stores carry emergency gas shutoff tools. Personally, I have always used a large crescent wrench.

I know this doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to all the possible combinations of plumbing emergencies. In this article, I basically wanted to cover the top three. As always, the comments area is open, as well as a form. I welcome your questions and suggestions on other topics that you’d like for me to cover. Until then, I hope that this article has allowed you to at least be prepared for these three emergency plumbing scenarios.

Here in California we have a law that states that any time someone comes to your home to sell you . . . → Read More:]]> The question of what constitutes emergency plumbing is an interesting one.  It is also important for a number of reasons.  Let’s start with the most broad definition, and its application.

Here in California we have a law that states that any time someone comes to your home to sell you a good or service that is valued at over $300, you have the right to cancel that transaction within 3 working days after signing the contract.  That means that if someone comes to your home and you buy a vacuum cleaner from them (for more than $300), you can notify the seller in writing that you wish to cancel the sale up to 3 full working days after you bought it.  The seller, by law, must accept the vacuum back and issue a full refund of the purchase price (without penalty).  The same is true for a plumber that performs more than $300 in service.

Unfortunately for the plumber, if you should cancel that transaction, you cannot “return” the service.  In this case the company must still provide you with a full refund.  In some cases, such as water heater replacements, the company can opt to uninstall the new unit, but only if they reinstall your old unit.  Most companies will not do that, so you will usually wind up with a free service, and the company eats the costs.

Since most plumbing companies do not survive by doing free work, they will ask you to sign a “Waiver of Right to Cancel”.  Here is the catch: you can only waive your right to cancel the transaction if the repair is needed to remedy an emergency situation.  On the cancellation waiver will be verbiage that states that you have an emergency situation that requires immediate attention.  In this case, the term “emergency plumbing” takes on a very loose definition.  For the sake of signing the waiver, something as simple as “need to use toilet” will suffice.

Now, some people will become wary when presented by this waiver, as they may fear that it leaves them with no recourse should they be dissatisfied with the work.  Be assured that this is not the case.  They are still bound by their licensing authority to provide the service that they are contracted to provide in a workmanlike and professional manor.  Others may be concerned that by stating their need as an emergency, they are bound to continue to consider the problem as an emergency.

The fact is that in the case of declaring a plumbing problem an emergency for the sake of the cancellation waiver, “emergency” only means that you do not want to wait 4 days to have the problem addressed.  That is all.  Once that is decided, we look at the more commonly accepted definition of emergency plumbing repairs.

The reason that I want you to change gears here is because there are plumbers out there that will misuse “emergency”.  Just because a company may authorize a 10% discount to get started today, does not mean that your plumbing job that is not really an emergency suddenly becomes one!  When deciding whether or not a job should be considered an emergency plumbing repair, there are a few questions that need to be asked.  Ask yourself these questions, and if you do not know the answer, ask the plumber:

1. Is the __________ completely unusable until the repair is made?
2. Can I live with the __________ in its current state until I have had time to think/save/compare/etc.?
3. Does the _______ in its current state risk the health of myself or others?
4. Does the current state of _________ risk damage to things that are of worth to me?
5. If not addressed immediately, are the answers to #3 or #4 likely to become “yes”, and if so, how soon?
6. Do the benefits of getting the work done right away, far outweigh the benefits of comparing estimates, getting a second opinion, further researching, etc.?

The answers to those questions will let you know very quickly whether or not you have a true emergency plumbing situation.  The good news is that if you have followed the advice in my other articles, you will already have a plumber that you trust that will help you decide whether or not the problem you are facing is an immediate need, or something that can hold off for a bit.  One thing that my customers grew accustom to hearing was, “this is not an emergency or anything, so it doesn’t need to be done today, but the next time you call me out, it will likely be to fix this.  If you have the time and the budget to have me take care of it today, it will save you the service call fee for having to call me back out later to fix it.”  A true professional will always be honest with you and create a win/win for both of you for every situation.  That, in and of itself, will help to eliminate future plumbing emergencies.

Quite often a home owner’s first experience with a plumbing problem is when a drain in their home backs up.  Knowing how your drainage system works and the most common causes of back-up problems with different drain lines can really help you when it comes time to get your . . . → Read More:]]>  

Quite often a home owner’s first experience with a plumbing problem is when a drain in their home backs up.  Knowing how your drainage system works and the most common causes of back-up problems with different drain lines can really help you when it comes time to get your drains serviced.  This information will make it easier for you to get the right solution to your problem, and make life easier for the plumber who is trying to explain it all to you.

Let’s begin with a little plumbing theory.  Please keep in mind, that depending on your area, your lay-out may be different. I will give you a simple layout to give you an idea of how drains tie together.  Your plumbing may be a bit different, but the theory will be the same.

Plumbing Drain-lines (Remodle)

We will start with a 1 bathroom home, for the sake of simplicity.  Let’s say that the toilet is at the back of the house.  That is the end of your house sewer line.  Your toilet will connect straight into that main line (3 or 4 inch), go towards the front of your house, and continue through your front yard and into the street where it ties into the public sewer.  Maybe you have a septic system, and the line runs straight to the back of your house where it ties into the septic tank.  Either way, the thing to remember here is that your main will usually run from the furthest toilet, as straight as possible, until it reaches whatever it ties into (public sewer, septic tank, etc.).

All of your other plumbing fixtures will drain into smaller drainage lines (1 ½”- 2” lines called secondary lines) that tie into the main at different points.  Your bathroom sink may tie into your shower line before it goes to the main, or your laundry line tie into your kitchen line, but they all tie into the main.  The only plumbing fixture with direct access to the main is the toilet.  A 2 bath house is the same, but with more tie-ins.

Common problems

Kitchen/Laundry backups

Symptoms – The kitchen sink won’t drain, the laundry stand pipe overflows, or both.  The toilet flushes fine without adding to these symptoms.

Causes – Laundry and kitchen lines are often tied together.  The cause of their backups is usually grease.  Grease from pots, pans, dishes, clothes, etc. build up in the line and cause debris to accumulate (food particles, lint, etc.).

What you can do – Check to make sure your disposer is functioning.  Look outside your kitchen area to see if you have a small cleanout.  Look in your garage for a cleanout.  Try to determine if multiple fixtures are affected or just one.  Clean out the underside of your sink if the kitchen sink is affected.  Do NOT use drain cleaning chemicals.  They will not dissolve grease related back-ups, even if they can reach them (which is doubtful), and many plumbers will charge you more to clear drain lines with Drano in them.

Remedy – If the blockage is in the p-trap under the kitchen sink, the repair is simply a matter of removing the waste lines under the sink and cleaning them out.  If not, the plumber must access your drain lines and attempt to cable them clear.  I personally recommend that the plumber also treat the line with a degreasing agent and perhaps cable the line a second time, to help get the grease out.  This extra step will cost a little more, but will usually at least triple the amount of time it would have otherwise taken to back up again.  This should save you money in the long run.

Some lines may be so stubborn that they require high pressure jetting to get the grease out.  I also recommend visual inspection of the pipes under the home if the plumber feels anything out of the ordinary.  Grease is a corrosive and can eat away pipes.  You will want to know if that is happening before it creates a lake under your home.

Tubs, showers and lavatory sinks

Symptoms – Back ups of one or more of these plumbing fixtures without toilet problems.

Causes – Usually soap scum, sludge and hair

Remedy – You can try chemical drain cleaners here, if you feel bold.  They will usually do a decent job of dissolving the hair that is causing these problems.  Remember though that these chemicals are not good for your plumbing.  They can eat away at your drain lines like crazy.  Other than that, clearing these drains is usually pretty straight forward. A plumber may elect to use a degreasing agent if he feels the sludge is really bad to prolong the time between the next back up, but that’s a judgment call.  Tubs can be tricky because of the special drain piping they have (called a waste/overflow).  Older waste/overflows can be brittle and cabling through them can be all it takes to bust them free and have a leak under your house.  It never hurts to have your plumber peak under the house and check it out.

Sewer main back-ups

Symptoms – Since water always finds the lowest point to escape, a sewer main backup will usually show itself by toilets backing up into the shower or tub.  If your tub or shower starts to back up, check your toilets.  If they are “burbling” or backing up into the tub or shower, it is the main.  We are assuming, of course that they are both on the bottom floor.  The rule of thumb here is that if a toilet affects another fixture – it is a main back-up.  If you have an outside 3” or 4” cleanout that is holding water or overflowing, that is another sign that it’s your main.

Causes – In my experience, the most common cause of sewer main back-ups are roots.  Roots need barely more than a microscopic hole to start growing into your main.  From there, they just grow and grow and grow.  Roots can be so strong that they can literally break your sewer line up into pieces!  Other common causes are “bellies” in the line (flat spots that cause debris to build up), offsets (sections of the line shift under ground and become misaligned), and breaks that actually allow the surrounding soil to enter your pipe.  There are other potential causes, but these are the most common.

What you can do – The only really productive thing you can do in this situation is check for proper access points.  If you can find an outside clean-out that is 3” or 4” in diameter, it will save you and the plumber time.

Remedy – This depends upon whether or not you have a cleanout.  If you do not, I highly recommend that you install one.  There is no such thing as a one time sewer back-up.  If your sewer is backing up, it usually means there is a problem with it.  There are other ways to access the line, but you are very limited without having a cleanout.

Once a cleanout is found or installed, or another access is found (pulling a toilet, etc), the next step is to attempt to free the blockage with a sewer cable.  You want your plumber to use the biggest blade possible on his cable to do as thorough a job as possible.  If he cannot clear your line with the proper sized blade, the roots are either very strong or you have an offset.  If he needs to resort to a smaller blade, so be it, but you need to get the line clear for the next step.

Survey the line – Have your plumber run a camera survey of the line to determine its condition.  Some plumbers will cable your line and tell you that you need to replace it.  That may be true, but you can never know for sure until the line in surveyed.  Once the camera survey is done, you will know what to do next.  Sometimes the roots are small and you have some time.  Sometimes a spot repair will do the trick.  Other times it is better to just replace the line.  The point is that once a camera survey is done, you will have a better grasp of your options, and it is always best to make informed decisions.

While trying to DIY is always a sound idea, sometimes a 4 AM toilet or drain problem can best be solved by calling a company like this emergency plumber Toronto service. They’ll show up any time of the day or night and tackle the situation right away.

Well, I think I cover most of it here.  If you feel I missed something, please feel free to leave a comment or sign up to the plumbing forum and post your questions there.

See you next time!

Steve