clog removal charge

Hi. I recently experienced the problem of water backing up into the tub whenever the washing machine drains. I'm assuming that the cause is a clog. I tried a couple of different enzyme clog removers (drano and drain care(I think that's what it was called.) But sadly neither one worked. So it looks like I'll have to call a professional to unclog it.

QUESTION: Can anyone tell me, roughly, what a plumber (or rotorooter guy) charges to unclog a drain. Thanks. Dee

If the tub is the only thing that fails to drain, then you might have a local plug.

Does the water drain eventually? Does it run over the tub?

Most tubs have a 1 1/2" and some even a 1 1/4" drain. A washing maching requires a 2" drain because of very high flow.

Do you have a new washing machine? It may be higher flow rate.

I suspect that it will cost $100 to $250 to get the drain rooted out. It might be worth trying it yourself. With a laundry tub you can usually remove the trap and get a small snake quite a way down the pipe. If you are successful you will have saved quite a lot and will feel good about it.

Is there a grill or X in the drain. I had one friend who had no grill or X in the tub drain who got child size socks in the drain twice. I told them that if it ever happened again to not call me because they needed to put a grill in the drain.

First of all, quit pouring chemicals in the drain. They will not open a clogged drain except when the clog is in the trap and is just grease, soap, hair. Once the clog gets in the main drain, it must be augered. Charges for augering a drain will vary greatly depending on what the local rate are and how much time it will take to clear the clog and get the drain flowing again. Even the local plumber can't tell you that until the job is finished. He might tell you the minimum charge if all it takes is a quick "in and out", and he can tell you how much per hour, but the problem is of course, until he finishes the job he can't tell you how long it will take. Sorry to not be able to give you even a ball park idea, but this is a job for a pro and you should not try any more DIY fixes.

drain cleaning

I used to do a lot of that... one thing that usually messes up everything

is all the stuff that people throw down the drain thinking it will unstop it.

The acids you throw down that drain can actually mix and make some new funky chemical that can ruin the pipes....

one time I has some old lady throw FUEL OIL down an a drain thinking it would work... that was fun.



Usually its gonna cost you about 100-50 to get it done by anyone out there

Hi
- After the washing machine (it's many years old) drains,the back-up level in the tub is about 6-8 inches. It all eventually drains within an hour or so. Also when the wm drains I can hear loud gurgling in the pipes of the kitchen sink as well - making me think that it's a main drain problem.
- I'm definately gonna give up on the chemicals. After two fairly expensive trys with no luck, I've learned my lesson.
- If the cost to fix this problems comes in under $200, I'd be pretty happy.
Thanks all for the insight.

under $200

it will be under 200 unless they see you comming....


and it depends on who you call

I just paid $574 to unclog a main drain. They claim they don't charge hourly, and hit you with the bill when they're done.

The frustrating part was that I had to explain that the clog had to be downstream from the cleanout I had pointed out because both the tub in the basement and the floor drain were overflowing. It's sad when I know more about plumbing than the RotoRooter guy, considering I know almost nothing!

How long did it take them?

Problem is, we don't know what, if any, problems might be encountered. Sometimes the simpliest of jobs can turn into a nightmare because of something unforseen or that breaks in the process requiring repairs. One should inquire about rates and perhaps check with one or two more companies, but still understand there is always the possibility of problems. I have heard that Roto Rooter is not always the best choice because often the employees are not plumbers, they have had basic training on operating the auger and that's about it. I'm sure that's not true of every franchise. $574 seems quite high unless there was more to it that just augering the drain.

twojciac said:

Just don't call RotoRooter... I just paid $574 to unclog a main drain. They claim they don't charge hourly, and hit you with the bill when they're done.

The frustrating part was that I had to explain that the clog had to be downstream from the cleanout I had pointed out because both the tub in the basement and the floor drain were overflowing. It's sad when I know more about plumbing than the RotoRooter guy, considering I know almost nothing!

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If they don't charge hourly then they should have given you a price B4 doing the work. Otherwize it is an hourly charge. If they don't know the price then they have to give you a rate so you can say stop if it reaches your limit B4 they finish. I would call them and complain let them know you are calling the BBB and reporting them for shady buisness dealings. What they did is not right.

They have to base the rate on something, they just can't pull a price out of the air.

Ask them If they don't charge hourly how do they calculate the final price.

twojciac,

Scan the actual receipt and display it on this thread so we can see the charges they came up with. There must be more to this story than just a number.



On another note,

I got a call this morning at 6:10 am. Older lady in one long-sweeping statement needs to know how much I charge to cable a drain from the laundry tub to the main drain. The keyword here is "main-drain" which dictates the medium or large machine charge. If I can hit it with the small machine only because it is on an 1.5" drain line, then the charge will be less but I will not say that over the phone.

Here is what miffed me to no end; at the end of her sentence she played the ole "crying poor when you hit the door BS" and went on to divulge her personal financial status. Mind you this call woke me up out of a dead sleep and her sole purpose in calling was for price shopping.

I told her $135 which to her was sticking it in and breaking it off. She huffed loud enough for me to hear, there was a short pause and I proceeded to give her the final word. "Don't ever call my office with your pathetic excuses that you are too effin cheap to pay. Jokes like you need to be on comedy central, not calling me before the sun shines wanting me to play deal or no deal."

I slammed the phone down as hard as I could making sure it didn't disconnect first. 6 more calls came into the office today, all of which became service calls for today and fillers for the rest of the week. Zero tolerance is my policy these days.

reply

No matter who, or what, the customer is, I would never talk to them that way. She may not be a desirable customer, but some of her friends that she tells about it might have been.

I knew you'd like that hj but the irony of the whole situation is that price shoppers need to be shown that plumbers who are honest and provide an excellent reputation in the business that we will not tolerate such nonsense.

Always remember, birds of a feather flock together. I can recall years ago when I first started out, hungry for every crumb I could muster and the ones I did make money on sent me work, the ones I got brow-beated on never sent me any work at all. And why would I want to be hustled in such a fashion? Granted, I am flexing some capital these days with my call volume but I prefer those who want to spend with me due to my reputation.

Drain cleaning is nasty work. You let a customer beat you down on the phone on a call and that will be the same job that you'll have to pull a toilet to access the drain or spend 20 minutes beating/cutting out a cleanout cap. All of which are considered add-on charges to the initial charge. It all keys into how much time over what the charge brings. You work 2 hours for $100, your not making money in business for $50 an hour. It may work for the moonlighter that has a 7 to 5 job for a plumber but for a local businessman running a true solid business, that ain't gonna work for very long.

For a week the kitchen sink was draining very slow. I poured every cleaner available at the local store. One morning I found a small pool of water in the middle of the house. The plumber found that 20 yrs ago the builder poured the slab, but forgot to provide for a drain to the bar in the middle of the house. When discovered, the builder broke thru the slab and rigged a drain to the bar, which worked for 20+ years. Then the straps holding the drain pipes to the slab, rusted out, the pipes sagged and caused the slow drain problem in the kitchen sink and finally the water backed up thru the bar drain ruining the carpet. After cutting thru the sheetrock in a closet and in the garage, the plumber tunnelled under the slab. Whole job was in the neighborhood of $2,500. Many homes in this area are having broken pipes under the slab because the ground sinks and the metal straps holding the pipes rust out, and the pipes sag and break. Lota fun!

drain

That is one reason I would not quote over the phone. The few times I broke that rule are the jobs that were nothing like the customer described, such as a "simple water heater replacement" that she forgot to mention the access was through a small hole in the wall, and a softener had to be removed first.

crying "FOUL"

A lot of plumbers in this town work on a "commission salary " and
try to gouge the customer out of all they can......
getting about 40% of the take..




Usually I can estimate the call over the phone....

If I get out ther and their is a pleasent surprise like a washing amchine and water softener in front of the Water heater I am to replace,

I simply ask them what the big secret was when I asked them over the phone
about easy access.....

I ask them if they expected me to somehow lift the water heater over
these other appliances....and how strong do you think I am??

They never find it funny when I tell them its gong to be another 200 bucks.

they think I will just do the job because I am already there

I usually just leave and let them call someone else....


I tell them to call LOWES>>>

Rugged I would never speak with a potential customer as you have! I agree with HJ about quotes over the phone, but I will make an educated guess over the phone. I explain that this is only a guess based on what you have told me, and for an inspection fee, I will have a look and give them an idea of the cost. I also explain that if my cost excedes this guess, I will either stop or will continue for added fee. I deal with many elderly widows and they panic when something bad happens. They live on social security, many with medical bills and some still paying for there husbands funeral who died 5 years ago! Imagine that this woman is a widow who belongs to the garden club. Several of her friends gave her your number and said to call you. Now you have pissed her off. You have pissed her friends off. You have lost a few customers now. I have 24 hour service on my ad and my cards. This means that if you call me about a dripping faucet at 3:00 am, I will explain to you how to shut off the water under the sink, and I will schedule the repair asap, or for my emergency fee, I will even come and fix it now. If it is a job that I do not want to get in to I will explain that I no longer do this type of work, or that I am booked up, then I will suggest someone to call. I read a post here from earlier by a woman who thinks that all plumbers are crooks. Maybe she had a dealing like this. I would love the chance to show her otherwise. I only wish that as I grow older that I will be treated like I have treated my customers. This way I will see if I have been fair, or have been misleading to them. By the way I would LOVE to run a shop some place that I could still be in bed at 6:00 in the morning!

dee750 said:

Hi. I recently experienced the problem of water backing up into the tub whenever the washing machine drains. I'm assuming that the cause is a clog. I tried a couple of different enzyme clog removers (drano and drain care(I think that's what it was called.) But sadly neither one worked. So it looks like I'll have to call a professional to unclog it.

QUESTION: Can anyone tell me, roughly, what a plumber (or rotorooter guy) charges to unclog a drain. Thanks. Dee

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It is hard to give estimates in other states, but stay away from roto rooter! If you want a tank pumped, they are probably ok, but there techs lack education, and they always price high.

Cookie said:

VAPLUMBER,

Just a comment on what you wrote. As a customer, you would have my business for life because of your attitude. I would recommend you to everyone I know personally or do business with professionally.

As for you getting older someday, remember, what goes around comes around, so you will be treated very very well when you are older.

You have a good healthy interest in people and their concerns, too. Even if you could not meet what someone could afford, I am sure they really do appreciate the kindness you had shown them.

You are insightful and a nice person. That makes for good business.

Just my 2 cents worth.

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Cookie thank you for the kind remarks. As for my getting older someday, I will be 61 in December so I am there now. With each call I have ever had I try to put myself in the customers place. How would I feel if it were me with the problem and trying to get it solved? This was the way I started my career and this is the way I will end it. Many of my customers were there for me way back when I was still working out of an old beat up van and stockpiling tools and supplies in my basement. These customers usually call me and say come fix this for me, and often do not even ask what it will cost. They just want it done. Most of these customers came to me years ago by calling me and asking what will you charge to do this or that? Today I still have them.

vaplumber said:

These customers usually call me and say come fix this for me, and often do not even ask what it will cost. They just want it done. Most of these customers came to me years ago by calling me and asking what will you charge to do this or that? Today I still have them.

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DITTO I'm in the same boat. But your missing the boat and the dock by supporting those who are trying the gew me down on pricing by playing the sympathy card on the phone telling me their health problems, their financial problems, hell even their dying dog or cat. I DON'T CARE. I have all the above problems and I don't call other service providers whining and crying like a fool wanting someone to give me a good deal. You want a good deal? Go to the dollar store or Big Lots. I'm not in the entertaining business and I donate to charities by my own free will. I make a habit of donating my knowledge of this profession to help others with their plumbing problems, with no pay, ever. (11 plumbing forums daily) I will not lower myself to their level because someone wants to play the Oprah show just because they have a plumbing problem. As I repeat again, birds of a feather flock together and I've had too many "financially challenged" customers NOT create the chain of referrals that you once thought their words would equate to. I've given enough charity to my customers who didn't ask for it in niceness that I hope someday when I need it, the favor will be returned. If not, I felt good doing the nice deed.

I have customers of all ages, a great deal in their 80's that don't do this to me. They heard of my quality and reliability I offer to their friends and relatives and that is where I mark the pavement in this profession.

Believe me, you can have all my price shopping calls, I'll forward all of them to you and you'll afford paying to put a smile on their faces. I won't. Being sympathetic usually equates to dealing with the pathetic. They don't do it to doctors and lawyers, don't expect it from me.

There is a good reason why the truck leaves to run 6-8 service calls a day without feeling sorry for someone. If you own a home, you own the responsibility of making the repairs. Most times when you see someone crying poor when you hit the door you'll also notice pizza boxes in the garbage can, cartons of smokes laying around $25/carton, extravagant stereo systems or a fancy car in the driveway. Sorry, I'm not buying into that line of crap. PERIOD