One for the books

**GrumpyPlumber** · 06-27-2007, 02:41 PM

Got a call for a serious leak inside a ceiling.
The new homeowner had decided to open the ceiling to find it, the house is beautiful.
He'd come to the correct conclusion that it was the toilet, but there were no outward signs of anything there that could be leaking.

Upstairs the toilet was set like a sideways rocking chair, despite the excellent job on the finish, it was fully mobile.

The previous homeowner had apparently cut the johnny bolts too short and sacrificed the metal washers to make room for the plastic clips to grab the finish caps (my guess), in other words, the toilet was anchored to the floor with plastic washers.
I felt awful, even cut my price...asked him to please call me if something like this comes up again...BEFORE opening anything.

**kordts** · 06-27-2007, 08:09 PM

How about a toilet anchored to the floor of a teachers lounge bathroom by the Sloan valve? I just had a job yesterday where a DIYer installed all the plumbing in his new construction home. The shower leaked thru the ceiling. I discovered the previous brain sturgeon used the rubber washer for the shower drain under the flange, instead of putty, and nothing on the locknut. Then to make it worse, he put all kinds of backing where it wasn't needed; to make it all but impossible for me to repair it without major ceiling removal. I got it though. His dad was there to let me in, and I made a friend for life. He thought I would have to destroy the ceiling in order to save it. My mad skilz amazed him.

**frenchie** · 06-27-2007, 08:25 PM

Now, now, boys...

It's a DIY site. Play nice.

Hya, Kordst! Remember me? I have a picture for you, check it out...

Which one do you think was done by a licensed plumber, and which one do you think was by the caretaker?

**GrumpyPlumber** · 06-27-2007, 08:28 PM

OOPH!.. My uncle is a retired architect...told me once he'd gotten a call that something went very wrong on a commercial job and they wanted him to go out and see it.
After looking it over it turns out the apprentice ( I hope it was the apprentice) had used plastic anchors in drywall to secure wall mount lavs in a full battery of six.

**GrumpyPlumber** · 06-27-2007, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by frenchie

Now, now, boys...

It's a DIY site. Play nice.

Hya, Kordst! Remember me? I have a picture for you, check it out...

Which one do you think was done by a licensed plumber, and which one do you think was by the caretaker?

It's the new, code approved flexable vent pipe...isn't it?...right?

We're playing nice...for the record maybe someone just saw that about toilets and learned what NOT to do...(I really do hate getting those ones, almost like I'm guilty for getting paid)

**frenchie** · 06-27-2007, 08:48 PM

Nothing against you, bro. The thread just seemed to be hading in a not-nice direction, I wanted to cut that off...

I do know what you mean, about feeling guilty taking the check; just remember, it's not your fault. It's not even his fault, really - who would've expected that?

Although you have to wonder how he never noticed the toilet was loose... do they never use that bathroom, or what?

...speaking of vent pipes... that run isn't vented, either. We're rebuilding the place next year, so for now I just oversized the pipe.

**GrumpyPlumber** · 06-27-2007, 09:11 PM

Frenchie, I didn't see anything offensive in what you said...the title of the thread was intended as a recount of bad experiences.
I understand this is a DIY forum, but I don't think we have to be so sensitive that it becomes taboo to mention jobs gone bad...I hope.
I also know we don't want to go off on insultive tangents either, not my intention.

**Verdeboy** · 06-27-2007, 10:12 PM

Did I ever mention the c-tile job I had where, underneath the tiles, someone had used newspaper as a backerboard.

I was hoping to read a nice old news story, but the paper had disintegrated and looked more like compost than anything else.

**Alectrician** · 06-27-2007, 10:43 PM

I was at a job last month and the LICENCED plumber had to relocate a 3" waste pipe from an upstairs toilet because they were removing the dropped ceiling in the kitchen below it.

He cut out the pipe and the homeowner promptly took a dump and flushed a turd into the kitchen where everyone was working.

I was on a job a few years ago where the plumber removed the toilet and set it out of the way in the corner of the bedrom. You guessed it. One of the workers took a dump in it.

**GrumpyPlumber** · 06-28-2007, 07:16 AM

Alectrician, this one doesn't trump yours by any stretch..
I'd just cut out the 7-1/2" piece of cast iron on the stack to add a tee....kid upstairs decides to skip a trip to the Port-a-Johnny and remove the cover on the closet flange...yup.
He got me a coffee at lunch, I finally had to ask him to "stop apologizing already!"

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 06-29-2007, 05:04 PM

Get a call from a real estate agent needing a plumber for a client in town who's selling their house. After numerous phone tags I arrive at the house to a ceiling leak. It's a drop ceiling so access to the source was fairly simple.

I take the first soaked panel down, no problem. I take the second panel down,

two HUGE rocks were on top of this panel, one fell off and smashed the top ledge of the fiberglass tub. Put a hole in it 4" wide.

It's resting spot was in the tub itself....the customer saw it happen but my body hid the massive hole that just went into the ledge. I "instantly" grabbed that rock and took the shower liner and pulled it outside the tub and covered the opening from wall to wall.

I'll be damned if I'm paying for that nonsense; what was two big rocks doing up in the ceiling? She's selling the house so I say someone's going to be doing fiberglass repair for a blue tub. Damn.

The leak was a PEX toilet supply line leaking. Another thank you to plastic piping and fittings.

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 06-29-2007, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by frenchie

Which one do you think was done by a licensed plumber, and which one do you think was by the caretaker?

I wish they would change the code on all kitchen sink drains AND any drain subjected to large volumes of hot waste water be strapped every 2'....not the normal support of 4' for PVC.

I have seen too many kitchen sink drains in 1.5" strapped every 4 feet that just completely sags between the straps....all because the dishwasher dumps into that line a great deal.

**GrumpyPlumber** · 06-29-2007, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by RUGGED

I wish they would change the code on all kitchen sink drains AND any drain subjected to large volumes of hot waste water be strapped every 2'....not the normal support of 4' for PVC.

I have seen too many kitchen sink drains in 1.5" strapped every 4 feet that just completely sags between the straps....all because the dishwasher dumps into that line a great deal.

Gotta love a good plenum though...
Rugged...I'm PSYCHED you found this thread, I've worked plenty with old time plumbers...even one that had that old WW2 depression era mentality...He'd say "NEVER waste fittings" (back then they were worth more than you were), He knew how to wipe a joint in his sleep.
I'm going to wager you have some KILLER stories..
The rock one was funny (I could just vision you standing there hoping she wouldn't move in closer).
I bet you have some hilarious ones...go ahead...drop us.

**Cass** · 06-29-2007, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by RUGGED

Get a call from a real estate agent needing a plumber for a client in town who's selling their house. After numerous phone tags I arrive at the house to a ceiling leak. It's a drop ceiling so access to the source was fairly simple.

I take the first soaked panel down, no problem. I take the second panel down,

two HUGE rocks were on top of this panel, one fell off and smashed the top ledge of the fiberglass tub. Put a hole in it 4" wide.

It's resting spot was in the tub itself....the customer saw it happen but my body hid the massive hole that just went into the ledge. I "instantly" grabbed that rock and took the shower liner and pulled it outside the tub and covered the opening from wall to wall.

I'll be damned if I'm paying for that nonsense; wtf was two big rocks doing up in the ceiling? She's selling the house so I say someone's going to be doing fiberglass repair for a blue tub. Damn.

The leak was a PEX toilet supply line leaking. Another thank you to plastic piping and fittings.

Why in the world did you hide the damage??????

Obviously it would not have been your fault, but hiding it.

Now you look guilty even though your not.

What was the type of crimp system copper or stainless and was it crimped wrong?