Tim McGlinn
New Member
Hello and thank you for operating this blog.
About 15 years ago, our (new) plumber advised me to get a protection plan for our nearly 100 year old house. This seemed sensible. I took the form to work where it sat on my desk for 10 days, at which point our main water line failed. After replacing the water line for $3000 (I think, it was a long time ago), I decided to sign up for the Sewer protection program. I figured I would be safe with the water line for at least a few decades...so far so good there.
About $2000 (and 15 years) after that, our Sewer line got clogged this morning. The washer (in the basement) was draining and instead the water came up through the shower drain in the basement. For a $50 service fee (for realz), NJ American Water sent out a crew to clear the drain, which they seemed to do--they ran a snake at least 75 feet from drain shown in the images.
when they were leaving, I noticed what could be called a flap (I think they may have called it a valve) that is under the cap that you screw off (see picture). First they said that they did not know where it came from. But I knew that it wasn't there before. The plumber then said that it was not necessary and initially he thought that it was broken.
I think he was wrong on both counts. First, it seems to me that this would (or at least could) prevent water from backing up into the shower, as happened this morning. Second, it seems not broken--it sort of lifts up not unlike an old beer stein with a lid if you press on one side. Finally, it could function as a trap of sorts, though i guess there are traps in the toilet, sink, and shower that all drain in this way.
Apologies for the longwinded explanation, but my questions/concerns are this:
1. Was the plumber wrong? is this part superfluous?
2. If the part does serve a purpose, is the purpose (or one purpose) to keep water from backing up into the bathroom drains?
3. is there a way to assess my future risk of another sewer back up? The guys said they think they pushed something out using the snake and i Have no reason not to believe them. This is the first time that this has happened in 15 years in the house. We have not planted any new trees, and the ones in our yard are mature.
4. Relatedly, I am thinking that we should cancel the sewer maintenance service ($12/month). In the case of my main line fail 15 years ago, the repair required was basically a total replacement. In the case of sewer pipes, total failures seem much more rare. I asked the plumbers on the job, and they said that a real (properly expensive) repair is called for less than 1 time in 50. Mostly they just come out and snake it. I also asked them what they would have charged me if I were just paying cash, and they said about $250. When I take into account that i paid $50 for them to show up, I would need to have a call every 15 months in order to be breakeven on the sewer insurance. This sounds like a great deal for them, not me. We have the financial resources to pay for a new line if we need one.
Huge thanks in Advance for any advice/feedback.
Tim in NJ
About 15 years ago, our (new) plumber advised me to get a protection plan for our nearly 100 year old house. This seemed sensible. I took the form to work where it sat on my desk for 10 days, at which point our main water line failed. After replacing the water line for $3000 (I think, it was a long time ago), I decided to sign up for the Sewer protection program. I figured I would be safe with the water line for at least a few decades...so far so good there.
About $2000 (and 15 years) after that, our Sewer line got clogged this morning. The washer (in the basement) was draining and instead the water came up through the shower drain in the basement. For a $50 service fee (for realz), NJ American Water sent out a crew to clear the drain, which they seemed to do--they ran a snake at least 75 feet from drain shown in the images.
when they were leaving, I noticed what could be called a flap (I think they may have called it a valve) that is under the cap that you screw off (see picture). First they said that they did not know where it came from. But I knew that it wasn't there before. The plumber then said that it was not necessary and initially he thought that it was broken.
I think he was wrong on both counts. First, it seems to me that this would (or at least could) prevent water from backing up into the shower, as happened this morning. Second, it seems not broken--it sort of lifts up not unlike an old beer stein with a lid if you press on one side. Finally, it could function as a trap of sorts, though i guess there are traps in the toilet, sink, and shower that all drain in this way.
Apologies for the longwinded explanation, but my questions/concerns are this:
1. Was the plumber wrong? is this part superfluous?
2. If the part does serve a purpose, is the purpose (or one purpose) to keep water from backing up into the bathroom drains?
3. is there a way to assess my future risk of another sewer back up? The guys said they think they pushed something out using the snake and i Have no reason not to believe them. This is the first time that this has happened in 15 years in the house. We have not planted any new trees, and the ones in our yard are mature.
4. Relatedly, I am thinking that we should cancel the sewer maintenance service ($12/month). In the case of my main line fail 15 years ago, the repair required was basically a total replacement. In the case of sewer pipes, total failures seem much more rare. I asked the plumbers on the job, and they said that a real (properly expensive) repair is called for less than 1 time in 50. Mostly they just come out and snake it. I also asked them what they would have charged me if I were just paying cash, and they said about $250. When I take into account that i paid $50 for them to show up, I would need to have a call every 15 months in order to be breakeven on the sewer insurance. This sounds like a great deal for them, not me. We have the financial resources to pay for a new line if we need one.
Huge thanks in Advance for any advice/feedback.
Tim in NJ
