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7 Nightmarish Plumber Horror Stories
Popular Mechanics ^ | 4/25/17 | POPMECH editors

Posted on 11/13/2023 8:15:29 PM PST by DallasBiff

"We once had a customer with a toilet stoppage. When we looked into the pipes to find the source, we ended up pulling out upper and lower dentures from the toilet! The customer exclaimed, 'Oh that's where they went!' Turns out that he had a little too much to drink the night before, and he had gotten sick." — Steve Ferguson, owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Oakland-Berkeley, California

(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: plumbing
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Worked in the hospitality industry and I can't tell you how many times I've seen toilets backed up by a full roll of toilet paper being used.
1 posted on 11/13/2023 8:15:29 PM PST by DallasBiff
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To: DallasBiff
*Information Junior High kids should Never know about…

There is a product to resolve the need to bail out toilets when doing a full unit replacement.

Comes in a package of about 4 oz and is poured into the bowl.

In one minute, the water in the bowl becomes a very stiff gel mass for no spill when removing the toilet from the home.

Do NOT tell any Jr High kids this is sold at Home Depot and only cost $2 per pack.

2 posted on 11/13/2023 8:37:26 PM PST by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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To: DallasBiff

I recently called a plumber to fix my leaking toilet. It took him 10 minutes. He charged me for 2 hours.


3 posted on 11/13/2023 8:39:53 PM PST by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Telepathic Intruder

I learned basic plumbing, carpentry and auto repair when I was in high school. It has saved me a bunch of money.
One big challenge was when my 5 year old daughter flushed a dixie cup in the toilet. Took me about an hour to fish it out.


4 posted on 11/13/2023 8:41:41 PM PST by Texas resident (Biden=Obama=Jarrett=Soros)
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To: Telepathic Intruder
There is generally a two hour minimum charge if they have to come out to your house.

Not saying it is right, just saying that is probably what the contract says.

5 posted on 11/13/2023 8:41:43 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Keep America Beautiful by keeping Canadian Trash Out. Deport Jennifer Granholm!)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

They claimed over the phone that it was a 1 hour minimum charge so I was prepared to pay that.


6 posted on 11/13/2023 8:45:21 PM PST by Telepathic Intruder
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To: DallasBiff

A buddy of mine had a fishing camp with the only drinking water supply being from a cistern.

He mentioned that the water was cloudy and had crud floating in it.

I climbed up into the cistern and there was a very dead and decomposing raccoon.

My buddy and his crew had been drinking that water for weeks.


7 posted on 11/13/2023 8:48:49 PM PST by Round Earther
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To: DallasBiff

“To our surprise, we pulled back a dead raccoon from the drain through a 4-inch plumbing vent stack.”

that happened to me with a squirrel: main roof vent stack didn’t have a protective vent cover, squirrel goes down, gets stuck a few feet before the main drain empties into the septic tank ... didn’t know any of this until plumber sticks his power roto-rooter up the pipe exit in the tank and hits an obstruction ... after a bit of grinding, ground up squirrel and all the backed up waster water comes rushing out ... plumber came close to getting sick, which surprised me as i would have figured he’s seen much worse ... at any rate, put a vent cover over the main roof vent stack ASAP ...


8 posted on 11/13/2023 8:49:05 PM PST by catnipman (A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil)
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To: DallasBiff
The worst plumber horror story of all.


9 posted on 11/13/2023 8:54:29 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or your enemy will fill them with bad ones.” ~ Thomas More)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

I was about to add “view of plumber’s crack”, but you beat me to it! One variation on that theme is “view of contractor’s crack”. I see, when he assumes a similar position, one of my contractors’ tastes run to colorful undies in bright colors. Don’t know what brand comes in those reds and vivid blues, but it sure isn’t “tighty whities”!


10 posted on 11/13/2023 9:05:29 PM PST by EinNYC
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To: DallasBiff

My plumber now charges $165 per hour.

My doctor visit is less per hour.


11 posted on 11/13/2023 9:05:41 PM PST by LongWayHome
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Crack is Wack!


12 posted on 11/13/2023 9:05:55 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Telepathic Intruder
Then that was wrong.
13 posted on 11/13/2023 9:13:35 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Keep America Beautiful by keeping Canadian Trash Out. Deport Jennifer Granholm!)
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To: Deaf Smith

Is this Home Depot product called ‘Ice Nine’?


14 posted on 11/13/2023 9:25:36 PM PST by desertsolitaire (w)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

You must have brought up that he was charging you 2 hours, what did he say?

Was this overtime work after hours or on a holiday or weekend?


15 posted on 11/13/2023 9:34:42 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: LongWayHome

Good car mechanics in the SF Bay Area are running $200/hour! It’s unbelievable. And the standard hours for almost any repair starts at five and quickly goes up.


16 posted on 11/13/2023 10:15:48 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or your enemy will fill them with bad ones.” ~ Thomas More)
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To: DallasBiff

Out of boredom, in my off time in lovely Minot AFB ND. I completed the USAF plumbing course.
Passed all tests except the final which I did not take as I didn’t want that extra specialty officially written into my records.
A guy that repaired B-52 avionics and could do plumbing, I feared I would have never been transferred out of that shithole.
Plumbers have a racket. All you need is a strong stomach, good PPE (gloves), be something of a contortionist, and it is easy.


17 posted on 11/13/2023 10:34:55 PM PST by rellic
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

A repair place does not pay mechanic’s $200 per hour.

They usually triple what they pay the mechanic, to cover the building mortgage and admin and general overhead.

So those would be $63/hr guys making $120K per year, with cost of benefits in that. SF is pricey, but the guy twisting the wrench isn’t getting $400K per year.


18 posted on 11/13/2023 10:36:15 PM PST by Owen (.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Many service people are just making up prices these days.


19 posted on 11/13/2023 10:48:22 PM PST by LongWayHome
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To: ansel12

No, I just paid the bill. It was actually a bit more involved than what I said but essentially there was a bunch of stuff on the bill that didn’t make sense but I just wanted to move on. I’ll call someone else next time.


20 posted on 11/14/2023 1:23:26 AM PST by Telepathic Intruder
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