Photography
Related: About this forumMy 1/2 bath flooded tonight.
I noticed water flowing from my 1/2 bath. Across the floor and heading out of the utility room toward carpeted areas. A lot of water. 12 towels worth of water. It was the quick if not terribly effective solution.
I turned off the water to my toilet and sink and called the plumber.
He got here in about 20 minutes. (Excellent!)
First he wanted to cut through the wall in my coat closet but decided against it. But only after we cleared the closet. I don't think either of us have ever thrown a coat or jacket away. Ever. In over 20 years of marriage.
Then he decided the leak was coming through the lower wall next to the toilet, so he cut a big hole. He saw water damage and could tell there was a leak - but he now felt it was to the left of the hole in my wall.
So.... he cut an even larger hole there. He found the pipe just not the source.
So....He cut a hole in the ceiling.
He found the problem. (YAY!)
He had to go get a part.
He got the wrong part.
(But)
He stopped the leak for tonight and will return tomorrow for the actual repair.
The day after they'll begin the wall repair.
I'm just glad I was still up reading instead of waking up to worse damage tomorrow morning.
Silver lining?
I don't have to pay for any of this. (Thankfully)
TheMadMonk
(6,187 posts)They're cheap as dirt, those three great holes would have been reduced to perhaps 1/2 doz easily filled 1/2 inch holes and 1 larger hole to do the worth through.
Another reason to shoot this plumber is his failure to keep the most basic of compression fittings on hand, and then his getting the wrong one really takes the cake.
I'm no plumber, but I have everything needed to effect that repair in my shed. 2 x 1/2" compression joiners (olive and flared), soldered as well, scrap lengths of 1/2 " copper tubing. And even a bit of lagging. My step-father who was a plumber, taught me to always keep to hand enough
Your last photo also reveals the likely cause of the whole mess. That nail bent over to hold the pipe in place. Iron in contact (particularly poor contact) with copper is not good. This also means that you could well be seeing more of this since a single nail can compromise the entire length of the pipe it's in contact with.
Happened to me in my last home. Owner builder saved himself a few bucks by using crossed nails instead of saddles to hold the plumbing in place. 20 years later a pinhole opened up in a pipe I disturbed partitioning the garage into a flat. 2 days after I repaired that, 2 pinholes opened up 20 feet away. I gave the pipe a deliberate whack: Hoookay, My hot water plumbing was now just right to be laid out on a parched lawn.
By the time we were done, we 'd replaced every scrap of copper at a material cost alone, several hundred times the dollar or two saved by not using the proper pipe saddles in the first place. lucky you who doesn't have to pay for it. Or do the work.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)I'm not good much beyond basic plumbing repairs.
I'm not upset about the wall but I imagine the people repairing it will wonder why there are 3 holes. I think the plumber coming out today will be a different guy.
I'm just happy it wasn't any worse.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)We had a plumbing issue today, too. My daughter and her boyfriend rent the other half of our duplex and last night noticed a puddle of water behind their refrigerator and wet carpet coming into the living room. Seems that we sprung a leak in the hot water heater outflow line which is on the other side of the wall the refrigerator backs up to. Apparently it had been going on for a while and had finally built up enough to soak through. We got our moonlighting plumber out here tonight, who also cut a hole and fixed the issue in about 10 minutes ... but dinged us for 90 bucks. I wish somebody would pay ME $90 for 10 minutes of my time.
I should note that my husband had already determined where the leak was, so we weren't even paying for any diagnosis, just the handiwork.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)We chose to live in the older military housing - bigger yards, more privacy - and we get all the problems that come with older housing in need of a make-over. My water heater has been replaced. (leaked everywhere) My heating/air has been replaced (leaked everywhere). My neighbor recently went through her yard being ripped up to get new pipes down. I'm thinking we're headed in that direction ourselves.
This could have been worse and I'm ever so grateful it wasn't.
Just life in the military.
Wow. 9 dollars a minute! I need that kind of job!
handmade34
(22,755 posts)so glad ins is paying... I do all my own plumbing and such, but it sure would be nice to just have a plumber come in and fix all my troubles
I love that you are documenting with photos... I always intend to do it but seem to forget (in the moment) most of the time...
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)I don't have to pay - well, that and the fact the damage isn't my fault. I do have insurance for personal property though.
People who damage the property through carelessness have to pay for repairs.
I'm just glad it wasn't worse and they were so prompt in getting here. I live in the woods.
It's the older housing and we get problems that come with older housing. I preferred the older housing over the newer though.
I wanted the photos to show family our late-night adventure. We're boring people.