# Broken cable in soft stoppage..wow.



## Mpls Jay (Jan 1, 2011)

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17990731

The University of Colorado is blaming “defective” toilet paper for expensive plumbing problems — including overflowing toilets in more than 20 buildings on the Boulder campus — that janitorial workers had to deal at the end of the spring semester in 2009. 

In a lawsuit the CU Board of Regents filed last week in Boulder District Court against Waxie Enterprises Inc. and Royal Paper Converting Inc., university officials said they had to call on outside plumbing contractors and use augers to clear sewer lines in response to the troublesome toilet paper.
In total, CU spent more than $40,000 dealing with the plumbing issues and repairing resulting damage, according to the lawsuit. 

“In one instance, the University of Colorado was required to saw-cut concrete and excavate sewer pipes in order to remove an auger from a sewer line that was so bound up and clogged with toilet paper that it became stuck in the plumbing line,” CU's attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. 

CU began investigating the issue upon noticing that a rising number of toilets were becoming clogged and overflowing into bathrooms in more than 20 buildings on the Boulder campus beginning in early May 2009, according to the lawsuit. The problem, which persisted through June of that year, was traced back to the toilet paper from Waxie Enterprises and Royal Paper Converting, according to the lawsuit. 

CU first entered into a contract with Waxie in 2007 to provide janitorial supplies, including toilet paper, the lawsuit states. Royal Paper Converting manufactured the paper at issue, according to the lawsuit. 

“The toilet paper that was provided by Waxie and Royal Paper failed to disperse properly and caused the toilets and sewer lines at the university to become clogged,” the lawsuit states. 

CU is asking a jury to award it more than $40,000, including other costs associated with the “inconvenience and hassle,” for eight claims, including breach of contract and negligence. 

An official with Waxie Enterprises told the Camera today that he was unaware of the allegations and knew nothing of the lawsuit. He declined to comment further on the quality of Waxie toilet paper. 


Read more: CU sues over 'defective' toilet paper that flooded Boulder campus stalls - Boulder Daily Camera http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17990731#ixzz1LQbd38MK 
DailyCamera.com


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

Odd that toilet paper will break a cable but roots/tampons/wet wipes/paper towels don't, surely I would think the thousands of tampons i have pulled out over the years would have snapped my cable clean in half.


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## Plumber Jim (Jun 19, 2008)

Lol. I bet it was a case of the plumbing company making a mistake and blaming the toilet paper. I can think of 2 companies that service that area that might be the one.


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## Plumber Jim (Jun 19, 2008)

alot of municipalities use that company including the city i live in and there is nothing wrong with the paper. they must have poor piping or drain cleaners that don't know what they are doing. Or some nasty students doing it on purpose. But you know they have to find someone to sue.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

1.28 Gallons Per Flush?

I'm just saying....:laughing:


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## timplmbr (Mar 16, 2011)

toilet breaks steel? is that like rock beats scissors?????


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## timplmbr (Mar 16, 2011)

correction........toilet paper.....ooops


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## 3Peasdrain (Feb 5, 2010)

*cable broke by toilet paper*

SUE SUE SUE. Its ashame what this country has come too. The plumbing co or the drain cleaning co should stand up and say we screwed up.But that would be the right thing to do.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

3Peasdrain said:


> SUE SUE SUE. Its ashame what this country has come too. The plumbing co or the drain cleaning co should stand up and say we screwed up.But that would be the right thing to do.


 Admitting liability is a slippery slope.

I can name 4 or 5 companies who went out of business, reorganized or went under the radar after admitting liability.

The thought of losing your insurance (which is a requirement in a lot of states) can also be a deal breaker.


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## Radium (Dec 25, 2010)

I usually do very little in the way of service work but how would you get a broken cable out of the line, besides grabbing your spare excavator in your back pocket?


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## plumb nutz (Jan 28, 2011)

With another cable


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## Radium (Dec 25, 2010)

Right, another cable with an electric hand to grab the cable and pull it out. Thanks


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Radium said:


> Right, another cable with an electric hand to grab the cable and pull it out. Thanks


No, You would use a cable retriever tool on the cable....

It would also help to have a camera handy too...


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## Radium (Dec 25, 2010)

Oh that's cool. I didn't know about those tips for the cables. Thanks Red.


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## Radium (Dec 25, 2010)

That's a cool tool, thanks for the pics redwood.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Radium said:


> Oh that's cool. I didn't know about those tips for the cables. Thanks Red.


Pray you never need one......I've used one to snag a liter water bottle out of a 3" line....New construction prank....:furious:


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Airgap said:


> Pray you never need one......I've used one to snag a liter water bottle out of a 3" line....New construction prank....:furious:


 Did you use the same tool to extricate the bottle from the pranksters rectum once you got it out of the 3" line?


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Widdershins said:


> Did you use the same tool to extricate the bottle from the pranksters rectum once you got it out of the 3" line?


I wish I could've caught em, Toilet flushed liquids fine, but backed up after a couple solids. Contractors were long gone. Looked like a piece of aluminum foil balled up on the camera, But the retriever pulled the bottle out like a charm.....


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Airgap said:


> Pray you never need one......I've used one to snag a liter water bottle out of a 3" line....New construction prank....:furious:


It can be a lot of fun retrieving things out of a line.

I think the toughest one I ever did was a rock that someone had dropped down a cleanout. There was no way to pull it back and it was under a retaining wall close to the foundation of the house. We ended up using the jetter to push the rock to the city line where it was no longer the customers problem. Anywhere the rock was would have been expensive to dig and the push saved the day.

Anytime something is in a line it can be a challenge.


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## plumb nutz (Jan 28, 2011)

Pulled out an opened bottle of beer from a floor sink once...

It's like fishing... kinda... well maybe... no.
Well its like fishing if you can't find the time to hit the water...


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

Pushed a dogs chew toy ~75ft to city 6" with the camera and reached in to get it out, the vet "didn't know where it came from." Funny how that always works huh?


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Redwood said:


> It can be a lot of fun retrieving things out of a line.
> 
> I think the toughest one I ever did was a rock that someone had dropped down a cleanout. There was no way to pull it back and it was under a retaining wall close to the foundation of the house. We ended up using the jetter to push the rock to the city line where it was no longer the customers problem. Anywhere the rock was would have been expensive to dig and the push saved the day.
> 
> Anytime something is in a line it can be a challenge.


It really is an art form...Patience is key, along with ingenuity...I am a mediocre drain cleaner at best, but I am persistent....:thumbsup:


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Fished out a float for a Gen Eye camera head about 15ft down a clean out about 2 years ago. Yes patience was wearing very thin.... But it was a success


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

ooookkkk. read the article again or for the first time, whatever. cable was stuck not broke. stuck. operator error? breid..................:rockon:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

breid1903 said:


> ooookkkk. read the article again or for the first time, whatever. cable was stuck not broke. stuck. operator error? breid..................:rockon:


Yea they need a better drain cleaner fo sho.... :laughing:

With that guy as their expert witness Mark will chew him to pieces.... :yes::laughing:


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## sfplumbing (May 10, 2011)

*Is it can it be a 5 gal. bucket???*



Airgap said:


> It really is an art form...Patience is key, along with ingenuity...I am a mediocre drain cleaner at best, but I am persistent....:thumbsup:


 I was sent to unstop a 12" storm drain a couple years ago. It was a ho storm line that came through under driveway close to street. Every thing but the kitchen sink was in the line mud debris,garbage,and you guess it a 5gallon bucket.With alot of patience i jetted the line got in front of bucket and with the back sprayers on nozzle got it out,brought hose back ...not so easy cleared out !!!!


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