# Rooter is easy



## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Sunday calls from old commercial customers shouldn't happen to me.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I had that happen to me at a seafood chain (to top it off it was our first time there). I've come up into toilets a number of times and know what it feels like, but the one time my cable broke the trap it happened in a split second.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Back to back got the best of ya eh?


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## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

Plumber,

Have you got a tail piece ahead of your blades. That is what the picture looks like. I have never used a set up like that as I figured the blades could not get to the roots and cut good???? Roto-Rooter makes them just never have used that.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Roto-Rooter said:


> Plumber,
> 
> Have you got a tail piece ahead of your blades. That is what the picture looks like. I have never used a set up like that as I figured the blades could not get to the roots and cut good???? Roto-Rooter makes them just never have used that.


I use one like that on almost every job and very seldom have it hold the blade back from getting to the roots...


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

So who pays for the broken commode?

Scenario#1: "Configuration of the drainage piping is incorrect and not up to code, that's why the cable came up and broke the porcelain. Now I have to charge you to replace the toilet. That'll be extra."

Scenario#2: "Oops. Sorry. No charge for any of the work today since it is all my fault."

So, which was it?


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Roto-Rooter said:


> Plumber,
> 
> Have you got a tail piece ahead of your blades. That is what the picture looks like. I have never used a set up like that as I figured the blades could not get to the roots and cut good???? Roto-Rooter makes them just never have used that.


When I'm going through the closet bend I will use it. This drain line is totally wacked. I had a hard time getting a 3/8 cable through. It was a back to back thing with 2 stores involved and about 20 women using 2 toilets.



Tommy plumber said:


> So who pays for the broken commode?
> 
> Scenario#1: "Configuration of the drainage piping is incorrect and not up to code, that's why the cable came up and broke the porcelain. Now I have to charge you to replace the toilet. That'll be extra."


It was a Sunday and I was way out of my service area. I only went there because it was a Facilities Management company that we did work for every month here in town and she begged me. I did not want to fight the city traffic on a week day so I let it go.



Tommy plumber said:


> Scenario#2: "Oops. Sorry. No charge for any of the work today since it is all my fault."
> 
> So, which was it?


The same Facilities Company tried to make me pay for it today and I told them to go to hell. She said they won't pay me now. How am I responsible for reversed fittings in slab? 

I've already contacted the store's district manager about the threat of no payment, which in any state is grounds for a whole bunch of problems.

I don't care if I lost the account. The chain is weeks away from delisting on NYSE. Those accounts are a dime a dozen and slooow pay. 

Still, a restless night, fer sure.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Redwood said:


> Back to back got the best of ya eh?


Actually no. Mens' room, no cleanout. Womens room was not BTB and not effected. Pulled the ADHD stool, came up two stools down...:blink:


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> So who pays for the broken commode?
> 
> Scenario#1: "Configuration of the drainage piping is incorrect and not up to code, that's why the cable came up and broke the porcelain. Now I have to charge you to replace the toilet. That'll be extra."
> 
> ...


In my case, it was a worthwhile new customer and we replaced the stool at no charge. Worked out good for us... but we did video the line later on to find a backwards wye. Made a note of it for future reference.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

OpenSights said:


> In my case, it was a worthwhile new customer and we replaced the stool at no charge. Worked out good for us... but we did video the line later on to find a backwards wye. Made a note of it for future reference.












I would have inspected the line with fiber optics before admitting to anything or paying for the new W/C. 

However, the way that you did it, means you'll probably have a customer for life.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> I would have inspected the line with fiber optics before admitting to anything or paying for the new W/C.
> 
> However, the way that you did it, means you'll probably have a customer for life.


They became a Very good customer! A $500 sloan style stool was pennies compared to what we made. Check in the mail from corporate within a week, never a question.


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> So who pays for the broken commode? Scenario#1: "Configuration of the drainage piping is incorrect and not up to code, that's why the cable came up and broke the porcelain. Now I have to charge you to replace the toilet. That'll be extra." Scenario#2: "Oops. Sorry. No charge for any of the work today since it is all my fault." So, which was it?


If I prove that there's a backward fitting I won't pay for the toilet. If they don't want to pay for my bill that day that's fine too.


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## 408plumber (Apr 24, 2012)

The age old question, who pays. I will charge them for the toilet replacement, at a discount. As far as I'm concerned pulling a toilet to access the sewer line is not proper access. Do we just assume the line is not plumbed in correctly? Do we have people sign damage waivers before we cable a line through improper access?


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

sierra2000 said:


> If I prove that there's a backward fitting I won't pay for the toilet. If they don't want to pay for my bill that day that's fine too.


Sound like good verbiage for your contracts.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

My lawyer suggested a "money back guarantee" once. I asked him if he had that guarantee...lol

If this job was local for a healthy client, I would make concessions, but this ain't that. In fact, this is the last Facilities Management thing I have. All the others are out of business, new owners/Facilities Management, or I fired them.

I always hate that I have to pay for their goods right away, but I have to wait 45-60 days for my payment.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

45-60 days is nonsense! Same as my last boss @7 days. 30 days, grace is 10 days, 10% late fee per month. I'm not a bank or credit card company... I'm a drain cleaner.

Sometimes you need to make an exception to the rules to get a great customer, sometimes you need to force your hand. It all depends, and corporations added to the mix... it's a crap shoot.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

Redwood said:


> I use one like that on almost every job and very seldom have it hold the blade back from getting to the roots...


The finger leader leads the cable and blades around bends and offsets the blades do the cutting but I have known that finger leader do a pretty good job of pulling out roots :whistling2:

I also ran a tandem arrangement with another set of double cutters 12" to 18"
behind that setup :whistling2:


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