# Day from heck



## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

I get the dreaded late call, 330pm and a guy is getting water on his outside foundation. I find the leak at 4pm after cutting some sheetrock. It's about the water heater on the cold side.

 Slow drip, on the same run I see about two other bad spots weeping a bit. I am telling the HO we will just leave it for the morning when my helper takes a sheetrock knife and saws at the pile of rust where its dripping

It breaks loose! So I fix the leak it’s now 530pm go to open the freaking gate valve and its stuck shut. Change out the gate with a ball valve and its now 630pm. 

Go to turn the meter back on and the female on the meter nipple starts spraying!!! 

Get that fixed and the FREAKING T&P is leaking.......got out at 9pm.  

Worst day I've had on the job. I would rather be covered in mud!


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## Qball415 (Nov 20, 2010)

Sorry to hear the story of our lives! If it was easy Missippiplum would be doing it.


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

You been plumbing long? If that's the worst day you have had just wait.............your in for it


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Days like that suck, sorry for the luck. 

Is kinda funny though. :laughing: Next time helper will know not to scrape at rust spots.


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## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

HillsidePlumbco said:


> You been plumbing long? If that's the worst day you have had just wait.............your in for it


 
Forgot to add that the HO opened the kitcken faucet and forgot to close it. So we had the hose bibs open as well as a few tubs but the pos faucet stopped anyways....lol.

Been doing it only for going on five years.


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## Abel Plumber (Sep 3, 2011)

Cool story bro! Lol yeah we all have them. The best is taking a literal crap shower from a sewage ejector pump. Now thats a bad day. My helper literally ran away trying not to throw up.


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

Had one the other day, of course its the day before I go on a week vacation,
1st job faucet replace, Insta-hot install & anglestops, hole in granite not big enough for Insta had to pull d.w for constant power, Insta power cord to short, customer insisted on 1/4 turn under sink, one stub out on cold, didn't have one, had to sweat on a T, left my guy there to deal with it, went to what I thought was a quik call, r/o tank under sink tweaked drain lines everything's leaking and stopped up, 2nd story kitchen, run snake through nasty swamp water twice, put it all back together and was running hot fine, filled up both sides still a little slow, pressurized the rest down, water started pouring out of the can lights in the ceiling behind me, San-tee cracked in vent, go back in and pull roots out of kitchen line, got my 1/2" cable stuck for an 1hr 1/2, it goes on and on, it was only 10:15 a.m, the day before we made bank and everything went better than normal, repair plumbing has its best and worst days, I tell myself it could always be worst, but those kinda days piss me of


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## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

HillsidePlumbco said:


> Had one the other day, of course its the day before I go on a week vacation,
> 1st job faucet replace, Insta-hot install & anglestops, hole in granite not big enough for Insta had to pull d.w for constant power, Insta power cord to short, customer insisted on 1/4 turn under sink, one stub out on cold, didn't have one, had to sweat on a T, left my guy there to deal with it, went to what I thought was a quik call, r/o tank under sink tweaked drain lines everything's leaking and stopped up, 2nd story kitchen, run snake through nasty swamp water twice, put it all back together and was running hot fine, filled up both sides still a little slow, pressurized the rest down, water started pouring out of the can lights in the ceiling behind me, San-tee cracked in vent, go back in and pull roots out of kitchen line, got my 1/2" cable stuck for an 1hr 1/2, it goes on and on, it was only 10:15 a.m, the day before we made bank and everything went better than normal, repair plumbing has its best and worst days, I tell myself it could always be worst, but those kinda days piss me of


 
Yep that sucks...funny we had a killer day before as well. I mean real killer!


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## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

Where is Heck?:huh:


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## revenge (Jun 30, 2011)

I had a day just like that on friday gas co breaks a four inch water line at meter break at 4.30 didnt get home till past 1200


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## UALocal1Plumber (May 13, 2009)

One time I tripped and fell into a dead guy. He was dead for 6 weeks and had exploded all over his kitchen cabinets and melted into the linoleum floor. 

We were in there fixing a gas leak that had to be done right away.

But your T&P valve was leaking. That's pretty bad too I guess.

Keith


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

RealCraftsMan said:


> I get the dreaded late call, 330pm and a guy is getting water on his outside foundation. I find the leak at 4pm after cutting some sheetrock. It's about the water heater on the cold side.
> 
> Slow drip, on the same run I see about two other bad spots weeping a bit. I am telling the HO we will just leave it for the morning when my helper takes a sheetrock knife and saws at the pile of rust where its dripping
> 
> ...


As long as you got paid for all that , I call it a good day !


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

revenge said:


> I had a day just like that on friday gas co breaks a four inch water line at meter break at 4.30 didnt get home till past 1200


That is a good day! Big $$$$$


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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

I wouldnt say this is the worst day but hard day we were doing a master suite above the garage so new garage new downstairs pool bath well concrete man was drilling piers for the slab well he drilled the main sewer line going out of the house he poured 4 of the pears and couldn't figure out why this one pier needed Way more concrete than the others well what happened he filled the sewer line with concrete we got a call at 8:30 that nothing works. So next morning we spent more than 12 hours breaking up concrete with the old trustee spartan and that was the very first time I had ever ran a sewer machine


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

ualocal1plumber said:


> one time i tripped and fell into a dead guy. He was dead for 6 weeks and had exploded all over his kitchen cabinets and melted into the linoleum floor.
> 
> We were in there fixing a gas leak that had to be done right away.
> 
> ...


wow!


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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> One time I tripped and fell into a dead guy. He was dead for 6 weeks and had exploded all over his kitchen cabinets and melted into the linoleum floor.
> 
> We were in there fixing a gas leak that had to be done right away.
> 
> ...


Wtf


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

RealCraftsMan said:


> Forgot to add that the HO opened the kitcken faucet and forgot to close it. So we had the hose bibs open as well as a few tubs but the pos faucet stopped anyways....lol.
> 
> *Been doing it only for going on five years*.


 






That right there is why you broke stuff you weren't called there to fix............:laughing:

It takes about (7) years in this trade before the light bulb is on brightly. After (5) years, it's only flickering.....:laughing:


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

When it's one thing after another you've got to step outside for a moment, chill out for a few, then go back at it.

Working while frustrated (especially over little things) doesn't help.


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

RealCraftsMan said:


> I get the dreaded late call, 330pm and a guy is getting water on his outside foundation. I find the leak at 4pm after cutting some sheetrock. It's about the water heater on the cold side.
> 
> Slow drip, on the same run I see about two other bad spots weeping a bit. I am telling the HO we will just leave it for the morning when my helper takes a sheetrock knife and saws at the pile of rust where its dripping
> 
> ...


Tech screw your apprentice's hands to his pockets if he ever touches anything you don't direct him to touch.

Never touch a gate valve EVER!!!

Meter? Probably unavoidable.

T&P? Did you check the water pressure or thermal expansion after?


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

I had a bad one myself on tuesday worked 10 hours on a normal bid job putting in faucets all day and my back was beat. Then I get the dreaded phone call right as I am cleaning up. Fancy Italian restaurant backed up kitchen and restrooms. Get there at 5:30 pulled toilet (no c/o's visible and no prints) dropped in the big cable thinking I will be out by 7 at the latest. Cable goes right in and hits a blockage 20' in. Finally got through that blockage and my cable came out the wall in the ladies room? WTF Found I went up a vent and pushed the 3 x 1.5" coupling that someone didn't glue and that big cutter works well on drywall! While I am fixing that I find a c/o under a fancy flower pot in the ladies room! Sweet I feed the big cable in 40' and hit a blockage I break through it rather easy and stopped this time because I hear screaming? The cable had came up a trench drain in the kitchen. Finally the other manager comes in and after hearing of the fun of the evening he comes down with a set of prints. I move a table and a rug and find the c/o I needed just like the print says. 40' slamholio and sewer is open. All cleaned up and some takeout lasagna for my supper when I get home at 1 am!

I am pretty sure whoever plumbed this place was all out of directional fittings!


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> One time I tripped and fell into a dead guy. He was dead for 6 weeks and had exploded all over his kitchen cabinets and melted into the linoleum floor.
> 
> We were in there fixing a gas leak that had to be done right away.
> 
> ...


This is a story that has to be told in a bit more detail. I read it three times and I'm still not sure if your messing with me. :laughing:


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Wait until you own a business...those bad days will seem like the good old days.


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## okcplum (Jul 16, 2011)

Was running a line from the roof as my helper couldn't find a clean out, I slipped on the roof and pulled my back out.
Finally I get down from roof as I couldn't get the line to pop from there.
Walked around back of house and a fricking cleanout is straight in front of me, wtf......
I tell the helper he is a c*** and to look.
Gets them all running with the 1500, helper loads up for me.
Then on the highway my radiator decides to tell me "feck you" and blows.
I hope tomorrow brings better fortune.


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## UALocal1Plumber (May 13, 2009)

Indie said:


> This is a story that has to be told in a bit more detail. I read it three times and I'm still not sure if your messing with me. :laughing:


Totally true. I was a wee man at the time..

Keith


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

went to service call , met landlord/handyman, for toilet leaking , not just leaking, not even over flange ever time you flush most of the water goes everywhere, i'm thinking thats still to much water, i'll fix that frist, after that i start looking around and find a broken angle stop in kitchen steady steam fix that, then ptrap, (this place is right out of hoarders) land lord calls 2 days later still got water. not as much but water, my boss goes out and calls me, and saids hey how'd you miss the water heater it's leaking.. guess i'm not that good lol


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## Plumbdog (Jan 27, 2009)

revenge said:


> I had a day just like that on friday gas co breaks a four inch water line at meter break at 4.30 didnt get home till past 1200


Those kind of crappy days are almost always on a Friday it seems.


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

mark kiernan said:


> Was running a line from the roof as my helper couldn't find a clean out, I slipped on the roof and pulled my back out.
> Finally I get down from roof as I couldn't get the line to pop from there.
> Walked around back of house and a fricking cleanout is straight in front of me, wtf......
> I tell the helper he is a c*** and to look.
> ...


Why do you guys keep hopping up on roofs when there are toilets on the ground that can be pulled?


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

JK949 said:


> Why do you guys keep hopping up on roofs when there are toilets on the ground that can be pulled?


I keep thinking the same thing!


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## mccmech (Jul 6, 2011)

Plumbdog said:


> Those kind of crappy days are almost always on a Friday it seems.


Seriously dude! Fridays & Mondays, and always last, or close to last call of day.


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## skitian (Apr 5, 2011)

I've had my fair share of calls going wrong in all sorts of ways, I just chalk those up to the plumbing life. My worst days are the ones I injure myself. On separate occasions I've set my entire leg on fire, had 2nd degree chemical burns, dropped a 300 pound radiator on my finger, thrown my back out 3 times, injured my neck, fell the wrong way off a dump truck, fallen through ceilings, etc.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

skitian said:


> I've had my fair share of calls going wrong in all sorts of ways, I just chalk those up to the plumbing life. My worst days are the ones I injure myself. On separate occasions I've set my entire leg on fire, had 2nd degree chemical burns, dropped a 300 pound radiator on my finger, thrown my back out 3 times, injured my neck, fell the wrong way off a dump truck, fallen through ceilings, etc.


Yikes!


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

mccmech said:


> Seriously dude! Fridays & Mondays, and always last, or close to last call of day.


For us it's because the maintenence man screwed with it from tues til fri and finally fri at noon he calls for a bailout because "I can't leave it that way for the weekend"


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

deerslayer said:


> For us it's because the maintenence man screwed with it from tues til fri and finally fri at noon he calls for a bailout because "I can't leave it that way for the weekend"


Just had this happen before Easter. School bathroom has 1 water closet in mens bath off kitchen being used for weekend fish fry. Maint man been screwing around with toilet for 2 weeks. Over flows several times. Get the call at 4pm on friday:furious:. I go there, run auger through, it goes down right away, but can tell, its a bit of a slow flush. (This is probably all the idiot maint guy did for 2 weeks, & told them it was working each time).So I put paper in & it backs right up. Took up toilet up, & found whole can of deodorant, from one of students. This was a toilet with a sloan flush valve, than ran extra long too, so when it would go over, it was quite messy. No one knew how to turn it off. So I rebuilt the sloan too, reset toilet, showed them what I removed, & they were so happy, they gave me enough fish dinners, to feed my family that night. (And no, that was not my payment for services rendered).


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Don The Plumber said:


> Just had this happen before Easter. School bathroom has 1 water closet in mens bath off kitchen being used for weekend fish fry. Maint man been screwing around with toilet for 2 weeks. Over flows several times. Get the call at 4pm on friday:furious:. I go there, run auger through, it goes down right away, but can tell, its a bit of a slow flush. (This is probably all the idiot maint guy did for 2 weeks, & told them it was working each time).So I put paper in & it backs right up. Took up toilet up, & found whole can of deodorant, from one of students. This was a toilet with a sloan flush valve, than ran extra long too, so when it would go over, it was quite messy. No one knew how to turn it off. So I rebuilt the sloan too, reset toilet, showed them what I removed, & they were so happy, they gave me enough fish dinners, to feed my family that night. (And no, that was not my payment for services rendered).


Something fishy going on here....


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