HOW LONG CAN I LEAVE THE "CLOG"?

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MillieMack

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Hi, ya'll. Long long story short. In July, had basin stop up from me (doing something never did before cause I was being stubborn) cleaning vaccuum filter in the basin with body wash. Yep. I know. Dumb. Anyhow, the basin stopped up. It's pvc, has a cut off, but the under-the-house-line is the only galvanized pipe left in the house. I did not want to use liquid plumber so I called my plumber. Told him. He said no problem since those body washes and dirt and galvanized don't blend too well. He would run a snake thru it and it would take about 15 minutes max. The next part ends wierdly. He comes over, but instead of a hand snake (my name) he brings a big machine that's electric. I am cooking in the kitchen and hear him crank it up. A minute or so later I hear him cut it off then he starts doing something. Then he gets up off the floor and goes out the door. He comes back with a saw. What!?!?! After about 30minutes of what sounds like him jerking the pipes, he walks into the room, says he's gonna take care of it, but the snake head got stuck down in the pipe. It was after his regular job he came over so it was late and he said he would come back the next day. He did not come back. He never came back. I am in a financial hell and cannot afford to get it fixed. I called him over and over. So, called friends or family and either they said the same thing I thought since I know a little bit about some plumbing, he should have used a hand snake, the head is smaller. Or, I should have used liquid plumber. Or, I should have gone outside and cleaned the filter. Your opinions about the following would be great. 1. What should I have done? 2. Shouldn't he have used a smaller snake? 3. Would a clog dissolver been best solution? 4. Have you ever heard of a plumber doing this before? and the most important one of all, I have the basin cut offs "off" until I can raise the money to fix it. Do I need to be worried about anything going awry until then? Thank you all so very much for any response!!!!!!!
 

Gary Swart

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Several things here. Hand snakes as you describe are useless on drain line clogs. Your plumber was right in using a professional snake, but what happened was the head got snagged somehow an broke. He had to cut the pipe to get it out and repair the pipe. His problem to fix. Now, he didn't do his job. If he is a licensed plumber, you should contact the BBB. You may have a legal case. Forget about Liquid Plumber or any other chemical drain cleaner. They do not work on a major drain clog, and since they a caustic, can create a hazard for the plumber you will have to call. My suggestion is to contact a licensed plumber. Do not call a company that has "Rooter" as part of their name. These are not always real plumbers. Explain your situation as see if they can work with you on payment. Then go after the original guy. BTW, there's no filter to clean.

After thinking about this a bit more, if this has been going on since July, you need a lawyer. A day or two would be bad enough, but 5 or 6 month? Insane.
 
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After thinking about this a bit more, if this has been going on since July, you need a lawyer. A day or two would be bad enough, but 5 or 6 month? Insane.
If it has been 6 months living with the problem, it's obvious this is no longer a priority for the homeowner.

Like many that try to ask questions after much time has passed, they don't want to deal with it properly and professionally, and are seeking for a (cheap) miracle that might work.

This is the price paid for "being stubborn". DIYs need to learn if they can't deal with something important over a reasonable amount of time, then ask "What should I have done?", they need to seek licensed professionals, and not those that have another "regular job".
 
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Gary Swart

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Your point is well taken. I have frequently suggested that some jobs are not DIY depending on the individuals experience and/or abilities. The wise man knows his limitations.
 
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