Henry Ramsey
Member
Hey all,
I am writing for advice on checking some plumbing for breaks and/or leaks.
A couple weeks ago I asked about some gurgling etc following a sewer line clog at the condo community
I live at and of which I am the President of the association.
Another unit along that same block of units (these are condos, but are structured like townhomes and 15 units share a single main sewer line) has a different problem than gurgling (which has appearently ceased with snaking the toilet line).
Following jet wash cleaning of the main sewer line this unit and three others had secondary clogs appear.
The washing machine drain line ties into the same outlet into the sewer main as the kitchen sink and
when they washed their clothes the kitchen sink filled with water and the slowly drained out. As a courtesy to the unit owners who experienced this the association paid in part for the units to have the affected drains snaked. Three others had not problems following the powered snake.
This time the snake would not pass a spot in the pipe and the plumber said there might be a broken fitting
or other obstruction in the line and to prevent damage they did not proceed.
They recommended a camera inspection. I have just been informed that the association is actually fully reponsible for this check. The problem with the drain backing up seemed to have gone away in the mean time, but if there is a busted fitting or pipe we do need to know.
So my question revolves around the correct type of company to do a thorough camera inspection.
Other than recording is there any thing special I should be asking for when polling companies to inspect
with the camera? Any good national chains that might be best to use? Special licensing or certification
other than plumbing? We had the plumbing company that jet washed the sewer main also camera inspect
it but I feel we might not have got our money's worth in that deal.
We had them do a recording. It was blurry, and since water still could run there were a couple of places
where someone flushed a toilet and paper could be seen floating in the water. I'm hoping to find someone perhaps with a better qualification to interpret what is found too I guess.
Also, this particular unit has been repairs at least somewhere in it's plumbing underground before.
In 2013 we had the building levelled and it was determined a leak somewhere under this unit during a requisite static pressure test before the level work could commence. A repair probably using a rubber coupling was made while they were tunneled under the building. Is it possible this fitting has perhaps displaced or broken again? Or maybe by design it is not penetrable?
Finally, are these secondary clogs normal following jet cleaning of old sewer lines like this? A plumber I know told me they are a possibility. Some of the members of the HOA board felt that this was wrong of
plumbing company not to at least inform us. But is it common enough that they should have known?
I am writing for advice on checking some plumbing for breaks and/or leaks.
A couple weeks ago I asked about some gurgling etc following a sewer line clog at the condo community
I live at and of which I am the President of the association.
Another unit along that same block of units (these are condos, but are structured like townhomes and 15 units share a single main sewer line) has a different problem than gurgling (which has appearently ceased with snaking the toilet line).
Following jet wash cleaning of the main sewer line this unit and three others had secondary clogs appear.
The washing machine drain line ties into the same outlet into the sewer main as the kitchen sink and
when they washed their clothes the kitchen sink filled with water and the slowly drained out. As a courtesy to the unit owners who experienced this the association paid in part for the units to have the affected drains snaked. Three others had not problems following the powered snake.
This time the snake would not pass a spot in the pipe and the plumber said there might be a broken fitting
or other obstruction in the line and to prevent damage they did not proceed.
They recommended a camera inspection. I have just been informed that the association is actually fully reponsible for this check. The problem with the drain backing up seemed to have gone away in the mean time, but if there is a busted fitting or pipe we do need to know.
So my question revolves around the correct type of company to do a thorough camera inspection.
Other than recording is there any thing special I should be asking for when polling companies to inspect
with the camera? Any good national chains that might be best to use? Special licensing or certification
other than plumbing? We had the plumbing company that jet washed the sewer main also camera inspect
it but I feel we might not have got our money's worth in that deal.
We had them do a recording. It was blurry, and since water still could run there were a couple of places
where someone flushed a toilet and paper could be seen floating in the water. I'm hoping to find someone perhaps with a better qualification to interpret what is found too I guess.
Also, this particular unit has been repairs at least somewhere in it's plumbing underground before.
In 2013 we had the building levelled and it was determined a leak somewhere under this unit during a requisite static pressure test before the level work could commence. A repair probably using a rubber coupling was made while they were tunneled under the building. Is it possible this fitting has perhaps displaced or broken again? Or maybe by design it is not penetrable?
Finally, are these secondary clogs normal following jet cleaning of old sewer lines like this? A plumber I know told me they are a possibility. Some of the members of the HOA board felt that this was wrong of
plumbing company not to at least inform us. But is it common enough that they should have known?
