Beware the Pipes!
Whether you love the heart-pounding thrills and scares or prefer the fun costumes and candy, there is no denying that Halloween is right around the corner. As the scariest day of the year approaches, many are looking for ways to turn their lovely home into a spooky haunted house.
As plumbers, we know we signed up for a messy job, and we have seen our fair share of homes filled with plumbing problems scary enough to make anyone’s skin crawl. This fall, we’re sharing with you some of the most memorable and scary sights we’ve laid eyes on while on the job.
Business in the Yard
One plumber was working on a new build with several other contractors from painters to builders. He had been working on installing the toilet but had not finished completely by the time he went to lunch. While outside, a painter asked if he could use the bathroom. The plumber responded by saying that he’d have to wait a bit longer.
Evidently, the painter was having a bathroom emergency and couldn’t wait any longer. He went up to use the toilet and to everyone’s surprise, his business ended up in the backyard.
Rooter Rodents
We’ve all heard of rodent infestations in homes before, but sometimes these pests wind up in the strangest of places. There was once a customer who called about a clog in their upstairs toilet. The plumbers attempted to unclog and eventually had to enter through the pipes in the attic. Much to their shock, the cause of the clog was a deceased raccoon lodged in the pipe!
Raccoons can fit through a hole only 4 inches wide and often love taking shelter in attics, so it makes sense that he was exploring his new home when he became stuck.
As plumbers, we have seen every type of home from large and immaculately clean to small and unkept. Unfortunately, pests love to make their homes in dirty places. There was one home a plumber was called to that was cluttered and unclean. While working, the plumber felt as though someone was watching him. He finally looked around and found himself staring directly at an oppossum!
Holding Down the Fort
You never know when a plumbing emergency will strike and how quickly your plumber will be able to arrive. We do our best to get to you in a timely manner, but some things we can’t control! There was a call around 2 in the morning for a broken faucet that was flooding an apartment. When the plumbing team arrived, they found the customer sitting on the floor, holding the pipe into place and directing the flowing water into the sink.
He’d been in that position for about 2 hours!
Flushed Away
No matter how often we tell customers not to, there are still many who insist on flushing things that should never go down the drain. The list of items that have been found clogging pipes, whether by accident or on purpose, is endless, but here are a few of our favorites:
- Dentures.
- Toy dinosaurs.
- Glasses.
- Easter eggs.
- Cellphones.
- Syringes.
- Wigs.
Help avoid causing a plumber’s nightmares and stick to only flushing toilet paper!
The Inexperienced Plumber
This story is bound to scare everyone into hiring only the best-rated and experienced plumbers, like those at Patterson Plumbing & Heating, Inc.. A woman saw raw sewage backing up into her bathtub and called the first plumber she could find. Unfortunately, this plumber was not licensed and was far from an expert. He began by running an auger down the drain to attempt to clear the sewage.
When that didn’t work, he decided to disconnect the toilet. This was not the right move. The sewage water began to flood the bathroom and out into the living room. Panicked, the plumber started to clean up the mess with a shop vac, but it was too late. He gave up and the customer called a new plumber to fix the even greater mess.
Plumbing Nightmares? Call Patterson Plumbing & Heating, Inc.!
We never want you to deal with a spooky plumbing problem on your own! If you’re in need of our services, give us a call at (719) 496-4939!