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Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 12:45:00 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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Pipe from street to the house was brass , and not lead.

The city is requiring a certain pipe that enters the house- so as that it can install water meters. We must have the correct pipe- if not- the city will do the work- then bill the homeowner- and if not paid- a lien put on the house- the lien would not require one to sell the house- but must be paid when the house changes owners.

I mentioned my plumber who was fair with me- when a pipe busted over the winter. So MS S used him to fix her toilet... and to give an estimate on the house intake pipe from the street- to be up to code.

The cost is $1500.   A 6 inch sidewalk had to be busted up- they got a bigger jack hammer from the city- 2 men were there a few hours. Now a new walk will have to be poured.

Once opened up   the plumber scraped the pipe- and learned it was brass - not lead.

Thus a new pipe will not be needed.

About 2.5 feet by 3 feet of the sidewalk was chopped up.   Not a full square, and is contained to the space with in just one square.

Questions:

What should the plumber charge? (obviously less then the $1500)

Is this a common mistake?    (confusing brass for lead)

If the city had done the work- would they have made the same mistake?

What does it cost to pour cement for that square?

If this were you, what would you do at this point?

Thanks for your help.

Post #: 1

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 1:46:39 PM

servantforuse

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It sounds to me that the $1500 was just an estimate. Problems like this occur on most jobs. You will probably end up paying the amount charged.

(in reply to pahunkboy)

Post #: 2

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 2:01:05 PM

hertz

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I was expecting a sexy thread about human biology...

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Post #: 3

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 2:17:09 PM

soul2share

Posts: 7084
Joined: 12/18/2007
From: somewhere out there.....
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Well, if the only way of knowing what kind of pipe you have is to dig it up, then so be it. Pay the bill when it's due and save yourself a lot of trouble.

As far as the questions about what the city would have charged...well, it's sort of a moot point now, since you opted to have someone do it for you.

Mix up your own concrete and fill in the hole in the sidewalk.....personally, I would have made sure that the guys that tore it up would be back to pour the new concrete and included it in the estimate.

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Post #: 4

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 3:53:12 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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This was not me. My pipes are fine. This is a neighbor of mine. She does not want her name used.

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Post #: 5

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 5:04:54 PM

DesFIP

Posts: 25191
Joined: 11/25/2007
From: Apple County NY
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Plumbers, like electricians, charge a lot because they have to be licensed.

As far as the concrete goes, you may need to have heaters put on it to allow it to cure properly. In this weather it's iffy. Make sure she asks her contractor about that. She still needs forms to keep it in place. They're a pain to make and remove.

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Post #: 6

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 5:07:22 PM

Hillwilliam

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Personally, I wonder about the qualifications of any plumber that cant tell the difference between cast Iron, lead and copper at a glance.

(in reply to DesFIP)

Post #: 7

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/9/2010 9:55:22 PM

Termyn8or

Posts: 18681
Joined: 11/12/2005
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Personally I think Hunky got took.

First of all the entire water main goes under concrete ? I find that hard to believe, there had to be some dirt somewhere. And this was a private plumber, what I wanna know is where the original notice came from and exactly what it said.

I can't call it for sure without a bit more detail about from where this all started, but it sounds a bit fishy to me. A bill like that to find out nothing needs to be done is a bunch of shit. They could've found out another way. They just like money.

T

(in reply to Hillwilliam)

Post #: 8

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 1:03:41 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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Her house- is built around 1900. They have a front porch and no front yard.

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Post #: 9

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 4:57:48 AM

DesFIP

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From: Apple County NY
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Actually it sounds to me that the city is using this as a way of reducing the incidence of lead pipes and lead poisoning.

Who dug up the sidewalk? The city or private? Is the city responsible for repaving or is the homeowner? And I see no problem in the plumber needing to examine a pipe that's been buried in dirt under concrete for 110 years to identify it.

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Post #: 10

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 9:42:33 AM

Steponme73

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Status: offline

Are you sure your line is brass? Most old water lines were either lead, galvanized or copper, depending on where you live. A plumber should have been able to tell the difference. I am surprised a plumber would agree to do the concrete...Make sure it meets city standards or you will get to do it again. Also do you need a permit to do this...might check.

(in reply to DesFIP)

Post #: 11

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 10:09:38 AM

mnottertail

Posts: 60698
Joined: 11/3/2004
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Plumbing Advice:

Shit runs downhill.
Don't chew your finger nails.
Paydays saturday.
The boss is a prick.

Joe the Plumber

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Post #: 12

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 12:21:03 PM

MercTech

Posts: 3706
Joined: 7/4/2006
Status: offline

Pour it yourself. Takes 2 people.

Get a few sacks of quickcrete.
Get some scrap lumber to form the edge of the walk.
Take a square about 4 foot by 4 foot of tarp material.
Dump quick crete on tarp. Add about 1 coffee can worth of water.
Two people grasping the corners of the tarp can mix up the concrete in a minute then pour in the form.
Repeat until form is full.
Smooth with a bit of scrap lumber.

Cheap, quick, but requires a bit of upper body strength for the mixing and pouring.

This method not only works for sidewalk and driveway repairs but is good for doing a concrete pad for finishing a well installation and making concrete borders for making raised flower beds.

Stefan

(in reply to mnottertail)

Post #: 13

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 1:38:37 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP

Actually it sounds to me that the city is using this as a way of reducing the incidence of lead pipes and lead poisoning.

Who dug up the sidewalk? The city or private? Is the city responsible for repaving or is the homeowner? And I see no problem in the plumber needing to examine a pipe that's been buried in dirt under concrete for 110 years to identify it.

The new pipe code- has nothing to do with lead- it is so that water meters can be installed- this to comply with federal law- as supposedly there is wastage.

however- the people per household is not the density it was in the 70s-80s... so the feds are wrong on this one.

I and she are a household of 1- so- a meter is not going to make a big difference in the total water our households consume.

(in reply to DesFIP)

Post #: 14

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 3:28:52 PM

DesFIP

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From: Apple County NY
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Speaking of plumbing, The Man has been exiled to the beach house, where he is freezing his you know what off. I get back from the city to his disgruntled email that in a house with four bathrooms there is not one plunger And I am to go buy one immediately for the next trip down. Although that won't be till spring if he finishes repairs tomorrow as expected.

And PA, if they're making people remove pipes, I'm betting it's the lead pipes they want out. Meters and safer water, both good ideas.

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Post #: 15

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 4:41:39 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
Status: offline

You mis-understand- the pipes must accommodate the meter. Nothing is said about lead.

Meters are a mute topic. My bill wont rise.

Now if we talk about fluoridation- then that pisses me off. We pay $50k a year to needlessly medicate the water with poison, which sends me out for clean water. BTW_ our water bill is among the highest in PA- tho still cheaper then western states.

My pipes are fine- and will accommodate the new meter.

(in reply to DesFIP)

Post #: 16

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 6:43:18 PM

thornhappy

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Joined: 12/16/2006
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Srsly, hunk, the whole "flouride is poison" thing's been debunked for years. It's nowhere near toxic for the amount used in municipal water systems.

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Post #: 17

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/10/2010 6:46:13 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: thornhappy

Srsly, hunk, the whole "flouride is poison" thing's been debunked for years. It's nowhere near toxic for the amount used in municipal water systems.

Interesting you feel that way.

Maybe if the water was good- i would not near the medical problems that I do.

Notebly my thyroid.

(in reply to thornhappy)

Post #: 18

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/11/2010 1:24:39 PM

DesFIP

Posts: 25191
Joined: 11/25/2007
From: Apple County NY
Status: offline

I wish I could fluoridate my well water. My teeth are noticably worse since moving from the city with fluoridation to non fluoridated water up here in the boonies. Any dentist will attest to this.

In most cities, around a quarter of all water is wasted. Once meters come in and people have to pay for it, that's when they fix the leaking faucet. Which stops wasting water.

< Message edited by DesFIP -- 11/11/2010 1:26:33 PM >

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Cynical and proud of it!

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Post #: 19

RE: Plumbing advice needed - 11/11/2010 1:30:11 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
Status: offline

Easy fix... just sprinkle in some rat poison.

(in reply to DesFIP)

Post #: 20

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