[Bill]

We had done a remodel of a Western Auto and made it into an Advance Auto. I had ran all the DWV and had it pressurized for 2 days waiting on the inspector. After he came and passed it we finished up. I was there installing the water cooler when the Advance Big Boys from the corporate office showed up. One of them went in to use the toilet and it overflowed. I got a snake and ran it through the line only to have it stop cold! I tried to come in from the outside in the septic tank, same thing. I got my big electric cable snake that I use to remove roots with. Same thing, but I did notice some red clay on the spring. I measured the snake off from both directions and came to a point under a newly poured concrete sidewalk. Damn I thought. I told the GC what I had and after quite some time of going over it with him we both came to the conclusion that the stoppage was under the sidewalk. Great. I am responsible now. I got a concrete saw and commenced to cutting. I got down about 2 feet and pulled up a BIG chunk of pvc. I showed it to the GC and showed him the clean white along the fractured edge and said I bet it was broken. Thats when he told me that the electrician had a contractor come in and dig a trench to install his power line for the parking lot lights. After I dug some more I found the 2 ends. There was a 6 foot piece missing of 4" SCH40! The GC called the guy who dug and he swore he never hit anything. BS! Because someone had to have shoveled in the dirt and get rid of the rest over pipe. Lucky for me the GC said to bill him for the extra work and he would get it from the back hoe man.

 

[Plumberman]

Had a similar expereince not too long ago.
At a gas station they had another strip mall to the east of it tied onto one septic system. One of the stores use to cook food so they had a grease trap buried as well out back of the store. They moved out years ago and only the clothes cleaning business and the gunsmith were still open. The gas staion backed up and so did both of the other stores. I had been over there once before for the same thing. So I ran my cable and got the gas station flowing again. The other stores were still stopped up. This was a new one because the last time I snaked from the gas station side they all drained down. So I went back behind the stores and got to looking around. I noticed that the ground looked freshly dug and new SDR-35 cleanouts were sitting flush with the ground. I questioned the manager and she said that they had done some digging out back and buried a big tank about 4 months prior. I called the owner and he confirmed that a company had come in and buried a new septic tank for the strip mall , because the health officals wanted them on their own system instead of the gas sations. The company that dug up the old "septic tank" so they thought,was actully a grease trap. They tied the septic tank into the old grease lines and broke the 4" main smooth in two with their machine. Covered the line up and demanded payment. I had to dig up the line and replace the section they broke. The other company never came back to get the septic tank, so it serves no purpose at all now. I contacted the owner of the company who installed the septic tank and he said that it wasent anything they had done so he wasent going to come back out there I also told him that san tees on their side and tieing storm sewer into sanitary sewer was againest code. He hung up on me:laughing: But everything works now and they are happy:thumbup:

 

[user4]

Our local had an apprentice killed last year when he was rodding a line that the power company trenched through to install an electric main line, he hit the power cable and got electrocuted.

 

[Bill]

I also told him that san tees on their side and tieing storm sewer into sanitary sewer was againest code. He hung up on me:laughing: But everything works now and they are happy:thumbup:

We cant tie in any storm water runoff into a sewer

Our local had an apprentice killed last year when he was rodding a line that the power company trenched through to install an electric main line, he hit the power cable and got electrocuted.

Sorry to hear that. Sounds to me as if there was in adequate insulation on that line, either that or a mighty pointy probe

 

[user4]

We cant tie in any storm water runoff into a sewer

We tie all of our rainwater drainage into the sanitary sewer.

Sorry to hear that. Sounds to me as if there was in adequate insulation on that line, either that or a mighty pointy probe

He had a retriever head on a K-1500.

 

[Plumberman]

We cant either I forgot to metion I had to re-route both lines as well.

Hate to hear it also bro....

 

[threaderman]

Our local had an apprentice killed last year when he was rodding a line that the power company trenched through to install an electric main line, he hit the power cable and got electrocuted.

That is horrible!

 

[smellslike$tome]

Our local had an apprentice killed last year when he was rodding a line that the power company trenched through to install an electric main line, he hit the power cable and got electrocuted.

Does the power company there not have to get their work inspected? That should have been caught and repaired when it happened. I am by no means sue happy but that's exactly what should happen now. The power company, any subs involved with the digging, and the city (I know the city will skate) all should be sued within an inch of bankruptcy (I know their insurance will cover it but only if forced to) imo.

What kind of pipe did they trench through? What size was the line that had been cut? It really doesn't matter 'cause it is not possible to trench through what would have had to have been a minimum of 3" line of any type and not know that you have hit something.

Negligence.

 

[user4]

Does the power company there not have to get their work inspected? That should have been caught and repaired when it happened. I am by no means sue happy but that's exactly what should happen now. The power company, any subs involved with the digging, and the city (I know the city will skate) all should be sued within an inch of bankruptcy (I know their insurance will cover it but only if forced to) imo.

What kind of pipe did they trench through? What size was the line that had been cut? It really doesn't matter 'cause it is not possible to trench through what would have had to have been a minimum of 3" line of any type and not know that you have hit something.

Negligence.

It was a six inch clay sewer, the lawsuits are still ongoing.

 

[smellslike$tome]

It was a six inch clay sewer, the lawsuits are still ongoing.

I'm no attorney but this sounds like a slam dunk to me. The guilty will stall for as long as they can and then settle assuming the plaintiffs are willing.

 

[threaderman]

I did a spot repair on a sewer that kept repeatedly plugging up,I was the third plumber or something like that,and found a decent sized cable penetrating dead center through sch. 40 pvc,it was a cable companys trunk line if I remember correctly.
I remember the guy was re-imbursed for out of pocket expenses.A happy ending after all.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

We tie all of our rainwater drainage into the sanitary sewer.





He had a retriever head on a K-1500.

I'm sure you're aware that's inclusive to your code, I've never heard anyone say that in any jurisdiction.
I'm curious why it's allowed in yours?

 

[user4]

I'm sure you're aware that's inclusive to your code, I've never heard anyone say that in any jurisdiction.
I'm curious why it's allowed in yours?

Chicago has had combined sewer for over a hundred years, and the cost to separate it now would be in the billions. It puts a bit more burden on the sewage treatment plants, but that is why they built the Deep Tunnel to contain it when it rains real bad.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

Chicago has had combined sewer for over a hundred years, and the cost to separate it now would be in the billions. It puts a bit more burden on the sewage treatment plants, but that is why they built the Deep Tunnel to contain it when it rains real bad.

I find your talk about Chi code interesting.
Right when I think I've heard it all, you mention something else that leaves me pondering.
Like the water traps on water mains and the reason they were originally installed...interesting plumbing nostalgia & history.

 

[user4]

Heres something else to ponder, there are sections on the north side of the city that still use the original wood water mains.

 

[Plumberman]

How do they go about fixing those?? If they leak?

 

[user4]

How do they go about fixing those?? If they leak?

They replace them with ductile iron, but they won't do it till they actually start leaking. Most of them are 10' or more deep, so I'm sure the cost factor has something to do with it.

 

[Plumberman]

I imagine. We have been fixing a few water mains west of town on a college campus that are 10'-12' deep. Its a lonely feeling that far down I can tell you. Is the water quality just as good with the wooden mains? Just curious cause that is something I have never seen before and probly never will...

 

[user4]

I imagine. We have been fixing a few water mains west of town on a college campus that are 10'-12' deep. Its a lonely feeling that far down I can tell you. Is the water quality just as good with the wooden mains? Just curious cause that is something I have never seen before and probly never will...

With as much chlorine as Chicago dumps into the water here I doubt there would be any quality issues, aside from the chlorine smell in the water.

 

[Plumberman]

Taste good then:laughing: We have the same issue. Our water company is privately owned and they seem to love chlorine