3 Plumbing Horror Stories that Will Make You Cringe

Your home’s plumbing system is not something you probably spend a lot of time thinking about… until something goes wrong. And when things go wrong with the plumbing, they tend to go very wrong. These horror stories show just how important it is to reach out to an Upland plumbing team before it is too late and the damage spreads through your home.

In this article, you’ll find a bunch of plumbing horror stories straight out of your nightmares, as well as some warning signs and steps you can take to avoid the same happening to you. 

If you happen to be suffering from your own plumbing nightmare, call an emergency plumber as soon as you can. The team at Bobby Blue offers 24/7 emergency plumbing services throughout the Upland area. We will be at your property as soon as we can to mitigate any damage and provide the solution to your plumbing problems.

Keep reading for some cringe-worthy plumbing horror stories and how you can prevent them from happening to you!

1. Tree Root Disaster

We hear a lot about tree roots disrupting our clients’ plumbing systems, but when this is left unchecked, it can become a very messy and unsanitary problem.

One plumber shared his experience of what happened when carrying out maintenance on a toilet that had been shaking and leaning to one side when being used. When the toilet was removed from the ground, the plumbing team discovered tree roots were poking all the way into the house!

Tree roots often invade piping throughout gardens and can wreak havoc on any home’s plumbing system. When roots penetrate pipes, they cause major damage and leaks, which can cause sewage to leak back up into your home.

Not only is this a major hygienic issue, but it is likely that your pipes will need to be replaced throughout the property to ensure a similar issue does not happen again.

If you are worried about your home’s pipes, there are a few things you can do to prevent tree roots from causing damage. Try one of these simple methods:

• Barrier System: to make sure tree roots don’t get close to your home’s sewer or water pipes, you can build and install some barriers around the pipes. These barriers should be made out of thick planks of wood or plastic and placed in deep trenches all along the pipes. Tree roots will not be able to penetrate these barriers, keeping your pipes safe.
• Smart Gardening: you can also make a gardening strategy that will just take a little bit of research and planning. Make sure you plant any trees far away from pipes and if you want to plant anything near the pipes, choose plants that have either shallow roots or roots that grow together in a ball shape.

2. Flooding Disaster

Another plumber recounted his experience of a water shut off valve that was broken. This meant that water was rushing into the house through a broken pipe and it couldn’t be shut off! To remedy this particular plumbing nightmare, the local city council had to get involved, but usually, this isn’t necessary and a quick call to a plumber in Upland is all that will be required.

For a burst pipe, you will need to immediately shut off the water (something the unfortunate client in this story wasn’t able to do) and then call your local plumber ASAP, no matter time of the day or night it might be. Your plumber will be able to assess how serious the break is and provide you with the solution.

In some cases, the pipe will be repairable. However, other broken pipes will need to be replaced altogether. We recommend either copper or PEX repiping because these materials are exceptionally strong and reliable. You will not have to worry about either copper or PEX corroding or breaking.

3. Garbage Disposal Mishap

One plumber remembers showing up to a distressed family the day after Thanksgiving. Thinking it wouldn’t be a problem, one of the members of the family tried to dispose of the turkey by pushing it slowly down the garbage disposal. This caused the entire sink to malfunction and clog up and a long job of pulling bones out of the sink drain ensued.

While it might be tempting to send everything down your sink when you have a garbage disposal, they are actually more delicate and temperamental than many people realize.

We recommend that to avoid a garbage disposal nightmare, you follow a few of the following steps:

• Scrape Plates First: before you start washing your dishes, it is a good idea to scrape off any remaining chunks of food into the garbage or compost bin. This ensures that only minimal food is sent down the drain. While chunks of food can certainly go into a garbage disposal, there is no need to make it work harder than necessary.
• Bones and Coffee Grounds: these two are big offenders when it comes to damaging your garbage disposal. Bones will simply spin around the blades causing damage and rarely actually make it into the pipes.

Coffee grounds might slip down the drain with ease, but they can also build up quickly and will create an obstruction over time. Both bones and coffee grounds should be kept far away from your garbage disposal.

• Avoid Putting Down Oils and Fats: Just like with coffee grounds, oil and fat might seem like it goes down the drain easily, but it could actually lead to big problems later on. When the grease and oil cools, it will harden and create clogs and blockages that will need to be cleaned professionally. 

No matter what plumbing problem you are facing, a plumbing professional in Upland, California will be able to help. You can get in touch with a member of our team today if you are facing a plumbing issue that you need help with. If you have an emergency, contact our 24/7 helpline and we will send out a plumber as soon as possible from our team of experts here at Bobby Blue.