I was attempting to repair a leak in the back flow pipe that connects the irrigation system to the main. It was a relatively slow leak and I often make small repairs to my aging irrigation system. This time, I torqued the pipe hard enough to crack the elbow to the underground pipe that leads to the main. I have some back problems and the pipe is 3 1/2 to 4 ft below ground so I decided to call the reliable plumbing service I’ve used for years. They couldn’t get out that same day and my family would have been without water until then, so I asked for a referral for someone reputable they knew that may be able to come out that same day. She gave me two companies, and after some research, I decided to call Total Plumbing and Drain. I was delighted that when I called, the lady said she had a crew that was finishing a project and could come out that afternoon.
About 45 minutes later, 2 young men arrived in a nice plumbing van and began working on the pipe. It took them about 10 minutes to dig the hole and uncover the broken elbow. They left to get the part (I was really surprised they didn’t have a 3/4” or a 1” pvc pipe elbow in the nice plumbing van they were driving) and came back about 20 minutes later. Wrong size. They had guessed it was a 3/4” pipe and had to go back to the store. Another 20 minutes later when they arrived back with the correct part, they quickly got to work and installed the part...about 35-40 minutes of work total not including the 2 store trips. When they reconnected everything, the part that connects the backflow valve to the water pipe they just repaired was still leaking. When I pointed it out, the gentleman said it was welded and he couldn’t fix it without taking it to the shop (most plumbers I’ve used in the past can weld on site). He also said that based on the amount of water coming out I would barely notice it on my bill (maybe he’s never raised two teenagers by himself...every penny counts in our household). I found this a bit peculiar that a plumber would leave it that way, still leaking, but it was late in the afternoon and I was so happy to have the main problem solved, I just let it be. When I received the water bill a few weeks later, it was much higher than normal and led to me inspecting the area where the repair was made. As you can see in the attachments, it’s much more than a small trickle.
The gentlemen that made the repair didn’t leave an invoice. When I called to pay the next morning, I was charged $244 for two hours of work to replace a simple pipe elbow. I felt it was excessive, but I usually just don’t use a company again if I don’t feel I received fair value and don’t complain. However, the trickle I was told not to worry about has become a full blown leak and since the part is welded, I can’t repair it or cap it myself and need to get it repaired. Another $120+! I sent the company two emails letting them know of my situation. Neither was responded to after several days. Along with the additional water bill charges, I’ll be out close to $400 by the time I can afford to have someone come out and repair it properly.
I have managed several businesses over the years. We all have an off day. As I told them in my emails, my intention isn’t to hurt their business relationships or get something for free. I just want to pay a fair price for the work that was completed. The fact they completely ignored my emails led to me having to unfortunately leave them a poor review. If you’re looking for a good plumbing company who cares about the quality of repair and stands behind their work, look elsewhere.
