I live on the top floor of my condo, and the neighbour across the hall from me has been having a gurgling noise in his toilet. The plumbers have been out numerous times, snaking the vent, but it is still not fixed. This only happened a couple days after he had some plumbing work done, so this leads me to believe that this plumbing company is scamming him (or the strata I should say, as all of us in the building are footing the bill for this guy's plumbing issue). I have no problems in my one bathroom that shares the vent stack with his side, but the plumbers insisted on coming into my unit because they thought they could fix it from my side. After filling my tub up numerous times and doing some suction testing...they still did not fix his plumbing problem. If snaking the common vent stack did not work, I have read online that it is most likely a branch off pipe to just his unit that could have the problem, as none of us around him are experiencing any plumbing problems. Now these plumbers are saying they HAVE to cut into my wall to auger the pipe that is between both of our bathrooms! Even though they stated before that it could be accessed from either side of the wall. Isn't a shared vent stack exactly that...SHARED from both sides of the wall. I would never expect my neighbour to have constuction done in their place because I have a plumbing problem on my side. Can you please clarify this shared vent stack thing for me?
Neighbour From Hell!
- Thread starter TEK99
- Start date
Help Support Plumbing Forums:
I think your "plumbers" are not Plumbers. They do not have any clue as to what they are doing. Get them out of your building ASAP and call a reputable licensed firm. And remember, as they intentionally or due to their ineptitude drove up the costs...unlicensed work can not be charged for. If they do not have a plumbing license, legally in most states you owe them nothing. Throw the idiots out!
Last edited:
Here's my 2 cents worth. Can't see it from here but can only go by what you have described. Across the hall means you do not share a common wall and therefore common drain STACKS. More likely common drains that connect horizontally. If you are not having any issues in drains then it is hard to say it is a common problem. Attempting to clear a drain through a vent is often impossible. 1 vent pipe accessible from the roof may branch off to several fixtures. If the stoppage is between fixtures, running a snake down the vent is a waste of time.
Sometimes when the units have back to back bathrooms or kitchen it might be necessary to access the common stack from the other unit.
Sometimes when the units have back to back bathrooms or kitchen it might be necessary to access the common stack from the other unit.
Thank you for the information, while searching the internet last week I did see somewhere else that it was mentioned to go right to street level where the building pipes meet the street...interesting.
We do share one wall, as we both live on the corner of the building, at the end of the hall. My main bathroom shares a wall with his en-suite. But from what some of my plumber friends have told me, if it was in the shared vent stack, we would both be experiencing problems or one of the units below him would be. And by opening up my wall to auger, is exactly what this plumbing company has been doing from the roof, so why would that solve anything...especially when they are auguring from my side that doesn't have a plumbing problem.
It all makes no sense to me, and just shows the incompetence of this plumbing company and the underhanded business practices that can go on when you are on the Strata Council and have a problem in your suite.
We do share one wall, as we both live on the corner of the building, at the end of the hall. My main bathroom shares a wall with his en-suite. But from what some of my plumber friends have told me, if it was in the shared vent stack, we would both be experiencing problems or one of the units below him would be. And by opening up my wall to auger, is exactly what this plumbing company has been doing from the roof, so why would that solve anything...especially when they are auguring from my side that doesn't have a plumbing problem.
It all makes no sense to me, and just shows the incompetence of this plumbing company and the underhanded business practices that can go on when you are on the Strata Council and have a problem in your suite.
Occasionally I get stoppage in a building that can be a real nightmare. Not all systems are piped the same. You get architects with odd design issues. And also incompetent plumbers who install some none typical drains.
Just scroll through this forum and you will see all kinds of hack jobs going on.
Maybe they are trying their best to solve the problem. Cannot tell from here if the are competent or not.
Just scroll through this forum and you will see all kinds of hack jobs going on.
Maybe they are trying their best to solve the problem. Cannot tell from here if the are competent or not.
I'm not an expert, but I would tell them "NO" on cutting in to your wall and ask for a second opinion. The supposed clog is not affecting you and this issue should not have to become your problem. Also, get the information of the company and find out if they are licensed-- and not just the company, make sure the individual workers are actually licensed.
It may seem to this neighbor that you're being a jerk, but you have the right to not have strangers traipsing through your home and cutting in to your walls. I don't know how a STRATA works, but I would think that if you refused to let them do that, they would not be allowed. Have them exhaust other measures on your neighbor's side of the wall first.
It may seem to this neighbor that you're being a jerk, but you have the right to not have strangers traipsing through your home and cutting in to your walls. I don't know how a STRATA works, but I would think that if you refused to let them do that, they would not be allowed. Have them exhaust other measures on your neighbor's side of the wall first.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 8,578
- Reaction score
- 2,976
with shared plumbing, if he has a blockage like #2 it would not effect you
blockage #1 would effect both of you
blockage #1 would effect both of you
Very good advice. Being on the plumbers side of that, I get that response from people sometimes. I even hope I get a road block tossed up in my face now and then. especially on Friday near the end of the day.
Very good advice. Being on the plumbers side of that, I get that response from people sometimes. I even hope I get a road block tossed up in my face now and then. especially on Friday near the end of the day.
LOL! Getting away from work early, eh?
I would also add that being polite but firm is the way to go. But I do wonder about whether or not the workers for that company are actually licensed.
One of the only two plumbers in my area uses an unlicensed relative to do most of the gruntwork for him, but he usually supervises.
Service Plumbers here do not require any license or certification. Only the company has to have a contractors license. It is the business owner who has the overall responsibility of the work that his employees preform.
If the plumber screws it up, he gets a slap on the wrist, maaaaaaaybe even fired, but the owner of the contractors license is the one who bites the bullet.
If the plumber screws it up, he gets a slap on the wrist, maaaaaaaybe even fired, but the owner of the contractors license is the one who bites the bullet.
