winterized toilet

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Just bought a foreclosed house. The plumber couldn't do a pressure test but said all the pipes in the house were broken (even though they were winterized) and wanted to charge me 30000. Which is what I paid for the house. We don't currently have water but I tried flushing the toilet with 2 gallons of water but it didn't go down. Is there a valve might be closed?
 
Not likely to be a valve on the waste side. Why couldn't the plumber do a pressure test? Source side or waste side? Is the house now heated?
 
Said the prv was broken. He said all the pipes were broken. I didn't see any broken pipes upon visual inspection. The waste side. Should I put more water in it?
 
If the water "doesn't go down", there's a clog very close to the toilet, perhaps in the toilet itself. Pull the toilet and have a look. If that's OK, I'd hire a plumber with a camera to have a peek down the toilet(s) all the way to the sewer (or septic?) (which?). Does water "go down" other fixtures? Do you have a diagram of the plumbing systems, or a basement where you can see it all exposed?

Foreclosed houses have lots of risks. If the foreclosee was really upset, he could've flushed a bunch of diapers and a bag of quick-setting cement down the toilets. "All the pipes are frozen" sure isn't a good sign, especially if they were truly winterized. Have you tried turning on the water and seeing where all the leaks were from all the broken pipes? If so, you might have recourse against whoever winterized the house. But if in fact it's as bad as it looks, re-plumbing the entire house, supply- and waste- side, with all the demolition and reconstruction required, could well run into very big bucks.
 
The water goes down the kitchen sink with no leaks. We have not turned the water on because of the prv.

The bowl isn't over flowing it's about where the water level should be in a toilet.
 
The water goes down the kitchen sink with no leaks. We have not turned the water on because of the prv.
The bowl isn't over flowing it's about where the water level should be in a toilet.
The PRV wasn't replaced? If the water level is "about where it should be", what's the problem?
 
No, the plumber said he had another service call said he'd be back and then never came back.

The problem is I poured four gallons of water in and it's still not going down
 
If you poured 4 gallons in it, it's either going down or overflowing the bowl. You said earlier the water level was "about where it should be". Which is it? The best way to test the whole fixture is to pour enough water into the tank to fill it, and then use the flush handle to start a normal flush. Normal behavior would be -- water from the tank comes in fairly quickly to start the siphon, the bowl empties, then (if connected to the water supply) refills to the normal level.
 
I assume this "plumber" didn't give you a detailed estimate, just a shot from his hip hoping you would bite. If the plumber says "all the pipes are busted" and you can see intact pipes flush him, the last thing you need is a plumber given to hyperbole! Your problems and your time frame are probably beyond what you can solve in this forum. Go to Home Advisor or Angie's list and find a reliable plumber to asses the situation, give you a detailed estimate of the work that needs to be done and develop prioritized plan of action starting with the toilet.
 
first thing first
replace the prv, get water flowing
and fix leaks as you find them
after you get water flowing,
then start figuring out what is stopped up
pull the toilet and dump a bucket of water in the hole in the floor
if the water drains, the toilet is plugged up internally

if you have to lock the house up with out heat, pour a cup full of antifreeze in each sink
tub, toilet, and washer stand pipe, this will stop the traps from freezing up

drain the water lines,
 
The plumber couldn't do a pressure test but said all the pipes in the house were broken.:eek::rolleyes:

It sounds like, due to the extent, or possible extent, of the problems, it will take a fair amount of time and effort for a plumber to evaluate. Time is money.

Assuming the original poster(OP) can't do any actual plumbing work, like replace the PRV and evaluate integrity of the water piping, it may be best to get someone to do that portion of the work first. Basically what frodo advised in post #12. Fortunately the house is now heated.
 
Better than testing by turning on the water, use compressed air. I have a rig with an air fitting, pressure gauge, and 3/8" riser fitting that I connect to any riser stop, pump it up to a reasonable test pressure, and let it sit for a few hours. If the pressure holds, the system is good for that pressure. You do have to keep in mind the connections between hot and cold (e.g., mixer faucets, water heater, etc.) so you know what you're testing. For new work, I usually let it sit at 80-100 psi overnight. Then if there is a bad leak, at least you won't get wet.
 
Did the plumber explain why the PRV is broken? Is it exterior mechanical damage or an internal failure? Did he dismantle the valve for this diagnosis? If the valve exterior is intact, the water isn't turned on, an air pressure test wasn't done and the valve wasn't dismantled it's difficult to diagnose a defective PRV. This is all the more reason to get a second opinion from a highly recommended plumber.
 
Did the plumber explain why the PRV is broken? Is it exterior mechanical damage or an internal failure? Did he dismantle the valve for this diagnosis? If the valve exterior is intact, the water isn't turned on, an air pressure test wasn't done and the valve wasn't dismantled it's difficult to diagnose a defective PRV. This is all the more reason to get a second opinion from a highly recommended plumber.

PRV is very thick brass, I doubt very seriously it is busted.
It sounds to me like a plumber was trying to bend him over
30k ??? jesus man, for that I will fly to his house on TWA and fix the pipes
scaredmouse.gif
 
"PRV is very thick brass, I doubt very seriously it is busted." -exactly! I've seen a fork lift back into one on a factory floor, making a mess of it and the vicinity but other than that the chances of exterior damage are pretty slim.
 
Must assume "broken" means not working.
Is there a pressure gauge already there to verify it, may be the question ask.
 

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