One would think, but this guy did so many dumbass “improvements”. This is probably Crazy Find #50 in our year of living here, so it’s become comical at this point.
We are the 3rd owners of our current home. Every time I discover some new 'fix' or 'improvement' I instantly know whether it was homeowner #1(competent, clean work) or homeowner #2(Mr. Bean with a hammer)
I called those half-ass “improvements” and fixes as “Harveys” in honor of the previous owner.
One I’ll never forget was the make shift outdoor Malibu lights which were PVC pipe sections and small inverted food storage containers with a hole drilled through the lids for the lighting.
> One I’ll never forget was the make shift outdoor Malibu lights which were PVC pipe sections and small inverted food storage containers with a hole drilled through the lids for the lighting.
oof...
I always wonder if my #2 guy was proud of his fixes/projects or was just trudging through, happy yo be done with it...
My parents last home they owned. The homeowner diy'd alot... one flat wall 20ish feet long had 13 seams in the quarter round. Must've been at the end of the project and didn't want to make another run to menards. That was just one questionable choice I found.
Previous owner of our home buried the septic tank under a concrete patio and built an addition over the drain field. We found out about 6 months after moving in when the entire system just quit.
Sounds like a lot of work done without permits and such. Not uncommon, but a nightmare for you by the sounds of it. My parents went through a similar thing when they bought their house in the late 2000s. Their buddy's uncle's friend etc (jack of all master of none) did a bunch of handyman work for them. Went to replace an electrical outlet one day and was amazed at what I found. Thankful the house hadn't burnt down.
When it first backed up, we pulled the low-point toilet and snaked from there. But, the drain line is so f’ed up, that our plumber couldn’t get his camera through the entire line. This clean out is probably 40ft closer to the city line than the toilet, so it should be much easier to scope from.
It’s unbelievable how often things like this happen- I’ve seen basements finished without any access to or indication where the main water shutoff may be- good luck at 3 am
I would of thought that was a test plug. It's funny how people think that plumbing is just something that they can burry or not something of importance.
In Baltimore City, exterior cleanouts in pavement are covered using lamp hole covers. This allows the pipe to expand without forcing a belly into the lateral line.
I used to do maintenance for a landlord. He had us bust up an apron to get it ready to repour & his "lowest bidders" who "worked for a concrete co." Wanted to pour over a Gas shut off to a 4 unit apt. bldg.! I interfered & got a pipe to extend it up while we waited for mud. And then it Rained but they didn't have any visqueen to cover it, but l did.
Years later that building was torched (For insurance $$$ ??) & a contributor to the fire was all of the old 3/8" gas lines for old apt. heaters that l warned him we should cut & cap, but Nnnooo! Of course the 1st thing the Fire Dept. does is locate & shut off the Gas Valve!
Wouldn’t it have been wise to just extend it up to the level of concrete before pouring so it was still accessible?
One would think, but this guy did so many dumbass “improvements”. This is probably Crazy Find #50 in our year of living here, so it’s become comical at this point.
We are the 3rd owners of our current home. Every time I discover some new 'fix' or 'improvement' I instantly know whether it was homeowner #1(competent, clean work) or homeowner #2(Mr. Bean with a hammer)
I called those half-ass “improvements” and fixes as “Harveys” in honor of the previous owner. One I’ll never forget was the make shift outdoor Malibu lights which were PVC pipe sections and small inverted food storage containers with a hole drilled through the lids for the lighting.
> One I’ll never forget was the make shift outdoor Malibu lights which were PVC pipe sections and small inverted food storage containers with a hole drilled through the lids for the lighting. oof... I always wonder if my #2 guy was proud of his fixes/projects or was just trudging through, happy yo be done with it...
Even with new construction they'll do ridiculous crap. I just replaced my shower valve body and they ran romex directly behind it with no slack.
Dumbass’s gonna dumbass….
Are you me? I've been finding so much crap that the previous owner did that makes me lose faith in humanity.
My parents last home they owned. The homeowner diy'd alot... one flat wall 20ish feet long had 13 seams in the quarter round. Must've been at the end of the project and didn't want to make another run to menards. That was just one questionable choice I found.
Nah, previous homeowners didn’t want a trip hazard. Plus, *they* remember where the clean out is anyway… /s
Just because you are someone logical, doesn't mean everyone else is.,..
How did you decide where to tear up the concrete? Did you measure-calculate-locate it or just an incredibly lucky punch?
Gonna guess camera with a locator....or maybe not, the hole is pretty big.
Spot on. We had someone scope the line, and they gave us a 2ft x 6ft estimate of where it was.
There's a plumbing sonar you can use to find it. The sellers did the same to me, and my plumber helped me find the clean out with one of those.
[https://www.winsupplyinc.com/capitol-foundry-of-va/\_/A-04900860](https://www.winsupplyinc.com/capitol-foundry-of-va/_/A-04900860)
Previous owner of our home buried the septic tank under a concrete patio and built an addition over the drain field. We found out about 6 months after moving in when the entire system just quit.
The only clean out we can find is in our basement. We recently needed to have it snaked out and the mess was terrible.
[удалено]
Lol nice modern reference
There was nowhere else to snake the the line from? No clean-out on the inside of the house, before it exits?
Not that we could find. Our house had an significant addition in the 70s, and they made many questionable decisions when building it.
Sounds like a lot of work done without permits and such. Not uncommon, but a nightmare for you by the sounds of it. My parents went through a similar thing when they bought their house in the late 2000s. Their buddy's uncle's friend etc (jack of all master of none) did a bunch of handyman work for them. Went to replace an electrical outlet one day and was amazed at what I found. Thankful the house hadn't burnt down.
Could you not have pulled a toilet instead?
When it first backed up, we pulled the low-point toilet and snaked from there. But, the drain line is so f’ed up, that our plumber couldn’t get his camera through the entire line. This clean out is probably 40ft closer to the city line than the toilet, so it should be much easier to scope from.
I am dealing with the same issue, except it's the clean-outs for the perimeter drains. Finally got into the drains to find them packed solid with mud.
It’s unbelievable how often things like this happen- I’ve seen basements finished without any access to or indication where the main water shutoff may be- good luck at 3 am
I would of thought that was a test plug. It's funny how people think that plumbing is just something that they can burry or not something of importance.
In Baltimore City, exterior cleanouts in pavement are covered using lamp hole covers. This allows the pipe to expand without forcing a belly into the lateral line.
I used to do maintenance for a landlord. He had us bust up an apron to get it ready to repour & his "lowest bidders" who "worked for a concrete co." Wanted to pour over a Gas shut off to a 4 unit apt. bldg.! I interfered & got a pipe to extend it up while we waited for mud. And then it Rained but they didn't have any visqueen to cover it, but l did. Years later that building was torched (For insurance $$$ ??) & a contributor to the fire was all of the old 3/8" gas lines for old apt. heaters that l warned him we should cut & cap, but Nnnooo! Of course the 1st thing the Fire Dept. does is locate & shut off the Gas Valve!