DIY vs Pro replies in this Sub

[BlueLoo]

No. Nothing goes anywhere but towards the magnet, or towards a vac. Some of the advanced techniques are not taught in plumbing schools.

Rodding piping is as old as piping itself (Roman?)

 

[DiyNutJob]

Rodding piping is as old as piping itself (Roman?)

But did they have vacs? The slave powered ones probably sucks.

 

[BlueLoo]

But did they have vacs? The slave powered ones probably sucks.

Most certainly:

https://100falcons.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/a-roman-pump-in-perfect-condition/amp/

 

[denso13]

Nothing goes anywhere but towards the magnet, or towards a vac

Good grief, I've bought a bag of assorted sticks and now I need a magnet and a vac as well! You're having a laugh.

 

[Madrab]

Yeehah ... here we go again ..... wonder how many pages this'll get up to

 

[DP]

Yeehah ... here we go again ..... wonder how many pages this'll get up to

Rab, mods have warned the posters their unhelpful or belligerent posts will be removed so number of pages might not need shoes removed to count the pages

 

[Madrab]

I'm crossing everything @DP

 

[FiremanT]

Picking out an arbitrary instance and claim it as universal is pure rip off. Things should be done according to evidence. You do not cut out a pipe when there is no evidence. Poking a stick on the other hand is to provide evidence from the resistance met. As I said, skills from so called pro's are lacking.

I have not read the other 6 pages, after the first as I have neither the time nor inclination, so apologies if I am repeating others:
As a professional, experience plays a large part. Poking a stick may sound like an effective means of gathering evidence, but os time consuming, and often a magnet will be more effective. The problem with long handed evidence gathering is that TIME IS MONEY, and the customer pays. More often than not, we can deduce where the problem lies, simply because we have seen most of it before

 

[ianmcd]

You can get the extras if you want. If I am doing it, all I need is a stick. I am only recommending the extras for beginners in case they get scared.

Have yet to see a post from you that was helpfull

 

[Madrab]

I would save your breath @FiremanT, it honestly isn't worth the effort.

 

[DiyNutJob]

I have not read the other 6 pages, after the first as I have neither the time nor inclination, so apologies if I am repeating others:
As a professional, experience plays a large part. Poking a stick may sound like an effective means of gathering evidence, but os time consuming, and often a magnet will be more effective. The problem with long handed evidence gathering is that TIME IS MONEY, and the customer pays. More often than not, we can deduce where the problem lies, simply because we have seen most of it before

From a professional DIYer's perspective, time isn't money. Rather than wasting time watching TV or chatting on the internet, we could do a little stick poking. A magnet would be ineffective if the blockage is water scale, or a piece of wood or plastic left in by the original house builder. Poking a stick has multiple benefits: 1) allows pin pointing of the obstruction; 2) allows determining of the size of the obstruction; 3) allows determining the strength of the obstruction; 4) allows dislodging of the obstruction. In fact, there may not be an obstruction at all and the problem lies elsewhere. In this case a plumber would say, tough luck, I have to now charge for additional work after the useless pipe cutting work.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Big part of the problem is now, we have too many armchair experts, who've spent too long reading posts on Forums, Social Media etc, who then think they've enough knowledge gleaned from their reading, to be able to advise others.

Times I've read advice to 'Check the pressure/top pressure up' when a Boiler isn't working, when no-one, (including the OP), has the foggiest if the system is Sealed or Open Vented.... Even seen this advice when the issue was clearly a frozen condensate drain.

Good example, only yesterday was I arguing with a Drainage 'expert', who was telling someone with a Blocked Ground Floor WC and Overflowing manhole in the Garden, how to make a makeshift plunger, and if that didn't work, they would recommend using 'One Shot'. The when it was pointed out the external drain was clearly blocked, not the WC Pan, he then proceeded to tell the OP the Water Company would sort it for free as it was outside so therefore the Water Co's issue.....

 

[BlueLoo]

From a professional DIYer's perspective, time isn't money. Rather than wasting time watching TV or chatting on the internet, we could do a little stick poking. A magnet would be ineffective if the blockage is water scale, or a piece of wood or plastic left in by the original house builder. Poking a stick has multiple benefits: 1) allows pin pointing of the obstruction; 2) allows determining of the size of the obstruction; 3) allows determining the strength of the obstruction; 4) allows dislodging of the obstruction. In fact, there may not be an obstruction at all and the problem lies elsewhere. In this case a plumber would say, tough luck, I have to now charge for additional work after the useless pipe cutting work.

Judging by the tone deaf responses from pros in this thread, the OPs original plumber was bang to form.

Walk in, make a flash judgement with consideration of nothing else, do something expensive and in complete ignorance of the actual problem, charge a bucket of money for the privilege and advise some absolute ****** if the customer dare have a follow up.

I can't see where a holistic, DIY approach to the problem (ie fix the cause, not just one symptom) wouldn't have been a million times better and far cheaper.
I think the problem-only solutions offered by the pros are a bit, well, poor tbh. I'd expect much better.

Perhaps we expect too much.

 

[FiremanT]

From a professional DIYer's perspective, time isn't money. Rather than wasting time watching TV or chatting on the internet, we could do a little stick poking. A magnet would be ineffective if the blockage is water scale, or a piece of wood or plastic left in by the original house builder. Poking a stick has multiple benefits: 1) allows pin pointing of the obstruction; 2) allows determining of the size of the obstruction; 3) allows determining the strength of the obstruction; 4) allows dislodging of the obstruction. In fact, there may not be an obstruction at all and the problem lies elsewhere. In this case a plumber would say, tough luck, I have to now charge for additional work after the useless pipe cutting work.

You are off your head, mate, and clearly either deluded or on a wind up. Your infantile observations above hold no merit, as a few moments of analysis would reveal.

I was not referring to DIYers time, but to your idiotic suggestion that a pro should resort to stick pushing rather than utilise their years of experience.

And, pray, how does one get the stick in without cutting the pipe? And how does a DIYer determine what pipe to cut to insert the said stick?

How long and flexible is YOUR stick?

 

[FiremanT]

From a professional DIYer's perspective, time isn't money.

WTF is a “professional DIYer”?