Waiting for the plumber &$@#

**marym** · 09-11-2006, 12:50 PM

When it rains it pours! Yesterday I went down the basement to do some laundry. The floor was soaked

DH came down and found 3 leaks, 2 in the main drain pipe and 1 in the water softener. We were able to fix the water softener ourselves, It just needed a new O ring. That cost 3.99. I like that kind of repair bill. I have no idea what the plumber is going to charge me to fix the other leaks. I know I am going to need several ft of copper piping.
The only good thing I can think about all this is that the leaks came all at once so I won't have to call him twice. My house is 36 yrs old and has always had a water softener, we have extremely hard well water so its a must have.
The softener backwashes itself everyother day. I guess all those years of salt water going through the pipe did it in.

**marym** · 09-11-2006, 01:50 PM

The estimate came in at 450-600.

I called another company for another estimate to see if they are close in price.

**cheappearls** · 09-11-2006, 02:01 PM

Wow!

That's a big bummer. I hope you can get it fixed for cheaper.

**lottaLove** · 09-11-2006, 04:59 PM

My BIL is an apprentice plumber, and so if he gets subcontracted, he charges less than if the company he works for contracts him out. Maybe they do this where you live also?

**miss_thrifty** · 09-11-2006, 05:25 PM

thats quite a bit mula!!! fairly exspesive. hope they give it too u cheaper after they access it.

**guest32** · 09-11-2006, 05:48 PM

My question is: What is the problem...what are they saying needs to be fixed? What exactly does that repair involve for 450-600???? Is it the parts or the labor that is making that estimate so high?

**pkellyc** · 09-11-2006, 08:34 PM

My plumbing and heating company charges $80 an hour. A couple of years ago I paid $300 for them to put in a new toilet.

**kabin63** · 09-11-2006, 09:19 PM

There is a putty like substance that you can put on pipes to stop a leak, if your pipe is steal, called JB weld. It's pretty good stuff if the holes aren't too big and a lot cheaper than a plumber.

**kabin63** · 09-11-2006, 09:24 PM

My husband said it would proabably work on the copper piping as well. He has used this stuff in many ways and had it last for years. Might be worth checking into it. You can get it at the hardware store or lumber yard.

**Goodwin17** · 09-11-2006, 09:59 PM

I hope you are able to get it fixed for cheaper than that! That's a lot of money. Hopefully you'll find someone with a cheaper estimate, or can use the JB Weld.

**Darlene** · 09-12-2006, 07:26 AM

Ouch. Just had a bunch of plumbing work done here, I feel your pain.

**banana** · 09-12-2006, 08:10 AM

I hope you can get it done for much cheaper.

**MarshHen** · 09-12-2006, 09:20 AM

LOL, I cringe when I hear someone say "Plumber"!

Hope everything works out.

(((Hugs)))

**frugalnana** · 09-12-2006, 11:31 AM

Last Wednesday had a problem almost like that we came through the garage and noticed water all over the floor and found the leak above us. My dh looked at everything, first he thought it was the pipe connecting the toilet to the main pipe and replaced it and it still leaked, finally figured it out, it was the seal on the inside of the toilet. About $12 to replace everything. So I do feel for you. I wouldn't want to pay what you will. Hopefully you can find someone cheaper. We have a vocational school year and sometimes the second year students will come and fix the problem for a fraction of the cost. So if you have one you might call and ask them if they let the students do it for training purposes.