• Toothless Plan: A plumber was called to address a seemingly routine toilet blockage, only to discover a surprising culprit: a pair of dentures lodged in the pipes. The customer, having had too much to drink the night before, accidentally lost their dentures during a bout of vomiting. Lesson learned: Keep dentures secure, especially near open toilets.
• Decrepit Drains: An elderly couple’s vintage toilet, in place for over sixty years, suddenly malfunctioned, causing a massive flood throughout their home while they were away. Thankfully, insurance covered the damages, allowing for much-needed renovations. Moral: Regular maintenance can prevent catastrophic failures.
• The Root of the Problem: An apartment resident hired an unlicensed plumber to address a sewage backup issue. Inexperienced, the plumber inadvertently worsened the situation by disconnecting the toilet, leading to a sewage flood in the bathroom and living room. Professional assistance was required to restore and sanitize the apartment. Lesson: Always rely on licensed and reputable plumbing services for complex issues.

 

We don’t tend to think about just how miraculous modern plumbing is. Probably because, when it’s working properly, why would we? We would much rather just pull the lever and get on with our day.

But what happens when things go wrong? Unfortunately, plumbers aren’t going to be around when the pipes are flowing smoothly, so you can guarantee that every plumber with a little experience under their belt has encountered some nightmare scenarios. Here are the ones that stand out to us.

A toothless plan

One evening, a plumber was called round for, what appeared to be, a normal toilet stoppage. When the pipes were eventually investigated, a foreign object was identified: a pair of dentures!

As it turns out, the customer had a little too much to drink the night before and, during a spell of vomiting, the dentures escaped into the toilet basin.

Moral of the story: loose dentures near an open toilet is an accident waiting to happen.

Decrepit drains

A senior couple living in an old house had one fixture that had been there for over sixty years: a little pink toilet in the upstairs bathroom. Unfortunately, one afternoon while the couple was away, the toilet packed in.

The tank cracked, sending water spilling onto the floor and into different rooms. 

The couple returned home to find their kitchen completely flooded. There was over an inch of standing water on the lino, the wallpaper had separated from the wall and several appliances throughout the home had shorted out. 

Luckily, the crisis was ultimately resolved because the couples’ insurance covered the damage completely, meaning they were able to give their kitchen a much-needed upgrade.

Moral of the story: pipes require maintenance! Make sure you check up on your fixtures before it’s too late.

The root of the problem

A concerned apartment dweller called up an unlicenced plumbing company after she flushed the toilet and saw raw sewage emerge from the bathtub drain. 

When the inexperienced plumber arrived on the scene, he tried to run an auger through the sewer line to clear the clog. This didn’t work, though, as he’d discovered that a tree root was causing the blockage.

Perhaps without thinking, the inexperienced plumber decided to disconnect the toilet from the floor, causing raw sewage to flood the bathroom and seep into the living room.

After attempting to clean the mess with a vacuum cleaner, eventually, the plumber gave up.

The woman had no choice but to call reputable plumbing and restoration companies in order to fix and sanitise the apartment.

Moral of the story: Never call an unlicensed company – always choose a reputable plumber that you can trust, like the team here at Around the Bend Plumbing.

Around the Bend Plumbing are local plumbers providing precise and efficient plumbing and heating services to customers throughout Hailsham, Hastings, Heathfield, Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne and beyond. Around the Bend Plumbing also offer a comprehensive range of plumbing services including, kitchen plumbing, bathroom plumbing, toilet & sink unblocking, radiator plumbing, plumbing repairs,  fixing burst pipes and leaks & central heating services. We understand that the worst can happen at any time, which is why we offer an emergency plumbing service round the clock, 365 days a year. Get in touch with our team for more information. We’re always happy to help.