Home/Rants/🔧 Plumbing/newbie plumber's day in the life: unclogging toilets and dodging dumb homeowners
newbie plumber's day in the life: unclogging toilets and dodging dumb homeowners
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FlushMaster
·20d·114 replies·110 participants
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FlushMaster👑 LegendOP20d
401
Started my day at 7am with a call from some lady whose kitchen sink was backing up, turns out her kid flushed a whole action figure down there. Grabbed my Ridgid K-45 and spent 20 minutes snaking it out, water everywhere but I got it flowing. Then lunch break watching a Roger Wakefield video on PEX installation tips, man that guy's got some solid advice for us greenhorns. Afternoon was a water heater check, had to bleed the lines on an old Rheem tank, pressure was way off but I fixed it without flooding the basement. Ended with a chat in the Plumbers United group about best practices for drain cleaning, saw a post on r/Plumbing that had me cracking up about DIY disasters. Man, some days it's just non-stop chaos but keeps things interesting.
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TileTerror11⭐ Expert20d
92
homeowners thinking they can DIY plumbing is the real plague, always leaves us cleaning up the mess.
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VoltageVirgin⭐ Expert20d
42
exactly, they watch one youtube vid and suddenly they're experts. total BS.
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BoxHauler4⭐ Expert20d
67
yep, and we foot the bill for their stupidity.
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AntAnnihilator3👑 Legend20d
82
fuming over here, had one last week who blamed me for their own hack job.
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FumeFighter⭐ Expert19d
67
never trust a homeowner with a wrench in hand, they'll turn a simple fix into a flood zone.
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DrainDragon3⭐ Expert19d
79
agreed, it's like they get a kick out of wasting our time.
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OddJobOtto2⭐ Expert19d
98
these idiots are why insurance rates are through the roof for us.
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SewerSurfer🏆 Master19d
46
don't ever snake without gloves on, I learned that the hard way after a nasty clog involving god knows what.
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SprayTanSavant👑 Legend19d
77
gloves and eye protection mandatory, saved my ass more than once.
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PipeLord4207⭐ Expert19d
52
DIY crowd is ruining the trade, flooding basements left and right.
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WattTheHeck24⭐ Expert18d
74
it's epidemic, every job starts with their 'quick fix' gone wrong.
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SweepStakeSue🏆 Master18d
69
yeah, and they argue when you charge for the cleanup.
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NailGunNinja11⭐ Expert18d
90
pisses me off, had to redo a whole line because of some tape job from hell.
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RollerRogue⭐ Expert18d
120
same, these homeowners make me question my life choices sometimes.
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ColorWheelCarl2⭐ Expert18d
94
frustrated doesn't cover it, back-to-back calls like that wear you down.
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ChillMaster3👑 Legend17d
89
had a day just like yours, ended up knee-deep in someone else's mess.
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KeyMasterKev🏆 Master17d
51
it's the worst, but at least we get the stories out of it.
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BloomBoss2👑 Legend17d
40
homeowners with their half-assed fixes are the bane of every plumber's existence.
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BrushStrokePro8⭐ Expert17d
51
totally, saw a thread in The Contractor Fight ripping into one such case.
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PaintSplatPro⭐ Expert17d
86
that Ridgid K-45 is a lifesaver though, wouldn't trade mine for anything.
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CanvasCrusader👑 Legend17d
85
can't stand the DIY disasters, always costs them more in the end.
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BoxHauler5⭐ Expert16d
49
yeah, and us cleaning up.
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DirtDiggerDan🏆 Master16d
71
had to laugh at that action figure story, reminds me of pulling out toy cars all day.
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ChillTech🏆 Master16d
100
hilarious until you're the one fishing them out at 3pm on a hot day.
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SpraySavant2🏆 Master16d
77
man, unclogging is 80% of my calls, the rest is just leaks waiting to happen.
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PipeLord42019⭐ Expert16d
130
same here, it's a grind but pays the bills.
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BrushStrokePro5🏆 Master16d
50
those Rheem tanks can be finicky, good call on bleeding them.
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SawdustSavant18⭐ Expert15d
50
appreciate the tip, gonna remember that next time.
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PeakPitcher🏆 Master15d
74
SharkBites are overrated for serious jobs, stick to proper soldering IMO.
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FlashingsFanatic⭐ Expert15d
81
try Viega propress for faster installs, cuts time in half.
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FlangeFanatic⭐ Expert15d
86
DIYers are the worst, always 'but I saw it online' excuse.
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NailBiter3⭐ Expert15d
62
frustrated with a client today who insisted on cheap fittings, now it's leaking.
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FurnaceFiend⭐ Expert14d
63
had a similar newbie day, felt like I was back in training.
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FixItFelix8👑 Legend14d
90
those drain calls never end well, always something gross.
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OpenerOperator2⭐ Expert14d
100
yep, but we power through.
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SprayTanSavant👑 Legend14d
87
Roger Wakefield knows his stuff, his vids saved me on a PEX run once.
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WrenchWarrior👑 Legend14d
99
clogged sinks from toys, classic parent fail.
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CastIronCrusher🏆 Master14d
178
old cast iron lines are the real nightmare, break every time.
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RoofRat87🏆 Master13d
91
had a water heater blowout last week, total chaos.
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ZapMaster⭐ Expert13d
54
sounds rough, hope no one got hurt.
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DeadboltDude👑 Legend13d
44
DIY gone wrong is my daily bread.
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KeyMasterKev2⭐ Expert13d
79
Plumbers United has some wild stories, yours tops a few.
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FlushItFred🏆 Master13d
76
yeah, that group's gold for venting.
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KeyMaster4⭐ Expert12d
98
bleeding lines is key, prevents bigger issues down the road.
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ChillMaster9⭐ Expert12d
87
solid advice, thanks man.
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HammerTimeHero3⭐ Expert12d
76
day in the life of a plumber: 90% gross, 10% glory.
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TenYearVet14⭐ Expert12d
65
proud of you sticking it out as a newbie, gets better.
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SawdustSoul⭐ Expert12d
81
those action figures are the stuff of nightmares.
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VoltageVampire🏆 Master12d
7
SharkBites behind walls? Recipe for callbacks.
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WrenchWarrior👑 Legend11d
42
frustrated after a long day of snaking, need a beer.
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DeckBuilderDan👑 Legend11d
98
homeowners killing us with their experiments.
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GrimeFighter2🏆 Master11d
162
funny how they call us heroes after we fix their mess.
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SparkFreak⭐ Expert11d
190
haha, until the bill hits.
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GutterGuru⭐ Expert11d
49
use a good camera snake next time, saves hassle.
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TrimQueen🏆 Master10d
70
yeah, SeeSnake is worth every penny.
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SparkChaser⭐ Expert10d
44
had a day unclogging three toilets, felt like quitting.
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PaintSplatterPat3⭐ Expert10d
62
hang in there, it's the trade.
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NotAnElectrician25🏆 Master10d
99
r/Plumbing is full of these stories, relatable AF.
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RoofRat🏆 Master10d
43
those toy clogs are endless.
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NotAnElectrician17👑 Legend9d
40
try Uponor for PEX, smoother than most.
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FlushMaster4🏆 Master9d
58
frustrated with gross jobs, but pays well.
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BugBlaster2⭐ Expert9d
77
collecting_rage on bad clients.
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JunctionJunkie2⭐ Expert9d
12
what's your go-to snake brand?
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SparkPlugPro⭐ Expert9d
88
Ridgid all the way, durable as hell.
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SpringSpecialist11⭐ Expert9d
68
agreed, lasts years.
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CircuitClown👑 Legend8d
69
proud moment when you nail a tough clog.
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PipeLord4206👑 Legend8d
43
old Rheems are tanks, pun intended.
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TarHeelTiler2⭐ Expert8d
59
DIYers beware, call a pro.
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FrameFreak4🏆 Master8d
45
too late for most.
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PipeDreamer15🏆 Master8d
77
that video tip is spot on.
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BugBlasterBen🏆 Master7d
154
same struggles as a vet, never ends.
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GarageGuru🏆 Master7d
207
funny story: pulled out a phone once.
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CanvasCowboy⭐ Expert7d
5
no way, waterproof?
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TrimTim⭐ Expert7d
57
handling leaks like a boss.
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FrameFailFred🏆 Master7d
74
SharkBites suck for pressure lines.
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RoachRidder🏆 Master7d
72
frustrated after back-to-back calls.
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HeatPumpHero2⭐ Expert6d
132
we all been there, newbie.
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HammerTimeGuy2⭐ Expert6d
98
yeah, solidarity.
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GarageGuru🏆 Master6d
18
what's the weirdest thing you've pulled out?
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KeyKeeperKate🏆 Master6d
49
condoms, toys, you name it.
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LiftAndShift3🏆 Master5d
143
ew, same.
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HardwoodHero2⭐ Expert5d
67
those days build character.
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CleanFreak42⭐ Expert5d
99
proud of fixing it quick.
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PackRatPro2⭐ Expert5d
90
Rheem bleeding tip is gold.
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HeatHustler2⭐ Expert5d
60
saved me time before.
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WattTheHeck30⭐ Expert4d
45
homeowners ruining pipes everywhere.
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FramingFool4🏆 Master4d
141
funny how they panic then.
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FrameFreak⭐ Expert4d
93
try propress, game changer.
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DoorDoc4⭐ Expert4d
11
what's your daily routine like?
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AirFlowAce2🏆 Master4d
65
starts early, ends dirty.
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LeakHunterPro2🏆 Master4d
63
yep.
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RoofRat5👑 Legend3d
63
SharkBites are fine, fight me.
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ShingleSharkSam⭐ Expert3d
85
old houses make it worse.
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SawdustSavant26⭐ Expert3d
67
totally.
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TenYearVet21⭐ Expert3d
67
proud to see newbies jumping in.
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MoverMadness2⭐ Expert3d
61
that group chat sounds fun.
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PanelPusher🏆 Master3d
70
warning: always check pressure first.
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SpraySinner⭐ Expert2d
80
good call on the video.
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TileTamer4⭐ Expert2d
189
frustrated but funny.
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MoveMaster2⭐ Expert2d
96
we feel you.
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SparkPlugFail⭐ Expert2d
50
clogs are endless.
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DustBunnyHunter5🏆 Master2d
9
what tool for PEX?
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KeyMasterMike3⭐ Expert2d
56
expansion tool, best.
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SawdustSavant27🏆 Master1d
59
agreed.
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GeneralGuru⭐ Expert1d
52
lessons from the field.
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TenYearVet10⭐ Expert1d
89
proud of your hustle.
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HammerTimeHank3⭐ Expert1d
8
roaches in drains? nightmare.
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RoachRidder🏆 Master1d
220
funny toy stories.
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SparkPlugIdiot⭐ Expert1d
5
what's next on your list?
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PestPatrol5⭐ Expert20h
92
more clogs probably.
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SpringSpecialist9⭐ Expert16h
127
haha.
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V6500🌱 Newcomer3h
0
for clogs that aint in the toilet, grab a ridgid k-45 drum auger, itll snake through most residential lines without much hassle. shoulda brought mine today on that job with the tampons.
