UNIVERSAL

I requested help with what I believed was a block in the main sewer line (water down any drain brought water up from other drains). My novice analysis turned out to be accurate. The worker/owner Ed came with his wife/assistant, he on the roof with the plumbing auger, she in the bathroom were the vent pipe was located, that went from the roof vent down to the main sewage pipe below the floor of the house. While he sent the auger down from the roof, his wife was in the bathroom to observe. After 10 minutes, the blockage in the main sewer line was removed, and the drains worked properly. I went to the roof, and Ed informed me that he broke through the sewage block with his auger successfully. He then asked for a hose to send water down the vent to clear the remnants of the blockage. After doing so, however, he reported that the vent was now blocked, and he believed that when he pulled the auger up, and brought with it some clay that reformed into a new block in the vent above the floor drain toward the roof (above the original main sewage block). He states that I may need to hire a camera inspector for $100 to 200 more, to "find out what is down there". He says another alternative would be for him to return for $100 an hour to do more work to clear block. I paid him, gave him a $20 tip, considered my options. The next day, I shine a flashlight down the vent, see a blockage clearly visible not too far down the pipe. I get a core sample of "sludge" sending down a small diameter copper pipe, hit a blockage REALLY SOLID, measured at 5.5 feet down. I saw no reason to hire a camera inspector, and decided on my own that the best solution would be to cut through the wall in the bathroom (above the toilet). My handyman got at it, cuts pipe, removes plug, about 6 inches of solid sludge, the lower section of which was not wet. It was likely solidified for years. Not formed when he was taking the auger out, after freeing the blockage with the auger (as he had stated to me). I call worker from Universal. He now says that he never broke through the blockage with his auger, though he stated he DID break through with the auger when he did the job two days ago. He now stated as well, that his wife/assistant must of released the sewage block when she filled the bathtub with water, creating some pressure to break through the blockage". He further stated during this phone call that he never got to the sewage blockage (which must have been below the toilet), because he was unable to get through the vent blockage (above the toilet). Below the super stuck SOLID VENT BLOCKAGE (between the roof and the toilet) was another MINOR SEWAGE BLOCKAGE (between the toilet and the sewer), that was released with several toilet flushes, with water in the bathtub to stop the water from the flush from backflushing into the bathtub. The worker has made two contradictory statements, that 1. He broke through the sewer block in the main sewer pipe with his auger, and 2. He never broke through the vent block and never accessed the sewer block far below it. Possibly, he simply did not know what he did or didn’t do, and was not aware that he only sent the Auger down 5.5 feet, and thought he actually removed the sewer blockage by his auger, as he said. Perhaps when I spoke with him a couple days after the job, he realized what had occurred after speaking with his wife/assistant. The other possibility is that he misinformed me to justify the costs of the job that his wife actually took care of by flushing the toilet a couple times with water in the bathtub. If he was unaware of what he did or didn’t do, I would be concerned about his abilities to handle this type of work. If he misinformed me, I would be concerned about his professional integrity. In either case, I cannot recommend him for fixing a sewer line. There may be other types of jobs he is good it, though. I thought that when I agreed to pay him $169 to come to my home, I would get an exceptional and professional service, given that other providers were advertising $69 to come out to remove a blockage in the main sewer line (with an auger). Also, Universal had an “A” rating on Angie’s List. I am hoping that other persons looking for an exceptional service will consider an alternative to Universal.