MAURICE LAMOTHE SEWER-ROOTER

About 10 years ago we had a block in the main soil pipe between our house and the street. I called Roto-Rooter, the people with the famous jingle. They came the next day and for about $350.00 cleared the block using a power snake. Very pleasant and competent man doing the job. Well worth the money. All was well for about 4 years and we had another block. Another call, another visit, another 300 + (with 10% discount for repeat customer) and an equally competent operator from RR. Then this winter we had our 3rd block. Called RR, they came asap and power snaked the line, a removing a string of tree roots. Very reasonable and pleasant techs who shrugged off the snow & cold they worked in. The senior guy told us we qualified for a free video inspection of our line and left a number to call to arrange it. Given our experience with 3 years between blocks, we decided to wait for warmer weather for the video guy to work in. But two weeks later we had another block, another visit asap, another serious and courteous tech, another power snake of 60 something feet, and no charge as their warranty covered the work. The tech assured us that he had called the RR video guy who covered the region and that we would be called to arrange a free video scan of our pipe. Fine with us, but nothing happened on the video deal. Two weeks later we have another block, another call, and another (slightly more aggressive power snaking of the line) followed by the promised video scan of our line. The camera showed a couple of invasive clumps of roots that had been cut through by the power snake and then, alas, a pool of water that signified that the line from our house terminated in a 110 year old ?whole house trap? that (obviously) prevented any kind on snake from further clearing the line toward the street sewer system. As the guy said, good news (we know the problem), bad news (our warranty stops here). No problem with the diagnosis as they had been paid to power snake as far as that which a snake could travel. Also, they had cleared the original block and 3 subsequent blocks but only charged us for the first. So I asked if they could get rid of the offending trap. He came back with a bid of $ 6,800 to dig up the offending trap and replace it with a direct line to the street. I asked what it might cost to replace the 30 or so feet of 110 year weed infested old sewer pipe between the edge of our house and the beginning of the offending trap and he said (unofficially) something like $ 2, 500 though a bit cheaper if we chose the re-line the 30 feet of pipe with a new-fangled bladder system. I had been hearing for years that Maurice (Don) Lemothe of Fall River was the resident expert on old house drains. I left a message at his number and he called back in 5 minutes and we talked for maybe 15 minutes . He was very helpful and informative but unfortunately is not equipped for removing whole house drains. He suggested I call a couple of local -rooter alternatives for a second opinion. I asked if I couldn?t pay him a consultant fee but he politely declined ?I will be paid when your problem has been solved?. I called Speedy-Rooter in New Bedford and got a return call in five minutes. Since there was no blockage, I asked him if he could stop by and look over the job. A couple of days later he calls and shows up around noon and spends maybe 20 minutes going over the situation. He agreed that the whole house trap should be removed, could have sent a video camera through the line (for a lot less than RR) but also was not equipped to remove/replace such pipes and/or drains. But he offered to call someone who was. He pulls out his cell phone, makes a call, and 10 minutes later Michel Khoury of Khoury Excavating arrives and we talk over the job. Khoury promises to call or email with a bid that evening. I offered to pay the Speedy-Rooter guy (Garry, I think) for his time and expertise but he wouldn?t hear of it. I had the quote from Khoury that evening. I replied with a couple of clarifications, he clarified, and I agreed to his price in a simple e-mail. Five days later they started the job. The line was replaced in less than a day, the concrete walk was restored a week later (much better than original) and the crew from Khoury came by a day later to take away the left over debris. Not the neatest gang by any means but they had to do all their digging in very tight quarters around a house with very little yard space and which sits up on a bank five or so feet higher than the street. And as I said, for about 1/3 of the quote from the jingle people.