Can anyone recommend a plumber?

Discussion in 'Horn Depot' started by WhoooTex, Jan 14, 2007.

  1. WhoooTex

    WhoooTex 100+ Posts

    I'm in the NW Austin area (McNeil/183). I own a "connected townhome", which, use your imagination, is basically an apartment with a mortgage. Just noticed this a week ago and have been putting it off-- I have an obvious leak in the plumbing in the ceiling between the first and second floors. The ceiling plaster's begun peeling and today (just now) is the 2nd time I've actually seen the water leaking from the ceiling. Both times are immediately after the master bathroom's shower's been used.

    I've checked all of the external, visible places that could be causing it and can see nothing, so I'm gonna need a pro to basically... sigh... tear open my ceiling or floor and look around. Can anyone recommend a plumber? Thanks in advance.
     
  2. NCAAFBALLROX

    NCAAFBALLROX 1,000+ Posts

    http:://austin.craigslist.org/sks - make 100% you don't get someone who isn't listing their "M" license (Mechanical).
    This is one area you don't want a fly by night, but a good CL plumber will cost you less than someone with a big phat yellow pages ad.

    In my Oak Hill neighborhood there's a nice guy who operates under "The British Are Plumbing" ... Union Jack Plumbing.

    If you do call him, tell him you got his info from Mark the roofer who l ives in his neighborhood (Ranch Hand Roofing).

    (512) 288-0749

    If you need someone to put your sheetrock & paint / texture back up, let me know. I have people. If it's possibly the roof, let me know. I AM
    people...

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
  3. AstroVol

    AstroVol 500+ Posts

    Whooo, I know we've had our arguments over the years, but let me give you some sound advice.

    I had the IDENTICAL problem in my 2 story home in SW Austin. I cut the wet ceiling sheetrock out to look around, only to be unable to find the cause of the leak. So then I cut out the drywall behind the access wall (the wall behind the shower), so I could see the piping. Again, no clues.

    Long story short, the leaking stopped when I spent an hour and a half removing as much caulk as I could from inside the shower and re-caulking it. After you remove as much existing caulk as you can (especially around the floor, where more water is hitting it), put a fine bead of caulk at every seam/joint and mash the caulk in the seam/joint with your finger, and let it dry for 24 hours. Considering how cheap the materials are for that project, you might try it before you spend money on a plumber.
     
  4. brntorng

    brntorng 2,500+ Posts

    Have to agree with the Union Jack Plumbing recommendation. He's a great guy and will give you the straight story. On one job I asked him to quote he recommended another firm that he said was the best and lowest cost for the job. He was right.

    I had a similar leak and it turned out to be the shower pan. Required a plumber to fix the drain installation which was wrong, a tile guy to remove and replace the tile, and another guy to put in a first class fiberglass pan. Wasn't cheap. Good luck.

    BTW, they tested the shower pan by plugging the drain and filling the shower pan full of water. Without the water running in the shower we could still see water on the ceiling below the shower. Bingo. Leaky pan.
     
  5. the "m" i think, stands for master not mechanical, as in master plumber license. it's required by the state for the reason that you can report the license # to the state if the contractor performs inadequately, illegally, rips you off, etc...
     
  6. plumborange

    plumborange < 25 Posts

    Whootex, you can go to a plumbing supply house (I recommend Moore Supply, Shoal Creek N of Steck, or south on Industrial Blvd), get a 2" test ball with extension hose. Remove the strainer in the shower and push the test ball down the shower drain at least 6" or so, then inflate it using a bicycle pump. Fill up the shower with about 3-4 inches of water and measure/mark the water level. If the water lavel goes down and you see a leak in the usual place, its probably the pan. If the water level doesn't drop, and no leak appears, then your leak is probably in the downstream piping. Its most likely in the pan itself, but this will narrow it down a little

    As for the actual work, the work can be very involved, as said above (involving multiple trades, etc)

    Good luck
     
  7. WhoooTex

    WhoooTex 100+ Posts

    Guys, thanks for all the responses. Appreciate the help. I'll probably try that test out if Austin ever thaws out and I can make it to a hardware store. Doubt I'll do the repair work myself, I'm the type who's better off letting the pros do it.

    Oh and AstroVol, I think you might have me mixed up w/another poster. No one every disagrees with me because I'm always right, so you're thinking of someone else.
     
  8. Durkee

    Durkee 500+ Posts

    If you decide you need a plumber, I recommend Al Teinert Plumbing. They always did me right as far as service and reasonable price.
     

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