plumbers?

[swynx]

The girl friend and I moved into a new apartment cuz its closer to the college. Where I attend school. We've been here for a few weeks. Its a basement apartment and whenever the people upstairs do laundry or dishes it backs up into our bathtub.

At first draino worked. Then I used a snake got nothin out. I've even tryed blowing it out with a thingy u hook to a hose and stick in the drain it then builds pressure and blows. None of this works ne more but oddly the tub still backs up.

It drains so slow it takes over 24 hours to drain from half full...

The landlord refuses to have it repaired. We signed a one year lease and I'm at wits end is there anything legal I can pursue or anything any one suggests short of calling roto rooter and paying out of pocket?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm not a plumber but I would take a look at the vent line.... if it even has one. If the home owner did his own work it may not be to code, and it sounds like it's not.
Edit; Documenting your problem, including video, would help if you go to court. Check if you have landlord-tenant act or laws.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[swynx]

Well I was told the place was built in the early 1900s. And the landlord has many apartments so he has a manager of which lives upstairs. And she has a friend do all of the work on these places. Lets just say this guy measures once and cuts till he gets it right. He put silicone on some window cracks... if I had access to the tubs plumbing I would tear it apart.

I wonder if I can send a roto rooter bill to the landlord?

 

[Andy D]

get the board of health involved

 

[88_Eddie]

take some sort of legal action, that's BS. video record her saying that she wont have it repaired, document the problem a bunch and then move out. that way you'll have a good case if she tries to take you to court for breaking the lease. she sounds like a bitch.

 

[bmxnick7]

I would absolutely stop paying rent till the problem is fixed. Sounds to me like the vent pipe is wrong or the drain from up stairs is tied in to close to yours. No we're im the lease it says tub might fill up with other peoples waste. Once you stop paying rent im sure it will get fixxed asap

 

[straycat]

get the board of health involved

^^^what he said, and call your local news station and complain to them. That landlord will be up the creak in a hurry after the media gets on to him.....I smell lawsuit money for you guys!!!!! Go for it.

 

[kevinsranger]

i had a problem like that with my old apartment, i complained for about 2-3 months, finally sent 1/2 rent with a letter stating the other half will be paid once my problems were fixed, next day, maintenance guy was there and fixed every issue possible

 

[RatDog8o8]

Sounds more like there's a clog a bit further "downstream", between the basement outlet and where house drain dumps into the street.

A few questions....
How long of a snake did you use?
Where did you run the snake into the drain system?
How far is it to the street from the house?
Is there a tree near where the drain-line runs?
Does the tub drain out at the same slow rate when you use it?

I've had a similar experience with the drain system in our house, and it had nothing to do with the vent-line. It was a root-ball that had formed in the drain-line, and my snake wouldn't take care of it. I have a 50-ft one, which is plenty long to reach the street from the access (called a "cleanout) in the basement. Finally had to get Roto-Rooter out and have them first do the camera thing, then the power-jet clean.

Legal action may be the only final resolution, but have you tried asking the landlord about splitting the costs? Talk to the board of health. See if there's a part of the city government that regulates rental issues. Exactly what does it say in the lease, if anything at all?

 

[swynx]

The snake was maybe 20-25 feet. Not near long enough to reach the street. I sent the snake down the tub drain. There are no trees near the house. The street is probably 50 feet from the tub. And I took a 15 minute shower then the tub filled half way and slowly drained over the next 24 hours untill they did laundry tgen it dilled back up and I wait for 24 hours hoping I can shower. The lower rhe water level gets the slower it drains. I called a lawyers office who deals with this sort of thing and they said they could moat defintaly build a case

 

[Sunk]

Take a plunger to the shower drain next time there are a couple inches in the tub. If that doesn't work call the landlord every time it happens.

 

[robertc1024]

I think the drain prob is something like what RatDog said. I've got a low spot in my main sewer line. Every few years I've got to clean it out. I know it because our downstairs bathtub starts filling up - just like you have. I just go to the rental place and get a loooong powered snake and run it through the cleanout until I get to the clog. It ain't no fun, but it's better than paying a plumber $300+

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I think the drain prob is something like what RatDog said. I've got a low spot in my main sewer line. Every few years I've got to clean it out. I know it because our downstairs bathtub starts filling up - just like you have. I just go to the rental place and get a loooong powered snake and run it through the cleanout until I get to the clog. It ain't no fun, but it's better than paying a plumber $300+

IMO worth a try. If it works try deducting drain rental from apartment rental and provide copies of receipts and your time @ ??.00/hr used doing the work.

Richard

 

[pillen140]

Do not spend your own money! They can sue you if you call someone and they **** something up. Its most likely roots or breaks in the main line, could even be reversed pitched from shifting pipes. I didn commercial and residential plumbing for quite a while, sounds exactly like a place we got called to twice a week. Video tape it! Like ratdog said, the line needs to be videoed, but when its full of water, you can't see anything, but you can use a locator to find the break or clog. Tell them that's what needs to be done.... send it in a letter aswell, send it registered mail with a receipt and keep a copy! Give it a couple days and call them and repeat the complaint. Tell them you have a receipt from the registered mail and you're getting a lawyer if they don't fix it still. Best thing in the world when it comes to getting shit done with slum lords! Registered mail is amazing in court as well.... ask me how I know, because once they know you have it, they wont want to go to court! Bring it to the board of sanitation or who ever in your city hall. Do not ever feel bad for straight up slum lords that will not fix major problems!

 

[pillen140]

Forgot to meantion code enforcement.... give them a huge fine if they don't fix it