Plumber Visits A Home With A MASSIVE Slab LEAK

[@Bryan-Hensley]

I'd love to see a video of the digging

[@milesharlan1]

I would like to see video of the back fill too..

[@Counting3s]

@@milesharlan1 code calls for 80% of the dirt to be back filled

[@BaconJD420]

As a professional plumber I wondering why would you go through all that and not replace the other pipes that are sure to fail soon? You went on a 5 minute rant on how cast degrades then leave it, smh

[@samrogers2356]

Honestly. Connect the three access holes.

[@tallbrian100]

Up north we have basements and crawl spaces so repairs normally don't need digging.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

There's plenty of slab houses all over the nation. I don't have a clue why anyone would build it like that though, cheaper I guess

[@chicomarlin1246]

You also have cold and snow. Those are four letter words down here, the bad kind ✌️

[@jamesmurphy7828]

That job had to be so freakin' expensive,. I'd bet 20,000 at least.

[@birddog7248]

I am a self-employed plumber in New York State. Most buildings especially residential have basements. When we do come across a slab we cut the foundation with a cement saw, and make our repairs or replacement from the Top.

[@jamesmurphy7828]

I am NOT jealous of that job.

[@teddekkerfan92]

As someone who grew up in New York and then moved down south, Basements seem significantly easier to fix underground pipe

[@timothykeith1367]

​@@teddekkerfan92 A 😊basement is a bargain for all it offers

[@andrewlacerenza667]

I'm a self employed plumber in NYC. We do the same thing cut into the cement slab, like you said most buildings have basements or cellars, and since a majority of buildings are old in NYC it would be super risky tunneling underneath

[@tylerc5311]

Hey Roger! Long time viewer here, and can't tell you how many people I've recommended your channel to! I work at a plumbing specialist store and have seen literally thousands of stems & cartridges for tub & showers. If you ever run into a stem or cartridge you can't figure out, send a picture my way and I'll have an answer for you in no time at all my friend! Keep on teaching folks the right way to do plumbing big boss, catch you later.

[@tacklebox6239]

Hey Tyler, Are you at TMS?

[@tylerc5311]

@@tacklebox6239 Manager @ Larry & Joe's my friend

[@impetiousdoom]

Always wondered where Paul Teutul Sr., was after American Chopper.. 🇺🇸

[@chicomarlin1246]

He’s actually in SWFL living on a small farm

[@keldon_champion]

I am so glad I live in an area where most homes have basements rather than pipes under slabs.

[@coltonknowles1314]

Hope you didnt hurt yourself jumping into that hole for our entertainment! Looked like it did anyway, keep up the good work love to see experts like you appealing to the young crowd with great knowledge

[@RogerWakefield]

It only hurt for a second! Thank you for checking in on me lol

[@billpalmer2381]

why back fill just seal each end lag pipes make sure tunnel shored and propped leave crawl boards for future work give option to home owner loose the dirt round the property grounds

[@zacharyrosson2646]

This is an interesting idea!

[@kylegoldsborough2585]

Hi Roger!....Kyle plumber from Oregon.....most of the houses here in Oregon are post and beam but a lot of commercial buildings are slab on grade.....here in Oregon we cut the concrete up and dig the pipe out ...then replace....when I tell plumbers here in Oregon you guys dig tunnels to fix slab leaks they all give this look of "Ooohhhh my lord " lol... 😂 It's funny as hell ...

[@johnnorris587]

Hi Sir South Africa can LEARN from your guys I am so glad that you Teaches me the correct way to do a Professional work for a client ThankYou John Norris

[@Mr.S_BuildsThings]

2:45 Wooooah that's a lot of dirt that they tunneled out of there. That ain't easy especially if it's wet. Hats off to those labormen. I've been there, hopefully the workers level up and get some hands on repair work so they can teach others and save their back and whole body in the process On a side note @ 4:02 THAT IS BEAUTIFUL!

[@birddog7248]

Being the inexperienced Plumber's Helper on this job DEFINITELY would be a HARD day at the office.😁⛏️⛏️⚒️

[@WaltWW]

Not cheap either... about $300 per linear foot to tunnel.

[@betux106]

In California we use ABS pipe for drainage and copper for water supply

[@fastidioushandyman901]

Man I'm glad I have a crawl space instead of a slap foundation. No excavation required for repairs :)

[@KeithsTVHD1]

When you tunnel up under a house , is that like having a void or weak soil under the house.

[@TheTheskoalcowboy]

Seen abs disintegrate same as cast iron, we slap cut to replace it all, most cast iron replaced was in food service where carbonation drained

[@gordonmaycock]

I have that problem...our house was built in the late 50s?...lot of cast iron....now its collapsed?..we are both retired and on fixed incomes..it's costly....

[@louisschaper1562]

Working for Ferguson Enterprise, especially in the Pittsburg area, we stock tons of no hub pipe and fittings up to 12” cast. Worst part for sales - after a month of outdoor storage your new product.. no matter the tar - it is all rusty and looks like scrap. Just imagine decades underground!

[@jerryh.7839]

For anyone wondering why or how plumbers make so much money. That’s one BIG reason. Drains baby.

[@tacklebox6239]

You connected to the existing waste and overflow? Why not change it along with the ptrap and the rest of the drain line under the slab? I always replace the waste and overflow on a tunnel job. 100’ tunnel is probably about a $50,000 job, you could at least got them a new lift n turn so they could see something shiny that was replaced.

[@samrogers2356]

1. Why not save the money if it holds on hydro test and drains well. 2. If an inspector realizes you put compression fittings under slab without an access panel he could fail it according to IPC code. Homeowners often do not like new holes in their sheet rock. Or put a glue fitting waste/overflow together underslab in a tiny tub leave out while loose dirt falls in your ear. Also 50k for 100' is a might pricy unless your digging in bedrock.

[@tacklebox6239]

@@samrogers2356 1. Save the customer money? You touch, you own it. If that waste and over flow fails, your gonna have a hard time trying to explain to the customer it’s not under warranty when you sold them a tub drain replacement. 2. Why would you use a compression fitting under the slab and why would you need to cut holes in Sheetrock to replace the waste and overflow if you have full access as seen in the tunnel video? 3. If your dig left dirt that’s falling in your ear, you need to retrain or replace them. There’s no reason why a plumber should have dirt falling on you in a tunnel if it’s dig properly. I’m not sure where you’re at but in Houston 50k for a 100’ tunnel is a decent price, and we have either dirt or clay to dig out.

[@samrogers2356]

@@tacklebox6239 Not to try and start a problem here from one Texan to another. I am not worried about saving the customer money. I'm worried about saving my money as a company. Prices of everything including pvc fittings and pipe have gone up. As well as salaries to pay the two people it takes to replace a tub overflow(at least in my experience). 50k is not what I charge for a 100' tunnel. However I plumb miles of tunnels a year. So after doing all this work a hydrostatic test should be performed to confirm all work to slab level is not leaking. In regards to compression fittings under slab, its way easier to replace a tub overflow with a very common/standard tub overflow that is in fact made with compression fittings. Code dictates if you use compression fittings in a confined space ie underslab they need to be accessible. Hence a hole in the sheet rock for an access panel. Yes you can glue together a waste and overflow. But for time sakes compression waste/overflow are easier and cheaper. Since we are talking about replacing cast iron drain systems underneath a house not just specifically a tub drain but the whole system. About the dirt in your ear, tub leave outs generally have a bunch of crap stuff in the regardless of how you did them out. Like I said mr tackle box. No beef intended, just trying to help you understand it from a different perspective.

[@tacklebox6239]

@@samrogers2356 No problem. With all due respect maybe it’s time to increase your prices if you’re concerned about saving money on waste and overflow swap out on a tunnel job. Yes, we perform leak test after underslab repairs, so if years down the line that waste and overflow doesn’t hold a test your work is going to be questionable. Never had an inspector require an access panel on a tub but I understand he can if he wants. If you’re such a tunnel rat installing miles of pipe a year a little dirt in your ear shouldn’t be a problem and besides have your apprentice take out the old stuff and get it all cleaned up for the new. No beef just tellin it like it is

[@samrogers2356]

@@tacklebox6239 Thank you for the kindly reply. It is not so much the prices of the tunnel but the time. I have but a small crew and the time is too valuable to spend replacing something that is currently functional and costs more to replace. I have definitely had an inspector call out a tub overflow that was replaced. On top of that, most of my helpers are above crawling in a tunnel or are unable to read a level. If I am trying to replace the drain system on 2 or 3 houses a week while I have to train a green thumb to replace a tub overflow while the other guy who is worth his salt is putting a ptrap and vent in the wall for the washer to replace the current running trap. Someone has to remove cast/ plumb up new pvc, hang said pvc, and also mess with toilets and new flanges. I only have at most four other people to work with. It's a pickle. I am just trying get across why a plumber might not replace a tub overflow on a tunnel job.

[@chuckley54494]

thank god we live in the north and everythihing it above ground or under basement and you just dig and replace

[@kenbrown2808]

my house was originally done with screw pipe and cast fittings. fortunately no digging required to strip it all out and replumb with ABS when I fixed the kitchen and bath.

[@Recklessbob84]

Amazing video. People need to see how things work without X-ray vision

[@plumber_midge]

Silly question here. I'm in upstate NY and I've been on a few digs in the last year, though I do mostly service work, but I've been told new vents/cleanouts need to be 10' or more away from an operational window. Is that a code that changes in different areas? Asking genuinely, I'm a 2nd yr apprentice now 😊

[@JohnSmith-mv6bw]

That's gotta be a 5-figure repair bill for sure.

[@mexicasoldier8364]

How much does a repair like that cost?

[@samrogers2356]

3-5 hundred per foot depending on the company

[@badtater2]

Oh yeah this is gonna be VERY expensive.👍🇺🇲😩😀

[@ancientbedrock9366]

If you remove compacted dirt how do you recompact to avoid future cracks ?

[@westloschamp2044]

Use a compactor .. basically a cement hammer drill .. like the big ones u break cement with … and u purchase a flat square tip … used to compress dirt flat … the tip is usually about 10 inches

[@kirbazoid]

@@westloschamp2044 then you just have to trust the“ digging crew”/ Mexicans to do their job correctly. “

[@chrisconley9219]

Is it just me or does it look like that Tee fitting is in the middle of a belly?

[@martinrojas7595]

Paul Andereson Are You here??

[@bartswarm869]

I'm a helper and have a few sewer line replacements under the house but only if the house is raised otherwise we're busting floor.. I'm in Florida so it's probably not practical or safe to dig under the slab with our sandy soil. I couldn't imagine the work it would be to have dig, haul and put up back that much dirt.

[@tacklebox6239]

Don’t worry, the we let the illegals do all the digging so all we have to do is go under there and replace the lines

[@jimsyhammond]

Rules for laying drain pipes under ground in Australia seem to have better rules and regulations. NO ONE has used cast iron for decades, and you can't put it underground anyway. Also PVC layed underground require swivle and expansion joints and to to be bedded with fine rock to protect the pipe....

[@khobydawson2057]

And nearly all of it run outside of the foundation only comes in to pick up the fixture

[@DeterrentChimp]

I use it every day in commercial plumbing and you can put it underground.

[@jimsyhammond]

@@DeterrentChimp sewer?

[@DeterrentChimp]

@@jimsyhammond ya and for vents

[@Mr.Pop0]

nobody building houses today uses cast iron, this house is old.

[@danlaur7973]

How would that excavated earth be put back under the home in a proper manner? It would be impossible to compact that earth again

[@tacklebox6239]

Why are you asking the expert plumber this question? He lets the illegals worry about doing that part

[@darinsmith9468]

Likely looking at something like this in the future as my north texas home has cast iron & is 50 years old. I've seen at least 3 in my neighborhood do re-routes in the past few years (instead of tunneling deep and replacing original route, trench the yard and tunnel only under the bathrooms / kitchens / laundry to re-route w/ PVC in the yard). Going to check on in-situ lining 1st ... see if mine can be saved before digging up everything. What makes me really nervous about this is the backfill. How in the world do you get it packed in enough to not leave huge voids under the slab as things settle and water packs the clay? We already have tons of foundation issues due to the expansive clay soils in the area.

[@jamesmurphy7828]

If you know it's going to happen soon, then you're better off getting it done pre-emptively. That way you're not paying for repairs as well as replacing the piping. If you can that is.

[@zippo23awokeneye52]

Wonder how much something like this cost…yikes

[@allenh7835]

Comment say $300 - $500 per foot. Easily 30k.

[@insane1st]

Just bought a house and had foundation repair done and failed a hydrostatic test on sewer line afterwards. Had cast-iron and had to tunnel under the house. Had one company quote around $30k and so I decided to repair it myself. I decided to save the money and sacrifice my time to tunnel myself. If you have a clay soil like here in TX hire someone to do the digging, it sucks majorly to dig in the clay.

[@patrickguarracino3174]

Sounds like a confined space, are you guys confined space certified. You’re below ground with one entry an exit

[@vampcaff]

My house was built in 1897, no worry about pipes under my house lol

[@plumbcrazy375]

I'm a plumber for 40 years in northern California only tunneled for tie ins hell no

[@1gkgrandpa]

It’s nice to see your diggers throw the dirt right against the house and do not contain it. ETEX plumbing excavation uses bags to hold the dirt makes for a fantastic clean up.

[@RogerWakefield]

We do contain the dirt in plastic on EVERY job including this one..just not shown from that camera angle.

[@samrogers2356]

When you dig up several yards of soil from underneath your house and have to contain it on your property. Yeah it might make a mess. Crawl underneath your house maybe after they dig it up. Darn right you wouldn't.

[@universaldonor3100]

don't use these guys..these videos are a vanity play as well as a marketing tool...to get their phones to ring..then they send out couple of scruffy looking guys that are clueless (how to solve your problem) except how to collect the service call fee (it worked out to about $600/hr)

[@chrishayes8691]

I understand, lots of appointments but if you call me there is a fee. I do not do free estimates. People that do free estimates are commission plumbers and they will charge out the Ying Yang. AKA any company that ends with a “ROOTER”.

[@daaneel]

Yea because you’re a scam buddy. Pay $100 for my estimate of $500 for this job that normally costs $200 huh buddy? Nice scam tactics

[@chrishayes8691]

????!!

[@chrishayes8691]

Not sure who you’re responding to. Flat rate plumbers are way cheaper than commission plumbers was the point. The only way you pay the service fee is if you decide not to do the job. If the customer does the job the service fee is not charged, only the price of the job. Commission plumbers charge whatever they want to. Be my guest and call Roto Rooter or Rapid Rooter or Metro Rooter if you want to pay $400 for a basic snake job. That’s why I quit Roto Rooter because I cannot consciously charge someone that kind of money.

[@daaneel]

@@chrishayes8691 the business model that you charge for a quote is stupid. most plumbers i've hired will refuse to give me a quote over the phone, but will send a tech out to look at the job in person and then give me a free quote. Those companies that try to charge me just for a quote are scams. Basically removing your ability to shop around. Once I pay you $100 to give me a quote, what's the point of going with another company if I don't like your price? SCAM

[@tigerbatman7881]

Glad we have crawl space

[@ikecostner1]

Give a camera go to the dig crew!! Wanna see that done

[@parkerjohnson1781]

Pipe bursting and liners are what we do here in AZ for sewer replacement

[@nrkey9166]

Real plumbers doing in cast-iron

[@allenh7835]

Building a house on a slab ,seems like a bad idea to begin with. What do you save ?

[@dmdx86]

Looks expensive.

[@ericgranberg7971]

Hey Roger, i am canadian and i love your videos, opinion

[@mr.holian5012]

Do you always dig under? I get it for a sanitary line. Do you ever just sleeve water lines under a slab?

[@samrogers2356]

It is not possible to line the part of the drain line where separate drains connect together ie at a Y or T. Also consider if the existing line did not have proper slope for the drain to work. Self leveling liners do not exist.

[@GotSig1510]

I wish you guys were in my state.

[@fnafplayer6447]

NGL this video as funny

[@dewaynemizzell7009]

Can’t really tunnel here. Too much granite and limestone. Most of the time we have to cut the slab.

[@birddog7248]

I am a self-employed plumber in New York State with 34 year's experience at my age (52) there is NO WAY I am digging that size of a tunnel. Unfortunately my 2 helpers ( apprentices) would not be able to dig something like that especially if they were there unsupervised and if I was there I the Owner/Master Plumber would be doing most of the work. They don't make them like they used to😁😁😁

[@dewaynemizzell7009]

@@birddog7248 damn right. Most of the guys we get for apprentices are weaker than junebug piss.

[@TomBVoxman]

Thanks so much for this. I have learned so much from your videos. Well done! I definitely have a slab leak in my backyard concrete. Luckily it's out in the open. I have a good idea exactly where it is because I had a pinhole repair in that area a few years ago and water is seeping up through the concrete cracks. I'm thinking the whole 30' run of lateral copper pipe should be replaced, not just a spot repair. Can a new pipe be run without removing 30' of concrete? Or how about running Pex underground..like bore a hole first? Or running pex through the inside of the existing copper pipe (which I saw someone on youtube do).

[@Mr.Pop0]

I got a job coming up where theres a break in the middle of the house underneath the tub. My dad wanted to dig. Hes 65 and has a tear in his rotator cuff. Im 6'4 300lbs. Aint no way any of us is gonna dig. We opted to remove the tub, rip the slab underneath it and repairing the break followed by a much-needed bathroom remodel. Its gonna be hella cheaper than tunneling. All in I think we're looking at $7k including bath remodel, 1 week 2 ppl. Texas prices.

[@jessemg7332]

what was the cost for this job?

[@RubyofTrinity]

Back in the Bronze Age of the early 1990s, we began getting water in the basement. Extremely long story short, it turned out the pipe that connected us to the city water hookup had frozen and cracked during the Blizzard of '93. Happily, we did not have to dig up the foundation, but we did have a massive trench in the front yard for several weeks. Turned out the guy who built the house had used a type of pipe that was no longer code. Also, it was not buried deep enough.

[@caleballeman8779]

Is there a real engineering justification for a slab foundation for a house? like maybe your site has a solid rock layer under it? I can't see any advantages other than a little money versus crawlspace or even Pier and Beam.

[@jackb1803]

Not a plumber, but I think you're not going to have frozen pipes with a slab, but with a crawlspace you might. Where I live in Oregon, we have crawlspaces but also little freezing weather.

[@mexicasoldier8364]

Hi Roger , what do you advice if a house needs both foundation repair and slab leak repair? Which one should be done first?

[@homesteadhaven2010]

Start over... Sounds like a money pit to me. I would run real fast..

[@chicomarlin1246]

@@homesteadhaven2010 Very important to make sure the electrical system is 220, 221. Whatever it takes.

[@samrogers2356]

Definitely foundation work first. Many foundation companies require you to have a plumber confirm your drain system is okay to give you a warranty on your foundation work. Lifting a house moves the drains underneath, often damaging the drain system.

[@colinsullivan161]

You should of lined it

[@thetroll9817]

Looks like a newer House so i would say around 15 to 20 Years before the pipe is rusted out

[@jamescooper3164]

What the actual fuck

[@coreyskaggs1128]

Why did you guys tunnel instead of bursting all the lines?

[@willofdodge1]

Do you use shoring? I am nervous for you under that house

[@samrogers2356]

I strictly do this for a living in Texas. Nothing to worry about so long as the tunnel is only so deep and wide. 3 foot by 3 foot is the OSHA recommendation. Never had a problem with a tunnel collapse with many miles of tunnels under my belt.

[@BurnerTurner]

Texas seems like a nightmare for plumbing if you're a home owner lol. Mostly slab built houses. Give me crawlspace all day if I'm buying a house.

[@Auburn7543]

Nothing wrong with houses on a slab. Don't buy a old home that's on a slab, and has cast iron.

[@jdcisneros9023]

I just don’t get it seems dangerous, tell me how you properly compact the dirt so the foundation doesn’t drop🤷🏽‍♂️

[@jdcisneros9023]

I guarantee the customer is paying way more in the long run hella days digging

[@Carrosive]

1:47 Cursed B-roll

[@donaldsmith5972]

It amazes me that you tunnel versus cutting the slab. Backfill must be a beast of a job.

[@Mr.S_BuildsThings]

Sometimes this might be cheaper for the customer than having to replace all the woodfloor/tiles and rent hotel and have pets relocated if they take that route especially if they are elderly. Not to mention the days of dirt and concrete being moved through the house, risk of damaging stuff in the process, risk of jack hammering post tension rebar, and the difficulty in keeping everything dust free. Even with plastic hanging everywhere it's not easy to deal with the dust. At least this way they can stay home. Some plumbers would rather just line the main and replace the secondarys to cut it down a bit, but I like how Roger replaced all that stuff underground, safer for liability, cleaner, and less intrusive for the customer.

[@JC-qg2tz]

First!

[@guitar1301]

Can't bury a test tee here in NJ. Will not pass inspection .Also any clevis hanger for pvc must be coated for pvc.

[@AlexRodriguez-kj7yk]

Love these comments it's interesting to see how different the code is from state to state

[@zacharyrosson2646]

Interesting coated for pvc? I’ve never seen a clevis hanger coated for that.

[@guitar1301]

@@zacharyrosson2646 I know I found it at home depot but that's where the pic was.... I don't get materials there

[@samrogers2356]

Just curious. What reason is ther e against burying a test tee? Root intrusion? It is common practice here in TX. Also, what coating would be on a clevis hanger for pvc? They look to be galvanized which is also standard here. Just a intrigued plumber here.

[@alexstoles1339]

How come the water lines arent insulated underground. I think it would be a lot cheaper and easier and faster to blow a new pipe liner in. Thats just my opinion

[@birddog7248]

In New York State any copper water lines under ground have to be below the frost line (5 feet) and has to be soft copper Wich is schedule K. Very difficult to blow a type K copper water lines.

[@alexstoles1339]

@@birddog7248 same here in Jersey but we always insulate to protect from the dirt

[@samrogers2356]

Houses with cast iron drain lines built in Texas where this company is were built before 1970. Foam insulation was not put on any potable water line below slab in Texas. Our freeze line is one foot. Lining potable water lines is equally the same amount of work as replacing the whole water supply system with pex lines.

[@jimmy8653]

OSHA will have a field day with you several safety issues there

[@Clones2011]

Name the faults Inspector

[@jimmy8653]

@@Clones2011 hole is not shored also no ppe

[@johnhaller5851]

OSHA only applies to companies over a certain number of employees (100?). The Federal Government can only regulate interstate commerce, and it's easier to justify for larger companies. I doubt either the dig crew or Rogers company exceed Federal OSHA size criteria.

[@samrogers2356]

OSHA ain't got nothing to say about what he did here. Nothing. He does know what he doing here.

[@man0l0m0ntana4]

How did you hang it ?

[@zacharyrosson2646]

I would imagine concrete Sammy’s with 3/8” all thread and clevis hangers.

[@billpalmer2381]

drains can be lined? can save digging ?

[@jerryh.7839]

Yes, drains can be lined but not all of them. Collapsed pipe or deterioration can make it impossible and only leave you with one option. Dig.

[@billpalmer2381]

@@jerryh.7839 yep just a thought

[@chrizglez1775]

You’re gonna kill someone making them think they could tunnel into a house safely, destroyed the base of that house smh…. Tsk tsk

[@Disciplined-Trax]

I tunnel all the time. Don't be scared. We have different dirt in texas

[@zacharyrosson2646]

He says all the time hire a professional to do the work. And it’s a common practice in his state.

[@CuntryRebel]

Would it be unreasonable to not backfill the holes and keep an access tunnel for any future problems? Kidding.

[@Mr.S_BuildsThings]

Tunneling is a pain

[@Bryan-Hensley]

I don't see how backfilling will help anything. There's no way you could pack it back in tight enough to be any support.

[@CuntryRebel]

@@Bryan-Hensley If you do it properly, to code, you can actually get it pretty tight in there. I’m pretty sure they don’t use organic dirt to backfill, or at least partially. I’ve never done it but I have seen it done on jobs that I’ve worked on, and they use what looks like silica sand and hydraulic temps.