Forensic Plumbing ?

The term forensic plumber was not even in my vocabulary until after I had been doing it for more than a year.  As a second generation plumber with 30+ years in sub-surface plumbing, I watched as my father was often called in as an "expert witness" to help resolve plumbing catastrophes. Whether it was a stray electric current causing electrolysis on a copper water line or collapsed sewers from undermining; he would offer an expert opinion.  When my father passed away in 2016, little did I know that I would follow in his footsteps... Over time, I was often called when other plumbers couldn't resolve a plumbing issue. Why is the sewer backing up ? Where is the underground break ? Is it roots ? Why does the downstairs toilet empty when the upstairs toilet is flushed ? What is that screaming noise downstairs when I turn on my faucet upstairs ? Where is that water coming from ? Where do you think the tap is on the main ? Is it a private sewer ?  I began getting calls more and more frequently to find the source of a water leak or to troubleshoot chronic stoppages. But sometimes the years of expertise would not be enough and I often turn to my good friend Harry; who I affectionally call "my Google-Wiki" plumber. Harry knows more than Google and Wikipedia combined... 

So what exactly is FORENSIC PLUMBING ? Hard to say, but between my father's intensive plumbing education bestowed on me and Harry's years of wisdom, no plumbing mystery is left unsolved.  

Structures lost to water damage become costly liabilities, often triggering complex litigation. Water can cause significant damage in a very short period. The remnants of Hurricane Ida dropped more than six inches of rain on New York City in a few hours. Roughly half of that rainfall—3.15 inches—fell within the first hour.  Each solution to stopping torrential storm water from breaching your plumbing system is site specific. Forensic Plumbing can determine if there are any illegal or unsafe plumbing connections. Ashling was one of the sites that suffered extensive water damages from Hurricane Ida. Determining the source of the breaching water could mean whether or not the damages are covered by insurance. We offer second opinions if your insurance company denies your water damages claim. 

Why does the toilet downstairs empty when the upstairs toilet is flushed? If your sewage system is not properly vented, problems like siphoning can develop. As water passes through drain pipes, it creates a vacuum in the pipes. For the water to move  through the pipes, it needs air to push it and replace the vacuum it creates. The plumbing vent — also called plumbing air vent or vent stack — acts as an air pressure regulator. It admits air into the plumbing system, which then pushes water throughout the pipes. 

Mr. Fennel had random clogs in his toilet. After several calls to his home, we pulled his toilet bowl to find a clam shell had somehow fallen into his bowl and would open and close intermittently causing his clogs. Another customer had a pair of eye glasses causing his backups. These were relatively simple problems compared to the business owner who suffered sewer back-up for years before finally calling us.  We found a plumbing fitting wedged in her main sewer line - probably left by the previous plumber; and it required an excavation to remove the object. We have found broken snakes and all types of equipment abandoned in clients sewer lines. 

Angelika's property suffered major water damages after one of our Nor'Easters. The heavy rainfall caused her toilets to overflow and flooded her basement.  At times during heavy rains, the city sewer systems simply can't handle the volume of water and can back up into homes. Normally, installing a backwater valve would remedy this. However, there was no evidence of the city sewer backing up and causing the flood. After a thorough building investigation and questioning Angelika, we found her roof vents were cut flush to the roof. This essentially turned the vent system into a drain ~ ultimately overloading her plumbing system and causing the flood. Angelika's solution was simple and we were able to extend the vent pipe and avoid future catastrophes. Whether extending roof vents or installing a backwater valve; our investigations offer solutions that are customized according to your needs. 

Why did Mrs. Martin's pipes sound like a booming foghorn whenever she ran water?  Believe it or not, it was a defective toilet tank fill valve. $12 part to fix.  Thanks Harry !!

We perform investigative plumbing for other companies.  Our state of the art equipment allows us to see what is underground and we are able to locate and identify problem areas that other plumbers simply don't understand. In one instance, a client called us after her plumber couldn't identify the source of her flooding or offer solutions.  Cheri's plumber video scoped her sewer and gave her a copy of the video; except he was not able to offer her solutions. More importantly, he never told her about the illegal tie-in with her neighbor! 

Several years ago, I was called by another plumber because a homeowner suddenly had  no water in her main service line. Although it was winter, there was not a deep freeze and she hadn't had this problem in the 23 years she owned her house. He suspected a leak in the main service line. We determined there was not a leak in the service line or a clogged tap. We removed her water meter and opened up her main valve; and concluded her line was frozen. We were able to thaw her water line and restore water to her house within the hour. BUT... Unfortunately, she had widened her driveway that summer; which left her water service line unprotected and above the frost line. She was now subject to frozen water line if the temperatures dipped below freezing.  

Nicole purchased a house right at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Working as a healthcare hero meant putting in long grueling hours and sometimes being mandated to work double shifts.  Six months later, Nicole found herself heating up an old drafty house while she wasn't even home. If she left the thermostat lower, it meant coming home exhausted, late at night, to a cold house. She wouldn't be able to even begin working on her heating system or house for quite some time.  A good friend recommended Josephine to see if anything could be done.  Since Nicole wasn't ready to start opening walls and running new thermostat wiring, a quick fix was a WiFI thermostat with a transformer plugged into the wall. She was now able to operate her thermostat from her phone and saved a fortune on her heating bill. Total cost? $225 for the material and $0 labor for our health care hero Nicole!  

Noreen and Eileen are an elderly couple who lived in the same house for over thirty years. When they decided to retire and sell their home, they ran into a slight problem.  The title company held up the sale due to an illegal bathroom and an illegal oil conversion.  Josephine The Plumber was recommended to legalize the existing plumbing and file permits. This process, if not handled correctly, could be very expensive.  Since Josephine's business is based on reputation and referrals, she has an excellent relationship with many of the plumbing inspectors.  Rather than rip open Noreen and Eileen's bathroom walls and floors, Josephine was allowed to remove the toilet bowl and video scope the line to show the plumbing vents were code compliant.  Legalizing the boiler wasn't as simple as it meant proving the oil tank was removed and the gas pipe was installed correctly and passed the required integrity tests.