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Clogged Freshwater Pipe

17 years ago

I recently moved into an older house that has been converted into two apartments. When I went to take my first shower, I discovered that the COLD water supply to the Shower didn't flow. This is the only plumbing problem I could find. My landlord suspects hard water deposits, and now wants to put Drano and Lime-Away into the freshwater pipes right where they come into the house. The problem is that this will affect the water system for the whole building, including the other apartment, all kitchen faucets, etc. My question is: Is this safe, can the chemicals be removed completely from the freshwater supply afterword, and is there a better alternative besides hiring a plumber to fix it?

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Comments (3)

jdenyer232
17 years ago
This is not allowed, ever! What happens when little Johnny next door goes to get a drink of water? He gets a dose of Drano and ends up dead, that's what happens. No real plumber in his right mind would put drain cleaning chemicals or lime-away into a potable water system. The fix is for the landlord to call a plumber and have the offending pipe replaced. If the landlord is insistant on putting chemicals into the potable water supply I would go to your codes enforcement officer in your town/city and let them know whats up. This is downright dangerous and someone could get hurt or killed if this is done. A lawsuit will cost the landlord a lot more than hiring a plumber to fix the problem correctly.
fqp25
17 years ago
Not only is this not safe, it's not legal. This is could be considered a terrorist act. Seriously doing what that landlord is considering can cause the whole municipality to sterilize their whole water supply.

Do what ever you have to stop that guy. I have never heard any thing so ludicrous before in my life. To jeopardize the safety of thousands because he doesn't want to spring for new pipes or a new shower valve.
I feel sorry for you; to have to live in this guy's building, because it is so obvious that he's not playing with a full deck!!! What's next? He wants to hook up your water heater and stove together....
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daddio2
17 years ago
Do you have cold water coming from the kitchen or bathroom sink? If you do you can take the cold faucet apart in the bathtub and use a compressor to blow air thru the line. Open your cold faucet on your bathroom sink when you do this. This will give the pressure somewhere to go.I just had to do this a week ago at my rental house. My new tenant called and said there was no cold water in the tub. It was filled with sedament from sitting for almost 2 years. It worked for me.

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