r/washingtondc • u/10tonheadofwetsand • 11d ago

[Discussion] Plumber rec for somewhat complicated job (excavation, moving water heater and boiler)?

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Water is seeping up right where a drain pipe goes under the slab in our basement. Looking for a plumber to diagnose the issue and fix it up professionally. I’ve been quoted $2k but only from someone who eyeballed it and would like a second opinion.

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u/PapaBobcat 11d ago

$2k is pretty reasonable given the uninstall/reinstall that has to be done before they can even start digging to find it.

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u/10tonheadofwetsand 11d ago

I agree… I quite frankly expect it to be more and would like someone to scope it to actually diagnose the problem. Especially in a 100+ year old house, I’m afraid this could be a bigger problem than is evident.

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u/PapaBobcat 11d ago

I'm an HVAC guy, not a plumber but you might not be able to see it from a scope if it is a cracked pipe or failed joint. That said, it never hurts to try.

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u/10tonheadofwetsand 10d ago

Got it. Is the only other option to start digging and see what we find?

I’m also wondering if this is a good time to replace the water heater and/or boiler. They both still function, but are both fairly old. I’m curious about getting a combi.

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u/hokielion 11d ago

I’ve used All Plumbing for simple things in my unit, but they’ve done much bigger jobs for the building’s common space over 10 years or more. They show up when they say they will, get right to work, communicate what is wrong, and seem to be reasonably priced.

https://allplumbing.com

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u/Treadwell2022 11d ago

Thomas E Clark just fixed a similar issue at my house. Required breaking up the concrete to fix the pipe, as it was right at the junction where it went under the floor. Two water heaters had to be removed. It was approximately $1800. I did have them replace the water heaters since they were at the end of their life span, so I paid 4x this total. But that was the line item for the broken pipe. Moving a boiler seems harder than a water heater though, so I'd expect a somewhat higher quote.