3 Wild Plumbing Emergency Stories
Our homes often seem like they have a life and a mind of their own sometimes. Whether it’s some sort of fluky incident or a series of issues that are too coincidental to seem random, it often seems as though our most important investment may have taken on a life of its own. However, sometimes these issues go to insane lengths and become just downright crazy. This is particularly true when it comes to plumbing, a system that is both intricate and prone to a number of different problems.
There’s no shortage of crazy stories when it comes to plumbing problems, and as a plumbing company that has served our community for the last 40 years, we’ve seen plenty of problems of our own. However, this blog will talk about some of the craziest and most difficult-to-believe plumbing stories ever recorded, all of which are 100% true.
Even if your story isn’t as wild as some of the following, you can call EnviroSafe Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning, Water Treatment whenever you have a plumbing situation of your own. We’re available for 24/7 emergency service, so don’t hesitate to call us for help whenever you need it!
Lighting Blows Up A Toilet in Florida
Florida is a gold mine for strange news: a simple search of the term “Florida Man” will prove that. However, this strange story certainly falls up there with the best of them. A couple in Fort Myers found themselves facing an insane plumbing problem when a lightning bolt struck the septic tank on their property. The couple claims this lightning strike actually caused their toilet to explode.
The plumber who inspected the property determined that the lightning strike ignited the methane gasses in the pipes, creating a sudden burst of energy that literally caused the family’s toilet to explode. The odds of something like this happening have to be lower than actually being struck by lightning, making it one of the craziest fluke accidents possibly ever.
Nobody was hurt in the incident, and fortunately, nobody was on the toilet when the lightning bolt struck, but the incident did an estimated $50,000 in damage to their home. The sudden burst of energy completely destroyed the home’s drain system, shattered a window, and sent debris flying as far away as the yard of the home across the street.
Toy Train Nearly Destroys a Casino
You have to be careful with kids sometimes—their curiosity about the world around them may be one of their greatest assets, but it’s also one of their most obnoxious and frustrating habits as a parent. This is particularly true when it comes to toilets, and their desire to flush just about anything down them to see if that object in question actually disappears.
A casino in Arizona found out the hard way that this is all too possible when literally every single drain in the facility began backing up. Fortunately, some swift action by a local plumber found the source of the emergency: four Thomas the Tank Engine toys had become lodged in the main line. While the flushing culprit was never caught, the plumber managed to avert what would have more than likely been a nightmare crisis of public health for the casino. The system was on the verge of overflowing and spewing raw sewage into the facility itself. A cleanup for a job like that would have likely kept the casino closed for weeks and cost an immense sum of money.
An Iguana Surprise in the Toilet Bowl
We’re going back to Florida for this third story. The winter of 2017-18 was a particularly cold one in Florida, as temperatures reached uncharacteristic lows for days at a time. Wildlife which has been accustomed to moderately warm temperatures for years suddenly began to scramble to seek shelter somewhere warmer. For the Sunshine State’s native iguana population, that meant finding their way into homes, however possible. And for many, that meant through plumbing vents popping out of roofs.
There were at least five different reported instances of homeowners in Florida finding an iguana in their commode somewhere in Florida during that winter. According to a veteran iguana trapper in the area, the creatures often climb trees and get into homes through these vent pipes. Their ability to swim well and hold their breath for long periods of time makes them pretty adept at moving through plumbing lines, and your 3” drainpipe coming from your toilet is a strong choice.
This isn’t something you have to worry about happening here in New Jersey—not only is Florida one of the only states that has an iguana population, but a quick search of records finds that so far this is the only state where any instance of this happening has been recorded.
Got a strange plumbing problem of your own? Leave it to our professionals at EnviroSafe Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning, Water Treatment! Our expert Vineland plumbers are standing by, ready to take your call. Give us a call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
