Four hilariously haunting plumbing stories that every plumber understands

Plumbers and installers often find themselves working on a range of different jobs in many different places, whether it’s leaky taps in student houses or a problem pipe in a public space. It’s fair to say every plumber has a horror story. So, we asked members of our Bristan On Tap Plumbers Facebook Group to share their weirdest, or grisliest, plumbing stories. The results are so haunting we just had to share them!

Fright Night!

Ever been spooked when arriving at a job? Plumber Briony Price has been given the fright of her life way too many times and says there are:

“Way too many naked people answering doors!”

Sometimes there’s a plumbing horror show waiting just behind the door for you. We all have a few of these stories, don’t we? When Shaun Scott and his father, Derek, took part in the first episode of our Plumber & Plumber series, exclusive to our Bristan On Tap Plumbers Facebook Group, we asked what Derek’s most ridiculous call out was – and his reply is frightening. It tells the tale of a lady, whom ‘choked the toilet’ and started to panic:

“The poor lady had a panic when she choked the toilet, she kept flushing it and flushing it! Then when I got there, the contents met the door which wasn’t the most pleasant.”

Don’t wake up the sleeping vampire!

Member of the Bristan On Tap Plumbers Facebook group, Andy Steer, told us all about how he found two sleeping would-be vampires, after he visited an old country house with a warning pipe running issue.

“I went with my then boss to an old country house with a warning pipe running. We went into the loft and as we lifted the hatch and turned on the light, we heard the ball valve shut off (it was still the days of pert 1’s).

“So, he bent the arm and I pulled some water though bath taps, having a drink of tea with the customer, and the warning pipe started again. So back up we went and bang! The ball valve shut off. Bewildered we sat in the loft with the hatch down and the lights off, and we heard a flutter and then silence.

“We aimed the torch at the ball valve and startled two bats hanging off the ball valve arm!”

Drip Drops or Alarm Clocks?

Briony Price has a hauntingly hilarious story of a mysterious drip coming from beyond the walls.

“I had a lady who was adamant she had a leak as she could hear dripping. I looked everywhere I could but I found nothing. I wasn’t convinced that there was a leak and said there was nothing more I could do – unless she wanted to start opening walls, which I didn’t see the point in doing. She rang me the next morning to say she’d discovered the ‘leak’....It was a ticking alarm clock in a cupboard!”

The Legend of the Leaky Taps!

Our final horror story is from Tony Miller, who was called out late into the night in deepest, darkest Norfolk to find the source of a mysterious leak.

“I was working out of hours for the local housing authority when I received a call to go to a leak in the wilds of Norfolk late at about 11.30pm. When I arrived, I went in and it was an old couple. He took me upstairs to show me where the leak was.

“The attic door was open and the ladder was down ready. He explained that he was going to the bathroom when the drip hit him just outside, but he couldn’t find where it was coming from.

“And then as we’re stood there, it got him again! I looked around and could see nothing. There were no water marks on the ceiling, so common sense says check the attic space. So up I went, checked all over the space under the insulation – not even a water pipe up there.

“It certainly was bit of a mystery. So down I go to explain it can’t be there as there’s no plumbing up there and he scratches his head as puzzled as me. Finally I told him that I’d go up and check again for peace of mind. I got almost to the top of the steps as he said: “It's done it again!” as I turned to look at him and this time I saw it...

I burst out laughing but he still looked puzzled. I had to tell him. I said: “See that shelf up there?” He looked up as I pointed at what the problem was. “That white thing on the shelf is the culprit.” And he just replied: “But the Mrs only bought it today and put it up there.”

It was an automatic air freshener with a sensor. Every time he went to the loo he would set it off...”


Do you have a story to share? Join our Bristan On Tap Plumbers Facebook Group to share your stories and get the banter of a worksite right in your pocket!