Operation Clog Buster
I was skeptical, I'll admit it. Last weekend when the great clog of '06 occured I was pretty sure that ginormous plumbing bills were looming over my future existence. The usual methods of unclogging were either not working (snaking the pipe) or not an option (using chemicals) so I kept going back to thoughts of money draining from my account.
But last night, after 24 and after Steve's Dad and his SO left, Operation Clog Buster began. Steve rigged the garden hose from the outside spigot through the kitchen, dining room and upstairs into the bathroom. We had tried this in '05 when we had plumbing problems (or was it '04? anyway...) with no success and a huge mess. Needless to say I was apprehensive.
Steve borrowed the "clog buster" device the last time around and it didn't work. For those of you who are non-homeowners or who are blessed with decent drains, the clog buster is this black plastic thingy that makes a hose have incredible pressure. The black thing blows up a bit and seals off the opening where you're inserting the hose so no water can back up and everything is FORCED the way it should go. It also sort of looks like a creepy black odd looking penis...there I said it. I can't help it. Anyway....
Steve was inserting the clog buster under the bathroom sink. He had removed the piping and was just putting it right in the drain hole (why does that sound dirty to me now?) I was at the tub making sure water didn't back up and spray all over tarnation.
The first time the water went on there was backup in the tub - not a lot but a little nasty, stinky, stale, blackish yuckiness....coming from the drain as well as the overflow drain. Gross. I had to remove my Mickey Mouse watch.
The second time we started the water...no backup! In fact no odd smelling or sounding gurgles from either drain...and the water kept coming. I was envisioning big flooding puddles somewhere else in the house but all appears to be good!
We ran water into the tub and the bathtub-whirlpool-thingy appeared and THE WATER DRAINED! It went right down! No waiting, no stopping, no stalling - it just disappeared into the vast underground abyss that is our plumbing/sewer system.
We were giddy! And so excited! We were SUPERHEROES in our own house!
Things that are "cool" change throughout your life. For instance - 10 years ago, unclogging a drain would not have seemed COOL to me. Now it is one of the coolest thing ever. And saved us money to boot.
Taking a shower this morning was heavenly - no standing in scumy ankle-deep water, no un-ending humidity due to said standing water, no sump pump needed (seriously) to empty out the tub, the wet-vac has been retired to it's previous home (in the basement) and all is right with the world.
Now, if only I could finish that kitchen....
But last night, after 24 and after Steve's Dad and his SO left, Operation Clog Buster began. Steve rigged the garden hose from the outside spigot through the kitchen, dining room and upstairs into the bathroom. We had tried this in '05 when we had plumbing problems (or was it '04? anyway...) with no success and a huge mess. Needless to say I was apprehensive.
Steve borrowed the "clog buster" device the last time around and it didn't work. For those of you who are non-homeowners or who are blessed with decent drains, the clog buster is this black plastic thingy that makes a hose have incredible pressure. The black thing blows up a bit and seals off the opening where you're inserting the hose so no water can back up and everything is FORCED the way it should go. It also sort of looks like a creepy black odd looking penis...there I said it. I can't help it. Anyway....
Steve was inserting the clog buster under the bathroom sink. He had removed the piping and was just putting it right in the drain hole (why does that sound dirty to me now?) I was at the tub making sure water didn't back up and spray all over tarnation.
The first time the water went on there was backup in the tub - not a lot but a little nasty, stinky, stale, blackish yuckiness....coming from the drain as well as the overflow drain. Gross. I had to remove my Mickey Mouse watch.
The second time we started the water...no backup! In fact no odd smelling or sounding gurgles from either drain...and the water kept coming. I was envisioning big flooding puddles somewhere else in the house but all appears to be good!
We ran water into the tub and the bathtub-whirlpool-thingy appeared and THE WATER DRAINED! It went right down! No waiting, no stopping, no stalling - it just disappeared into the vast underground abyss that is our plumbing/sewer system.
We were giddy! And so excited! We were SUPERHEROES in our own house!
Things that are "cool" change throughout your life. For instance - 10 years ago, unclogging a drain would not have seemed COOL to me. Now it is one of the coolest thing ever. And saved us money to boot.
Taking a shower this morning was heavenly - no standing in scumy ankle-deep water, no un-ending humidity due to said standing water, no sump pump needed (seriously) to empty out the tub, the wet-vac has been retired to it's previous home (in the basement) and all is right with the world.
Now, if only I could finish that kitchen....
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