DH was not able to get the pipes unclogged yesterday and there was a HUGE mess, on the upside the yucky carpet will be replaced a lot sooner than anticipated. By nightfall the kids and I were in camping mode as this house only has 1 bathroom and it was completely out of commission. Thankfully, my mom reminded me of the chamber pot concept and suddenly we transformed a 5 gallon bucket (with lid) into a portable potty.
I called every plumber in the big town close by and was shocked to hear the prices, we seriously need to get in on this plumbing gig, these guys charge $100 per hour, parts and mileage extra. SERIOUSLY!!! DH heard that there maybe a local guy that could help but of course we weren't able to reach him, in his defense, we believe that he had a funeral to attend this morning so it is likely that he was with family.
We talked for quite a while debating our next move, we couldn't afford the plumber but we couldn't afford to go without indoor plumbing either. My sis had mentioned that some hardware stores rent industrial snakes for a lot less than a plumber. We had already tried 2 different types of hand snakes so this seemed like the best option. I called the hardware store and sure enough they had one, $24 for 2 hours, $45 for 4 hours and $60 for 6hours-overnight, there was also a $100 deposit. This was perfect.
DH left early to get the snake and on the way noticed an equipment rental store, he stopped in and was able to rent the snake for $35 for 4 hours, SWEET! He came home and get straight to work, it took a little time but finally he announced that he had gotten it all cleared, YAY!!! He would still need to pick up a ring to put the toilet back. He got out to the truck to get the ring and sure enough it wouldn't start, he was (understandably) frustrated.
Since there was other things to be done, namely cleaning the snake, I recommend that he do that and allow the truck to rest a while longer. We had lunch when he was done and he went out and got the truck started. He left it running (just in case) and left to return the snake, no point in risking no being able to get it back. The Focus is still parked at my work since I had him come get me 2 days ago, we'll have to pick it up in a bit.
He did attempt to free the kitchen sink drain, but he couldn't get through, so for now it remains a slow drain. I can live with that I guess, at least until tax time and I get the pipes replaced. :) All in all it has been a good day thus far, though we will need to get the truck looked at, the starter may be going out. Everything in time.
Oh, on a homeschooling note. I highly recommend the game word rummy, to help reinforce spelling. My mom found it and brought it when she was here and the kids love trying to beat me, lol. I have added it the links on the sidebar of books etc I recommend, it is less than $8 and a great way to have a little fun with the family. :)
1 comment:
This is why I want Steven to rebuild our old outhouse -- for times like this (we used a chamberpot last time we had a sewer problem too).
One of the handiest things we (finally) found to help us with what I call the "softclogs" (where it isn't tree roots, but instead just gunk (like old toilet paper and hair and stuff) binding up the sewer line -- is a thing you attach to a hose and it inflates to the water can only be force ONE way down the pipe (not back up) and it uses water pressure to clear the soft plug. Has worked like a charm several times. (and cheap too). I will try to find a link to what I mean and send it to you via FB
Post a Comment