Unclogging Drains With Help From the Pros
After two husband-installed toilets and a desperate call to Roto-Rooter, I've abandoned emergency plans for a frugal outhouse.
I kid! Although I do live in the hills of Tennessee...and those self-composting models are pretty cool...
My son has a long history of using more than his share of toilet paper. We're no strangers to the cable auger. And yet this latest clog confounded all our efforts.
- We poured boiling water down all the drains.
- We plunged.
- We snaked.
- We tried a janitor-recommended product called Glug.
Draining the bathtub made the toilet gurgle, and suddenly, something horrible started filling up the shower on the other end of the house.
Deep breath. Wait, bad move--open a window!
I debated calling the pros. Is it better to go with an independent plumber, who charges by the hour, but might take an extra-long time? What if we go with the flat-fee franchise, but feel swindled by a 2-minute solution?
We opted for Roto-Rooter: they could come quick, I had a coupon, and their estimate is free. Plan B: phone the independent plumber if the original figure was simply too high.
Money-wise, it was a good call. Two hours of digging later, we learned that our mystery drain line dead-ends into an old septic system, makes a 90-degree turn, and runs beneath our neighbor's garden!
Now that the immediate crisis has passed, we're inserting an access point at that bend for future clean-out--the kind we can handle ourselves.
What's your favorite way to unclog a drain? Who do you call when you can't handle it alone?
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7 Responses to “Unclogging Drains With Help From the Pros”
March 15th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
We have been so blessed..In this house more than 20 years. With 2 sons, 4 grand children, and 100′s of day care children using the bathroom there is only 1 time my husband could not fix the problem. We had a broken hot water pipe break in our slab. That took a pro. He has fixed everything else. Even a few years ago when our hot water heater exploded he was able to fix that too. I am lucky. He is an engineer and can fix most anything. I have never seen him give up on something once he takes it apart. Roxie
March 15th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Sometimes it’s very obvious when it’s time to call in the pros! :>
March 15th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
We recently unclogged 2 drains in which neither chemicals nor a snake worked. We used a balloon-type device that you put on the end of your garden hose and snake down the pipe close to the clog. You turn on the hose and the balloon swells to fit the pipe, then shoots water out of the tip at a high velocity, knocking the clog loose. This worked for 2 very nasty clogs.
March 16th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Actually, we call the city. They will come out up to 2 times each year for free to clean out the drain lines. More than 2 times, or after hours on any call, and you have to pay for it ($100). They’re quick and efficient.
March 17th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
The systems here in Cairo don’t handle toilet paper too well so we have had the odd blockage…. The janitor comes and pours this stuff down the drain that releases an eeiry smoke and caustic smell into the air…. it works but it worries the hell out of me what is in it. I’m sure it would burn a hole right through skin too
… As someone who is a big fan and attempted green liver I find this hard to deal with and will probably try and naturally unblock the drain next time!
March 19th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Oh no! Sometimes there’s no getting around calling in for help. Oh my gosh, about your neighbors garden, LOL!!! They probably have a good harvest, haha. I wouldn’t want to take any of their extra food…
To help keep our drains running smoothly, I’ll take my husbands watered down pop he didn’t finish and throw it down the drain. I think it helps!
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:26 pm
We bought a house with a slow toilet. Before we moved in we tried everything. We even ran a hose down the stack on the roof. Finally after plunging until I thought my husband would drop a Wendy’s fork popped up into the bowl. Who would have thunked it?
The bad news… It improved it, but my brother bought the house and they still fight with it being slow. I think he needs professional help with the problem. The family that we bought the house from had just had a septic to sewer conversion done before we moved in. Who knows what he will find.
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