Lesson learned (again)

[johno]

I shouldn't do plumbing.

No damage, but it's now nearly 10pm and we still have a clogged main drain.

I called and left message for Pat our regular plumber this morning, but never followed up as we about taking care of errands and appointments (our with Dr James time is now wasted).

On our way home we picked up some industrial strength drain cleaner and a 25 foot drain snake.

No water in the front clean out, so I poured half the drain cleaner down it.
Waited the listed time.
Ran water, it backed up in the tub.
Now there was a trickle of water in front clean out.

Let water slowly drain from tub.
Poured in other half of drain cleaner in the tub drain.
Waited the listed time.
Ran water, it backed up in the tub again.
Still just a trickle of water in front clean out.

Opened the rear clean out, lots of water gushed out (fortunately clean).
Ran snake in, think I cleared a couple of clogs.
Got to a point where the snake would go no farther. Felt more like it hit a bend or join, not clog.
Ran snake back and forth a few times. All seemed clear.
Ran water, it backed up.
If anything an even smaller trickle of water in the front clean out.
I suspect I pushed a couple of small clogs into the main clog.

Sigh, this means driving a few blocks to a friends house for bedtime and nighttime bathroom breaks.
And I need to calling Pat the Plumber first thing in the morning and hope we catch him before he hits the road on his regular gigs.

{sigh}

I shouldn't do plumbing.

Comments

[reddelicious22.livejournal.com]

Sucks... I'm sorry!!

[succ33d.livejournal.com]

That sucks, i hope the plumber can get there in the morning!!

Congratulations are in order...

[discodj.livejournal.com]

You should be applauded.
You did more than 97.9% of the people who call a plumber.
You tried first.
You didn't break anything.
You might fix it next time.

Hear hear!
(How much easier would our lives be if people just rebooted the computer, before calling the tech?)

[colleency.livejournal.com]

I've heard that draino can be worse for your pipes than doing nothing, but I do not have any proof to back this up. Just that our previous landlord would freak if we mentioned draino.

Re: Congratulations are in order...

[johno.livejournal.com]

Actually when I spoke with Pat the Plumber this morning, his first question was "did you open the clean-out, check for flow and try to snake it yourself?"

The lesson relearned bit was because every time I tried to do house plumbing in the past, I've either broken something, made it worse or spent lots of time/$$ fixing it. Which boils down to "the professional can do it faster, cheaper and better then a unskilled civilian.

[johno.livejournal.com]

Pat the Plumber says the same thing. To use it only as a last resort, but to never EVER use it regularly.

I violated that rule by trying drain cleaner first.

Re: Congratulations are in order...

[oddharmonic.livejournal.com]

I concur.

Our former landlord was amazed when we fixed what he thought might be a minor plumbing leak by replacing the toilet flappers in both bathrooms.

On that note, this photo of toilet flappers hanging in a tree cracked me up: http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/flappers-in-trees.jpg

[colleency.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't have to serve time in plumber jail!

Re: Congratulations are in order...

[johno.livejournal.com]

There have been many projects where I've wanted to just fling bits out the window like that.

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

A lot of plumbers hate when customers use drano, because then they have to deal with caustic water rather than just murky water. If there's no place for the drain cleaner to go, it can just sit there and possibly burn the plumber when things are opened up.

We use it occasionally to take out the routine hair and tree root clogs, but never when it's totally backed up, always when there's some flow. But then, we know we have a problem with tree roots...

[janeylou.livejournal.com]

I take my hat off to you! Not many people would even give it a try. Fair play to you for attempting it.