So, like 2 years ago, I spent over $7,000 to replace my sewer line from my house out to the street. It was a major expense, and not one we really wanted to have as money was tight for us. But after 2 years of snaking out the drain several times a year, it was time to solve the actual problem. It was replaced with some super-duper industrial strength pipe that should be impervious to tree roots and stuff. Today, at around 9pm (after home depot closes, of course), I find that water has backed up through the floor drain in my basement (again!). A half gallon of Drano has thus far had no effect, though the water is draining very very slowly.
Tomorrow morning I’ll be calling the people who fixed my sewer line and seeing when it’s convenient for them to come out to my house to check into the problem. I’m sure they will drop everything and rush right over.
Damn this is shitty. I almost mean that literally, but thankfully not just yet.
I sympathize, friend. I had the same thing happen. Unfortunately for me, the geyser erupted only a few feet from my laundry basket, soaking clothes, two area rugs and a box o childhood stuffed toys. I did what any calm, reasonable adult does when i discovered it: I sat down on the stairs and wept. After a carpet removal and a thoughough mopping with strong bleach-water, we were back in business.
Or so I thought.
My garbage disposal clogged the pipes one time. I went down into the basement and say what I can only describe as vomit rising from the drain. Honestly, for some reason, that grossed me out more than the sewage. At this point, I did what any reasonable adult would do and ran screaming to call for a plumber.
More good news. The sewer people will be here shortly, but it turns out they only warranty their work for one year. We’ll be having a discussion about that, I’m sure.
My wife uses some kind of stuff each month that she swore by but I was doubtful about. After two years, when we were installing a lamp in our back yard, the diggers hit a pipe in the septic farm. There was no solid waste, a good sign. Maybe the stuff works. If you’re interested, I can find out the name of it.
I am fairly sure it’s not a solid waste problem. The reason we had problems in the first place was that all the lots in this area are populated with fairly mature trees (one of the things we like about it). One of the tree roots had heavily invaded our old pipes, so we had the whole system replaced with a seamless pipe that was supposed to prevent any further root invasion.
Well, no tree roots came back. He said it was something VERY hard, but apparently it pushed through to the main line and nothing cameb back on the end of his tool.
We have a slow drain in the laundry room that we’ll need to get fixed some day. Right now our solution is to try to keep stuff out of the massive lake that forms every time I do a load of laundry. Not an ideal solution, I agree.
To me, sounds like one of the kids flushed a GI Joe doll down the toilet. I know it’s painful, but 180 dollars is getting off pretty light if the alternative is digging up the front yard again.
Yeah, but I could have rented a snake and done it myself for 60 bucks. Oh, and I (TMI)
could have taken a dump much earlier in the day, instead of being uncomfortable.
As for flushing a GI Joe, my 3 year old daughter has to be constantly reminded to flush after she goes potty…apparently she has not reached the fascination stage with flushing things down yet.