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BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster
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Subject: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 17 May 03 - 11:23 PM So I figure this is the mother of all BS threads. Shower drain made funny noises. Toilet seemed plugged. As I sat here wondering what could have messed up ALL the drainage, I heard little waterfall noises coming from the basement. The waterfall was coming from the PVC sewage line, about 4" from where it's cemented into/through the wall. There's tape around the leak, so apparently, it's been screwed for some time. I don't have enough money to replace this. I don't know how much it would cost, but I don't have enough money. Any suggestions on how to patch this? Sealant? Hoseclamp? Superglue and more PVC? More tape? Build an outhouse and out-door shower? Anybody out there have any experience with this sort of thing? |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 18 May 03 - 12:11 AM PVC is not too hard to fix usually...you get a coupling of the right size..(that the pipe will fit INTO)...then the bad section has to be cut out and the union fitted in....(there are several 'possible' ways to bridge the gap...depending on whether you can move the visible part of the line or have to use a union) hard to say without seeing it. The important part is, there is a two-step chemical trick to seal it...has to be primed with "purple stuff" (softens the surface) then coated with standard PVC cement and slid together. Not hard to do, but has to be RIGHT...(you only get 15-20 seconds to get it positioned before the cement sticks)....the parts to fix it, if I understand it right...including the chemicals...would only be less that $10, I'd think....if you know ANYONE who has done air lines or water lines this way, get some help and do it yourself. Wish I was closer... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Mudlark Date: 18 May 03 - 12:11 AM Jeri...Altho I have no help to offer, you certainly have all my sympathy. When my septic tank backed up a couple of weeks ago, spreading sewage straight from the toilet's mouth all thru the bathroom, parts of the kitchen, living room and bathroom, I indeed felt like going back to my old trusty outhouse. Good luck! I had to have my septic tank pumped, then the lines--blocked by the back-up--professionally snaked. The whole mess cost a bundle, and I'm not done replacing ruined stuff yet. Hope you get help fast... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 18 May 03 - 12:12 AM Use chlorine bleach, immediately, down the drains, and it will sterilze the situation, and disolve are hair buildup.
At your local hardware store they will have an exterior clamping device, to which you should add plumber's epoxy before securing tightly.
Cost, bleach, epoxy, clamp, about 30 dollars U.S.
Sincerely, |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 18 May 03 - 12:23 AM **PVC** pipe!!...plumbers epoxy is doubtful...there 'are' rubber type clamps...but they are usually for metal pipe. lots depends on whether you have clearance from a wall if you try some sort of clamp, whether you can cut thru it with a hack saw if you want a GOOD PVC patch..etc... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 18 May 03 - 12:24 AM must go to bed now...(hope YOU are too, Jeri..) will check in the morning |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 08:46 AM Chlorine will sterilise the lines, but I doubt it will dissolve hair. A good idea, nevertheless. If I have to buy a snake and snake out the line, at least I know where the nut is to open the last section, and it's a straight line to the septic tank. I shouldn't need the septic tank pumped. It was pumped out in '99 when the whole leach field was replaced. Garg DID catch onto something I wasn't really paying attention to last night. The pressure blew out the previous 'repair', and the pressure was higher than it should have been because the system wasn't draining properly. I suspect I should try to patch the pipe before I try to get rid of the blockage. At least all that came out in the basement was water. I had to deal with situations in my previous job that included wading through effluent on the bottom floor of a dorm that had lumpy stuff in. This water probably has all the same lovely bacteria in it, but it doesn't look or smell too gross. It seems the leak isn't at the bottom of the pipe, so some stuff is going where it's supposed to. It was just the larger quantity of water from the shower that spilled through the hole. Bill, I could probably get a hacksaw (don't have one) in there, or a dremel (have one), but it's in a crawlspace. I don't think I want to sit on the floor in there right now, but I have a plastic stool I could clean with chlorine later. I'm basically scared of doing anything irreversable, like cutting a section out. Will have to get the tape off the pipe and see what's underneath. Thanks! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: curmudgeon Date: 18 May 03 - 09:18 AM For a temporary fix, get two large hose clamps and a piece of rubber, as in inner tube type. Wrap the rubber around where the leak is and clamp it on either side. This should hold until you can do a proper fix which i'll tell you about at work tomorrow -- Tom |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: *daylia* Date: 18 May 03 - 09:34 AM Jeri, try Liquid Pumbr PRO to remove the clog. Hate to mention a product that's so "unorganic", but it works SO WELL, SO QUICKLY on hair etc and won't hurt your pipes or septic ... And don't forget to turn the water off before you work on the pipe at all! (I did once, and the pressure from an unexpected blast of water could have taken out an eye!) |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 18 May 03 - 10:06 AM yep...working in water in a crawl space is a problem!...(Is this a 4" diameter pipe? Smaller?)..Rubber gaskets (inner tube, etc.) are a good temp solution as Tom says, IF you can get one big enough and the right size clamps. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 10:19 AM Shouldn't have to turn the 'in' water off to work on the drainage 'out' lines. I'm also not sure about Liquid Plumber. The amount needed to clean a drain clog might not be so good for the septic tank if I use enough to clean out what looks like a 3" diameter pipe so close to the tank and far away from where I'm pouring it. I don't know, though. I NEVER wanted to admit the possibility I'd ever be shoving a snake through the nether-regions of my house's bowels. Ick. I'm not particularly squeamish, but still ...ick. There's someone who lives in New Hampshire Who's sewage line burst one dark night She'd rue what she knew she must do when it blew -- She'd be up to her elbows in -- Shine your buttons with Brasso... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 18 May 03 - 10:22 AM Jeri, Go down to the Home Depot or Loewe's or whatever you have nearby and get either a 3" or 4" FERNCO coupling. If the pipe is strapped down, undo it temporarily so you can manipulate it somewhat. Ferncos are rubber pvc couplings sized to fit snugly and come with stainless steel band clamps. Check the side of the PVC pipe and you will probably see what size it is as they print it on there in a long stream of specs etc. Get some good rubber or latex gloves to use as well. Plumbers have to get in there and do this all the time and dysentary should not be a major concern unless you are a nail biter. ;~) Ask an old guy wandering the aisles of your local hardware/lumber supply for more details when you get there. I think you can fix this one pretty easy, but something weighed yore pipe down to make it come loose so mebbe there's a blockage further down the line. If it's roots in the pipe blocking flow outside the house then you need a rooter guy. Yerz, Tweed |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 10:33 AM Bill, I have a feeling I can find the heavy rubber stuff in some form, either at a local hardware store or Home Depot. It looks like what's been holding the damned thing together for at least 4 years was a 'temporary fix'. The rubber seems it would have a lot more longevity than tape. Of course, Liquid Plumber would probably do a number on it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Mr Red Date: 18 May 03 - 10:42 AM Jeri - Call in the services of Peggy Sewerage FWIW the original Peggy, inspiration of Peggy Sue, ran a drain clearing service about 5/7 years ago in Texas (I think) and the UK TV interviewers question was why she had not called it that. What kind of soiled water are we talking about? Just the shower? |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 10:48 AM No roots - there aren't any trees or bushes between it and the septic tank. Now, for what seems like the ultimate good/bad joke. I went down there to see if there was a connection between two sections where the leak was. I put on my glove and felt around. The bad news is that some numb-nuts connected two sections of pipe about 1/2" apart with duct tape. A half inch of my sewage line is friggin' DUCT TAPE! The good news is I won't have to cut anything. FERNCO, huh? Gotta find a flashlight and see if I can read the poop-pile. (Or measure it) Can't see shit down there. (haha) Maybe I should plant mushrooms... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 10:53 AM Mr Red, everything but the washing machine goes out that pipe. It's just that the shower was the last thing to go out it last night when it started leaking. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 18 May 03 - 10:57 AM *shaking my head in wonder" ..Duct tape IS pretty good stuff, but that is ridiculous! Even a rubber-and-clamp repair should do you until you can get something more permanent. Have fun! (and mushrooms sell well...but you'd have to leave a little gap in the repair to keep 'em fed)... ;>) |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bat Goddess Date: 18 May 03 - 11:03 AM Uh, Jeri -- shouldn't your home inspection have caught this little number when you bought the house? They knew the septic system (or leach field) needed replacing. Or has it been too long? Duct tape can work miracles -- but not forever, unfortunately. Were the two sections 1/2" apart when they "fixed" it or are the two sections separating? Try the hardware store up Rte. 4 from where you live, or Gooch's for the FERNCO -- or the hardware store on 125 in Barrington (before you get to Calef's on the right). You shouldn't have to run into Portsmouth. Linn |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 11:27 AM Headed up Rt 4 before they close. Gooch's don't seem to ever have anyone who knows anything when I'm there. Pipes look like they've always been 1/2" apart. The tape's not stretched and is firmly stuck where it's still stuck, but I don't know that that means much. Maybe someone was part-way through a repair job. Bugger. Pipe's 15.5" in circumference. If I'd leaned any math, I could figure out what that meant in diameter. Lemme see - if pi*r2=...it means I'll take the tape measure. I'll be back... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 18 May 03 - 12:12 PM Take a tape and measure the outside width of it, subtract 3/8" to 1/2" (+,-), and that'll give you the inner diameter which is what you'll want. Should be either 3" or 4" if it's the main drain. Tweed |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: GUEST,Jon Date: 18 May 03 - 01:32 PM I'm not a plumber, I don't know about the US or Jeri's exact situation but in the UK, I'd suspect you could probably get away with a pvc-u push fit connector (like this) and have a lasting joint for around £10.
--- It is 1890 x 1417 pixels, 152677 bytes. --- ---Jeff (PA)--- |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Charley Noble Date: 18 May 03 - 01:38 PM Jeri- Looks like you're on to something. A half inch gap! Dah! What to do? Well, I'll just wrap it with duct tape and no one will be the wiser for years! Gotta love them contractors. There's gotta be a special place in Hell for them, without a pot to piss in. Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 01:39 PM 4". Guy measured his pipe and found one with a 15.5" circumference. (He didn't know math either.) The difference between 3" and 4" is pretty to eyeball, though. Got the FERNCO coupling. Got a hangy light doohicky, which there's a special name for, but I can't remember it. Got stool, screwdrivers, utility knife, gloves, and a very strong bleach/water solution. Cut through about 10 layers of duct tape. Pipe was partially broken. Previous assh*le owners forgot the bracket that keeps the inside '|' part of the system from weighing down and breaking the '_' part of the system. Wiggled pipe and it broke the rest of the way. Good move - the coupling wasn't going on otherwise. Put coupling on. (Sounds easy, but it took about a half hour of swearing and pipe/coupling shoving and pulling.) Tightened screws on hose clamps. Cleaned it off again and went to run some water. No drips! I didn't run a LOT of water - I'll try that in a bit. I still have to put a bracket on the down pipe or it's just going to get screwed up again. You know, no matter what gloves I wear, I always put holes in them. Nicked myself on the clamp through the glove too, so the hands went in the chlorine. (I thought I was JOKING about being up to me elbows in stuff!) At least I can take a shower now! Thanks everyone!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 18 May 03 - 01:51 PM *big smile*...hooray!..virtual plumbing and willingness to get hand dirty save the day! I am glad to know the name FERNCO now, as it would have saved ME a few hundred $$$ 10 years ago, as I could have done a local repair myself.. good show, Jeri and Tweed!... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 18 May 03 - 02:04 PM Hey, I knew you could do it Jeri!! Congratulations on a job well done. You really know yore sh*t now!! ;~) Yerz, Tweed P.S. Fernco's really are a bitch for anyone to slide on even plumbers or Tweeds. I'm proud of ya!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: JohnInKansas Date: 18 May 03 - 02:35 PM I'm gonna mark this one down as a possible record. 26 hours from first post for help and a successful resolution that went to appropriate sources, used the right tools and parts, and got the job done in an appropriate manner. We'll trust Jeri to get the hanger(s) on to support the pipe as it should be. A note on plumber's philosophy for future reference. If there's a leak, it's usually better to not pour anything in until the leak is fixed. Chlorine bleach, often used with well meant intent, can kill some bacteria, but it can't kill what it doesn't reach. You'd have to pour in enough to leak to everywhere that the original spillage went to actually help much - and it won't disolve hair. The conventional drain cleaners also don't have much effect on hair or roots. Their principal purpose is to dissolve the "soap scum" that is the main "binder" that holds clogs together. It actually has a tendency to preserve the "hard chunks" like hair - but makes them 'slippery' so they'll go on down the line. It also makes it hazardous to work on the lines until enough water has gone through to dilute them. An alternate kind of drain cleaner that may be found occasionally (Liquid Power is a common label) is nothing more than concentrated sulphuric acid, and while it will "dissolve" hair and roots, it may also "explode," especially if poured into a drain that contains a previous "dose" of alkaline cleaner. And it makes any subsequent work on the line really nasty. Not recommended for home use. Standardised parts for repairs like this one do generally exist. They may be hard to identify; but it's worth finding someone who's familiar with the problem type, and using the "conventional" repair. Well done all. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 03:15 PM John, as to speed, I REALLY wanted to be able to take a shower and flush the toilet, so it was a priortiy. My first job in the Air Force was as a mechanic. One of the things I worked on was a hydraulic test stand for aircraft. I knew about tools and basic hydraulics. I didn't pour chlorine down any drain. If I killed all the bacteria in the lines, I might have killed them in my septic tank too, and that wouldn't have been good. It also would have wound up in the basement, so I would have had to work in a pool of chlorinated poop tea. I concentrated on the little buggers that escaped from the pipe. I don't think I have a clog as stuff seems to be running out. I figure what appeared to be a clog was an airlock or a venturi thing or something else weird. Toilet flushes better than it has in a long time. Dunno, though. I'll have to wait and see. Even if this turns out to not work properly or for long, I know I can undo what I've done. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: catspaw49 Date: 18 May 03 - 03:21 PM Great job! And no need to feel bad about this repair Jeri......One day a real plumber is going to walk into my basement and die laughing! This place has galvanized that won't come apart, copper, and PVC lines. In a couple of places I couldn't get anything to work to couple the stuff together so you go with what you know....auto parts in my case. So I have some heater hose joining the plastic (formerly copper) and galvanized lines a few feet away from the water heater. Everyone said this wouldn't work but it has already outlasted one water heater! Then there's the shower drain---3 inch---that has no plug in the trap. As a tyke, Tristan was constantly putting things down the drain and they didn't make the bend. Things like combs, toothbrushes, toy cars, etc., combined with a few bars of soap and the natural hair build up would plug the thing to the point that I had to cut through the trap and make a "clean out" section. I'd have replaced the trap but it's a real mother to get to, so I repaired my cut with a cottage cheese container and duct tape. Still works and I only have to repair it about once every two years! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 18 May 03 - 03:47 PM Spaw, you didn't happen to sell Jeri that house did you? ;~) I put a clean out in the line to my septic tank a while ago. The previous owner's solution to a "cleanout" was a hole busted in the top of the cast iron discharge pipe, which I found by accident. It was taped (underground)with a blob of grout free form poured around it. This thing worked great but was hard to dig up late at nite, when most drains clog themselves, so I got a proper tee that will allow a rooter to feed either way and replaced the cast iron with PVC. It still clogs up once in a while but I find that an old garden hose with a ten foot length of electrician's snake jammed in it to make it a little sturdier will feed in there easy and blast out whatever nameless thing is causing the toilet to blurp and guzzle. I hope to never own another house with a septic tank system. The thing has about killed me over sixteen years of ficus roots, new drainfields, and my kids stuffing a half roll of paper down the shitter. I am able to identify at a single glance at my wife's expression that the drain is clogged. Generally when I get home late from work or at 6:30 in the morning. It's amazin'! I've come to regard it is a sentient being and with a naturally occurring biological clock . I'm certain the neighbors sit out in their backyards to listen to colorful outbursts during late nite/early AM repairs. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: GUEST Date: 18 May 03 - 04:09 PM chlorine bleach very effectivly disolves hair put it on a scrap of wool or the rat's nest of your comb if there are doubts |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: GUEST,Jon Date: 18 May 03 - 04:15 PM Well Jeri, maybe if you are now a qualified plumber, you would like to help me with my project that I put off last year and still may put off this year... Pip had new cenral heating installed when she bought the house but I really do not understand the logic of the (now retired) plumber who did it. It's a fully pumped system but only has a motorised valve on the C/H side. There is no stat on the H/W cylinder... The problem we get is when it's cold. You can turn the boiler up high but rather than have H/W shut off and have all the energy going to the radiators when the H/W reaches temperature, we end up with dangerously hot water from the taps. I reckon the "S Plan" listed on this page would work well but I'm not sure I want to go grovelling in the roof space to do it... Back to septic tanks, we have one here. It seems to have something against us. I can prety well guarantee that if family are coming to visit that things will start to back up and it need emptying either the day before or during the visit. Mind you, the kids don't help either - last time young Robert was here, he must have tried to flush 1/2 a roll of bog paper down in one go and we ended up with a bit of a flood. I Got my own back on him though - told him and his dad that he'd done a 12" long turd and that was the cause. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 18 May 03 - 04:26 PM They (septic tanks)hate humans Jon. We sh*t on them and they sh*t right back with a vengeance. They are infested with grey water spirits and even worse things! True about family gatherings. I give mine a good blasting before Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays....sometimes it works and other times.....gahhh....I've thought of renting a couple porta potties for family gatherings and settin' them up out back. Load 'em up with thirty or forty rolls of TP each and the aunts and uncles and their offspring can stuff as much as they like down the hole. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 04:39 PM Jon, your heating/HW system sounds like mine. There's a mixture valve on the hot water pipe coming out of the and I can adjust how much hot water gets mixed with cold to come out of the water system. The pressure sucks (well, now, but it doesn't blow hard enough) and if I turn the temp of the hot water down, the shower is a trickle. I can't see how anyone could install a system like this without a mixture valve. The temperature of the hot water gets ABOVE the boiling point! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Mudlark Date: 18 May 03 - 05:00 PM Jeri...you are a tower of ingenuity and perserverance and a role model supreme. Next time something blows around this old country plance I'm going to remember this thread. You are a credit to beleagured homeowners everywhere! Well DONE! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: katlaughing Date: 18 May 03 - 05:50 PM Same here!! Brava, Jeri!!! What a shining example!! Rosie the Riveter move over!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: GUEST,Jon Date: 18 May 03 - 06:41 PM Now Jeri, don't talk to me about low water pressure and showers... We had an electric one in when we lived in Wales. The idea seemed fine and with one of the group of companies I worked for making showers, I was able to buy one quite cheaply... It was a good unit and installed by qualified people but it was a nightmare. It may have worked for one person living alone but didn't with a few in the house. You could fiddle around and get the heat just right and then some idiot downstairs could maybe decide to fill a kettle of water or do some washing up... A typical scenario would be the water got too hot - so you increase the flow of (cold) water (that's how the temprature control worked) and at the same time, the safety temperature sensor would cut the heater out. Next step = tap elsewhere in house gets turned off and from being burned then dry of water, you suddenly get a shower of icy cold water. Jon |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Gareth Date: 18 May 03 - 07:09 PM Jon - ain't it time you rejoined the 'Cat ??? There ain't enough of us Welsh here. BTW I've got a shower just like that !!!! Jeri - well done, as a bodger of first degree I salute you. Gareth |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 18 May 03 - 07:18 PM Honestly, it was self-preservation. Well, that and a certain defiant rage at the entropy that seems to define my life these days! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: GUEST,Jon Date: 18 May 03 - 07:49 PM Sorry for more drift but Gareth, I can lay no claim to being Welsh I know of. I was born in Shrewsbury, and my father in Norwich. I can of course claim to have enjoyed 2 nice spells in Wales (interupted by Tunbridge Wells, Kent) and my mother's family, Westbury - Shropshire was at least very much (Shropshire/ Montgomery) border country. I may just have some Welsh in me though - I don't know - Pip/mum (this said with her permission) believes her father was Welsh. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 18 May 03 - 10:04 PM why Jeri...didn't you know that entropy is a subset of weather? And that it follows the old Murphy's Law that says "Whatever hits the fan is not distributed equally" ? I have the pin-holes-in-copper pipes problem...7 pinholes so far...all within inches in 2 locations.Little clamps lined up in neat rows. Also the "plastic dip-tube in the hot water heater" problem..(it dissolves!)...so, I get only the water from the TOP of the tank. And I missed the class action lawsuit settlement. Looking at a new heater some day soon. Now I'm wondering where entrpy will hit next. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 18 May 03 - 10:11 PM Oy BillD. Yore copper is dissolvin from the inside out I think. Invest in new pipes or a good sized wet vac perdy quick! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Amos Date: 18 May 03 - 11:54 PM Bill: And a new hw heater!! That dip pipe just keeps on clogging up the screens in yore taps until you replace the damn thing -- what a sabotage it is!! Good luck! A |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Mr Red Date: 19 May 03 - 09:53 AM Jeri Best of luck mate. I am debating whether to buy one of those long thin springy things as I had a problem recently. No leaks and a lot of bleach and hot water may have cleared it but now (SAD or what?) I flush and watch the water subside, trying to remember how fast it dropped before. Human nature to be paranoic after one scare but I may yet have to poke around corners with Mr Floppy (as it were). When I bought the house the previous owners had just painted (to sell) and the lady was so house proud she even painted over the glass panel for the downlight on the cooker hood. I had to laugh, this was ignorance not lazyness. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: *daylia* Date: 19 May 03 - 10:53 AM Congrats, Jeri Tweed and Mudcat too! This place is a householder's haven too, it seems! :>) The little place I've lived in for a year now is on a septic system. Most of the pipes are the older metal type, but the bathroom fixtures are brand-new - that heavy white "plastic" (vinyl?) stuff. A couple months ago I had a early-morning emergency with the pipes backing up due to clogs of hair etc. from the shower stall. I called a plumber friend of mine with the SOS, and because he couldn't come by till the next day he recommended I try "Liquid Plumr Pro". He had a bit of talking to do to convince me it was safe - I was sure it would be either too hard on those old pipes or that it would eat away at the new shower floor/drain cover. But I tried it - let it sit in the pipes for about twenty minutes and then rinsed it thoroughly with hot water. Worked like a charm - no damage, cleared the clog, no fooling around with those awkward messy "snakes" and I didn't even have to call him back the next day! I wouldn't use it except for real emergencies though. And it just might do a real number on something as flimsy as duct tape! daylia |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 19 May 03 - 03:04 PM It'll do a number on the critters in yore septic tank too Daylyr. The bugs and bacteria in there are crazy about biological waste but not industrial strength waste. I think mebbe yeast will replenish them summat after yore WMD attack and the resulting collateral damage ;~) |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tinker Date: 19 May 03 - 10:35 PM Jeri, I am awed and impressed.... Almost but not quite speechless... And thankful, oh so very thankful for a municipal sewer system... Kathy |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: *daylia* Date: 20 May 03 - 10:14 AM Tweed, after posting that message yesterday it occurred to me to get some of that "Septo-Bac" stuff just to make sure everything is still, um, rotting properly. Thanks so much for the confirmation - gonna get right on that! Ah, isn't this just the essence of what life's all about -- achieving true mastery of your own s***! ;>) daylia |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 28 May 03 - 10:48 AM There's a hole in Jeri's yard where all the sewage goes Well, that's what ought to happen, but I suppose Big roots grow from big trees, And prevent the old feces And 'stuff' from travel down the path it usually flows Update. Nothing's coming out in house, but it's not going anywhere else either. Septic tank sucked out - not much in there. Diggin hole to uncove the inlet. I think I discovered the problem - big honkin' roots from (they have to be) a gorgeous ash tree about 20 feet on the other side of the septic tank. Trees are nice...I like trees...trees are pretty... (I'm gonna go kick this one HARD though, and yell at it a bit before I dig some more. Looks aren't everything.) |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Big Mick Date: 28 May 03 - 11:03 AM Damn.............go away for work for a while and come back and find out that my beloved Jeri has now added plumbing contractor, excavator, as well as arboreal abuser to her burgeoning resume. As I read it through top to bottom I was going to point out that a tree doesn't have to be close. Certain Maples and Ash trees will send out "suckers" a long way, as you have seen. Wish I was there to get dirty with you....................wait,...........that didn't sound right..........to help you clean your pipes...............stop..............shit, ............Good luck. I can't wait to hear the song you write about this. Mick |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 28 May 03 - 12:05 PM Mick, "stop....shit" is the problem. If you were here, YOU would be prodding around trying to find the damned hole...uh. Anyway, my ash is absolutely enormous. I can understand how the part underneath has grown over the years. The problem is, the roots are hard to chop up and I can't SEE if I've run into a root or something else...can't tell my ash from the hole in the ground. Have struck concrete, about 4' down. Have NOT found anything resembling a lid. Have managed to not have a heart attack yet. It's raining, so I gots mud. If it was the back yard, it would be clay, and I could just roll it up in balls and do a dung-beetle impression. Oh well, at least it's just DIRT. If re-incarnation really happens, I want to come back as something that shits in the woods and doesn't have to wash dishes. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Gareth Date: 28 May 03 - 12:20 PM Hmmm ! Jeri - reincarnation. This calls for a reprise of the Rupert the Bear song !!! Gareth |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: GUEST Date: 28 May 03 - 12:40 PM get a sealing clamp... |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Tweed Date: 28 May 03 - 06:05 PM Four feet down??? Dammit girl you need a backhoe, a chain saw and a bunch of rednecks to fix this mess. I am thinking it may be beyond your abilities to do the amount of work it's gonna take to make the shit flow downstream. You are no doubt a resourceful woman, but that sounds like too much for one person to do and not hurt themselves doin' it. Yerz, Tweed |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 28 May 03 - 06:22 PM Done! Found the lid, got it uncovered and they came back and snaked it out. No roots, just impacted poop-'n'-stuff. (I hate when that happens!) They didn't even charge me for the second visit. Apparently I have a pipe with a dip in it that allows stuff to collect. I was afraid to use too much water and I probably would have been better off using 'too much' water. I need to get that pipe replaced but it's a chunk of money and can wait. Didn't hurt myself, Tweed, but I'm gonna have some sore muscles tomorrow. Still, it was sheer heaven to have a nice, LONG shower! |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Big Mick Date: 28 May 03 - 06:52 PM Great, glad to hear it. Now..........can we get back to the discussion of how enormous your ash is............please? Mick |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: katlaughing Date: 28 May 03 - 07:22 PM Good gawd almighty, womon! Are there no ends to your prowess, your resourcefulness, your Amazonian goddessness? You GO, GYRL!! Somewhere, New Hampshire(MP) After several weeks of hauling ash, digging holes, and unplugging dipped sewage lines, Mighty Woman has succeeded in her mission to restore the effluvial flow through her domicile's pipes. As an immediate result, the redolence in her vicinity has abated. In recounting her trials and tribulations, MW stated that she missed the opportunity to study and display the attributes and abilities of the common dung beetle, as the soil was not conducive to such. She went on to say that she has chosen a new type of species for her next reincarnation, that of the mighty bear; one which lives free and can squat with impugnity wherever it so chooses, to "do its business." This choice will also eliminate the need for that most mundane of chores: dishwashing. It is believed that as a bear she will not mind wet paws while fishing for dinner. Arborists were also delighted at her success, stating that it would clearly be of benefit to ash trees everywhere. According to their website, www.haulingash.org, the trees are well-suited for the odd backscratch, but a kick in the shin damages their softie centres. We are sure readers everywhere will join us when we say, "Well done, Mighty Woman and good luck for now and in your next go round!" |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Rick Fielding Date: 29 May 03 - 09:00 AM Jeez, and I thought I had had a bad week! You're amazin'...I'd have fainted dead away, and been tryin' to figure out how to get Mick down from Lansing! Rick |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 29 May 03 - 09:16 AM Rick, I don't think you would have managed to do the shoveling, although I'm not sore at all. (Give it another day.) Funny thing - if your septic system is doing its job (and stuff is getting there, it doesn't smell any worse than wet dirt, so there really wasn't any stink. At least I know I haven't killed it with chemicals, and it didn't NEED to be pumped out - maybe why they didn't charge me for the snaking. Now I just have to fill one hole in and wait for them to bring me a tile thingie for the other so the meter reader doesn't fall in and sue my ass. Bears are pretty cool, but they can't sing. On the other hand, they don't CARE that they can't sing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Bill D Date: 29 May 03 - 01:57 PM of course bears don't sing...they waltz!..(as any good folkie knows!) and I'm glad it wasn't the tree's fault, as you would have been chopping at it, and I would have had to concoct some joke even worse than Mick's about wanting a good piece of Ash. |
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Subject: RE: BS: and just 'S' - Sewage Line Disaster From: Jeri Date: 29 May 03 - 02:10 PM Bill, I KNOW you would have been trying to get your hands on my ash. It's a four-trunk monster and I'll bet it has pretty little swirlies where the trunks all meet! It's 13.25' around at the base of the four trunks, but I think the ground's been built up so they may eventually join under the surface. You could make a really cool bathtub out of it. Nope, I'm not choppin' THAT sucker down! |
