So, last weekend it was half price day at the junkyard again. My dad and I went. Didn't get everything on our lists, but got a few things anyway. On the way out, though, I noticed the drain gurgling in the kitchen, an ominous sound. As I was in the basement, I saw no water backing up at this point, but when I got back there was raw sewage aplenty.
It's an old house, 1924 construction. At least every year the main line of the sewer needs snaked out. About 60 feet back there's usually some roots growing in. In the last year I'd say it's been at least three times. I figured it was time again, but did note that it is getting more and more frequent.
My normal guy, an independent one man act who has always done well, turns out to no longer be doing weekends. Another plumber, a major chain I've used before, can't make it until the next day. I go online and find someone who can make it. A place that'll root out your drain for $79 looks promising, and can make it in a few hours. He gets here, says he can't guarantee it'll work, proceeds to break the drain from the washing machine and gets a little bit of roots out to where it drains down, then charges almost double the advertised price. Got there quick, but completely off my list now.
Two days later, I go down to repair the washing machine drain, and find it's backed up again. My normal guy doesn't even call back, the major chain comes out and won't do it because the access is in the basement. Driving home that evening I see the back of a van, I can't even see the name but it has "drains our specialty" on the back, and I get the number. They come right out the next day, snake the drain thrice to no avail, and end up sending their camera down to discover a root around 4 inches around going for about seven feet!!! Well, there you go.
So, anyway, there it is. If you want your fancy indoor plumbing, your 89 year old sewer line has gotta go, and since it's on a nice incline, it ain't gonna be cheap!!! Between half the payment on my property tax and the new sewer line, there goes exactly all of my gravy from last year!!! Guess we're not going on a fancy big vacation this year. All permits and inspections are included, though. Getting another clean out, this one on the outside of the house, put in, too. On the plus side, it's guaranteed for 25 years, so figuring $150 or so per rooter visit... I'm still money behind. Oh well.
Funny thing, I remember some years back, I was playing Runescape, mining with my rune pickax. I was getting set to head out somewhere, and was going to log out as soon as I got the one more coal. I messed up, though, the head came flying off my pickax, and my mind said that was the last coal, and I'd logged out just as I realized what happened. Quickly went back to the log in page, but by the time it was loaded and I got logged in, it was gone. I was more broke up about that than about how much I'm having to pay to get a new sewer line put in. My stomach actually hurt over my pixel pickax!!!
Here's a few pictures from the project. I like the first one, I call it "troll in a hole", and I'm thinking of using it for my new profile picture!!! The third picture is where they tunneled the new pipe where the old one was. I don't know how they did it, it's gotta be close to twenty feet!!! Fourth shot is the hole nearest to the house, it had two pipes coming out, then one down to the street. I have no idea how that works, it only seems like one goes. Last shot is water draining down the new pipes.
It's an old house, 1924 construction. At least every year the main line of the sewer needs snaked out. About 60 feet back there's usually some roots growing in. In the last year I'd say it's been at least three times. I figured it was time again, but did note that it is getting more and more frequent.
My normal guy, an independent one man act who has always done well, turns out to no longer be doing weekends. Another plumber, a major chain I've used before, can't make it until the next day. I go online and find someone who can make it. A place that'll root out your drain for $79 looks promising, and can make it in a few hours. He gets here, says he can't guarantee it'll work, proceeds to break the drain from the washing machine and gets a little bit of roots out to where it drains down, then charges almost double the advertised price. Got there quick, but completely off my list now.
Two days later, I go down to repair the washing machine drain, and find it's backed up again. My normal guy doesn't even call back, the major chain comes out and won't do it because the access is in the basement. Driving home that evening I see the back of a van, I can't even see the name but it has "drains our specialty" on the back, and I get the number. They come right out the next day, snake the drain thrice to no avail, and end up sending their camera down to discover a root around 4 inches around going for about seven feet!!! Well, there you go.
So, anyway, there it is. If you want your fancy indoor plumbing, your 89 year old sewer line has gotta go, and since it's on a nice incline, it ain't gonna be cheap!!! Between half the payment on my property tax and the new sewer line, there goes exactly all of my gravy from last year!!! Guess we're not going on a fancy big vacation this year. All permits and inspections are included, though. Getting another clean out, this one on the outside of the house, put in, too. On the plus side, it's guaranteed for 25 years, so figuring $150 or so per rooter visit... I'm still money behind. Oh well.
Funny thing, I remember some years back, I was playing Runescape, mining with my rune pickax. I was getting set to head out somewhere, and was going to log out as soon as I got the one more coal. I messed up, though, the head came flying off my pickax, and my mind said that was the last coal, and I'd logged out just as I realized what happened. Quickly went back to the log in page, but by the time it was loaded and I got logged in, it was gone. I was more broke up about that than about how much I'm having to pay to get a new sewer line put in. My stomach actually hurt over my pixel pickax!!!
Here's a few pictures from the project. I like the first one, I call it "troll in a hole", and I'm thinking of using it for my new profile picture!!! The third picture is where they tunneled the new pipe where the old one was. I don't know how they did it, it's gotta be close to twenty feet!!! Fourth shot is the hole nearest to the house, it had two pipes coming out, then one down to the street. I have no idea how that works, it only seems like one goes. Last shot is water draining down the new pipes.
1 comment:
Oh yea, another thing on the cost: I currently have six cars. The purchase price for all of them combined is less than my new sewer pipe, with enough left over for another fairly nice seventh one, or the previous two!!!
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