It seems that this time of year there's usually some major purchase I have to make or expensive home maintenance work that has to get done. This year is no different, with my annual stopped-up sewer issues.
About once a year I have to have a plumber come out. My house was built in 1961, and sewer pipes back then were made of clay. Nice porous stuff that sends out engraved invitations to every tree in the vicinity to come wrap their roots around it and dance a slow dance with it. As the love affair continues, the pipe eventually loses its virginity and the tree roots get inside, where they breathe in the rarified air and decide to stay, birthing new baby roots along the way.
To add to the pain of this once-yearly visit from the plumber, I apparently don't have a "clean out", at least not one that is visible. It may be buried, but since no one knows where, it's not a huge help. So the toilet has to be taken off and the pipe snaked to dislodge the roots that are causing the clog, or the plumber has to use the sewer vent on the roof of the house. Yesterday's visit was $337.00, but would have only been $165.00 had there been a clean out.
Knowing that I need to replace/repair the sewer pipe eventually, and also knowing that I have a water leak somewhere, I asked for estimates to fix these issues as well. The plumber looked around my front and back yard, and basically said that they'd have to dig to find the problem, since they didn't even know where the sewer pipes were for sure. In my innocence I asked "isn't there better technology out there to figure that out, rather than digging up my yard?" Defensive, the plumber said if I wanted technology, I should call American Leak Detectors. He also said that based on a job he had just completed, the sewer replacement alone would probably run in the neighborhood of 4-5 thousand dollars. Gulp.
So I had him unclog the sewer and called American Leak Detectors to set up an appointment to find out exactly what my sewer and water leak problems were, how serious they are, and where they are located. The estimate for the investigation alone is $475.00, and they'll come out Wednesday.
This morning I took a shower and heard the toilet make its familiar gurgle, which means that the sewer is backing up again. So I called Eddie's Plumbing and told them that my toilet was clogged again. I asked if I'd have to pay to have it unclogged, and they said no. Another day of sitting around waiting for the plumber.
Twenty minutes after the window passed when he was supposed to be here, the same plumber shows up at my door. By now, the toilet flushes, but I asked him to run the water in the bathtub for a few minutes anyway, and then try. Sure enough, the toilet would not flush when there was water in the line.
He told me that his job yesterday wasn't warrantied since there were tree roots (not what he told me yesterday - there was a 90-day warranty, or until another company removed the toilet for work). I told him that he needed to either unclog the sewer completely today without charge or I would be calling his office and getting my money back. He threw a hissy fit and said that he'd climb up on my roof and snake the pipes for free, but not again. I heard him on the phone to his office complaining about it - they must have told him about customer service, because when he came back in he was all cheerful and smiley. I wished he wasn't all cheerful and smiley, because he was missing a couple of front teeth and it didn't really help my sour mood.
So here I am on my two-week vacation. My plans to go to the movies have been spoiled again. My home owner's insurance policy considers all of this "normal maintenance" so it's not covered. Depending on what I find out tomorrow, I'll probably have to take a 401k loan out to replace the sewer line and fix my water leak.
But, and it's a big but...I'm not homeless, and I know people who are. I may have to go use the bathroom at the convenience store 1 day a year, but I don't have to rely on that store's sink to clean my clothes and my body 365 days of the year like some do.
I'm aggravated, yes I am. But such a small thing when you look at the big picture. I'm lucky my town had flouride in the drinking water, for example.
Breathe in, breathe out, and a big toothy grin to you all!
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