The Drains Are Working!!!

November 8, 2024

This morning, I got a call at 11:47 from the Roto-Rooter office administrator. She was calling to let me know the plumbers were on their way!

I was so excited!

There were two teams. The first team dealt with the stoppage. They were amazed (as was I) to find a spoon stuck in the kitchen p-trap. It looked like it had been pushed in. Stuff was caught around the spoon. I have no idea how the water was even getting through.

To allow me to wash dishes until the dishwasher is installed, they replaced the pipe that would’ve connected to the dishwasher. They gave it to me so we can use it when we install the dishwasher.

I did have to clean up after them, but I didn’t mind since I got working drains out of it.

The main plumber of the stoppage team also cleared the pink bathroom sink. He showed me how to use the plunger properly. He took a rubber glove and used it to cover the sink vent (overflow drain) while using the plunger. This prevents the air from having a place to escape, making it push the clog out of the way.

He also told me how to clear a kitchen sink. He said you need two plungers for a kitchen sink. You fill one sink until water comes up in the other sink. Then you place a plunger over the drains in each sink. You hold one plunger while plunging with the other one.

He also noticed the water from the kitchen faucet was very slow. He looked at the faucet and determined it wasn’t just the aerator, it was the faucet head that was clogged.

The plumber checked and determined it was a Delta faucet. He said Delta has a lifetime warranty on their products and I should call their support. Delta would send me a new faucet head or if they no longer make that model, they would send me a new faucet, the same price or a more expensive model, free of charge.

After checking the faucet head, the lead plumber left the faucet head off after asking me if I wanted it put back on. I didn’t want to deal with the trickle of water coming out of the faucet. I wanted actual water flow.

The drain pipe plumber arrived while the first team was clearing the clogs.

He started work on replacing the incorrect drain joints, putting a p-trap under the bathtub, connecting the shower to the drain and making sure the vent was connected.

When the first team finished, they went to help the drains pipe plumber in the crawl space.

I could hear them talking underneath the house as they worked to correct the plumbing. They were respectful to each other and it sounded like they worked effectively together.

When I saw them carrying out the old pipes to drain pipe plumber’s truck, I knew they were done.

They happily told me everything was working as it should and the bad plumbing had been replaced.

I was smart enough to ask if they could tell me where the water cutoff to the house was. They did know where it was and the lead plumber explained it to me in a way that I could find it.

The lead plumber asked if I had been given a quote and I told him, then I added that it might be a little more since he checked the faucet for me. He asked for $75 more and that was fine with me.

While I was handing the lead plumber a check, a third Roto-Rooter truck arrived. I said, “he’s late to help out.” The lead plumber laughed and said, “it’s the boss man.” The boss was checking on his guys to make sure that all my sinks were working and all the messed up plumbing had been taken care of.

I told him what a great job his plumbers did and how happy I was to have working sinks.

He turned to the lead plumber and asked if he paid me to give him such a good review.

To keep the hose from sliding into the faucet until I can get a replacement faucet head, I used toothpicks and rubber bands.

The water runs through without any problems.

It is wonderful to have working drains as well as good water flow! I never realized how much I took modern plumbing for granted.

I was glad we were able to throw money at the problem and not throw Bruce underneath the house to replace the pipes. When I consider it took three plumbers, I realize I would’ve been crawling underneath the house with him to repair the pipes.