Our house is no longer NEW. Appliances are starting to wear out and paint is chipped and scuffed. And we are starting to have our share of plumbing problems. Our toilets seem to be clogging every day, and try as I might to get them UN clogged, my poor husband often comes home with the lovely greeting of “the toilet’s clogged, and oh yes, how was your day?” We plunge and plunge, but sometimes those darn potties just do not cooperate. Such was the case recently. The kid’s bathroom, which does indeed get a lot of use, especially when we have guests (as it doubles as the “guest bath”. I know. We’re terrible hosts, yet people continue to come). But This weekend even Ryan with his magic plunger skills couldn’t get it unglogged. He even tried with some kind of toilet snake, but that didn’t work, either. It was Ununcloggable.
So, Monday morning I called a plumber. I tried to find a local plumber, but the one I found in American Fork didn’t have a current number, so I called one who I’ve heard advertised on the radio. The nice lady on the phone refused to give me any kind of a quote, because, as she said, “I have no idea what they will find when they get to your house.” But she assured me that someone would be there within the hour. I think that was around 9:00. I got a phone call at around 11 am, assuring me that the next available serviceman would be coming to my house, so it shouldn’t be long, now. At about 12:45, I called the nice lady back and asked that she didn’t send anyone out just then, since I had to go and pick up my kids from various schools, but I would be back at 2:00, and then she was welcome to send someone.
I got another call at 3:15, apologizing for the wait and assuring me that there would be someone there within the next 15 minutes. No problem, I thought, I didn’t have anything else to do today except wait for a plumber. Of COURSE I don’t mind. (Big Sigh).
3:45 and the truck pulled up. Hooray! Two guys came in and told me the price to insert the 25 foot snake thing into my toilet and unclog whatever was clogging it. I almost passed out. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? And if that doesn’t work and they have to take the toilet off and then reset it, it will be another $69. Not having plumbing experience myself, I signed the permission slip so that they could go to work on my toilet. From downstairs in the kitchen, I could hear some serious noise coming from the upstairs bathroom, and then I heard the sound of running water. They were done. Less than 10 minutes. BUT, I have a 30 day guarantee that this toilet will work.
I’m tempted to flush a hot wheels car and a bottle of lotion down that toilet just so they’ll have to come back and work on it again. I mean, for that price, I should have SOME kind of fun, right? I guess we’ll all just use that toilet and ONLY that toilet. Because if one of the other toilets clogs, there’s NO guarantee on them, and I can tell you right now I am NOT calling for a plumber again. I’ll just make the kids start going outside. “New policy, kids. Make sure you do ALL your pooping AT school! And on the weekend, let’s just try to hold it until church. If not, you can go outside. What are you whining about? It’s getting warmer every day. Oh, sure it’s warm enough–just go far away from the house, behind those trees.”
I totally could have snaked it for you. But then again, sometimes that doesn’t work and I don’t have a 30 day guarentee either but then I wouldn’t have charged you anything to come down and at least try.
Oh and if you are serious about finishing your basement anytime soon, I have been told by three inspectors that now is the time. Prices are starting to go up in manufacturing and they don’t see them coming down for a long time. And, contractors are as low as they are going to be for a long time. Just an FYI.
I’m glad you got it taken care of. Did we mention that our clogged kitchen sink drain cost us $275–and that was for 6+ hours of plumber work. He only charged us for half those hours, thank goodness. And we are trying to avoid putting anything of substance into the garbage disposal.