How Not to Unstop a Plugged Up Drain!

First, you need a stopped up drain. It's not hard to tell there is a problem when the drain is from the washing machine! It flooded the utility room and part of the kitchen area. But, I am getting ahead of myself here.

I needed to wash only a "couple" of loads of clothes before leaving town the next morning for the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. Having rushed home from work, I managed supper and gathered up the necessary clothing to be washed. I threw the first load into the washer and headed outside to clean out the vehicle before we packed to leave for the weekend. I had forgotten something and returned to the kitchen........it was partially flooded! After using almost all the towels in the house to clean up the water as quickly as possible (laminated flooring wrinkles like wet cardboard when left in standing water), I threw the wet towels out the back door on the patio. Oh, joy.

My husband saved the day (or night). Remembering some half inch drain hose we had in the shop, he retrieved it, taped it to the end of the drain hose of the washing machine and we ran it out the "doggy" door to the patio. At least I could finish the laundry and all the wet towels! Oh, yes, the kitchen sink would not drain either, so dirty dishes were piled on the cabinet for the weekend.

The next morning before leaving, I poured about a gallon of drain cleaner down the sink and the laundry drain and we left for the weekend! What fun.

Returning home from the trip and working hard at it:

We had a very good Thanksgiving Holiday weekend with the family, but returned home early, on Friday. I only thought about the stopped up drain a few times daily while we were gone. The drains were still stopped up! On Saturday morning I went to town to purchase a drain "snake". Surely one of 25 feet would be long enough. My husband took the first turn. After taking the drain off the kitchen sink, he ran the snake completely out and gathered only some lint. Then he ran the snake down the washer drain and retrieved nothing. The drain was still stopped up. I took my turn and nothing was accomplished after several hours of working with the snake. Convinced the snake was not the right kind or not long enough, I went back into town and purchased a different type, and longer. It would not even go through the first bend in the pipe, so back into town to purchase another flexible, but this time 50 feet long. That one should have been long enough to reach the septic tank, and I am sure it must have.

On Sunday morning we tried the longer flexible snake with great effort and nothing. The drain was just not opening. We resigned ourselves that we must call a plumber on Monday and left it alone.

Trying to find a plumber:

As soon as businesses opened Monday morning, I tried to locate a plumber. All were busy and scheduling calls for the following week! Leaving several messages on recorders, I waited and hoped someone would call me back. None did. Tuesday morning I tried calling the ones not yet contacted. Finally, a plumber called back and said he could come while waiting to meet another party later that morning. Great! Help was on the way, at last. He arrived and started to work. He knew what he was doing and his machines made his work a lot easier than what we had been doing. Nothing worked for him either. Finally, he went to the roof for the vent pipe over the sink. Success at last! The sink drained and the washer drain worked! (Something to do with a "box" full of lint, dog hair and grease. Well, after 36 years here....) His fee was $180 and we had worked a lot harder with no results. The money was well worth his services.

The next time:

Yes, I might try to unstop a drain in the future since we now own a 25 foot and a 50 foot snake. (I was able to return one for the purchase price.) But, from now on I probably will just call a plumber. They know what they are doing and have the equipment to get the job done with a lot less effort on my part!