Can We Talk 2

Plumbing Issues Solved

         Some things turn out okay. After using a porta potty for a few weeks and going to the laundromat, I now can run water out without a backup. I was avoiding the washer and dishwasher because of the drain under the house. Friends let me shower at their homes. A relative had a friend, a builder, come by with his plumber and check out the situation. (I was ready to blow my life savings on a total $22 K bill. These people approached the problem differently.

         The builder claimed they never used terra cotta pipes or Orangeburg underneath structures, only in the outdoor connections to sewer or septic tank. So the first $15K of the estimated bill would have been unnecessary and would have cement dust all over my house for a week, while the floor would still have to be replaced afterwards. It turns out the problem was in what the first company called the optional project, under the patio, which would be almost $8K. This group went through the downstairs drains and found a clog outside where the steel pipes under the house met up with the PVC pipes in the yard, about 6 feet underground. The joint was probably rubber and had gotten bent with years of rain and soil pressing down under the slate patio. They unclogged the pipe and water is flowing freely, no back up.

         Blessings continue. The builder refused to bill us because "friends look out for each other". The second plumber never billed us either. (The first one charged $1000 immediately for checking the septic line.) Now I shower in my own home, flush when I like, wash clothes without leaving the house, and don't do my dishes in a bucket on the back porch! Hallelujah. I celebrate indoor plumbing that works. (I'm so glad we got a second opinion.)