The Weekend Thread.

[Grazor]

Saturdays usually consist of driving the darling wife to town for supplies at various towns that she picks about 3 seconds in advance of the necessary turn.
Not that she can't drive, or that I am chauffeuring her around. No.
It's more like a rally driver and co pilot thing.
I drive and she points out velocity, proximity to other vehicles, stop signs, pedestrians, weather conditions, best route, destination etc.
Sundays are spent catching up on what I could have done the previous day and what I have to do that day..

[STF]

Cor Blimey, I didn't get to snake my pipes yesterday because we had to go out so I started it this morning.

I could only undo one side of the U trap and didn't want to crack the other with my pliers (can't remember what you call them here, big pliers that can slide big or smaller), so I undid the small drain plug on the trap and pushed the snake in through there.

I kept pushing until I couldn't get it further then attached the drill.

Wouldn't you know it, the battery in the drill is dead - whats wrong with me.

I left the snake in and put the drill battery on charge.

Why am I having so much trouble with this damn sink!

I could only get one of the collars undone on the trap.

I undid the front collar anti clockwise and it remained on the trap piece so unscrewed down.

The rear collar stays on the pipe above the collar so I am pretty sure I undo it clockwise, sort of the opposite of what i would expect.

Anyway, regardless of that I can't get it to move so I tried to push the snake in through the drain plug in the bottom of the trap. I pushed it about 6 feet and tried to twist it but it just came flying out. I guess the drain hole was a bad idea.

I have been trying to move that rear collar for 3 days and I am about to get my pick axe to the stupid thing.

I will have to go to Home Hardware and check out a new one to confirm at least that I am not accidentally tightening it more. I have worn the knurl's pretty nicely so I think I have made a rod for my own back and might even end up cutting the pipe that goes in the wall and replacing that and the trap, the pipe that goes into the wall is glued together so i would have to cut it.

I am hating this job and the wife is starting to doubt my abilities.

I have two kitchens strangely enough so I am shuttling the washing up from the table plus pots and pans to the downstairs kitchen to wash and then hauling them up again when their dry.

I dare not use the dishwasher because I don't know where the blockage is and it might be below where the dishwasher
drains into the pipe, the dishwasher is in the island so all the pipes go under the floor and i can't see the where it joins.

If you ever have a blocked sink, probably best if you don't call me!

[DZEC]

Steve, you have my sympathy.

I have learned that with electrical work, gas and plumbing, call in a pro if the job is overly complicated or is taking longer than it should.

My experience is that when I have to work on a project for too long and hit a bunch of obstacles, I usually wind up doing more damage that someone with more experience and the proper tools could have completed in much less time.

[Tathra11]

Why am I having so much trouble with this damn sink!

I could only get one of the collars undone on the trap.

I undid the front collar anti clockwise and it remained on the trap piece so unscrewed down.

The rear collar stays on the pipe above the collar so I am pretty sure I undo it clockwise, sort of the opposite of what i would expect.

Anyway, regardless of that I can't get it to move so I tried to push the snake in through the drain plug in the bottom of the trap. I pushed it about 6 feet and tried to twist it but it just came flying out. I guess the drain hole was a bad idea.

I have been trying to move that rear collar for 3 days and I am about to get my pick axe to the stupid thing.

I will have to go to Home Hardware and check out a new one to confirm at least that I am not accidentally tightening it more. I have worn the knurl's pretty nicely so I think I have made a rod for my own back and might even end up cutting the pipe that goes in the wall and replacing that and the trap, the pipe that goes into the wall is glued together so i would have to cut it.

I am hating this job and the wife is starting to doubt my abilities.

I have two kitchens strangely enough so I am shuttling the washing up from the table plus pots and pans to the downstairs kitchen to wash and then hauling them up again when their dry.

I dare not use the dishwasher because I don't know where the blockage is and it might be below where the dishwasher
drains into the pipe, the dishwasher is in the island so all the pipes go under the floor and i can't see the where it joins.

If you ever have a blocked sink, probably best if you don't call me!

Maybe a plumber is the go Steve

[BobH]

Reminds me of an old joke. Plumbers have it easy. All they have to know is crap flows downhill and payday is Friday. That is why it is a joke because it ain't all that easy when you try it. Not to worry been there and done that too, you have lots of company.

Bob

[STF]

Maybe a plumber is the go Steve

Yeah, I've been told that a few times lately but I hate to pay someone else to do my jobs.

This job might just kill me but it's gonna get done eventually, we'll just have to use the downstairs kitchen to wash up for another few day's.

I'm doing the washing up to try and appease her but it's not working as well as i hoped.

If I do end up with a plumber, I want the trap and collars changes for new ones that aren't seized.

[PaulFLUS]

Look at it this way Steve. At least it's your sewage. A plumber has to deal with other people's...shall we say...refuse. They deserve the money they make.

[DZEC]

Old plumbing joke:

Surgeon receives the bill for the work done by a plumber on an after hours emergency call and says, “I studied for over 10 years to become a surgeon and I don’t earn anywhere near what you just charged me for less than an hours work.”

Plumber replies “Neither did I when I was a surgeon.”

[outback]

Hey, Steve. Have you tried a simple, plunger.

The one for the toilet.!

There's always baking soda and vinager

[STF]

Hey, Steve. Have you tried a simple, plunger.

The one for the toilet.!

There's always baking soda and vinager

I did try baking soda and vinegar Mike, It backs up so quickly that i don't really know if the blockage is in the wall (pipe) or in the trap. When I take of the drain at the bottom of the trap the sink empties so it may just be the trap. Wish I could get it off, a good hosing through in the garden would probably solve it so $250 odd seems ridiculous just for a blocked trap.

I did try the plunger but it's double sink and I can't seal the other side well enough to stop the water just coming up into the other side when I plunge.

I will try again, maybe one of those things that look like a big aerosol would work, a shot of compressed air might just do it if it's in the trap.

Is it possible that the collar would undo clockwise (the opposite to the usual), like leftie tighty?

I have tried both directions but for all I know, might have tightened it more!

I'm going to get 3 bottles of Mr Plumber today and empty all of them, that way if it's in the trap I hope it will move but if it's in the pipe I'll be putting enough down that it will overflow the trap and go into the pipe too.

It may work, probably not but worth a try before i start spending money on a plumber.