Friday, January 06, 2006

Friday January 6th

Well, I'm off to our cabin in Cle Elum later this morning so if you need to get ahold of me, call me on the cell.

Been having sewer problems lately, with occasional toilet backups which create a real hassle with the kids especially. Last week, I was at last able to isolate the problem to a section of the main sewer pipe about 25 feet away from the house, next to an old plum tree. I have but little doubt that roots from the tree have gotten into the sewer. This can be a real problem, as whenever roots get a foothold into a pipe, they tend to grow quickly, as they are getting a steady diet of fertilizer and water every time someone flushes the toilet. I've removed pipe sections 4-5 feet long that are basically solid roots, with maybe just a little channel left in the middle for the water to slowly seep through. It's not a problem with modern plastic pipes, which are root-proof because all joints are glued solid and the pipes themselves are totally impermeable. But before plastic pipes came into play, residential sewer pipes were generally made of baked clay or concrete, where pipe sections were just butted together, usually without any kind of joint compound at all. Over time, as bushes and trees mature, almost invariably roots will get into the line, causing backups. I've alreadåy replaced most of the line in Cle Elum, but this is one section I haven't done yet.

It's not a fun job, especially in the winter with cold temps and rain or snow. What one has to do is simply did down through about 5 feet of dirt with a pick or shovel until the line is reached. You then have to continue digging until you find where the problem is, cut out the bad section and then replace it with new piping. It's backbreaking, messy work but it has to be done. To call in a professional plumber would probably cost around $1500-$2000, so at least I'm thankful I have the time to do it myself. If the weather isn't too nasty, I should be able to get it done in a couple days and be back in Seattle tomorrow (Saturday) late afternoon.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure which blog to leave a comment on, but this does not sound like a fun way to spend a weekend, and what sounds like it could be a rainy weekend, too. But compared with not having a toilet ...