7
The time I flooded my own laundry room trying to fix a slow drain
I was in my basement laundry room last month, trying to clear a slow drain in the utility sink. I mean, I'd watched a few videos and thought I could handle it with a basic hand-crank snake. The problem was the old pipe connection under the sink. I gave the snake a good push and felt it catch, but when I pulled back, the whole P-trap just came loose. Water started pouring out, like a lot, all over the floor. I had to scramble to find the main water shut-off valve, which took me a solid two minutes of panic. After I got it stopped, I spent the next three hours with a wet vac and a bunch of towels, and I still had to call a plumber the next day to fix it properly for $200. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn into a huge mess like that? What's the best way to avoid it?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
wells.karen24d ago
My uncle is a plumber and he always says the first step is to check for slip-joint nuts on the trap. Those old brass ones can seize up. A little penetrating oil on the threads for ten minutes before you even touch the snake would have probably kept it from shearing off.
6
blair59720d ago
Man, that's the whole "right tool for the job" lesson, just like @hollyl45 found out.
5
hollyl4524d ago
Yeah the slip joint nut thing is so real. I learned that the hard way when I snapped one off in an old apartment. Now I hit every fitting with PB Blaster first and let it sit. That oil makes all the difference.
3