Clearing a Clogged Pipe with the Help of My Friends Saved Me Hundreds of Dollars

For three days my kitchen sink has had a bad clog, the kind in which water goes down the right side basin and comes up with muddy sludge on the left basin, a clear sign of a back-up. I called my great plumber Mike and he told me he was in the middle of a flooded house and couldn't come over. He gave me instructions: Remove the plastic rings from the pipes underneath the sink and auger the main pipe in the back wall. 

My neighbor Joe let me borrow his Rigid Auto-Spin motorized auger and a less powerful hand auger. The first night my daughters were sleeping so to be safe we used the quieter hand auger but its effectiveness only lasted an hour or so before the back-up occurred again.

Then today my friend and officemate Tom helped me manipulate the Rigid Auto-Spin auger into the pipe. So far, this seems to have done the trick. 

I imagine my plumber Mike would have charged me over $100 for the work. Calling a plumbing company from the phone book, I imagine the charge could be off the charts. A plumber can easily prey on your ignorance and make up a story about needing new pipes . . . anything goes. 

Thank you, Joe and Tom, for your help. Also, thank you, Mike, for de-mystifying the under-the-sink-piping and making me feel I can tackle this job in the future. 

Comments

[Huesby]

What is a Rigid Auto-Spin motorized auger ? Isn´t it a Ridgid Auto-Spin Sink Machine like this ?

http://www.amazon.com/Ridgid-19148-Auto-Spin-Sink-Machine/dp/B000E321JG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

[herculodge]

Yeah, that's it.

[Keith]

Let's not disparage plumbers as a group. As a general rule Plumbers, like Auto Mechanics, Geeks, and Medical Doctors are about 75 percent hard working honest people. 25 percent may be dishonest and or incompetent.

This comes from my first hand experience as I know a good deal about repairing automobiles, and computers. When I listen to an auto mechanic I know whether they are knowledgeable or a charlatan. When I speak they know that they are speaking with someone who has insight into their profession.

On the surface plumbing seems pretty simplistic. I took on the plumbing chores for a remodel and quickly found that plumbing a house is much more of a science than the simple plumbing projects I had performed previously.

I called a pro. Based on a few recommendations a most honest and competent person arrived. He did the job right in a fraction of the time it would have taken me. I was amazed at how much he knew about aspects that I had never even considered.

So, how does this help you to feel more comfortable with the next professional that you need to hire? Remember that you have a 75 percent chance of dealing with an honest competent person. Listen carefully to what they say, take notes, then Google it. An informed consumer is in the best position to make a wise choice.

If you don't have any tools start building your kit and learn how to DIY.