I am the Jake of home ownership. [Update 2] I think I fixed it.

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
05/05/2019 at 23:46 • Filed to: Casa de Zoidberg

Came down to swap over the laundry to find both utility sinks overflowing with grey water. Oh yeahhhhhh. Ran the kitchen sink and bathroom sinks successfully, so the immediate drain beneath the utility sink seems to be the culprit. Also confirmed the main sewer line out is fine. The problem is everything beneath the Y-pipe is glued, then galvanized further down. Scooped out 20 gallons of water with a damn plastic pint pitcher.

Please send your worthless thoughts and prayers that this power snake will work.

[Update 8:25pm]

Wow, power snakes are both fun AND frustrating. Anyway, ran the drill for a long long long while, put everything back together. Run the sink water. It drained but incredibly slowly. Take everything apart again. Re-snake. Snake gets deeper. Snake gets stuck. Spend 20 minutes getting snake out. Put everything back together again. Run sink water again. It drains... okay.

Moment of truth: I run the washer again. Sink fills up halfway. Barely draining. I pause the machine and say “fuck” about six times. Sink slowly drains. I resume the cycle... Second gray water discharge: drains a little faster. Third discharge minutes later: drains at almost acceptable-ish speeds. There is progress... I think. There’s one last massive discharge before the spin cycle. Let’s hope.

[ Update 2]

Last discharge drained just like it used it to. No pooling. Wife brought me wings. I’m done.

DISCUSSION (33)

OPPOsaurus WRX > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 21:59

Be careful not to drop though the pipe. I've heard of that happening

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:06

Anytime I touch plumbing on my house I say 13 morherfuckers and donate $97 to Ace Hardware.

MM54 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:12

Do you want a lot of my worthless thoughts or just a few of them? I have a lot.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:21

Sounds like you need a beer

shop-teacher > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/05/2019 at 22:21

I did it a few months ago, just ramming a wire down my sink trap. Busted right through the bottom of the trap. The rest of the day was a farce chasing problems back down the line. Fortunately I didn't have to go inside the wall.

shop-teacher > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:21

Fact: all houses suck.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > shop-teacher
05/05/2019 at 22:25

Big if true

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
05/05/2019 at 22:26

Yes, but not until after I make six more separate trip to Lowe’s

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
05/05/2019 at 22:38

This is SCIENCE

WilliamsSW > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:38

Oh it is

OPPOsaurus WRX > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:43

I’ve gotten better with this. I’m typically down to th re e now.

Chariotoflove > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:46

That reminds me to install my new kitchen faucet.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 22:54

That washer lint will get you. I use those metal socks you can put over the drain hose. Amazing how often I have to replace it. And yes I relay hate playing plumber.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 23:03

That sentance is why plumber's can live like kings

glemon > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/05/2019 at 23:22

Is the p-trap accessible and plastic/PVC? Sometimes it is easier just to take it out and clean it than to try snaking. Be prepared for some very stinky water. Put bucket underneath everything. Good Luck!

glemon > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
05/05/2019 at 23:25

I get asked evertime, am I a member of Ace Rewards? Has to be the most worthless rewards program in the world, lots of money spent, no tangible rewards that I can remebe r.

DipodomysDeserti > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 00:13

Plumbing is the bane of my existence. Although my washer woes eventually inspired me to finally install a grey water system for my washer.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > glemon
05/06/2019 at 00:32

I cashed in a $5 coupon yesterday. I get about one a month in the mail.

Tristan > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 01:01

I’ve had good luck on sink drains with the snake and a plunger. One time I had a clog that wouldn’t budge, so I gambled with 135 PSI of compressed air on my old iron pipes. It went “SssssssssssssssssssssssssPHTHUNKgurglegurgle” and all was well afterwards.

I hate plumbing.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Tristan
05/06/2019 at 01:08

[smacks forehead]

Goddammit why didn't I think to use plunger before taking everything apart?

Tristan > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 01:12

...On the bright side, you got some delicious-looking wings!

PartyPooper2012 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 05:55

My upstairs tub was iffy draining. It went something like this.

Works ok for a little while. Wive’s hair would end up at the drain. I clean it out. Remind my wife to get her hair out.

Eventually, it would stop draining completely. Snake came up with nothing. Plunger helped a little few times.

Loaded up tub with drano. Nothing. Nothing moved it.

Finally I had had enough. I snaked... long.. Deep. I felt like I reached china with a tub full of water behind the snake... I pulled out some synthetic hair? I am guessing previous owners had kids and kids had dolls and dolls got haircuts. Drano wouldn’t touch it. Plunging it was just pushing it down the pipe until no more pushing was being had. Pulled that crap out and damn does it drain fast from second floor.

shop-teacher > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 07:05

My sample size is pretty bigly.

shop-teacher > AestheticsInMotion
05/06/2019 at 07:09

The plumber I’ve used for the couple jobs that we’re “above my pay grade,” so to speak, gave me the best li ne as to why his time is worth so much.

“You’re not paying for my time. You’re paying for me to know how to do it.”

He’s 100% right.

hedbutter > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 09:07

Jesus this sentence hit my right in the guy. My fiancee CONSTANTLY makes jokes for the number of times i run to Lowe’s (8 minute drive) or Home Depot (3 minute drive, but the smallest HD I’ve ever seen/doesn’t have everything). I recently redid a basement office/bath (starting from the ground up ) and the amount of receipts is ridiculous

OPPOsaurus WRX > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 09:08

update 3: eats wings, 30 minutes later makes new plumbing clog

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
05/06/2019 at 15:20

That’s why plumbers get $950/hr. You might consider renting a snake from Home Despot.

Shop Teacher and I have gone around the block on this one, but I don’t like dishwashers...

Does yours drain into the dispose-all?

Snuze: Needs another Swede > shop-teacher
05/06/2019 at 15:35

That and you’re paying to not have to deal with whatever nastiness goes down your drains. That is also worth a princely sum in my book.

shop-teacher > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/06/2019 at 15:38

Also true, although I am not particularly squeamish about that stuff.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > shop-teacher
05/06/2019 at 15:45

I’m not either, but I spent enough time cleaning nasty bilges and stuff in the Navy that I’d prefer to avoid it if I can.

I’m also an electrician by trade and training, so I prefer wires to pipes.

shop-teacher > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/06/2019 at 17:26

Yeah, can’t blame you there.

If I were to go back into a trade, I’d be an electrician. The only part that would really suck would be when you have to go into an attic.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > shop-teacher
05/06/2019 at 17:43

It’s the only trade I have any experience in, but it’s a good one. And you’re right, attic work sucks in the summer. The rest of the year it’s not too bad though. It’s also a trade with a fair amount of finish work, so about half the time you’re inside after they’ve already got the AC fired up.

I’m a mechanical engineer now, but I do T&E work and deal with sensors and signals - it’s all electricity. We’re also starting to do stuff with hybrid and pure electric drives, and nobody knows anything about electricity. Most mechanical engineers concept is “Magents spin... electricity happens!” So I think I’ve found a good niche here.

shop-teacher > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/06/2019 at 18:40

Hahaha! Don't let out the magic smoke!