Further Down the Line

A vehicle you don't want to see at your house

Early Sunday morning the kitchen sink was stuck. I ran the garbage disposal to no avail, then disassembled the U-trap and other pipes underneath. After scrubbing away 11 years of gunk---the sink was installed in 2003---I replaced the pipes and ran the water again.

Alas, the blockage persisted. The problem lay further down the line.

OK to try this at home....with a professional.

The Roto-rooter technician, Arnulfo, arrived in the early afternoon. He carefully laid out a rubber mat to minimize damage to the floor, then unreeled a mechanical drain cleaner that had a 90-foot cable; it also emitted a continuous stream of water to push the detritus into the sewer, which was an estimated 60 feet away.

I try to watch contractors not only to motivate them (that strategy seems to work, in addition to tipping, offering drinks, and buying lunch) but also to assess whether I would be able to handle the problem myself next time. It quickly became obvious: no, I can't. The $329 cost (no extra charge for nights or weekends) was higher than I expected; it was a bargain nonetheless.