Fun to Watch

The hedge, 2 years later

The drain line from the kitchen to the sewer was backed up yet again (previous blockages were in 2014 and 2016). Since the last time I had faithfully poured an enzyme solution down the drain once a month, apparently without making a difference.

My mind is a puzzle. I will happily spend thousands of dollars on vacation each year but had difficulty paying $300-$400 to deal with a biennial plumbing problem.

I took a stab at clearing the line myself. First the hedge that covered the "clean-out" next to the kitchen had to be trimmed.

BTW, my rule for attempting home repairs: my out-of-pocket cost must be at least two hundred dollars cheaper, including supplies, from what a professional would charge. Also, if failure results, I shan't have made the problem worse.

The Sears Craftsman electric power tool trimmed the hedge in 10 minutes.

Next came the plumbing snake. It encountered resistance, probably grease, at 15 feet in, but I managed to push through using the entire 25-foot length.

Finally came a gallon of Main Line Cleaner. This one was lye, friendlier on the pipes than ones that are made of sulfuric acid, and guaranteed to bust through clogs.

Well, it didn't work. When I ran the water the next day it stopped draining completely after a few seconds. I called the plumber ($358), which was always Option B.

So, why recount this tale? In business and in life one should always learn something from failure.

The stoppage was at 35 feet down the line. I didn't have the right tool, a drain cleaning machine, to push through the blockage. (Buying and storing one for infrequent use is not practical.)

Augers open pipes but don't clean them. For that you need a hydro-jet machine. How much for the service? "At least $1,000." I'll think about it.

Meanwhile, I'm taking a much more aggressive approach to using enzymatic cleaners, which the plumber assured me do work. I'm pouring the solution down the sink every night for the rest of the month, then scaling back to a weekly schedule.

If this doesn't work, I'm going to order a hydro-jet which will be expensive. But it should be fun to watch.