Replacing the pipes OR how to spend alot of money for nothing.
Here is a great picture of the nice trench that was dug so that we could replace our sewer pipes from the house to the city sewer line. We've been having some sewer issues for some time now. I had 2 plumbers over to snake the drain lines, but to no avail. The last one told me, "you'll have to replace your pipes". Of course, everyone sees the GIGANTOROUS tree I have in my front yard and assumes, it must be roots growing into your pipes as this is an older house.
So, Tuesday the guy shows up with this little excavator and starts going to work.
The plumber starts digging in the front of the house, looking for the natural place for the pipes to come out. He never finds it. It would be a pain to just dig around in the back of the house, because my deck is there...we don't have a locator either, so he finds the pipe at the street.
He starts digging.
Suspiciously enough we notice that I have 2 inch pipes, not 4 inch pipes. "Really weird" says the plumber. "Whoever put this in was really dumb! No wonder your pipes have been clogging". So on we go to digging. Well, then this city sewer guy comes by and says, "well, he must have a pump, because gravity wouldn't bring this sewer line out to the street."
I don't know of any pump. No idea where it would be. "Must be buried somewhere?" I say. So we look around and don't find anything.
Digging continues...
Then we get to the back of the house where the sewer line went from the house and out... Of course, we have to take up a section of my walk out deck, but this is ok...I can fix it later.
Digging continues...
Then we realize that we're going to have to take up the steps because it must run under the steps and take a right turn and go into the house. So he starts looking at the best way to take up the steps without totally ruining them, and he notices this power cord lying on the ground. So he picks it up, and plugs it in. Seweage immediately starts flowing out of the exposed pipe. He unplugs the cable and gets this real sick look on his face.
It wasn't from the smell either.
I'm still oblivious to everything... "Anyone need a webpage done?? I can do web pages?? Don't ask me about sewers"
So the guy asks his partner "should I tell him?" And his partner says "I guess you better".
"tell me what??"
"I just plugged in your grinder pump which is apparently right under your steps. This was probably the only problem, you didn't need new pipes"
"Oh" I say as I look at a 130 foot trench through my front, side, and back yards. "I see" I say as I look at the section of deck that was taken up and will need to be put back down if not replaced totally. "Where is that plug??"
So he shows me the plug. "oooooh, I thought that went to the fish pond pump. I unplugged that 4 months ago!" The cable is buried, the guy that lived at this house before me was an electrician. There are wires everywhere...how was I to know???
So the plumber is just sick that he didn't figure this out BEFORE my yard was dug up and old pipes ruined, but he finished replacing the pipes and I paid him for his work.
So I got some brand spankin new seweage pipes, 4 inch pipes when I only need 2 inch for my grinder pump.
I betcha my seweage system is better than yours!! HA! You all probably have 4 inch pipes and rely on GRAVITY to carry away your yucky stuff! I have a GRINDER and a PUMP and 4 inch pipes, for the ultimate in waste removal!
So here it is folks, I name it... THE 1500 DOLLAR PLUG!!
If you see one of these at your house, leave it plugged in.
-Trevor
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