Ah yes, the saga of the pipes. . .
First,
tsk Most of my pipes are well into the rooms of the house or walls insulated/protected. Kitchen wall has 5 ft (?) small passway for fridge/icemaker and one short dishwasher feed. That leaves kitchen sink set in about 1 foot from wall. That's the one that calls for the open cabinet for sure.
Water problems have been an issue from the start. About 5 years into the house foundation small cracks/problems would cause inch or so of water to flood 3 or 4 areas of the downstairs level. Cracks tended to get worse. I'm guessing about 8 times we had to do the shop vac, beach towels, squeegy routine. Not all that easy on the bad knees and backs as we got older. Other problem was Ton's room with the carpet down there. That room required pulling up part of rug and also removing paneling where crack was. (Or, as the professionals called it a settling fissure). But they sure knew what in the ell they were doing. In less than an hour they chipped out the crackes, prepared the seams, and took 3 swipes at filling each of the areas a little at a time. I very highly recommend the company and technique. Just like that - 1 hour, $600, no more of that crazy/hard cleanup.
U. S. Waterproofing! I don't know if they're all over the US.
Only water is the lower level this time was a tad bit with a new higher up small start. The issue was that a drainage water pump got clogged up and froze because of the water in the outside drainage setup. We did have rain about 2 weeks ago. Water from pump drainage and roof fall-off was being sent thru a 1" pipe into a 2" drain to the yard. The fellow today found a crack in the 1" that started the stopage, which led to a backup, which led to freezing, leading to blockage that dripped water in a circle motion out to the foundation ground and back into the pump. Pump then was going on for 15 sec and off for 30 sec routine. I didn't know anything. Even to shower I'd look around to the back room and didn't see, or hear, anything. Until I went in bedroom upstairs to watch Bulls game! Oh God NO! Hard to sleep when you can hear and count the seconds between cycles.
Calling around til about 8 o'clock all I got was answering machines. Finally one of our plumbers said he'd get someone for 8 in the morning. Because of the weather, time of day, lack of water, and plumbers on serious all day work/disasters, I said sure.
Damages: Re-ran new outside run-off setting. When pipes thaw and ground thaws it will be reworked.
He also told me I don't have two pumps in the "hole". I have 3. Why would there be 3 is the question. Tony is the only one with a for sure answer.
And, he said one is an alarm pump that signals when it is malfunctioning. Yeah? That one has been ruined by me because he liked it when I didn't asked things (judged, questioned). So because I didn't check the water level -- I killed the battery.
New battery was the bigger amount of the bill. If I don't want to worry about the water in pump #3 - I can now buy pumps that don't require but maybe one check-up a year. $365 for battery I have now. $2,000 for low maintenance battery. Duh - let me think.
I now have to talk to neighbor to explain pipe laying into his yard is temporary.
I know for sure plumber is tired to the core so I won't complain about my own last 24 hours. Can you imagine -- all the problems, all the cold, long hours. He has had a whole lot worse day than I.
P
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Topic: Beak Room 2024 (Read 544908 times)