The $1,000 lesson

I learned my first lesson as a homeowner a few weeks ago. It was a Saturday evening around 8:00 and I had just gone to the room on the back of the garage to sort my laundry. I heard a dripping sound. Upon investigation, I discovered there was water coming up from the standpipe behind the washer. I pulled out the discharge hose and saw that water was indeed rising, and not just sitting there. Knowing I hadn't done any laundry, I wondered how this had happened.

I went to get a bowl and let Who's Bond-o know that we had a problem. As I used the turkey baster to keep the pipe from running over, Who's Bond-o got on the phone to a student of his that happens to be a licensed plumber. The student comes over and tries to help out. By that time I had gotten the water to stop coming out, and we discovered it would start again if someone flushed the toilet or ran water in the kitchen.

After discovering we didn't have a clean out valve on our 1950s house, we decided we had to call a plumber the next day. We packed our stuff and went to stay at a local hotel so we could take showers and use the bathroom.

Sunday comes and I get ahold of the local rescue rooter type people. The show up (2 hours later!) and give me the bad news. Since I don't have a clean out valve, it is going to cost me $600 to have them bring their heavy ass machine down the stairs to my house (I HAD to buy the house on the side of the hill, right?) and take the toilets off the floor and snake out the drain.

OR, I can pay the $1,000 to install a clean out valve outside so that the next time this happens, it will only cost me $180 to have it snaked out (or I can snake it out myself). So, by the title of the blog, I'm sure you have figured out which option I chose. :(

Two hours later I have the clean out valve in place and they snake the drain. They pull out the culprit.......baby wipes. UGH! I have been potty training U-man, and he has been not caring to poop in the pot. So when he poops in his drawers, I bend him over my knee and clean him up. Not wanting to throw the icky wipes in the trash can and stink up the place, I was putting them in the toilet. I thought I was okay with flushing after each one, but apparently not! Funny thing is that I hadn't put any down in over a week because I have gotten him to bring me a diaper when he needs to poop. Not the best of ways, but at least I don't have to clean poopy underwear!

So, heed my advice, don't put baby wipes down the toilet.