Plumbing Expert Public Service Announcement
After this last year I now consider myself somewhat of a plumbing expert.
I thought I would share a few tips with you as a public service announcement.
1. Go check the little connector pipe behind your toilet and make sure the plastic hasn’t cracked and the metal is still in good shape. Last night while sitting around minding my own business, reading O Magazine, on my bed, I heard a noise that sounded like an air compressor. I thought to myself, hmmm someone must’ve left the air compressor on AGAIN. But then I heard a sound I didn’t recognize, like water trickling so I got up to explore and found… my toilet acting like a geyser!
Okay, so maybe a geyser is somewhat of an exaggeration BUT in less than 30 seconds the water was already 1 inch deep in the whole bathroom and heading for my bedroom. Thanks to the bathmats for slowing it down long enough for me to wedge myself between the toilet and the shower to turn the water off. The plastic nut on the connector CRACKED and water was shooting out of it every which way! So I rushed to Home Depot around 8pm and purchased a new one. This is where I learned it was called a “toilet connector”. I was talking about my experience online and it seems I am not the only one this has happened too so GO check your toilet connector right now and make sure it is still in good condition.
2. Call a plumber and have them come out with one of their fancy little cameras on a snake and check your pipes. Make sure there are no roots or other things inside the pipes. If roots get in your pipes and you haven’t had them checked in the last year, guess what? Your insurance company won’t pay for any flood damages. Go read the fine print of your insurance policy or just trust me and hire a plumber to do this little preventative thing. A year ago, my house flooded with the neighborhood poop and it was not pretty. I lost the whole downstairs of my house. The insurance company’s first response was it must be roots and they won’t be covering. Turns out it was not roots. THANK GOODNESS but if it had been I would have been screwed! This is what my house looked like after the flood was cleaned up. It actually got worse, they had to take most of the floor board out too.
3. Finally, if you don’t have one of those mushroom things in your yard. GET ONE! Call a plumber now and have them install it. Because if your house does flood with poop this is a release that will make the poopy water shoot all over your yard instead of your house. Poop is never pleasant but trust me, you’d much rather have it all over your yard than your house. If you are like me and don’t like that silly looking thing in your yard you can always decorate it to look like a magic mushroom
I understand hiring a plumber for preventative work is about as much fun as going to the dentist but take it from me. It’s worth it.
I had a great experience with the plumber who rescued me from the poop flood. I used Amesos Plumbing in Marin, they were fast, knowledgeable and available to provide my insurance company with all the reports, photos, etc that they needed.
While we are on the subject of plumbing and broken things, if any of your appliances have issues I know an awesome repair company: Appliance Techs of Marin They fix things like dish washers, garbage disposals, washing machines, dryers, etc…
During the whole poop flood process I realized I needed a new insurance agent, a helpful one. That is when I found Shere Goo from State Farm in Mill Valley. She is excellent!
Have you had any plumbing nightmares? Share below.
Oh Sally, I did forward your post to a dear friend. She will have plenty to say..
I do have nightmares of previous rental properties. You know the ones, charming old houses where ..we renters seemingly look past old pipes and cracks in the walls, in exchange for peek-a-boo ocean views and whimsical gardens with meadow like qualities.
today I say forget you slum lord, and bring on the apartment complex and the maintenance team.. Case in point, my husband, is going to the bathroom leans over to flush, (good man) then his sun glasses fall directly into the vortex and are flushed down the drain.
What to do? Call a plumber, oh no.. just place a worker order. Unfortunately, they need to come back the next day as they need to remove the toilet break the seal thingy and replace it.
I thought oh we must be charged for this now… Wait for it… No charge 🙂 And, as an added value we were put up in a fully furnished guest apartment, since the toilet was out of commission. No back yard 10 gallon bucket action for these kids..
With all that said, I do truly miss the cozy cottage rentals, with peek-a-boo ocean views and a garden that is fit for snow white..
You will never see a vortex-like flush in the that rental property, like one of a complex..
a glass half-full apartment complex renter,
Tracy
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