Plunger Woman! (OT)

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jmcquown - 14 Feb 2006 16:13 GMT

Great... just as I'm finalizing my trip plans, I flush the toilet and it
overflows everywhere. I've got a flood akin to Noah's. Well, not that bad,
but towels all over the floor. I have a plunger and I plunged the heck out
of the toilet but I'm afraid to flush it again even with the water plunged
down as low as it is. Just what I need.

I'm hesitant to call the apartment maintenenace guy. He just grunts and
scowls when he's around, making me feel like I did something wrong or I'm
somehow a bad person for having called him. Don't get me wrong, he is very
competent about fixing whatever. He's just not very pleasant to have in the
apartment. Definitely not a friendly guy. PLUS if he has to go out to his
truck he leaves the front door open. I follow behind and close it. It
might just be too much temptation for Persia, even though she knows the big
OUT isn't a good place to be.

Jill

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Magic Mood Jeep© - 14 Feb 2006 16:40 GMT

> Great... just as I'm finalizing my trip plans, I flush the toilet and
> it overflows everywhere. I've got a flood akin to Noah's. Well, not
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Jill

Most maintenance men are grumpy - although it's their *job* to fix things,
they seem to have the opinion that things *shouldn't* break/need fixing.
The exception is the guy at Mom's apartment complex. He's fairly cheerful,
except when someone parks in front of the 'supply shed' and blocks access to
it - then he gets grumpy (and he does have the obligatory "NO PARKING" sign
there).

I would confine Persia to another room, if at all possible, while he's
present. If there's no room where you can close her into (for example, only
closing doors are n the bathroom and bedroom, and the bathroom is *in* the
bedroom....), you could put her fluffiness in a carrier (yes, I'm sure
she'll protest, but she'll get over it, just like she gets over her stays at
TED during your travels) .for the period the maintenance guy is present.

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jmcquown - 14 Feb 2006 16:44 GMT

>> Great... just as I'm finalizing my trip plans, I flush the toilet and
>> it overflows everywhere. I've got a flood akin to Noah's. Well, not
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> the 'supply shed' and blocks access to it - then he gets grumpy (and
> he does have the obligatory "NO PARKING" sign there).

We have one maintenance guy who is always cheerful. But he's not the head
guy and it's the head guy who usually is dispatched to do jobs like this. I
say "Hi, Larry, thanks for coming over" and his response is "Uh." LOL

> I would confine Persia to another room, if at all possible, while he's
> present. If there's no room where you can close her into (for
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> like she gets over her stays at TED during your travels) .for the
> period the maintenance guy is present.

She's in the 2nd bedroom (my "office") closet at the moment but if I close
the closet door she'll freak. The door to the room itself is blocked by
some boxes so I can't close it because I have no place to move the boxes.
This is my office/clutter/never unpacked room :)

It's okay, though. I just plunged some more and flushed; it appears to have
been a temporary blockage. Now I just have to get the wet towels off the
floor and into the washer and mop up the remaining water.

Jill

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Stormin Mormon - 14 Feb 2006 18:15 GMT

I had a similar moment. Went to Home Depot, and asked for a "closet auger".
They have an eight dollar one which works nicely on towels and such, and a
$23 one which works on clumping kitty litter in the drain (yes, this from
experience). Ask the guy in plumbing how to make the gadget work.

Seriously, a lot of things a plunger won't remove, but a closet auger will.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/plumbing/article/0,16417,193799-5,00.html

This web page is fairly good, but doesn't really do a very good job.

http://www.electriceel.com/handeclosetauger.htm

This web page also doesn't do a very good job. It has a downloadable PDF
file on how to use the closet auger, but the directions really are awful,
there, too.

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Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
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Sandy - 15 Feb 2006 04:37 GMT

I can vouch for that. You need a little strength to use the auger, but it
works if the clog is in the toilet as they usually are (as opposed to being
farther down the line). Where I bought mine, it was called a "toilet
auger". The first one I got became kinked when I used it, and a plumber
advised me to get a heavier-duty one. I did, and that one has never kinked.
It has saved me plumber's fees several times. Of course, it sounds like
Jill just needs to call a maintenance guy.

One of the two new 1.6-gallon toilets I recently got needs plunging once or
twice a week! :-( Fortunately it hasn't needed the auger yet...

Sandy

>I had a similar moment. Went to Home Depot, and asked for a "closet auger".
> They have an eight dollar one which works nicely on towels and such, and a
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Seriously, a lot of things a plunger won't remove, but a closet auger
> will.

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jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net - 14 Feb 2006 22:49 GMT

> Great... just as I'm finalizing my trip plans, I flush the toilet and it
> overflows everywhere. I've got a flood akin to Noah's. Well, not that bad,
> but towels all over the floor. I have a plunger and I plunged the heck out
> of the toilet but I'm afraid to flush it again even with the water plunged
> down as low as it is. Just what I need.

Hell, I have to use the plunger every other day, it seems. I live in
an old building (old for California, that is) and the plumbing is
terrible. The plunger is a necessity around here!

Joyce

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