Many people don’t realize why plumbers get paid so much. Try working on a sewer pipe under someone’s home. That is the worst smell you will ever face. I can handle death and decay easier than that.
We bought this place and the owner had told us that a plumber had not quite put the correct amount of drop on one of the lines and it might stop up every few months needing to be cleared. We have been here almost 2 years and no problems. Apparently the house shifted and a couple of joints in the waste line opened. This is when I got to see the “plumbers” work. It turns out from the neighbors that the elderly man who lived here simply sent his 12-year-old “plumber” grandson under there to piece pipes together and shore them up on blocks (that can settle). There was not a glued joint in the whole system.
The job took us about 2 hours counting 45 mins of slowly crawling through and removing what one might mistake as cotton candy. It was actually Spider webs, I hate Spiders. I was fortunate that last month I had the exterminator come out and treat the underside with something to kill them so they were few and far between but their handiwork was there.
Hopefully my repair will stand the test of time since I did it what we like to call “The right way” using glue and tying the pipes up with hangers to the underside of the home.
At least the job is done.
In 20 years of living in mobile homes, I never had the pleasure of having to repair a sewer pipe. I’m sure I’d remember! In another 20 years in a traditional home, I didn’t either. Sorry you had to deal with it. I can imagine the smell in that Alabama heat!
It was really something I can tell you that much.
In our former house, right after moving in we realized that the sewage was backing up into the bathtubs. Allan had to go to work, and it was up to me to dig out the sewage pipe from the house to the septic tank, in very rocky soil. I took pictures of a totally collapsed pipe at the septic tank end. The contractor couldn’t get someone out there fast enough when I offered to share the pics with the local newspaper.
Now that is some hard work digging in rocky soil. I’m just glad I got it done! Now I have a small leak in the water heater line in the closet and need to replace the thermostat. At least that will be inside with clean water.