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May 29, 2003
gunk
You might have wondered where I’ve been the last few days. You might have been thinking, “oh Moxie’s too busy living the glamorous life to sit down and write.” Actually, that is not the case.
My Aunt and 2 year old cousin arrived in Los Angeles over the holiday weekend. The baby was in surprisingly good spirits after the long flight from London.
After dinner she wanted to take a bath with her dolls and the funny little fizzing tablets that turned the water a brilliant purple. We got her out of the tub and wrapped in a fluffy towel after a nice long soak and some tub swimming. She immediately began asking for Bentley and believe me there is nothing cuter than a 2-year-old saying “I really like that fluffy one.” So we went downstairs to find the critters.
Both of the cats were standing in the pantry staring at the door to the little bathroom, ears pulled back almost flat against their heads. I could hear a splashing and gurgling sound and when I got to the open bathroom door I almost fainted.
Purple water was shooting out of the toilet two feet into the air. Much of it had already turned the tiny room into a flood of purple water several inches deep.
“Oh my god. This isn’t happening.”
My aunt ran over and agreed. Maybe we should walk away and come back in a few minutes – we must have had bad wine with dinner. I went back a few minutes later, the geyser had disappeared but now debris that looked as old as the house was pouring out of the toilet.
“What IS that?”
“I think it’s gunk”
“What kind of gunk?”
“Pipe gunk”
“How did the bathroom drain get mixed up with the likes of the toilet pipes?Shouldn't that shit be separate?”
“I don’t know, let’s just hope the water that came out of the faucet upstairs wasn’t coming from the toilet.”
“Oh god.”
I called the landlord who called the plumber who said he couldn’t make it over for a few days.
A few days?
That’s right. In the meanwhile I’ve found out some interesting things about my townhouse’s plumbing. For instance the kitchen sink, garbage disposal and outdoor sprinklers also cause toilet geysers and weird alien-like gurgling.
So here I sit waiting for the man to figure out the pipe situation while my family is staying in a hotel.
And then lucky me, I get to clean up all the gunk.
to be continued...because as you guessed -- there's more excitement.
check out: what I think I know. Let me know if you know more than me.
Posted by Moxie at May 29, 2003 6:43 AM
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Comments
first
Posted by: Lynn Carrier at May 29, 2003 6:50 AM
Being a former architectural draftsman/desighner (in other words, I used to to all the hard work for the "certified" architect), I can assure you that every drain in the house is connected to one pipe that connects with the pipes of the other townhouses. Sounds like you got one of those "explosive backflows" when air or gas builds up in the pipes and releases all at once... or you have a clogged pipe.
My sympathies on the troubles and delay.
Will more hugs do? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Posted by: Yog Sothoth at May 29, 2003 7:36 AM
Because of the outage, this story is a day old. I won't ruin all the lovely things that have followed because I'll post that later today but there are roots in the pipes. LOTS of roots.
Sigh, and I still can't use my own bathrooms.
Posted by: moxie at May 29, 2003 7:41 AM
Don't try to use drano.
Posted by: Damien at May 29, 2003 8:04 AM
Wow, that's quite the situation!
It's (somewhat?) fortunate that your cousin's bath water was purple so you could actually associate the toilet geyser with that bathtub drainage!
Posted by: Leah at May 29, 2003 8:20 AM
Leah, I was thinking the same thing!
Posted by: moxie at May 29, 2003 8:27 AM
Oh, my, that's horrible. I'm very very sorry...
Posted by: zombyboy at May 29, 2003 8:28 AM
Dear Moxie,
Welcome to my what has been my world for over 2 weeks now. Though purple shit and gook beats the hell out of plain ol' shit. My land lady finally called a real plumber after two weeks of her gardening guy trying to fix it and the same synopasis was given to me: roots. I was escatic that not only did I not have to make a quick trip to Mineyards everytime nature called but I could alas let my friends come back over and help me consume the stockpile of beer collecting dust in my fridge. Coming from a girl with a all to similar story: invest in rubber gloves, all purpose cleaner, and scented candels.
Posted by: missie at May 29, 2003 9:36 AM
Missie, I'm so sorry to hear that -- 2 weeks?
You know you can NOT pay your rent or subtract some cash for everyday you have unsuitable living conditions....
Posted by: moxie at May 29, 2003 10:42 AM
Moxie - Seperate Drains: Nope, all of your drains go into the sanitary sewer system. I suppose that's safer when the occassional drunk deficates in the sink or bathtub instead of the toilet. The only things that normally drain in the "storm" sewer system are the draining grates in city streets. Then again, the way you crazy folks in California are, heck you probably force that through sewage treatment facilities, too.
Witholding of rent - Be careful going this route and check with California law. You can do something similar here in Ohio, but according to the Ohio Revised Code, you need to deposit the funds with the clerk of court having juristiction who will then hold on to the funds until the matter is settled or terminate the rental agreement and move. [ORC 5321.07(B)] Check with local laws and ordinances, or you could open yourself up to collections actions, damage to your credit report, or even eviction.
Posted by: dever at May 29, 2003 11:19 AM
Mox.. geez.. I will have a few tasty beverages in your honor indeed,name your poison. I am now slightly concerned about the gurglings rumbling thoughout my own apt's system everytime the woman upstairs uses the water.. But... I move in a month.. (crosses fingers) I don't even think I want to know how roots made their way inside of plumbing. I think I will revert to girlish cluelessness about such things...
yep.. better. Hang in there!
Posted by: JenRaj at May 29, 2003 12:14 PM
Looks like a job for.... Roto Rooter!
The roots worm their way into the cracks and joints in the pipes and sometimes crack the pipes themselves. Since this is your fist root problem, you might be in luck. Now if this happened say five times in a year you'd be looking at some major replacing of plumbing.
It could have been worse, like a crushed pipe.
Posted by: Yog Sothoth at May 29, 2003 1:30 PM
Hey Moxie,
I'd hate to cross your path ever:) It did suck and it was a serious pain in the ass but my land lady is really cool and I wouldn't want to jeapordize the relationship I have with her over something so insignifcant, though immensly bothersome. She bakes me pies, we play dominoes togather and I get to hear stories of her as a child in Mexico. Life always has a way of evening the good and the bad out for us. Whats the 101 on your sitution as of presently?!?
Posted by: Missie at May 29, 2003 1:44 PM
When water (or "gunk") backs up in pipes, it overflows out of the lowest outlet...which is almost invariably a downstairs toilet (or, if you're lucky, a bathtub). Depending on your townhouse, there *may* be a relief drain you can open. If there is, it'll be outside the house, very near ground level. Since this drain is lower than your toilet, the gunk will overflow out of that instead.
Not that this information is of any use to you ex post facto. And you'd also need a pipe wrench.
Posted by: bWg at May 29, 2003 3:14 PM
Well, I'm not plumber and can't offer advice . . . but man have you had it rough lately! Sometimes I get frustrated that people around me go through stuff like this, but there's absolutely nothing I can do that'll be of any help . . .
Anyways, I hope it all gets sorted out!
Posted by: ang at May 29, 2003 4:09 PM
You lead the most glamorous life!
Your cousin is an adorable little girl.
Posted by: Da Goddess at May 29, 2003 9:24 PM
now i'm worried. when i use my washing machine, i hear gurgling noises in my toilet. and when i open the toilet lid later there are soap bubbles sitting in my toilet... hmmmm.
Posted by: caitlin at May 30, 2003 1:14 PM
Be glad you're NOT a home owner.
The Plumber's electric "snake" worked on the tree roots in Boron, CA.
It didn't in Lancaster, CA. The new pipe was $1500.
In Pgh, it wasn't tree roots but dry twigs (that swelled from the fluid) down the clean-out by a 4 yr old nephew.
Two stories above the basement really made it spew. (There are advantages to cement slabs & no basements with Calif Ranch houses.) 6" of brown slurry in the flooded basement and NO landlord to "pass the buck" to!
Remeber, no matter how bad it seems, there is usually someone worse off than you....
Posted by: Miffed at May 30, 2003 6:43 PM
So what is the latest on the disaster? Didn't tint the walls did it?
Posted by: Yog Sothoth at June 3, 2003 8:29 AM
ugh, I hate cleaning large messes like that. I hope you were able to get everything fixed. Yuk.
Posted by: cyberangel at June 3, 2003 8:53 AM
