I haven’t had a chance to run or do any exercise today. Instead, I spent last night and this morning trying to clear a clogged kitchen sink.
I’ve always considered myself somewhat handy around the house. I can install lights and ceiling fans. I can paint the walls. I can even repair a toilet.
But fixing a clogged drain seems beyond my expertise. And it is also nasty. Dirty water, pipe gunk, and climbing under the sink is not fun.
The 400 Pound Kitchen Sink
When we renovated our kitchen a number of years ago, we installed a farm sink. Carved from a single solid rock, the sink looks great. The problem is that because it is so solid, it weighs nearly 400 pounds and is huge. It’s difficult to work around and requires three strong people to even think about moving it.
First, I tried plunging the sink. No luck. Then I took apart the pipes underneath. No problems there. Just dirty sink water all over the place.
Then I got out the plumbing snake. I bought the device years ago. It’s essentially a long coiled metal tube that you push into the drain pipe. When you reach the clog, you twist the snake and the hook on the end breaks it apart.
But I’ve never been able to get it to work. The snake gets caught up on the bends in the pipe. Eventually, I can’t get it to go any further. Thinking I’ve reached the clog, I crank the snake and pull it out. But there’s nothing attached to the end and the sink is still clogged.
I’m Really Not a DIY Guy
So now I’m forced to call a plumber. I dread the service call. Whenever I bring someone out to fix a problem, I feel like I’m going to get screwed. They charge a big fee just to come out and take a look. Then they tell you it will cost tons more to fix the problem.
And what am I going to say? No thanks. Then I’ll just need to pay someone else to come out, take a look, and tell me it will cost tons to fix.
But there’s not another option. I tried to fix myself and I’ve gone as far as I can. The dirty dishes are piling up and I’ve already spent hours on this. I have better things to do with my time.
So I’ll make the call. It’s Sunday so I’m not expecting much to happen today. But at least I’ll get something scheduled so I can go for a bike ride and have some fun.
Readers, are you handy enough to fix your own clogged kitchen sink? What are your experiences with handyman services? How do you know whether you’re being taken advantage of or you’re getting a fair price?