Bellingham type of day

Wow---I'm doing the hardest sewer replacement yet. It's not deep, rocky, or hilly, but it is wet!

The top of the ground was wet and puddling in some places, but I thought that there was another leak; that it couldn't be the sewer that's 4 feet under. I was wrong. After 5 hours of digging around, I found a cesspool-not an intentional one-where a sewer should have been.

I tried to rooter it through the open sewer, but the line is so bad, I think the snake was going through mud...or not. I'm having the City of Bellingham check their line, too.

I'm getting a backhoe in tomorrow and having it done. What a mess.

www.ballplumbing.net

Good Plumber here

Another day driving from one end of Whatcom county to the other. At least the weather is nice.

I did a quick water heater repair in Glacier, WA. The connectors corroded right through so I unsoldered and then soldered on new connectors.

From there I went to Fairhaven, WA. to clear a washing machine drain line stoppage. Easy enough, but the drain didn't have a trap! I added one easily enough (for me), but there should have been one there. DIYers cause a lot of damage and usually spend more in the short run.

Not that I can blame 'em. This homeowner had called another plumber out of the phone book, (small ad, big promises) and the plumber quoted him some outlandish fix for a weird price. Luckily, the homeowner had the sense to call us.

I think my motto "Honest, Reliable, Local" will get painted on the truck.

Plumbing

A Grand Dame of Fairhaven, WA (95-year-old Lady) had broken a very valuable glass and most of it went down her disposal. She wasn't amused when it took me less than a minute to repair it, but at least I was able to salvage the unit, if not put the glass back together. I hope I'm as active, good-looking, and richer than her at 95. Well, I can sure rule out good-looking....:)

Did a water heater in Blaine, WA today. Darn thing was only 9 years old and the tank gave out. Of course, the homeowners were on vacation when it blew out, so the garage walls were damaged. It was a 50 gallon Bradford White water heater and I replaced it with the same. Not much choice up here for brands.

From there, I went to Sedro-Woolley, WA to a mobile home that had a broken PVC water main under the house. It took longer for the glue to dry than anything. Darn PVC, anyway.

So I went to a millionaire to a border town to a mobile home in a logging town....such is the life of a plumber!

ABS City

It's been an ABS sorta day. First, I had a broken ABS fitting in Sudden Valley. What was sad was the house is only 4 years old. The plumbing (probably the whole house) was done by a "boom" construction company.

Then across town to Fairhaven to a collapsed ABS sewer line. That's scheduled for replacement on Thursday.

I use only the best PVC material and fittings and all my work is permitted and closely inspected and today proves me right.

Stupid Keller Supply. I'm actually looking forward to them moving---I'll be forced to use other suppliers. They are real close to me right now and that's the only reason I use them.

First Post!

I tried to upload this to godaddy, but after 10 minutes and getting tangled up in things I don't have time for, I'll stay with the program.

Being Sunday, we went to see some tall ships in Blaine today. The crew was hung over and pissy as all git, so we got the short tour and rotated out. The ship, Lady Washington, was in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, so we all were starstruck.

I went by Keller Supply's new store in Ferndale. Big and new, fer sure, but far away from town. I'll need to get my toilets, faucets, and assorted plumbing goods from someplace closer.