Monday, December 08, 2008

Drano Is Not Your Friend

Went to clean up dinner tonite and I noticed that the garbage disposal side of the sink wouldnt drain. Turned it on, nope just a nice noise but no actual water and food parts sinking down. Sigh. Go look under the sink... hmmm pipes. Look at the sink... hmmmm nasty water and food bits. Husband is not here, he is working and wont be back until late. Start cursing in my head. Get the plunger. Start plunging the sink... hey see the nasty water fly everywhere! And I mean everywhere. Right out of that weird little pipe thingy on top of the sink. Hmmmm... look under the sink, still see pipes. Look at the top again. Wrap weird pipe thingy with a towel, plunge again. Whoa!!! More spray... but not as bad. Water not draining, still. Hmmmmm. Decide to pack up the spawn and head to the store. Find Drano. Look at back, read instructions. A-OK for garbage disposals. Pour in and let sit then your problem will be all gone. Purchase the Drano. Come home, place spawn in front of the tv. Go back to sink. Water still there. Look underneath, yep pipes still there. Pour in Drano. Wait, wait, wait. Water does not go down. Wait wait wait. Nope water is still in the sink. Look at back of the Drano. All kinds of cautionary tales about how its going to eat my skin, blind me, give me 3rd degree chemical burns. All kinds of do nots. Do not turn on disposal. Do not try to get out clog yourself. Do not get in eyes. Do not get on skin. Why did I not see these before? Hmmmm Water is still in the sink. Decide to throw caution to the wind and turn on disposal. Nothing. Water goes in a whirlpool, drano foams, water stays in the sink. Hmmmmm... go to Google. Oh google tell me what to do! Google directs me to Readers Digest. Readers Digest has tons of helpful directions, unless of course you poured chemicals in there. If you did that, well you are on your own. Think of how pissed husband will be. Think of how he will ask me why I didnt wait for him. Think of all the "I told you...." Decide to handle this like a man would. Ignore all cautionary directions. Don rubber gloves and husbands woodworking eye protection. Tell children they may not enter the kitchen or Santa will not bring toys. Go under the sink. Look at pipes. Decide to ever so slowly open one. Gently twist the ring thingy. Drano water starts to spill out into the bucket I so brilliantly put underneath. Decide to take it slow. Wait, wait, wait. Still draining. Ok this is taking forever. Twist ring thingy more. More water. More drano. Twist more. Oh no! Water drano sprays the inside of the cabinet along with disgusting food. Lucky for me I am not burned as I have donned my protective gear. Finally succeed in draining all the water. Completely dismantle the pipe. Clean out all of the disgusting potato peels. eeeewww so gross. Drano smell is over whelming. Take bucket of drano water to bathroom and dump it in the sink. Rinse, rinse, rinse. Mop up underneath the sink. Throw away all the stuff that got soaked with Drano. Reassemble sink parts. YES!!! I did it! I fixed the *&%$$#ing sink! Marvel at how much easier it would have been without the added Drano. Curse self for not taking pictures.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

woohoo Michele!!

thank gosh your story has a happy ending - one of my co-workers was just off of work for over a week for a similar story with severe burns to her hand. The dr. told her thursday that if it was not healing the way she wanted to see it healing then today they would have to debrade and do skin grafs... ack!
Anyway - way to go!!! (no more potato peels in the disposal - they are awful for disposals.

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness Michele - you brave woman - Id've left it, water is the curse in our house - as my kitchen ceiling will testify - it still bears the scars of THAT NIGHT 3 years ago - pat on the back for you Michele - good woman yourself!!

Anonymous said...

i just had this happen except i paid someone 50 bucks to teach me how to do this...good job!

Speanburg4 said...

Although I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, your story is very funny!! I'm so glad it had a happy ending!

Anonymous said...

OHHHH! Shades of deja vu! What IS it with potato peelings and disposers, anyway? Glad to know that the story ended well for you--contemplating other consequences makes me shudder.
Sandy (aka Little Mabel on PTI forum)

tommie said...

My in-laws laugh at me because I don't throw everything in the disposal...but this has happened before to me as well.

Glad you are well! Gotta love Google.

Unknown said...

the same thing happened this christmas day - at my daughter in laws house - luckily her brother is a great do it yourselfer - and took the pipes apart also..i don't put anything in my disposal...but - YOU GOT GIRL!!! You are woman!!