I waited around for 5.5 hours yesterday for the plumber. He was here for a total of 5.5 minutes. Our story begins a few months ago........
Taking a shower was becoming increasingly difficult, standing under a thin stream of water. I suggested that maybe there was some sort of 'lime buildup' (I really have no clue what that is, but Billy Mays is still ringing in my head) and that Husband should take the shower head off and clean it. He soaked it for a Saturday is some sort of caustic substance and we were back in business. For about 3 weeks. Then the problems started again. Husband was out of patience, so he went to Lowe's and bought a new shower head. Our problems seemed to be solved and taking showers was refreshing again (except for the fan blowing cold air on me - see previous post).
Unfortunately, our problems shifted to the kitchen, because you know the joys of home ownership. The kitchen faucet began a slow trickle. What should be a 2 minute dish washing experience was turning into a 10 minute ordeal. Husband felt that my 'cleaning it out' method was a waste of time, so off he went to Lowe's again, buying a new faucet. He managed to install it in a 2 hour period one Saturday, without too much swearing. Once again, we were back in business and dish washing was restored to normalcy. For 2 weeks. This past weekend, I was faced with slow, barely there, water from the kitchen faucet. Husband concluded that it couldn't possibly have any sort of build up in 2 weeks' time, and that maybe we were having some serious water pressure issues because of the weird problems previously faced in the shower. Time to call the plumber.
I called bright and early yesterday morning. He asked me a few questions about flushing pipes and aerators (which I had no idea what he was talking about) and said he'd be out in the late morning. Well, if you call 1:30 pm late morning I guess. He walked into the house with a flashlight and a wrench. Checked the pipes underneath the sink with the flashlight, then used the wrench to undo the pullout faucet handle from the hose. Showed me the white crystal build up at the end of the hose and in the tiny plastic screen of the faucet handle. Said that when you install a new faucet, you loosen up gunk in the pipes and that it needs flushed out first. He rinsed everything out and wrote me up the bill for his 5.5 minutes of effort.
Service calls are $49, in case you were wondering what the price of ignorance in this house is.
Oh, I feel for you, I truly do. Hubby wouldn't have a clue how to even swap over a showerhead in this place, and I am a gutless wonder in home maintenance - you can pick any week of the year to spotcheck, there is ALWAYS something leaky or broken about the place. Did I ever mention how much I hate calling out the "professionals"??
ReplyDeleteAh well, at least its fixed for now, eh? (Grin)
The wisest thing my FIL ever said to me: Whoever owns a house, deserves it!
ReplyDeleteNow that I own a house, I understand.
Actually, $49 is pretty cheap education, as home maintenance goes. . .
ReplyDeleteI've replaced enough faucets in my young life, and lived in old enough houses, that I've encountered that 'busting the crud loose' thing myself. Not, mind you, that I'd be alert enough to necessarily diagnose it myself. Most likely, we'd live with it until it just became intolerable, then Jen would poke around and take the aerator off, and the problem would be solved. . .
And thanks for reminding me - our bathroom shower-head is 'limed up' WAY past the point of needing to be replaced. . .
Might cost you $49 for the phone call around here. Honestly.
ReplyDeleteI likes messing up the house, but I'm a little dumb about it. When we were having in-pipe buildup probs I replaced half the pipes and installed a filter and water softener. Cost me $900 to save the $49 service call ....
AT least he was honest and didn't try to pretend expensive parts were required.
ReplyDeleteShrinky - I hate calling professionals too....I can never understand why they can't give you a better time frame of when they'll arrive.
ReplyDeleteRuss - Sad, but true!
Craig - I know. I've had previous plumber calls that resulted in a charge of $100 for 5 minutes. I do feel that we got off easy this time.
Xavier - Fortunately, Husband doesn't have that much time on his hands!
Agent - I do like this plumbing company; small, family owned. You only get one of two people, and both have years of experience.
yeef. well, i guess it could have been a whole lot more expensive.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Just glad your plumber wasn't like the crappy mechanic I had last Fall, where I went in for an oil change & tire rotation before a big road trip... and $1200 later (and 300 miles down the road) found myself dealing w/car in major epileptic convulsions. Yeah, fun.
ReplyDeleteOh, the joys of ownership, eh? ;)
I shouldn't laugh, but I couldn't help it.. that was great..
ReplyDeleteI add up my stuff like that too.
*chuckle*
my word verification: lateeda :)