irritated
So, our inspection failed. And why? Because the inspector is a hard-and-fast play-by-the-rules-or-else person.
Theoretically, the inspection is easy. You stick a inflatable rubber balloon thingie down the street-side cleanout & inflate it. This blocks the line. Then, you fill the sewer line with water and keep it there for ten minutes or so. If there are leaks, it quickly becomes obvious. That's the theory. Now, the practice:
The inspector pulls up. He looks at the pipe I have attached to the street-side cleanout and says, "That's too long. You'll never get the balloon down there. Cut it off." He refuses to wait for me to do so, even though it only takes something like two minutes. But, he is "kind enough" to say that, if he has time, he'll come back later.
Eventually, he does come back. I plug up the pipe with the balloon thingie. Zoodada runs water down the cleanout at the house side; I'm down by the sidewalk. The water level at my end rises. It rises until it's spilling over the top of the pipe. I shout to turn off the water. The inspector says this is not a good enough test because the water hasn't backed up all the way to the house. He claims this happens because the balloon is not properly inflated and the water is leaking out into the city sewer. I counter that water seeks its own level (any contractor knows this, right?) and the top of the street-side cleanout is below the level of the pipe by the house. He doesn't believe me. After all, I'm just some stupid owner trying to save $4000 by replacing my own sewer line. He tells us to schedule another inspection for tomorrow, after we've figured out how to inflate the balloon properly. (HA!)
Later, I walk over to Home Depot. I've seen a thing there called a "test cap" which I think might help us out. Here's the idea: I inflate the balloon, stuff the inflation tube inside the cleanout pipe, and put the test cap over the top. The chain that keeps the balloon from being pushed down the pipe still has to hang out (the ring at the end doesn't fit in the pipe), but surely the rubber gasket around the test cap will seal around that, right?
I try another water test. I definitely put a lot more water in here this time, but not quite enough to start seeing standing water at the house side of things. What I do see is water starting to spurt out around the test cap in the area around the chain.
Argh.
I go down to the other end, figuring that I can just take off the test cap and deflate the balloon and then everything will drain out into the city line. What happens instead is that I take off the test cap and a huge amount of water gushes out of the cleanout pipe.
Clearly, there was a lot of pressure (and water) in the pipe. But it still wouldn't be enough to satisfy the stoopid inspector.
So now I don't know what to do. I'm mad. I never wanted to do this job in the first place. I was willing to hire someone. But I did it because I was told that "it would save a lot of money" and "it would be a great learning experience." Ha. What I've learned is that I hate dealing with inspectors. And I still don't like plumbing.
I pronounced the line in good enough shape to do things like wash dishes and take quick showers (you wouldn't believe the amount of dirt that washed out of my hair). It's better than nothing.
Oh, and someone who is not me broke the garage door today. It won't close all the way. Just what I need: another home improvement project! *groan*
I want to cry.
Theoretically, the inspection is easy. You stick a inflatable rubber balloon thingie down the street-side cleanout & inflate it. This blocks the line. Then, you fill the sewer line with water and keep it there for ten minutes or so. If there are leaks, it quickly becomes obvious. That's the theory. Now, the practice:
The inspector pulls up. He looks at the pipe I have attached to the street-side cleanout and says, "That's too long. You'll never get the balloon down there. Cut it off." He refuses to wait for me to do so, even though it only takes something like two minutes. But, he is "kind enough" to say that, if he has time, he'll come back later.
Eventually, he does come back. I plug up the pipe with the balloon thingie. Zoodada runs water down the cleanout at the house side; I'm down by the sidewalk. The water level at my end rises. It rises until it's spilling over the top of the pipe. I shout to turn off the water. The inspector says this is not a good enough test because the water hasn't backed up all the way to the house. He claims this happens because the balloon is not properly inflated and the water is leaking out into the city sewer. I counter that water seeks its own level (any contractor knows this, right?) and the top of the street-side cleanout is below the level of the pipe by the house. He doesn't believe me. After all, I'm just some stupid owner trying to save $4000 by replacing my own sewer line. He tells us to schedule another inspection for tomorrow, after we've figured out how to inflate the balloon properly. (HA!)
Later, I walk over to Home Depot. I've seen a thing there called a "test cap" which I think might help us out. Here's the idea: I inflate the balloon, stuff the inflation tube inside the cleanout pipe, and put the test cap over the top. The chain that keeps the balloon from being pushed down the pipe still has to hang out (the ring at the end doesn't fit in the pipe), but surely the rubber gasket around the test cap will seal around that, right?
I try another water test. I definitely put a lot more water in here this time, but not quite enough to start seeing standing water at the house side of things. What I do see is water starting to spurt out around the test cap in the area around the chain.
Argh.
I go down to the other end, figuring that I can just take off the test cap and deflate the balloon and then everything will drain out into the city line. What happens instead is that I take off the test cap and a huge amount of water gushes out of the cleanout pipe.
Clearly, there was a lot of pressure (and water) in the pipe. But it still wouldn't be enough to satisfy the stoopid inspector.
So now I don't know what to do. I'm mad. I never wanted to do this job in the first place. I was willing to hire someone. But I did it because I was told that "it would save a lot of money" and "it would be a great learning experience." Ha. What I've learned is that I hate dealing with inspectors. And I still don't like plumbing.
I pronounced the line in good enough shape to do things like wash dishes and take quick showers (you wouldn't believe the amount of dirt that washed out of my hair). It's better than nothing.
Oh, and someone who is not me broke the garage door today. It won't close all the way. Just what I need: another home improvement project! *groan*
I want to cry.