Sunday, December 7, 2008

Hoo boy...

Okay, it's been cold as heck lately plus I've been shutting down at work, so not only have I done less around the house but when I do things I'm usually too cold afterwards to type them up. I have been continuing to tackle the stand pipe. While Draino and other treatments got things flowing a little, I really just want to open up the cleanout and see if my suspicion is correct and there's just a major blockage right there in reachin' distance. So I've started alternating heat (blowtorch!) and more Kroil to see if this gets us anywhere. If you've never used a blowtorch, I highly recommend buying a house so you have justification to get one. A little unnerving at first, but perfectly safe if handled properly (read the instructions, kids) plus it thawed my shed lock in no time!

Also, some water in my sump pump pipe froze; quick fix (unscrew from the pump, shake it out, reattach) but I'm wondering how to keep that from happening for the next three months...

Also, this has nothing to do with the house, but I was in stitches watching most of it:

2 comments:

BasementGal said...

Hi there :) Nice blog you have here.
Answering your question on how to keep your sump pump discharge line from freezing and clogging: a product called IceGuard.
It is a special pipe extension that lets out the water being pumped, should the pipe freeze and clog.
Here's where to find more about it about it.
http://www.basementsystems.com/basement_waterproofing/waterproofing_products/sump_pump/iceguard_discharge.php

Aaron said...

Thanks Cy - first things first though is to get a better system inside the basement to ensure that the water is always flowing downhill outside. Only a small section of hose froze, and it was a section that didn't drain like it normally does. PVC inside, then maybe I'll take another look at that product you recommend.