Re: Reasons To Be Grumpy thread

[Dave]

Page four, at the bottom of my newspaper:  A teeny tiny small 2 column inch bit of news.  My state house of representatives ( shit eating dogs that they are...at least in this case) have sneaked a bill through the house with a vote of 97 to 10.  The bill specifies that a sign must be "prominently" displayed in every school and every school administrative office in the state.  The sign must say "In God we trust".

Those dumb bastards know very well that such a bill will be attacked by the ACLU and other agencies who are actually familiar with our constitutional amendments .  I am really annoyed to learn that my legislators are so narrow minded and unaware of the rules of common sense.  I want them to take care of the states business that actually matters. 

This sort of news seems inexplicable and almost unbelievable to us in the UK. These people seem to live in a weird bubble.

Nah, bubbles, weird or otherwise, are far more substantial than what they believe in. The shitty bit is these twonks are actually in positions of "authotity" - voted there by a whole load of other twonks presumably.

[No one]

Insurance rate increases.

[Tank]

Insurance rate increases.

A good reason to be grumpy

[jumbojak]

Cheese failed again. Went a bit better for a while but fell apart into rice sized bits at the end. Not being able to get the 'easy' cheese right is really bothering me. I won't be able to try again until next week.

[Tank]

Cheese failed again. Went a bit better for a while but fell apart into rice sized bits at the end. Not being able to get the 'easy' cheese right is really bothering me. I won't be able to try again until next week.

LOL! Early morning WTF! moment. I read the first word as Chelsea (as in the football club). Things returned reality at the second 'cheese'.

[jumbojak]

Cheese failed again. Went a bit better for a while but fell apart into rice sized bits at the end. Not being able to get the 'easy' cheese right is really bothering me. I won't be able to try again until next week.

LOL! Early morning WTF! moment. I read the first word as Chelsea (as in the football club). Things returned reality at the second 'cheese'.

Ha, the day I'm grumpy about a soccer game is the day I'm forced to go and watch one in person. I don't really like sports in general but soccer is only second to baseball on a hot, humid day in terms of keeping me the hell away!

[Dave]

Cor, my sink blockage is getting to me a bit of a saga, and a frustrating one!

Put the trap back on - still no flow.

Found my plunger, after a long search (it was in the obvious place, under the sink!). No good 'cos there is a 'T' junction for the washing machine drain between the plug hole and the trap. Could not work out a way to block that adequately. But still convinced it is ice anyway.

Take trap off again, push flexi pipe cleaning thingy down pipe, just in case and to explore, til it feels and sounds like ir is hitting something solid and slightly resonant.

Trap back on, still no flow.

Trap off - insert 3/8" plastic tube into pipe as far as it will go. Turn 90deg bend on pipe upright. Fit funnel to tube.

Fill 3ltr bottle with hot water.and pour into funnel until pipe overflows - leave.

Repeat above 5 minutes later, overflows straight away, pour more in to "reheat" - leave.

Try again after further five minutes, immediate overflow again.

"Reheat" and make a cup of tea. Think.


A few feet away, a little lower but on the same external pipe, is the bathroom basin drain, that works perfectly. But it is used far more often with hand washing. Wondering if a gradual buildup of ice has formed a blockage between the two, sort of "internal circular icicle" (or "icemite") effect. That external pipe is on the North wall and gets no sun.

Or, perhaps, a sewer rat has climbed the inside of the stink pipe and died in the sink drain pipe?

Perhaps if I drain that pipe and inject antifreeze or deicer down the plastic tube . . .

Just praying that the loo does not suffer the same problem!

Washing up being done in bathroom, must remember that I can't use the washing machine.

[jumbojak]

Pipe snake Dave. Something with enough rigidity to push a bit when you add the hot water if it's indeed ice blocking the drain. Might even be worth trying a bit of windshield deicer. I doubt a dead rat would feel very solid or that you have a hard blockage from another source.

[xSilverPhinx]

Just praying that the loo does not suffer the same problem!

[Dave]

Pipe snake Dave. Something with enough rigidity to push a bit when you add the hot water if it's indeed ice blocking the drain. Might even be worth trying a bit of windshield deicer. I doubt a dead rat would feel very solid or that you have a hard blockage from another source.

It's a bit convoluted, JJ.  There is a 90deg bend then a couple of feet to another 90 outside. Haven't yet managed to get my flexible thingie to make that second turn. The flexi thing is a flat steel tape with a cone spring and ball on the end. Think the outside bend is a "short" one, quite "sharp".

Anyway, just had an hour long telecon with my friend (she and her dog are bored and fed up because they can't safely go out, too much snow and still more falling) so now its back to he kitchen!

[Dave]

Well, I have had enough for today. Syphoned as much water out as I could then introduced a 1/4" tube down the larger one (for stiffness) to see if I could get it round the bend - even cut the end at 45deg and pushed/twisted. No luck.

So I dug out an old 100ml syringe and filled it with antifreeze, attached to the new tube, and squirted it in. Then the same again. Guessing the volume that should give it protection down to -50C! At least stop freezing in the currently non-frozen bits and may get thtough the blockage.

Now I have a whole heap of sterlising and cleaning to do, good thing I just bought a new bottle of bleach!

If no joy tomorrow its drain and flush again then inject some caustic soda solution. That should dissolve any, er, organic stuff. Not sure what sodium hydroxide and glycol do if mixed . . .  Looks like not-a-lot, even when heated, according to one boring video on Youtube. And American farmers (at least) use the mix, along with phophoric acid, for something it seems.

[Tank]

Well, I have had enough for today. Syphoned as much water out as I could then introduced a 1/4" tube down the larger one (for stiffness) to see if I could get it round the bend - even cut the end at 45deg and pushed/twisted. No luck.

So I dug out an old 100ml syringe and filled it with antifreeze, attached to the new tube, and squirted it in. Then the same again. Guessing the volume that should give it protection down to -50C! At least stop freezing in the currently non-frozen bits and may get thtough the blockage.

Now I have a whole heap of sterlising and cleaning to do, good thing I just bought a new bottle of bleach!

If no joy tomorrow its drain and flush again then inject some caustic soda solution. That should dissolve any, er, organic stuff. Not sure what sodium hydroxide and glycol do if mixed . . .  Looks like not-a-lot, even when heated, according to one boring video on Youtube. And American farmers (at least) use the mix, along with phophoric acid, for something it seems.

If we hear about an exploision and/or a chemicalgas attack we'll know who to blame!

[Dave]

Just praying that the loo does not suffer the same problem!

At least I should be able to get a plastic tube round the corners in that area! Even a hose.

[Guardian85]

I've had luck in the past unfreezing pipes by means of a heat gun (the type that blows crazy hot air). Aimed it straight down the pipe and just left it like that for a while.

[Dave]

I've had luck in the past unfreezing pipes by means of a heat gun (the type that blows crazy hot air). Aimed it straight down the pipe and just left it like that for a while.

Yeah, but there are two 90^o bends betwixt the indoor open end and the outside frozen bit - probably 600mm from the second (outside) bend. Blown in air would stall and blow back long before it got where it was needed I suspect!

But my heat gun has been one of my best DIY purchases - even use it in the kitchen. Makes peeling tomatoes and peppers simple and crisps bacon etc!