One really cool thing that the previous owners left for me was a dishwasher! I was really excited about this because I haven't had a dishwasher for probably 6 years or so. So, I bought some dish washing tablets and decided to try it out this evening.
Before I go any further, lets play a game called "What's wrong with this picture"?
Yes, the cutlery basket is missing. Luckily, a quick google tells me they are easily replaceable for under $20, so no big deal.
Yesterday I had a bit more of an emergency with my washing machine. So, I hired a removalist (furniture mover) to move my stuff from across town to my lovely new place. They even hooked up the washing machine for me.
I decided to try out the washer with a small load of clothes. Everything seemed to be going fine until the spin cycle when the washer disperses the dirty water into the laundry sink. I noticed the water was really gray and mucky. And it didn't seem to be going down. I waited until it got perilously close to the top of the sink before I realized that no, it wasn't going to magically sort itself out.
So, I stopped the washer and decided that it was time to bail it out. The bathroom is nearby, so I decided to use an aluminum mixing bowl (since I didn't have a bucket) to bail the water and dump it down the sink in the bathroom. I made two or three trips sloshing water as I went. On the fourth trip my feet flew out from under me, and I landed with a crashing thump on my posterior.
After ascertaining that all parts were still in working order I climbed to my feet and said "well, that was a bad idea". I happened to look in the tub, and the water from the washer was backing up into it. Not good, or so it seemed to me. Being basically clueless in the ways of plumbing.
Meanwhile in the laundry room I still had 3/4 of a sink of mucky water and some drowning clothes in the washer. I found the key to the back porch, got that unlocked and then proceeded, carefully this time, to empty the water out of the laundry sink and pour it off the veranda onto the ground.
Eventually, the laundry sink was as empty as I could get it, but still stopped up. I figured that I could get the water spun out so that I could at least dry my clothes and then I'd deal with the mess. The spin cycle worked, and it only filled the sink half-way. Perhaps things were looking up.
I got the clothes transferred to the dryer, and went to have a sit down and a bit of a think. I called a girl friend and she said "sounds like you have a clog". I thought to myself, of course I've got a clog, I know that!
She then proceeded to tell me all the other things it could be. The most entertaining but scary one was that the grey water outlet that puts the water from the washer and other drains out into the yard could be plugged up with frogs who like to crawl in the drain pipes and then get scalded to death from the hot water. Poor froggies.
Do plumbers even deal with stuff like that?
Finally I ended my call and went back out to the laundry room, and miraculously the water had drained from both the laundry sink and bathroom tub.
Maybe it was just excess water and gunk from the house sitting unoccupied for two months. I can only hope. Otherwise it's off to call the plumber and hope it's not frogs.
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