Commode-o Dragon

I woke a couple times during the night remembering that it was the start of day light savings time. What I couldn’t quite figure out conclusively was the actual time. We a regular clock in the room that has been 5 hours and 12 minutes fast for several months running. Just below it is the Time Warner cable box which at the time registered only 4 hours and 12 minutes behind. Not sure why the brain fart, but perhaps I was sleepy. At any rate, I wondered how Mindy would’ve remembered to set the cable box clock ahead in the middle of the night. I wasn’t 100% sue what time it was when I finally got up and out of bed.

Well, as it turned out, I was up and out of bed at 805am EDT. It donned on my while prepping coffee that the cable box time is automatically updated. Duh! I set the stove clock to the new time and then headed to my PC. I enjoyed coffee and internet for about 45 minutes before I heard Mindy stirring upstairs. I was a little surprised when she joined me before 930am. Turned out, she had forgotten about the time change and thus was more than a little surprised once I pointed it out.

Before my run and while enjoying coffee, we discussed how the morning might unfold in preparation for the family birthday celebration (Lindsey, Ashley, Landon, & Mindy) we had planned for 3pm. We decided on a taco bar but would need to go to the grocery store to get all the fixins. Planned to pick-up another b-day cake, too. Our house needed cleaned, too, and I hoped to possibly even get to that pile of honey suckle brush out back as well as on the water leak coming from the kids bathroom.

I headed out for a run around 10am. At the time the kids were still in bed asleep. It was warm enough that I was able to skip a base layer as well as hand and ear covers. For some reason my legs were incredibly stiff, and a result the 3 mile run was difficult. I was tuckered and sweaty by the run’s end.

After my run I carried some recycling to the garage. I could see that more water was leaking from the garage ceiling. Dang it! I asked Mindy if one of the kids had just showered. Yes, Jacob. I was determined to figure out once and for all just what was leaking: the toilet, tub, or the sink. I got out my step ladder and a utility knife. I was a little surprised that I could poke my finer all the way through the drywalled ceiling. I cut a rectangular shaped section of wet drywall away exposing wet insulation. Once I pushed the insulation away I could see the toilet drain stack near where the water seemed to be leaking. Appears as if it’s been going on for a while now. Oh boy! From the exposed hole, I could see the drain pipe for the toilet, tub and sink. Only the toilet stack looked wet. Which just happened to be straight above the access hole I cut.

At some point I asked Mindy to have one of the kids flush the toilet while I remained vigilant with my flash light on the step ladder. No sooner did Jacob flush the toilet that water began dripping from around the flange. At the time I was simply happy to have the leak narrowed down to the general source – the toilet. Next step, of course, would be pulling up the toilet to determine the how, why, and then the extent of the damage.

I temporarily put the plumbing work aside and headed in to help with the house cleaning. After watering all the plants, I vacuumed the entire downstairs including sucking up the plant debris. Took about an hour. While I was busy with the vacuuming, Mindy was in the shower. Before she ran off to the grocery store I suggested she give me a hand pulling up the toilet. For two months or so we’ve had a complete toilet rebuild kit along with a new wax ring. Commons sense told me that the wax ring had to be compromised to allow water to leak past and around the drain pipe.

After turning off the water supply and then toweling out what remained, it was time to pull it up. Again, both bolts were corroded and loose. I wasn’t expecting what I quickly discovered once I had the toilet off the flange. The metal flange was completely corroded on one side – gone! No wonder it was leaking. And the bigger problem was how to replace it since the metal flange is integrated into the lip of the 3” toilet drain. Oh boy! I knew of no easy way. After sharing and staring for a while, Mindy suggested she call my dad and ask him to come over and take a look. I agreed. My hope was that the final piece that included the flange wouldn’t be glued but of course in fact it was. I felt hopeless, seeing my only alternative involving cutting back into the drain stack and rebuilding it with new. Off course further complicating matters was the air intake which was immediately below the toilet flange lip. I decided to wait for dad’s opinion.

He showed up no more than 10 minutes later and immediately saw my dilemma. He had no easy fix beyond somehow rigging it up or as I already guessed, cutting back into the existing drain stack and rebuilding it up to a whole new drain flange assembly. In the end, 3” PVC drain piping is cheap. The trick is in the labor, the cutting and splicing into the existing. Certainly no quick fix. I could only shake my head. I offered that it would be nice if somebody made a hinged flange for such applications, or that I could buy a stand-alone metal flange and cut it into halves and then fasten it around the existing drain stack lip. In the end, however, doing the repair right was most important to me. After all, I don’t want to be doing it again in a couple years. The sub flooring by the way, was wet but not rotted.

With no solution immediately at hand, we headed downstairs. After dad left I planned to do a little internet research and possibly even make a quick drive to Lowes or Home Depot. Dad left around 1-130pm. By then Mindy had long since left for the grocery to pick-up the food for our birthday celebration, which dad planned to be part of. Said he’d come back around 3pm after running a couple errands.

I came up with no easy fix via YouTube and Google but did learn that they drain flange combo is indeed supposed to be glued. Mindy was back home with the taco fixins shortly after dad left. And given the hour, I didn’t feel that I had enough time to run to Home Depot. Rightfully so, Mindy and the kids asked how long they might be without a toilet. That got a chuckle out of me. I certainly hoped to have it fixed by the end of the new week. Again, if I had to, I knew I could cut back into the stack and rebuild it.

While Mindy got the food going and the gifts ready, I headed back to the kids bathroom where I dismantled the toilet in preparation for the rebuild. I thought it wise to get the toilet rebuilt that way it would be ready for redeployment once the drain flange issue was solved.

I was still at it when Ashley, Olivia and Lindsey arrived. Forgot to mention that Lindsey dropped the boys off around noon but they spent almost all their time outside with Jacob. Hardly even knew they were there. Ashley and Olivia came upstairs to talk with me. Ashley laughed at my predicament. Dad, the house is 20 years old. True! I was a mess, and I am pretty sure that Ashley made some mention of that too. She was right, I needed a shower.

Shower felt great. Joined everyone downstairs around 315pm. Taco stuff smelt terrific. Ashley shared some details surrounding her wedding which is currently planned for June 20, 2015. Has a dress picked out as well as the venue. Mindy and I are supposed to join her for an open house there next Sunday. She shared that Steven has one last hurdle before getting hired at the T.Marzetti Company – a drug test. His father works for the company so I am assuming he put in a good word. According to Ashley, the pay and benefits should be quite nice.

Over the next couple hours we enjoyed food, conversation and fun. All the birthdayers got their turn having the happy birthday song sang to them as well as an opportunity to blow out candles. Cards and gifts were next. Was happy to see that both girls had cards for Mindy. Sadly, it’s not something they’ve always been good at doing. Perhaps they’ve come to realize the value of good familial relationships. One can have hope.

In the middle of our family festivities Bella came sharing that my work phone was ringing. Well, I missed the call but followed up. It was a call from a former manager and friend. At the same time, because my work laptop was fired up. I saw that he’d sent an instant message too. Figuring it important, I responded to the IM. I was floored by what he had to share. An otherwise healthy, longtime peer and friend had fallen victim to a severe stroke the evening before. Hearing the news, I felt as though the life and air was sucked from my lungs. I gathered my composure then returned to the kitchen where the others were still partying. At first I thought I might keep the news to myself but decided to share it quietly with Mindy. I briefly buried my face in her shoulder while I once again regained my composure. I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening playing with the grandkids.

All were gone by 7pm. Shortly after they left I changed back into my running clothes and then headed back to the kids bathroom to finish rebuilding their toilet. Took about an hour to redo the tank and then reattach to the main bowl. All the seals and gaskets are now brand new. It should last at least another 10-15 years. Still needing a solution for the corroded flange, I left the toilet disengaged from the floor and made sure to point that out to both kids so they didn’t use it in the interim. Wrapped up my work in the bathroom near 8pm.

Spent what remained of my evening reading as well as contemplating my good friend, Ken’s situation. Headed for bed near 10pm.