Aplomb Plumbing

Ahhh…Monday, glorious MONDAY! Oh how thou never disappoints.

I arose this morning at 7:30 am, as this is my ‘late’ day at work, which means I work 9-6. Thankfully I awoke early. I prepared for my shower and selected wardrobe for a humid, potentially stormy day. Little did I know the storm would arrive early…sans water from the sky.

I started the water running to get it to its balmy warm temperature and took an exhilarating and refreshing shower. I turned off the water and began to towel off when what to my wondering ears did I hear, but water running, “oh Dear, OH DEAR!”

I checked the shower just to see if I had left the water running even partially. Nope, shower is ALL OFF!

I listened closer and most assuredly it was coming from my bathroom sink. There wasn’t even a drop coming from the faucet, but I reached underneath and turned off the valves. I could still hear it!

I went to my bedroom closet which is attached to this bathroom and it was so silent you could’ve heard a cricket…which would have been as annoying as the water running.

Now I was beginning to freak a bit. I decided I had a choice, call the hubs and have him come home or deal with it myself!

I immediately called the hubs! I got another person instead who apparently could hear the fear in my voice because he said he’d get a hold of him and have him call right back.

…A man of his word, my hubs called within 5 minutes.

I told him of the water sound and what I had done so far…and awaited his sage advice, or offer to rescue this damsel from the pending floodgates.

He asked me if it was the toilet running….I assured him that NO…I had checked that and it was ONLY coming from under the sink.

I then asked how to shut off water to the whole house…as I imagined the wall building up pressure with water being forced behind the drywall. Then out to the front yard…wet with dew…I trod.

I found the place, lifted off the cover (it’s plastic…I was surprised), then I saw down into the muddy hole, the valve I needed to turn 90 degrees. I had already picked up the appropriate tool…some sort of wrench or pliers. I reached down into the ‘netherworld’, said a silent prayer of protection from the inevitable hand I knew would grab and pull me into the depths of this hell…and turned the valve.

I got it shut off. I was certain this would suffice until the plumber could come out.

I went back inside and lo’ and behold the dang water continued. Now my husband was certain it was a slow leak in the toilet tank and I heard the water because there is still water IN the tank. I thought he was crazy but assured him he didn’t have to come home I would call my father to come over and wait for the plumber.

I called my father, ever the optimist (NOT)…he gave me the dreadful cost estimation of "that’s going to cost a lot of money if they have to go into the wall!” I thanked him and said I’d leave a signed check.

I contacted the first plumber and they said they were busy today but could come tomorrow. After just a nanosecond of consideration I politely thanked him and said I would call around before committing to a day without toilets, while water ran uncontrollably somewhere in the walls of my house.

I then contacted the second plumber and the guy actually asked me: “So what’s the problem?”

Now if I truly KNEW the problem…I wouldn’t be calling…but I just played his game and replied in the perfect southern bell voice: “Why, sir, I have no idea what the problem is…I just hear some little ole water running under my sink…but I don’t SEE a thing.”

He then told me I was on the schedule for today. I felt like I had won the lottery. I asked if he could determine if it would be am or pm. He told me it would likely be am, which translates to… "I don’t know…you’re lucky I’m coming at all on such short notice.” I thanked him and disconnected. I then had to call him back with my father’s cell phone, because dad suddenly had some urgent errands he needed to run.

I always figure giving my dad’s cell phone to anyone is dad’s way of saying he is NOT available. He will most likely not hear the ringing or pulsating vibrations or will write it off as a medical issue or terrorist attack. I didn’t have a choice…I had to trust him.

Now I was getting worried about making it to work on time…so I went to empty the contents from beneath the sink. I had NO IDEA how much stuff that little space holds, but it could easily be converted to my storm shelter. I emptied the abundant contents onto my guest bed and then decided I should go ahead and empty the drawers. I opened the first drawer and it was virtually empty…I opened the second one and decided since it was SO full; I would pull the whole thing.

I noticed as I pulled it out the noise was getting louder…I peered into the cavernous space the tiny 4 x 4 x 12 inch drawer left and when I put my ear by the hole the sound dimmed. I put my ear by the drawer and heard the noise as if the water was running into the drawer.

I started digging around the drawer and found this little ‘sweater shaver’ and pushed its switch and at that very second the water stopped running. Uh…yeah.
The water running beneath my sink was actually a sweater shaver in the drawer that literally sounds the exact same and if I had the capability I would play it for you…so you’d stop laughing and hear what I heard.

I shook my head at my ‘detective work’ and made the appropriate calls to the hubs, the plumber and my father…who heard every word of my story (thanks for not laughing dad), and even told me something similar had happened to him with a battery-operated toothbrush. A story I would have scoffed at only moments before.

So…I then decided due to incoming storms I had better go back to the front yard and turn my water back on or my husband would drown in the attempt. I got the water turned back on; the valves repositioned, checked the flow and headed out to work, thanking God I don’t have to be a stay-at-home-mom-plumber-cook-cleaner-…everything else.

Than you God for work away from home and for the gift of hearing! Thank you most of all God for Monday, for each one makes me that much more thankful for Friday!