$1.5 Turns Me into a Plumber

[tree123]

A few days ago, the sewage of a sink in my home had been blocked. The shape pipe of the sewage is like the alphabet letter Z, which means it is difficult to use a tool to clear through it. I went to a popular C2C website in the hope of finding out a way. Quite a few online stores there provide with all kinds of solutions. I carefully read those reviews posted by customers, and then placed my order.

Soon I recieved the magic 'weapon'-- a bottle of powder. I did it according to the instruction. Wow, it worked like a charm. Just ten RMB ($1.5) turns me into a capable plumber.

 

[tedmc]

Some relevant facts about kitchen plumbing:

The pipe that drains waste water from a kitchen sink is called the waste pipe. To prevent odour from the sewer pipes which it joins from coming out of the sink, the waste pipe is fitted with a "P-trap" or an "S-trap" which traps a length of water which acts as a air-seal. The same trap is used in a water closet (WC) but with bigger pipes.

Solid waste such as food particles or solidified fat from the sink sometimes collects in the water seal and as it accumulates, it blocks the flow waste water from the sink, hence creating the blockage problem.

The easiest way to clear the blockage is to use a plunger, which is a rubber suction cup fitted onto a rod, used to pump air out of the waste pipe thus sucking the waste out. The method you described is to pour a corrosive substance into the sink hoping it would soften and loosen the solid waste to enable it to flow through. Other methods include using various forms of flexible rods to push the blockage through.

Some authorities require that a "bottle trap" be installed just below the sink outlet to enable solid waste to be cleared easily from a screwed-on, removable cup-receptable.

 

[probus]

Sums of money are always expressed with eirher zero or two decimal places. So $1.50, $2.00, and $175 ard all acceprable, but $1.5 is not.

 

[Tarheel]

Re: $1.50 Turns Me into a Plumber

It's the pipe that was blocked, not the sewage. So try:

A few days ago, the pipe leading from one of the sinks was blocked. The shape of the pipe is like the the letter Z, which makes it hard to clear an obstruction.

(There is a tool especially for that. It's called a snake.)

 

[emsr2d2]

Re: $1.50 Turns Me into a Plumber

I quite like your closing sentence but I would say "$1.50 turned me into a plumber!" It only happened once so the past simple is appropriate. The present simple makes it sound as if it happens regularly.

 

[Tarheel]

Try:

I went to a popular C2C* website in hopes of finding a solution to my problem. Quite a few online stores there offered all kinds of solutions. I carefully read the reviews posted by customers, and then I placed my order.

.... I used it according to the instructions. Wow! It worked like a charm. Just ten RMB ($1.50) turned me into a capable plumber.

-----------------------------------------------------------
*C2C - customer to customer

Now we're finished.

 

[tedmc]

Re: $1.50 Turns Me into a Plumber

It's the pipe that was blocked, not the sewage. So try:

A few days ago, the pipe leading from one of the sinks was blocked. The shape of the pipe is like the the letter Z, which makes it hard to clear an obstruction.

(There is a tool especially for that. It's called a snake.)

The pipe is shaped more like the letter S. A Z-shaped pipe will be blocked even more easily. ;-)

I would try to use the plunger to clear the blockage, which is the quickest solution.

 

[teechar]

A few days ago, the [STRIKE]sewage of[/STRIKE] a [1] sink in my home [STRIKE]had been[/STRIKE] got blocked. The [STRIKE]shape[/STRIKE] pipe [STRIKE]of the sewage is like the alphabet letter[/STRIKE] draining that sink is shaped like a Z, which means it is difficult to use a tool to [STRIKE]clear through[/STRIKE] unblock it. I went to a popular C2C website in the hope of finding [STRIKE]out[/STRIKE] a solution. [STRIKE]way.[/STRIKE] Quite a few online stores there provide [STRIKE]with[/STRIKE] all kinds of solutions. I carefully read those reviews posted by customers, and then placed my order for a particular product.

Soon, I received the magic 'weapon'-- a bottle of powder. I [STRIKE]did[/STRIKE] used it according to the instructions. Wow, it worked like a charm. Just ten RMB ($1.5) turned me into a capable plumber.

[1]: Consider also using, for example, "the sink in my kitchen".

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd just call it the kitchen sink.