As a single woman who is not handy, I chose to get a home warranty which has been a great choice for my needs. I had a stroke 2.5 weeks ago and found my toilet wasn’t flushing. I can normally plunge or auger it with no issues, but my left side is significantly weaker, so those weren’t good options. I submitted a claim with the home warranty company and a plumber was dispatched last Tuesday. He was able to auger and clear the obstruction, but the toiled immediately started to clog again. I submitted another claim, but discovered those contracted pretty much don’t do toilets. I finally called a recommended plumber yesterday and he showed up an hour early this morning. Thank God!
The total cost was $300, $100 for the warranty fee and $200 for the plumber today. I’ve requested a reimbursement for the $200, but things don’t look promising. The plumber today revealed a harsh reality for those of us getting older and taking more medications…the meds pretty much turn excrement into concrete and can easily clog a toilet. He did suggest getting a bidet attachment, which will eliminate toilet paper, which would help.
This is the only issue I’ve had with the home warranty company. I nearly cancelled my contract, but thought better of it. I know I’ll need them again to service appliances and other items. Any suggestions on what to do moving forward? I never want to have to drive to the grocery store to use their toilet again.
Is there something you can do diet wise to help allievate the situation? Metamucil?
Or switch to a more disolvable, septic tank/RV toilet paper?
We had a kitchen sink plumbing issue a few years ago and the plumber provided us a product that we use once a month that coated the inside of the pipes to make them slippery. It really seemed to help.
I have an appt with the Neurologist on Friday. I hope to have a good conversation about diet and eliminating meds. The plumber said I could upgrade the toilet, but that would only help by 6%.
The stroke was extremely scary. Pay attention when you get more frequent headaches.
Wow! That is terrible! I’m very sorry to hear about the stroke. I’ve dealt with the ramifications of strokes from managing my 88 year old mother’s health, and so have some practical knowledge of the implications. I hope you’re doing better quickly and that the left side weakness you mentioned is not permanent - many people, particularly younger, healthier, recover completely. Fingers crossed!
As for the meds/plumbing issue, I’ve just recently been through some temporary medication usage that caused similar problems. Regular use of psyllium fiber (I buy it sugar and additive free from whole foods) with each meal and LOTS of water, took care of the problem.
Get the bidet. We got one from Costco for $219. It has a warm seat, warm water, air dryer at the end…it’s heaven. You will never believe how clean you feel.
Your example is a bit of a false equivalence. There is a big difference between having poop on your hand vs on your (redacted).
Also, there is no such thing as a flushable wipes. They say that on the package, but ask any plumber of sanitation worker what they think of them. TP or bidet should be the only choices.