After the second hour of laying on the basement floor, my upper half in the hole that I had just dug out, I began to reconsider my current situation. After all, this was happening on a Saturday in August, with warm sunny weather, blue skies and the sounds of children playing in the neighborhood. This is the kind of day to spend at the Erie County Fair, to go kayaking at Ellicott Creek Park or to go for a simple run at the local track. This was the kind of weather to enjoy before the cool air of fall takes over. Yet, I was in a damp, stale basement with a scent of mildew and humid air that made me sweat with the slightest movement.
I had suspected that there was a problem at that location, because every time we did laundry, ran the kitchen sink or ran the dishwasher, our sump pump would discharge into the street. The water contained lint and was obviously connected in some way to the laundry and kitchen drain. There was no observable water in the basement however, so I had some initial confusion on the source. After some observation, I confirmed that both kitchen and laundry water was seeping into the sump pump from underneath the concrete floor. Thankfully in my house the main drain was not in scope of this issue so the bathroom was not involved! From my observations, I had a serious problem at hand.
Most people, faced with this, would call a professional and expect a painful bill. The labor alone to tear up the basement floor would run into the thousands. I explored many different options, and my first reaction was to ignore it and hope it gets better. This was foolish of course, for it was too big of a problem to ignore which was not going away. I was starting to lose sleep over this. I had to accept the reality of the situation and let the lessons of Stoic philosophy guide me. Stoicism is not just ancient books on a shelf. It is a practical toolbox for life. With radical acceptance of reality, I embraced Epictetus' wisdom: "Don't wish for events to happen as you want, wish for them to happen as they do."
So I embraced it. I did not just dig a hole and wish for the best. I came up with a plan. Seneca gave me guidance: "Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind." I spent my free time researching home drains. I read plumbing websites, checked local codes, and watched YouTube videos to understand what I might be facing. One of the bigger concerns with older homes is that the entire drain from the basement to the street could need to be replaced. That could cost up to $30,000 and that possibility stirred real fears within me. I tried not to let this anxiety take over and I reminded myself that our fears can steer us away from reality. The evidence indicated that it would not be that big of a repair. It seemed to come from one spot. So I started to dig.
I knew that there was a leak from a pipe that went into the basement floor. I removed concrete from the surrounding area, when suddenly the pipe literally fell over into my lap. Cold metal brushed up against my arm and for a second I thought that I broke it, but when I pulled it out of the wet clay that it was buried in, I discovered that it was no longer connected. The black pipe drain was completely corroded and broke apart at an elbow about 18 inches below the basement floor. I had a bigger issue at hand. The corroded pipe broke off in the hub of another cast iron pipe. I had to remove the broken piece from that hub little by little. This could not be fixed without it being removed. So I went to work. Laying on that basement floor, leaning into the hole head first, I looked at the pipe upside down and began to chip away.
I was discouraged. The work was slow and I was frustrated, but we really needed to get this fixed. When I wanted to give up the thought of Marcus Aurelius kept repeating in my head: "What stands in the way becomes the way". I was not destined to be at the fairgrounds having fun. This was my path, and I had to embrace it. With newfound energy, I painfully worked on that pipe hub until I was able to free the broken pipe.
That was not the last step in this process, for there were many more things to do from here, but this was the largest obstacle in my path. I was able to purchase new parts, rebuild the drain and even installed a new stationary tub. The work was backbreaking, especially when I carried the concrete out of the basement bucket by bucket. All that frustration, sweat and fear dissolved when I finished connecting the pipes to the new stationary tub and kicked off the first load of laundry. Water drained and there were no leaks!
This project was unexpected and unwanted. It took three days of hard work to accomplish but it was something that I had to do. The broken pipe was a problem outside of my control, and the only positive way to approach this was to understand this and to once again lean into Marcus Aurelius: "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."
This was my adventure with plumbing — difficult, unexpected, and ultimately worthwhile. I hope you enjoyed the telling. If you are interested in more Stoic wisdom to give you encouragement to tackle life's challenges, I would suggest checking out the Stoic Wisdom page found here. Remember to keep forging on!
Musonius