a plumbing story... (for anyone having a frustrating day)

                 Recently we had plumbing troubles at our camper--- and it was BAD (ok maybe not as bad as toilet troubles, but it was BAD) …. One day the kitchen sink just would. not. drain…. So, I tried plunging it… like FOREVER --- but the plunging caused a second issue ---- that STAGNANT 🤢 water started SEEPING out through the pipes under the sink because I apparently LOOSENED them with all my plunging….
                  So, I decided that there MUST be something lodged in the “trap” under the sink --- Of course, to fix this, you’ve gotta disconnect the pipes under the sink --- so with MULTIPLE bowls ready to attempt to catch the overflow, I started unhooking the pipes --- DISASTER 😩 --- that yuck water just kept flowing… AND FLOWING…. So, then that involved hauling bowls of water to the bathroom to be flushed --- one bowl after another ---- and the water just KEPT COMING…. 🤢
                  Finally, the overflow water stopped, and I ran a coat hanger as far as it would go through the pipes--- but no luck dislodging anything…. So, I decided to just hook it all back up and try some Drano the next morning… I did leave a bowl under the sink just in case it dripped overnight…
                  Fast forward to the next morning… 4 a.m. and I’m heading to kitchen to make coffee... well, it had DRIPPED alright --- HAVE MERCY! The cabinet was flooded, and water was ALL out into the floor (and remember, this is stagnant water ---- GAG) 🤢
Well, after a couple of hours (seriously) of cleaning and drying off all kinds of wet stuff from under the sink and throwing out things that couldn’t be salvaged, I headed to Wal-Mart for supplies to fix the leaky pipes AND some Drano….
                Ok, so back to the camper with supplies --- dismantled the pipes again --- reconnected it all, and the seal really SEEMED much tighter --- that was UNTIL I poured in the Drano – DISASTER AGAIN --- Drano seeping out all over the place through the pipes --- so I caught the Drano in a bowl… disconnected AGAIN and used some plumbing tape to seal it up... (about this time I start praying that Drano does NOT harm bare skin and that BREATHING Drano FUMES won’t KILL a person since no one else is at the camper to revive me if I started to DIE…) --- but thankfully, this time the seal on the pipes WORKED – no leaks (and I didn’t die)! So, in goes the Drano… wait an hour to be safe, run the water to check, but UP comes the water AGAIN – the dang thing is STILL STOPPED UP ☹
               So, about now I’ve come to the conclusion that I am just NOT a good plumber (a determined plumber, but not a GOOD one) and that this thing is CLEARLY going to require professional (and probably EXPENSIVE) 😩help…. We leave the camper for the day and decide to get someone down there soon….
              We go back a couple of days later and Howard is outside and says, “Hey Molly, have you noticed this handle that’s way underneath here?” ---- Me: “What handle?” 😳😳😳
​             Well, there was a handle to an additional holding tank that we Never. Knew. EXISTED --- he pulled the handle and OUT went ALL of that water that had been “trapped” 🙄🙄 in the kitchen sink… end of story (so now --- hope your day is better than THAT one was for me!) 😉