Need advice badly

14 years ago

I have to get a sewer pipe replaced and it is located in a tight space near the ceiling (and electric box and wires and water pipes, etc, etc. and right over my central vac canister. Plumber said he could not use his "whatever neat slicer" so has to actually saw through the cast iron pipe and admits it willbe a big mess. Am putting up plastic over all I can but I have not outside access door to the basement and the only way to get the plastic full of black iron (and probably germs) is to go upstairs through the hall and out the front door or push it through the basement window which is partly underground with a window well around it. Which do you think is the better way to go? It will be all over the sides of the window and in the window well from pushing it out or if he rolls it into itself and takes it out the front door....I know the sewer pipe will have to be taken out through the front door - won't go out the window because of the angle.

What about clean up? He has a shop vac that I BOUGHT a HEPA filter for so it won't go in one end and out the other. However, there is just so much a plumber will do and I don't even know if he will take the plastic with him or leave it for me. ugh. I wouldn't be so worried about it but had a mastectomy and low immune system. Do I have to wash down he basement with bleach before I re-vacuum as he thinks the dust will go right through the plastic but it will be less than if nothing was put up. Hopefully, the dust sticks to the plastic.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks.

Comments (5)

graywings123
14 years ago
This is one of those events that is higher on the "icky" meter than it is on the "bacteria is going to kill me" meter.

Let everything go out the front door. Ask him to take all the plastic with him.

Do I have to wash down the basement with bleach before I re-vacuum as he thinks the dust will go right through the plastic but it will be less than if nothing was put up. Hopefully, the dust sticks to the plastic.

After he is done, I would let everything just settle down in the basement. I wouldn't try to clean with bleach or re-vacuum. Whatever bacteria that escapes into your basement and gets on something won't live indefinitely. Let is sit down there and die.

In my opinion, your best way of handling this is to to stay out of the basement and adhere to the principles of good hand washing and keeping your hands away from your face.
lindac
14 years ago
Are you on chemo? Is that what caused the low immunity?
If youa re taking chemo, I would hire someone to clean it up....if you have simply had a mastectomy....that won't affect your immune system...
I wouldn't vacuum....but use rolls and rolls of paper towels and wet them down.
And see if he will saw that pipe into 2 pieces and send it out the basement window.
Actually I would call a clean up system like Service Master. They are experts at cleaning up icky messes.
Linda C
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graywings123
14 years ago
Here's a cheap idea that can't hurt and might make you feel better. Pour maybe 10 gallons of a bleach + water solution down the drain the night before the work is done. The solution will sit in the pipe and maybe kill some bacteria.
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
14 years ago
My undergraduate major was in medical microbiology many decades ago. I think, as someone already mentioned, you have an "icky" problem. Someone wrote about letting everything settle down. I agree, everything, including you, should settle down.
haase
14 years ago
Whenever I have work done, and some of it is messy, the work-crew usually takes their mess out the door with them.That seems to be the way they stay in business these days and its part of the service.
I agree with what someone posted earlier, get some help, this is a one-time deal, and calm down. And good luck to you.
Ingrid.