I worked from home for a while today because my Sunsetter awning was being delivered. That came in a 19-foot-long, one-foot-diameter tube. One tube. It barely fits in the garage. That’s going to be awkward to set up.

While I was home, I decided to call a plumber to fix this toilet I’ve got downstairs. You flush it, and it continues to trickle for several minutes after it finishes filling. I stared at it for probably an hour and was about ready to tear it apart when I decided just to call someone. Ended up calling Bob’s Reedville Plumbing - a same-day service outfit.

The guy showed up and about three seconds later says, “Oh, it’s siphoning.” Siphoning? Yeah, there’s this tube thing that has to end somewhere above the water line in the back of the tank or it’ll continue running. Mine ended below the water line, so water was being siphoned out of the back of the tank into the drain.

I would never have figured that out.

The fix? Move the tube up a quarter inch.

Expensive lesson, though - cost me $121.50 (that’s with 10% off) to learn it. The plumber felt bad charging me because he didn’t do much. But it’s fixed now. Plus, again, I’d never have figured that out.

If you need a plumber in the Hillsboro, OR area - check out Bob’s Reedville Plumbing. Fast and friendly service, there within a couple of hours of your call, and they guarantee they’ll fix any problem in the same day.