Thursday, May 8, 2014

One of those miserable jobs.

I was going to use the “s” word,  but thought better of it.  Even though it had to do with plumbing.

And you know,  each and every time I’m about half way through one of these situations, I make a mental note of just exactly why plumbers charge what they do.  And it doesn’t have to have anything to do with human excrement to be a “shit” job either.

It’s that whole “lying on your back while trying to prop up your head” program that makes it a “shit” job.  At least for me anyway.  I’m utterly amazed at anyone who can lie under a car (for example) and work away without their neck muscles being on fire after a very short period of time.  I never could do it.

Anyway,  we have company coming again,  and so this time around I figured I’d change out the vanity taps in the downstairs quarters.  Up until now I had been leaving the cold supply shut off, and then turning it on once it was needed.  And just letting it drip. That tap has been leaking for oh I don’t know,  a few years now?   And since Daughter Number Two and her significant other haven’t been living down there since they bought their place what?  three years ago?  there hasn’t been a pressing need.  

Until I decided that today was the day.

Out with the old.

 

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And in with the slightly newer.  

 

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This Moen single lever gizmo looks all fine and dandy,  but it’s the one that I took out of the upstairs “powder room” (such a goofy name) to be replaced with a newer model.   Last year some time.

You may remember. 

OK, maybe you don’t.

 

It’s been damaged by chemicals that were a wee bit too strong for the finish.  I take full responsibility for this.  I got carried away.  What can I say?    Well,  “Don’t use harsh chemicals on your delicate little fixtures”,  is exactly what I would say.  Gah!

 

Naturally,  it was a miserable job,  since everything under there was corroded,  making it a challenge to get things undone.  I mean,  normally you just remove the entire sink and work on it with the sink upside down,  but the sink stays.   For now.

And again naturally,  one of the supply lines started to leak.   Had to do with the washer thingy being somewhat crushed.  Not worth it to go to Home Despot and try and find a little rubber washer thingy,  BUT I had a couple spare supply lines out in my box of tricks.

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So that solved that dilemma.   You can see there where there’s more corrosion.  My fault.  Totally.  Had a container of the aforementioned “harsh chemical”  sitting in there.   Stupid stupid stupid.

The entire arrangement is well over twenty years old and will be undergoing some sort of reno at some point,  but not just yet.

 

Speaking of which,  we’ve declared a moratorium on ordering new stuff,  ‘cause Muggins here is getting behind when it comes to getting it all installed. 

 

Can you figure out what the next little project will be?

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I’ve only been meaning to do this for like,  ever.

So, sometime before the fall I’ll get around to sorting this out.  I mean,  it’s not like we desperately need a new insert,  but anything would be better than what we have in there right about now.

And that would be this,

 

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….rather sad example of a wood burning something or other.    A real POS,  unfortunately.

I *guess* it used to work.  And I’ve tried to make it function.  Trust me.  Bought a new gasket for the door, cleaned it as best I could, but it smokes and stinks.  I think there was just too much crap that got burned in there.  That ultimately never works.  I do think that that was why there was a chimney fire way back in the day when the house belonged to the previous owner. (my late father-in-law). Too much junk went into the fire. 

Soooo,  when the fire department arrived and poured cold water onto the hot chimney flue,  that was the end of the flue.  Hence the stove/insert/whatever that thing is.   Wish me luck.

 

Not sure what the rest of the day will bring.  It’s now sunny out,  and T.C. and I may go back to digging out the garlic chives,  or she may wish to do a final inspection on the downstairs.  Oh,  and there’s some talk of “Slovenian Homework”.   There’s that class on Saturday morning after all.

Right.

 

Keep those sticks on the ice.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

10 comments:

  1. Poor man. Plumbing is one of 2 things I don't like to tuch as disaster seems inevitable. (the other is electrical installations)

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  2. You do good work. I never owned a house and would have to learn a lot of stuff if I had one.

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  3. That sink was messing with you because you didn't buy a new fixture, say brushed nickle,

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  4. Your self inflicted pain is hilarious. Even if you have to spend more money on pain relievers than a plumber would have cost in the first place... :cD

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  5. With Plumbing, you replace everything in sight... And maybe the pipes in the walls too.....It never works without leaking where the new goes into the existing...........

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  6. I have done my last plumbing job years ago...so frustrating, and the pros take about five minutes where I take several hours and multiple trips to HD.

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  7. How funny you should mention plumbing. In my spare bathroom, I have a leaky faucet and the toilet seat just broke at one of the hinges. However, since no one is using the guest bathroom and I'm leaving for the summer soon it's on the "back burner." You're more than welcome to visit while I'm gone and fix EVERYTHING. However, there's no Tim Horton's here (but a Dunkin' Donuts about a mile away...)

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  8. You have perfectly described my feeling about plumbing jobs:)

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  9. We discovered a bad faucet in teh MH bathroom before our last trip. We willingly paid the steep price ($$$) to have it replaced at the shop rather than do it ourselves. We are not small people and the bathroom in the MH is teeny...not a good match! Now my bathroom faucet in the house is leaking - but it stops pretty much if I turn the knob all the way to cold. I haven't had the heart to tell Russ yet - Maybe next month (or next year!)

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  10. Nice to get a few more odd jobs done, now get outside and play in this really nice weather.

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Well, I've been getting too many spam comments showing up. Just a drag, so we'll go another route and hope that helps. So, we won't be hearing anything more from Mr. Nony Moose.
I guess I'll just have to do without that Gucci purse.