The toe looks just fine, and I want to keep it that way.
I have come to feel great sympathy and admiration for plumbers. I seem to have finally managed to fix my clumsy mistakes, and we are back to the comfort of having "indoor plumbing".
I love where I live, and can not conceive of being stuck in a city or even a rural community. However there is a price to pay in time and fuel. It is only a hardship in times when you break something that you don't have a spare for. I have always tried to stock up on replacements, but sometimes it is something so obscure that only a trip to town or Amazon can cure.
My problems began when our toilet began leaking when flushed. It has always been a problem because when the thing was built the base securing the toilet to the floor was recessed 1 1/2 inches below the level of the floor. So far every fix has been temporary, lasting about two years. I made a trip to town to buy what I felt would allow me to finally fix it once and for all. Upon returning I managed to let the toilet fall over and broke the tank. It took a couple of days to get to town and buy a new one. While I was waiting to make the trip, I looked on Amazon and found a new item that was designed for a recessed pipe. I of course ordered it- next day delivery. It however was on a Saturday night, which means that it would not be delivered until Tuesday evening. While I was in Lowe's buying the toilet, I saw the same thing, less the next day shipping cost. Sigh! No biggie, I kinda like going outside to whiz, and waving to the world. As Reuben ( 11 at the time) from next door says, " The world is a man's bathroom". Karen's problems are her own and she is probably used to it by now.
When the new seal arrived, I installed the toilet and then found that the supply line was about 2 inches too short. Bigger sigh!. No problem, Amazon has these things, a couple of clicks and a 16 inch water supply line is on the way. I was very careful and made sure that the fittings looked the same where the line connected to the tank. It will take me an extra day to get it, but saves me 6 hours driving and about $36 bucks of gas. No big deal, we can keep the tank full with a bucket from the bath tub.
Finally the line arrives and I march into the house feeling good. Right up to the time I realize that the fitting on the shutoff is 1/2 inch and the line I have is 3/8. OK, minor set back, out to the hanger and see what I have that I can either solve the problem or Micky Mouse it. Son of a gun, I find a shutoff just like the one in there but with a 3/8 fitting. Of course the old one is sealed on there pretty good, and the result is a broken copper pipe. ARRRG! I shut the water off, and after I calm down, go back to the hanger and glory be, I find a remnant of a copper pipe the same size that has the fitting on it. I prepared it and got all the tools that I would need, along with the wet vac. I vacuum up all the water, but I can't seem to get all the water out of the line. So I vac as much as I can and try to solder it. The crap won't stick or flow as it should. I even had solder paste, but while I could get it down to a drip, I couldn't get it to stop leaking. So we fill all the containers we had with water, and I give up for the night. Of course I spent the entire time dreaming of soldering failures. It was a relief when the sun finally came up. I had decided that there was something wrong in the type of Solder that I was trying to use, so I got a different roll of solder, and it flowed just like it should, and just like that my troubles went right down the tube.
Its sometimes inconvenient living where we are, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. There are compensations of course.
Sunrises are one of the great things about here.
Of course we had the Super Moon last night. It was nice
being able to look out in the field and count 8 Mule Deer feeding on the grasses.
Then there are the Sun Sets, that will knock your socks off.
Here's a trick that plumbers use to solder a joint where dripping water is a problem. Get a slice of bread and moisten it just enough to make a dough ball. Then jam the ball of dough into the leaking pipe until water stops dripping. Then get the torch, flux and solder going and solder the joint. After the solder cools open the valve and flush the dough ball out of the water line and start using it. I've used this procedure many times here at my seventy year old house (with seventy year old plumbing).
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain... Been there and done it all.
ReplyDeleteBoyd
Retired master plumber