mediatechnology wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:33 pm
Leaks are bad Feng Shui.
My house was bleeding to death.
This week I had the 63 year-old master bath shower faucet valves rebuilt.
That was the one system we didn't remodel.
I remembered from the time I was 17 or 18 using the shower and noticing a peculiar "non-monotonic" property of the hot water valve.
As the hot valve was opened slightly the water got cooler before it got hotter.
Recently the valves had started leaking inside the wall and it was time to get them repaired pronto.
My contractor pulled the stems and seats to replace them.
Even small interior water leaks over time can lead to black mold, really bad news.
One stem had been leaking past the outer threads so it was dripping when off.
As I was looking at one stem I noticed that the flat, washer end, was slightly bent.
As it was adjusted it wobbled a few degrees.
That explains its decades-old "non-monotonic" behavior and why it devoured washers.
I had to make my own washer when my old water heater flush valve wouldn't close and I couldn't find a standard washer that fit the cheapo valve... When I replaced that water heater recently after the heating element started shocking me, I had the plumber put a good quality valve on the new one, instead of the cheap POS they ship with.
Looks like those stems and seats had been in there for 63 years and it also explains my Dad's huge stash of replacement washers.
It's nice turning the valves off and actually have the water stop.
The plumbing repairs were Wednesday...
Today, Friday, I was blessed with the gas clothes dryer igniter failure.
I had a replacement in stock and had it going in a few minutes.
ever wonder how the less handy populations manage?
Since July 7th Ive had to deal with the following:
1) Broken mower wheel bolt
2) Air conditioner capacitor failure from a lizard
3) Shower faucet stems leaking
4) Dryer igniter failure.
5) Several downed (previously standing dead) trees in the woods blocking trails.
Before the summer is up I have a sprinkler head to replace.
As we work we have to deal with lots of very aggressive mosquitoes.
Bought a new air conditioner condenser blower motor just-in-case.
Other than the one lizard episode there's got to be a reason why it eats run capacitors.
The only thing left is the condenser fan motor.
Last weekend I climbed up on my roof to patch a leak.... (again). The roofing asphalt I used a few years ago had separated and was leaking again. Roof only leaks when wind was blowing in the right (wrong) direction. This time I used a more robust patch, 6" wide thick tape, with more roofing asphalt around it. In hindsight climbing up on my roof, mid-day, mid-august, in mid-MS was not smart... must have been 150'+ by the time I finished
. Almost had burn blisters on both hands and my butt.
Good luck keeping all the plates spinning.
JR
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