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A few new bruises, a busted knuckle or two, and a slight stab wound. I got to a certain point, and from the looks of things, thought I had to do something I know believe I can bypass. That is, remove a snap-in coupling that connects the sprayer to the faucet assembly. Don't ask me why I thought that had to be removed. A bit of thinking, and pain, and I now thing Just disconnecting the sprayer handle and running the hose through the hole is the easier of ways. The water is disconnected and the hoses are sitting in a basin in case they leak a bit. No, I'm still not all that awake. I just thought I would be awake enough to push this through. Now to figure what is holding the faucet assembly in place and how to undo that. As I thought, it isn't so much the physical labor as it is trying to hold a basin wrench at the right height, turn it the right way, keep it attached, while negotiating the mess of hoses and such, all on your back. It's the combination of very fine motor skills with just a bit of over-the-head tool work that makes the task draining. Well, and trying not to demolish the plumbing pipes. Oh, I suspect I will have it in before long. If I can do it in the next hour I may try to clean the bathroom, or at least give it a spot touch-up in prep for a major cleaning tomorrow.
Either way I will most likely take another shower tonight. It feels so good to get in there and drench the body. I feel like I still need to wash after a week or two of improvising. Actually, at BMan, I will have a shower available. I'll have to find out the flow rate and water capacity, then how the landlord(tm) thinks he wants to allocate things. A pea-bottle will keep trips to the port-a-potties to a minimum at night, while also limiting water use. Short showers, stopping the flow during lather, and washing very fast, will also help. It should be interesting figuring some of these things out. The difference there is, with it being in the hundreds, a "cold" shower will feel much better.
I am starting to loosen up a bit. I think though, really, I won't get a little down time until after my mother leaves. Which is fine. Even then though, as I suggested, I don't want to mess around and get too lax, if I can avoid it. I need to keep the pressure up. I hope to do as much of the hand tilling as possible to that end. A walk to the reservoir, and a swim, a few times a week and as I can, might just do. Yes, just like with the other stuff, remember... what I write about life, on the realer side, is just a story too. But then you never really do know. Sometimes I almost do something like, in a very diminished way, that which I suggested. It COULD happen.
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I did get the old faucet out. I got the new one together. Between the instructions and the parts, there seems to be a major problem. Simply put, as they have the parts ordered, the part with the screws that needs to fit under, thus through the next piece, has no way to do so. The bottom part has two screws, the top part has three holes, only one of which is big enough for the screws. I have played geometric circle games trying to find some way for the various configurations to work all with no luck. Further, even if i found a way to get the two screws through the plate? They don't actually attach TO anything. There is a number, I will call in the "morning". They are in California and 8:00 to 17:00 (5:00pm). I should be able to make that, probably.
Ah well, a bit of cleaning in the bathroom would be nice. Maybe a minor load of laundry after that, if a another shower before laundry. It's not what I wanted, but then I wasn't sure I was going to get anything done. I'll take it. And I still don't feel like I pushed things too much. Mostly. Just that aggravation. I spent a little extra so I wouldn't have to deal with 'teh stupid', and yet right there it is. Oh, fine, do something unique, engineered. That's fine, complexities sometimes really do at to function. But if you are going to do that, then for the price, explain it. A business that doesn't bother to bring it's product to the consumer is going to find out what being a techno-snob gets them. *grumbles*
Later... Actually, since I have work to do, probably good night. Or just good nap?
LOL! You describe the process very well. At least well enough for recognition of the situation to induce a larf! There is a reason why the faucet that Calvin's dad bought had a list of handy expletives to be used during the installation. (As I recall, the one's he used were "slippin' rippin' dang fang rotten zarg barg a ling dong!")
ReplyDelete"They" are in "California" but might actually be in India. Best-O-Luck!
As for BMan, even 40 gallons will be slim pickins for seven days, especially since I expect some of it to be used for evaporative cooling. I can't see an afternoon catch-up nap working too well without it. Besides the extra water jugs which will help tremendously, I am toying with filling a 55 gallon drum with water if I get the trailer fixed. (I can't see how this will work without the trailer anyway, so...) That would require a transfer pump, but that should not be an issue. I just pull the water pump from the old camper van (yaay Le Junque Boutique!) and run wires to the battery.
The other problem with added freshwater volume is the added graywater volume. There is only so much room in the holding tanks. I discovered that the shower shares the holding tank with the toilet, while the kitchen sink has a separate holding tank. A basin set in the shower can be used to capture and redirect some of the graywater into the kitchen sink and that tank, to balance the load. OR (if there is time) I could fabricate one of those graywater evaporation devices to deal with the volume.
Unless that ends up happening, expect very limited water use for bathing--perhaps a couple gallons a day. That kind of volume will make a sponge bath more practical. At least we will have that luxury and not have to rely on streaking after the water truck... (STG I gotta capture that sight on video!)
And yea, I'd like to see if we can limit the toilet use to those times when the Porta-Potties can't be used. That helps the volume issue also.
Oh, sure, be entertained. A freebie. Actually... that's not a bad thing. At least someone is getting a use out of it. Just don't mind if I don't join you right at this moment. Time may change that though, never can quite tell. Oh, and, I had zero doubt about the India connection, I just put in California to suggest the "hours of operation" they have suggested. I may have trouble figuring out their probably stolen tech, but I have zero misunderstandings of who I am dealing with. Must be nice to simply disregard potential patents because a court loss, if they could ever find someone to sue, would yield no gain, a slight modification, and a new production run in less than a week. Jawas... They use the goods from their ship breaking for sure.
ReplyDeleteUrhm, one thing to be noted, is that... if it becomes known, in a small circle, and monitored... at least for gray water... that can end up getting "stolen", if it becomes a bit much. For evaporative techniques by another well informed/kitted camper or two. Rules are super! And really nice. But THiS Is BuRNing MAn! :p I am a burner, like you, if both in our own little ways, and from long ago.
All I know is that this first year is... all about surviving first, and figuring out the ropes as a second, while trying to eliminate as much need for problem solving the basics so as to enjoy the meats of the experience.
In some sense, this makes us non-burners. I think the first ones out there just went on hopes and prayers and were probably damn lucky to have survived. They think of themselves as artistes and thinkers, but they... were more... simple scavengers who couldn't handle life so tried to escape. A week was about it. Some core of them don't like us because we actually ponder our survival and comfort. And yet, when down and out (often) they will gladly ask for a bit o' water, food, clothing, or just a touch of human stability. I think that is part of some of their issue with "us types", in spite of it probably having saved their butts a bunch of times. (Been there done that myself, so I knows it... or... believe that.)
The fun thing is? If they survive... they will replace us in the continuum. hehehhee I loves me some t-shirt handing-outs. "Damn Kids", "Been There, Done that", and "Live Long Enough, You Too Can Hand Out T-shirts"!
Hey, the reason I can larf is that I Been There Done That too many times to count.
ReplyDeleteI was suggesting that the California company would outsource their tech support to India. It's always a gas when speaking to someone with a heavy Indian accent who calls himself "Mike" or "John".
Not sure what you mean by stealing the greywater evaporator. If someone were to do so they'd be stealing the evaporated muck in it too. One less thing to haul home. But it wouldn't be so hard to lock it down to something with a cable lock. If you mean "stealing" as in dumping their own graywater in it, well that can't be avoided. From what I've read of the particular design I'm thinking of, it could handle the graywater from multiple camps anyway.
It's not high on my priority list for this year. Just...if I get to it.
No, I mean the greywater itself. If there is too much, I am just suggesting that letting it be known that greywater is available has a chance of getting rid of it. Probably a very good chance. A pan or pool of it makes for some cooling in some areas. And a lot of camps simply don't produce that much greywater. Economics of use through practice has it's own downside. For us, a big pot of it, or a kiddie pool, might be enough to get rid of our own, too.
ReplyDeleteMy general note is that most problems, save too little water, food, can easily be... dealt with out there. No guarantees, but it is an improvisers paradise and a hagglers dream camp, if my thinking is right. Oh, and there is an RV servicing vehicle out there. If blackwater gets too deep. But it's pretty hit or miss. I'll have some cash (cash only), for a mid to late week dump if needed.
Oh, and yeah. I got that. You handing ME a t-shirt. You are definitely senior shirt hander-outer, on this topic, in our clan. Hehe...
ReplyDeleteHm. Now there's a project for a real BMan innovator -- a graywater evaporator that doubles as an evaporative cooler. I'd imagine one could use the standard excelsior pads, but you'd have to dispose of them immediately afterwards, maybe even change them out mid-week if they got too disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI could see setting up a rapid sand filtration stage in a 20 or 30 gallon garbage pail, in order to clarify the water a bit before reuse/evaporation.
Dammit man, don't do this to me! ;P
As for stealing someone else's used water, all I can think is "Yickk!" But who knows...
ReplyDeleteThe devil has nothing on me, nor did Captain Kirk... even according to Scotty. Hehe I get what you are saying from more people than you can imagine. Usually I was just... you know... sayin'. I am always amazed how much "just sayin'" ends up getting done. And that no one has killed my for it yet, just... sayin'.
ReplyDeleteOh, as for stealing, literally or virtually, greywater? Seriously... You need to get out more... Might I recommend a couple months in the desert on too little of everything? Used greywater takes on a whole new meaning. Yum!
Hey, I work in an industry that is gradually warming people to the idea of "Toilet to Tap".
ReplyDeleteStill "yickk"'s me some, even though I understand that current technology is perfectly capable of doing this safely.
Astronauts have been doing it for a very long time now. It's probably not one of those things you will find in glamor mags though. And what news isn't glamor, if a few do cutesy kitschy things, thinking they are oh so cutting edge. *gag*
ReplyDeleteActually, I thought they had come out with suits, for here on earth, that had at least catchments, but I had thought possibly even short term processors. That might have been a prototype, or fiction, or I'm not supposed to talk about it... but I thought... Oh, and you can drink your own urine straight, fresher is better... given the option.
Still, for now... I'm thinking... fresh water.