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Well, that's what I remembered hearing. And, even I knew it was true. Nothing has changed.
I went outside, and, checking the sun and clouds, guesstimated about this and that. It looks like the sun is probably past being able to burn the plants, and more, it looks like the clouds are building and blocking even more of the sun if I doubt rain is in the mix. So I just go to it. The sprayer leaks just a bit, but the hose itself has a shutoff that holds. No water was near the hose when I went out. Spray, this one, then the next, and so on. They are looking good but only time really tells. One bunch of flowers had tilted a bit, so I straightened them... hand tight. A few more sprayings of each, and that job looks done and right. Monday or Tuesday will see to them being watered just a wee more.
Back in the cave I decided to look for the plumber's wrench first. It's an easy thing to miss. While long, heavy in the hand, with both black and chrome bits, it can fit a very thin profile and I don't have my tools back into arrangement. It took just a bit of digging. Not only was it found, of course, in the last drawer I looked. It was also found in the last drawer in which it might have been. One is bad luck, one is good common sense. :) It's profile had made it nearly impossible to simply spot, as it had aligned itself with the front of the drawer.
That found, I headed to the sink. I needed more room, so decided to remove the drain and trap piping. That also allowed me to removed the old water tank. I am not sure if I will use that as a spare, or set it up in tandem, or something like that. But, for now, I need the room where it had been sitting. Easy enough. Lots of water in there, in the piping that I pulled out, but I carefully manipulated it so that it wouldn't spill out everywhere. I ALMOST drained it into the sink. The sink in which, under which really, I had just removed the drain, the drain I was holding, the drain I was considering dumping into the sink... Am I going in circles yet? Anyway... A quick rethink lent to seeing me set the drain piping, with the nasty water, in the sink in such a way that it would not spill, tilt and spill, or such. Then I noticed coffee. Almost out. Another pot sounded good. One thing at a time, you know.
So, I filled the coffee pot. Using the r.o. water faucet. Drip, drip, drip-drip-splash. Oh! The water valve was still on! So I grabbed a cup and put under the drip. Ah, but that's not going to hold all the water! Twelve cups of used water, times three or four due to how r.o. works, going down the drain, isn't going to fit in a two cup container. Ah, a pan in the sink... But what is in it? Ah, water from the last r.o., before I changed it out. What was left of it, maybe a gallon? I had used most of it, watering the cats, a sip here and there, making coffee, or whatnot. I had also forgotten about it. So... what do you, naturally, do, if you have a pot full of water and want to empty it quickly to use for something else? Why you dump it in the sink. The sink I had just spent a bit of time removing the drain piping from, and going through other water problems, which is... why I was emptying the pot. Gah! Right down the drain.
Yeah... I'll have a cup of the old coffee and use it up. Then another cup. As I let the area dry out a bit. A towel will help but... Special. Maybe extra special. Ah but it was a beautiful thing. And... no... it doesn't always work out that way. Idiot savant, of the home improvement sector, I should think. When it works, when I do it right, it's beautiful. When I don't, even that is beautiful. If the latter is not in the form that women always appreciate, or myself if I'm not in the mood for it. Today it was just a funny. A good story. Hope you enjoy.
Later.
Heh, too funny. And so easy to do. The things we do many times a week that become automatic. At least it was clean water...
ReplyDeleteBeen thinking on this one. If I have it right, you have a not new home with copper piping and municipal water, right?
How is the water pressure for your neighbors?
What is the pressure in your outside faucet like? Is it wimpy too?
Since you have poor pressure in both kitchen sink and bath vanity I wonder if you have a pressure reducer somewhere in the main line. You may not be able to tell from the outdoor faucet because often it is plumbed in downstream of where the outdoor water takeoff is. If you were on a pressure tank, I would say check that and increase the pressure there. It could also be an adjustment that can be made where your water goes through the meter and into the house.
As far as sink faucets, a lot of new stuff does have a flow restrictor somewhere, and many have it where you can get at it. I have taken them out of showerheads several times (where the water goes from pipe to head). They put a plastic button or cone in there with a bunch of small holes that do let water through, but severely restrict how much at a time can get out. They are really counterproductive in my opinion because with restricted flow it takes longer to get the soap off, therefore you have to be in the shower longer, using more water.
On sink faucets these are usually hidden under the aerator, and may not come off immediately with the aerator when you unscrew it. You might have to pull it out separately. If you can’t see under it, use a mirror to inspect it. If you don’t have an open spigot, you may have that flow reducer right there. If you recently put in a new kitchen faucet, I’ll bet it has one. The vanity faucet may also have a flow reducer. I think a lot of manufacturers came up with that fix rather than redesign and retool their whole process to meet dumb regulations.
Unless your under-sink supply lines are clogged, they should not be the problem. With city water they should not be clogged unless perhaps you have incredibly hard water and mineral deposits in the pipes.
With either old or new faucet, the seats and washers inside the valves will erode and drip, but not usually crud up to the point water is restricted – unless there was some event that sent debris through the whole system. Even that should come out if you remove the aerator (and flow restrictor button), or if need be the valve stem and clean things out (water shut off, of course).
Okay... I'm going to be... going through the list, clarifying in my mind, sort of doing a yes, no, checklist with side notions. So... Just saying this comment might look odd, but it's me doing calculations. And squaring things in my head. Oh. Glad you enjoyed the tale though! A laugh about real life, to me, is priceless.
ReplyDeleteWater pressure shouldn't be a problem. At least it probably isn't too low. The tub, and sink in the (now enclosed) back porch run gangbusters. Actually, everywhere but those two faucets. Hardness 'shouldn't' be an issue, I have a hefty water softener. But... it doesn't seem to use much salt, so I am somewhat suspicious about whether it is functioning. Maybe, though, I just use a LOT less water than a typical household. That is true. Five loads of laundry a month, perhaps four loads of dishes, a pot of coffee (if through an r.o., newer and more efficient but). If I use an half gallon a day, average, I'd be surprised.
Flow restrictors might be the problem though. Now, the kitchen sink faucet probably doesn't have one... Went rather top end. Then again, the bastard regulators are everywhere, so I will check that in any case. It's worth a shot if it makes it so that I don't have to take the whole faucet off. That's a bear, plus then it has to go back in. And, if it's not the drip cage or a regulator, it would mean something inside the works is clogged, which would mean a... dangerous operation on a, probably, fragile device. I break things... yeah...
As to pressure regulators, though... I hadn't really thought of that. I've, sort of, followed the lines. I don't "think" there are any. Though... I really ought to check the pressure, as I have been wondering about that sort of problem, myself. The r.o. needs between 40 and 60 or 70, I think. And the water here does drop and jump pretty hard. I'll look a bit more closely, and again.
There is a twist device, a brass twist knob on the inlet side of the valve, just before the main twist knob, on the whole house water inlet valve that makes me wonder if it isn't some sort of old fashioned water pressure device. Hard to tell, I might do some research on that.
The odd thing is, these used to run... at least okay. Well, maybe turning the water off and back on a few times, and at higher pressure, sent something(s) up the line. Puzzles. Sounds like you play them fairly often! :)
ReplyDeleteLast Christmas, or the one before, I thought about buying an adult style working model kit, an engine, or toy (but working) bulldozer, or such. As my Christmas present. Then, I realized... I have a whole house to tinker with! *grin* Like it or not, sometimes.
Various kinds of things like new water heaters added into existing plumbing can influence pressure. More resistance somewhere along the line, some change or deposition in a spot, pressure on a pipe, wear in a valve, possibly even a new meter installed outside the house can influence inside pressures. Even someone else having partially closed your main supply valve at some time. Also hate to mention this one, but a leak somewhere can bleed pressure.
ReplyDeleteBut that second twist knob might well bear investigation.
A water softener, hmm. Yes, some go through a lot of salt, others not so much. They do have variable settings to deal with a sliding scale of hardness.
Is there a filter there or anywhere else? A clogged inline filter will definitely influence pressure. Once a filter is full, that will certainly choke things down. Think inline fuel filter full of dirt. Chough, sputter.
A water softener could also be the source of pressure fluctuations if some of the innards are worn, clogged, or mineralized. If you have a way to isolate that, you might try a temporary bypass.
Yeah, a house is an endless supply of learning experiences, but a wonderful excuse for purchasing new tools! ;-)
Well, then, several things might be the problem. The water softener is still relatively new. I ought to see if there is something more than the occasional flush mode that can be programmed, for cleaning... or a way to check if it needs cleaned. And, I did buy a larger volume model. Still hoping for a family, I suppose. I have fiddled with the settings, and keep it for relatively hard water, on a medium use setting. I did try the "burn it all" mode, and it still didn't use much salt, so... Probably just don't use enough water. But the water heater is new, and a few other things...
ReplyDeleteLike I said, it's just those two faucets. All other water outlets are good. I may do an absolute tracking of the water lines to/from those outlets. Perhaps there is something specific, but, if memory serves, they aren't on a special line, nor are they the end of the line, so... Still, I sure appreciate the notions... gives me things to think about, tinker with.
Still, perhaps, with the smaller lines, something got dislodged while putting in the new water heater, or turning the water off and on to the house, that sent particles into the faucets. Will know soon enough... or... not. Bleh.
Possibly that last thought might be a real possibility.
ReplyDeleteLike in the old days, if you had to change the water pump or even a hose in your car, just routinely put in a new thermostat since that process always dislodged something that would shortly make the thermostat fail (usually during the trip you were preparing for). Cars were so much easier to work on then (sigh).
Messing about with plumbing, and adding new things can certainly knock loose debris.
A thought on your salt usage - if you are using crystals rather than pellets, sometimes they will bridge (kind of weld together once wet), and don't settle into the bottom of the salt tank, but stay sort of domed above the solution water. You will use little salt if it is not in contact with the water.
Pellets don't do that.
If crystal salt is bridging, you can poke a stick down there and break it up if that is happening. If so, you will be able to tell when it breaks and settles. Usually I can tell by the feel of the water when it is not softening properly, but sometimes it is functioning some, just not as much as it should.
Sometimes the clue is that the softener is going through its cleaning cycle too often when it dumps brine exchange water into your drain.
Best of luck sorting it out.
I use pellets. So that isn't it. But I have to say, I have it set to treat pretty hard water and it doesn't seem all that soft. Not sure what gives.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, never ending... possibilities. No need for models, toys, or such, if you own your own home. Get bored? Put in a pre-heater, change problem valves, check various pressure readings, again. And, then, there is electrical! :)