Tuesday 16 June 2020

Plumbing, My Least Favorite Household Chore


    There is a saying,  “When one door closes, another door opens.”   I have discovered that the opposite is also true, “When a door opens, another door closes.”   That is what happened to us.   After our unfortunate episode of buying an expensive range and discovering it was a lemon, we were very hesitant about buying another new one, so we kept on using our old one, despite its constant turning itself off because of a “Fan Error”.   
    We eventually got fed up enough with it.  We crossed our fingers and ordered a new stove.  Then, as we waited for it to arrive, we antagonized over whether it would work properly, after feeling so stung with our last “new” stove.
    I am happy to report that our new one (a GE) arrived and has been working wonderfully.  We have both been impressed with how quiet it is (the fans in Induction stoves can be loud) and unlike our previous “new” stove, the oven goes to the correct temperature.  Anyway we were both happy and relieved with this one.
    About 15 minutes after our relief (the door that opened), we discovered that the drain under our sink was leaking (the other door that closed).  The leak was due to a totally corroded drain piece in our sink.  Immediately, I was filled with dread:  it meant I would have to do plumbing.
    We had bought a new sink and faucet years ago, which was in storage in my shop.  This seemed like the right time to get it out and install it.  Because the new sink was a little bit bigger than the old one, I had to enlarge the hole in the kitchen counter so it would fit.  This task was much more complicated than it might seem.  It required using a router, a skill saw, a Dremel, and a hammer and some chisels.  That is saw dust you can see under our new sink, which fortunately I was able to make fit.  I was amazed at how many times I had to walk up to the shop to get a different tool.
    But fitting the sink was not the end of the job.  All the drain plumbing for the old sink, was a bit out of line with what was needed for the new one, and I had to rejig it to make it fit.  This caused some small leaks which I am still in the process of discovering and sealing, one by one.   Not only that, because the new sink is just a bit bigger, the fancy hinges on the kitchen cabinet doors below the sink, now won’t close all the way, so I will have to move the top hinge on both doors to a lower position.
    These are fancy Ikea sliding hinges, and will require me to router out a 1 1/2 circular hole in the back of each cabinet door to hold the hinge in place.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can make the hole without breaking through the wood into the front of the cabinet door.
    I am always fascinated at home repairs and how doing one thing always involves about ten other tasks.  Wish me luck.


You can view my photo-realistic paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca

1 comment:

  1. I was guessing(by the picture) every tool you own was used in this process, but now I read why.:)
    At least they were trips only to your shop and not the store.
    Good luck , I say!

    ReplyDelete