DIY Ethan To The "Almost" Rescue.

Only if you have the CASH$$$

Being a DIY-er,  I know first hand the excitement and terror that comes into solving a seemingly simple and insignificant problem.  Many people would simply call a professional or, in this case, the Landlord to solve the bothersome problem.   They are, after all, probably better qualified to handle such issues.

He doesn't know how to do that?

But there is something about hiring a professional that really bothers me.  Maybe it is the judging looks he gives you when he twists a loose nut and solves the problem.   Maybe it is the awkward way I feel trying to explain how the item in question makes this sound...that it is currently not making.  Or perhaps it is the fact that I do not want to pay someone $100.00 an hour to solve something I could have done.

And so it goes with Plumbing.   I am not a plumber....I'm a Fisheries Biologist, Wood Carver, Student Teacher, Army Soldier, Truck Driver, Furniture Mover and Assembler, Boat Builder, Burger Flipper, and Origami Artist....but not a Plumber.   But with two college degrees and a vast number of job experiences,  I should be able to figure out plumbing...right?

That is exactly what Cheryl is afraid of.

Don't get me wrong!   It is not that I think the job is not worth $100.00 an hour.   If I had to go to some stranger's house out in the sticks to crawl under their dirty cluttered sinks to stop a flood as it is happening ...I would want $100.00 an hour as well!  However,  I do not have $100 to throw at someone to solve my problems.   Nor do I enjoy waiting for the Landlords to arrive next month to "fix the problem."  So Let's watch some YouTube videos and get dirty...

Cheryl might not understand my learning process:  Study.  watch, spend money, try, fail, Spend even more Money, try again, fail again, and then,  finally after spending more money than first promised, I patch things together so they work.   It is rare that I'm allowed to skip a step.

Cheryl the Hulk broke the handle.

It started with the handle finally falling off the bathroom shower.   Goodness knows how old these fixtures are, but the handle had stripped out and needed replacing.  I was impressed that the hardware was able to be removed so easily...and this got the ball rolling.

I like keeping tools simple.

The entire fixture has been leaking and hissing for several months...( maybe even longer!) I looked at this as an opportunity to see if I could fix it once and for all.  I managed to remove the "Faucet Stem" with the simple tools in my arsenal.  Again, I usually get stuck here and have to buy "special tools" to remove impossibly stubborn fixtures.  But not today.

Cold Water side.

Hot water side.

I was able to clean things up and reassemble them.  The Cold water side seems to be at the core of the problem.  It was removed in several sections; whereas the Hot water side came out as a single assembly.

Cold water seat 

Hot water seat

  Looking at the Seat. ( the small part in the back behind the stem)   I could see that it appears corrosion is interfering with the O Ring Seal.   Comparing it to the Hot water side, They do not appear exactly the same.

Looks like I will have to replace the Cold Water seat... but  My cleaning and removal seemed to help a bit.  The leak is still there but not as blatant.  And the hissing has quieted down dramatically.
   I'm mostly impressed that I had only spent 85 cents on a new O ring ( that was not quite right) and did not flood the bathroom or break anything.   So I consider this a "WIN" for The Great Ethan Allen.  Who needs a medal?   I have the knowledge and self satisfaction  that I'm a Winner!  In the foreign field of plumbing...while having no formal training or instruction.  Hurray for ME!

And that is why I'm  a DIY-er.   Solving problems without making them worse brings its own reward that no one else could possibly understand.  If you have read this far and are asking,  "What's the big deal?"   then I doubt I could explain it any better.  And you probably have never DIY-ed.

Sunshine, Spiderwebs, and Sewer Excavation.

They are about this big

The cooler weather has triggered a massive migration...  of spiders into our apartment!   Oh, sure,  we close the door and hang signs warning spiders to keep out,   But the windows in this place are rather old and drafty.   Ok,  There are GAPING HOLES in the sills.

They like to jump on Cheryl in the shower!

  We are the only apartment that does not have new(er) windows.  They are made of wood and shriveled glue.   So,  basically, spiders and any other insect that wants to, can some into our apartment with little effort.   It kind of scares Cheryl a bit....  ever since that whole "Spider on my naked body" thing last year.  Oh, wait.  Allow me to rephrase it properly:  "SPIDER ON MY NAKED BODY!!!!"   Followed by ear-splitting screams and general hysteria.

He hangs out under the Baseboard radiator.

As for me,   I'm not very fond of spiders either.  However, I appreciate them and try not to kill them.  

 I hear if you kill one, it causes it to rain.  Is that even true?   Who made up such a thing?   Anyway, I don't want to risk another apartment flood because I get a little upset about a spider.  

All that lead up to show off this picture. 

But other than that, I do like them when they have pretty webs that catch the sunlight.   I managed to snap this pic while the sun was setting yesterday and I liked the way the light made it glow.  Too bad the web was already in dis-repair compared to a couple of days ago.  

Sewer construction in Gear

Time to dig up some Iowa Lawns!

Besides the bug problems,  the apartment is going through the sewer hook up scene that started a few days ago and is now in full swing.   The heavy equipment has been parked in our yard  for a while now and I think they are digging...somewhere close by.   We can't really see where from our vantage point.  But we can definitely see that they are tearing up the lawns of everyone involved.  I just hope it does not inconvenience us as much as it did when they put the driveway in. 

Just stay away from Subie!

I begin scoring a Pearson Project tomorrow.   I have already qualified ( last Wednesday) and now hopefully will be able to supplement our income  for the remainder of the month.  I guess Monday we will also be doing a short College board Project.   It may be just a clean up thing.  It is only supposed to last a week or less.  And all of this happens right before we head to Chicago for the Marathon.   Lovely.  

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.   After this next week,  I'm hoping we can lose the stress a bit and just focus on scoring and the occasional stocking.  Thenks for stopping in!