Learning to be a plumber

I have always done some of the maintenance around the house, Rick was busy on the farm or at the shop, so quite often if I could handle the project I just did it without even asking for help. I could even handle minor plumbing projects. Things like fixing faucets and the like, but I have never tackled any major plumbing fixes. 

This year, though I decided to tackle what I thought would be a fairly easy project. I know, I am laughing too, there is no easy plumbing project. 

When we built the back porch addition to the cabin, I insisted on a frost-free outside faucet. Rick agreed with me and it was installed. It worked well for about 8 years, then last year it quit working. I was at a place that was selling out and they had the faucets on sale for half price so I picked one up, turns out it was smaller than the other one, so we bought all of the piping in the smaller size and this one was a little short, so we also bought a longer faucet. So instead of ¾ inch, we went with ½ all the way through. One important thing though, we also installed a valve to shut the water off to that line. This will be important later. 

Last fall I turned the water off to the faucet like a good homeowner. This spring I turned it back on and used it once, then apparently it didn’t drain properly and like most of our flowers and even some of our trees, it froze when that late freeze came. The next time I turned it on, I could hear water running in the house. That is never a good sound. Made me really glad for the shut off valve I mentioned. 

So, I decided I could handle fixing it with some advice and a hand from Rick. He let me take over because I think he knew I needed to learn something. I still had that one faucet, so I went to town and bought what pipe I needed to get it all put together. We stretched and wrestled that pipe. (It goes out the wall behind the water heater, so it isn’t easy to get to.) We succeeded in getting it all together and turned the water on… the faucet wouldn’t work, we had water in the pipe, but no water would come out of the faucet. 

So off to town I went to get a new faucet. The gals at the local hardware took me right to them and I grabbed one, a little longer to make it a little easier, some shorter pipes, nipples and couplers. I was set, or so I thought. I got back home only to discover I had grabbed a ¾ inch faucet instead of ½ so now I had to go back and get a different faucet or change everything back to ¾ inch. I went back to town and got the pipes, and we mostly got it done, but now it has a drip. I grabbed a plastic piece to go between two brass pieces, and everyone tells me I need a brass piece there. 

One more trip to the hardware store and I think we will have it handled. I am still under 5 trips so I am not doing too bad, but I can tell you I won’t be any competition for the local plumbers. I won’t be hanging out my shingle.

Mystery Pecan Pie

9-inch unbaked pastry shell

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 ¼ cups pecans, chopped

Topping

3 eggs ¼ cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well cream cheese sugar, salt, vanilla and egg. Spread in bottom of unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle with pecans. Mix topping ingredients well, pour gently over pecans. Bake at 375º 35 minutes until center is firm to the touch.