No Words

Title says it

 

No Words

 

Just thinking about differing topics as I tried to find some time to write amidst the failures of all things mechanical in this house over the past few days; I found a few things out about myself I had long forgotten.

 

First of all, I like to fix things. If it can be fixed, I’ll fix it. If it can’t be fixed, I’ll still try to fix it. If I can’t fix it, I replace it with a better model, install it with longer screws, mount it with stronger mounts all in order to avoid the loss of use associated with having something broken. 

 

Second, I get frustrated when I find someone took a shortcut while building something, repairing something or installing something. It irks me to no end to see shoddy construction, sloppy engineering or poor craftsmanship. I like to see jobs done right. I like to do jobs the right way or better than the person before me did.

 

A ten cent part cost us $1600.00 in damages. Yeah, a ten cent part that should not have been where it was. A better and cheaper clamp would have saved us three days of fans, blowers and dehumidifiers; translation there, three nights of little sleep. 

 

Trying to find time to write during the drying out process was interrupted by a water heater death. Granted, this was a simple task requiring only money to purchase a new water heater and only two trips to Home Depot. Now with a new water heater, we were anxiously waiting for the third item to fall.

 

This is where the big frustration comes in. A lifetime warranty on something is just that. However, a manufacturer with that much confidence in a product means they are sure the product will not fail. Imagine my surprise to find the resin column in our water softener failed, releasing said resin into the water system and clogging everything up. No water because this junk is in every aerator in ever faucet in the house! Toilets refuse to flush properly because of poor water pressure and now we find this resin is caustic and can do permanent damage to things like water heaters, dishwashers and washing machines. This journey of disasters may not be over yet.

 

The aerators were removed, cleaned and replaced twice before we found the source of the pellets of junk that clogged everything! Now we have water, although no longer softened water or filtered water. That’s a big deal because I don’t like drinking bleach and that is what our water tastes like. It is not fun, but we could have sulfur water, and that is really rank smelling!

 

To add fuel to the fire, the water system leaked and damaged a cabinet as well, but it also caused a garbage disposal to rust and start to leak. Will this insanity never end?

 

Someone asked me the other night how I was doing and I had no words left to describe how utterly devastated these failures have left me. On the bright side, I can take a long hot shower every morning and not worry about the water running out!

Author's Note

Ths is a rant, built out of frustration.

Reviews

[BrightEyes]

I enjoyed your rant here! I , too, am a fixer of things. I became a fixer of things out of necessity more than for the love of the actual fixing. I simply can't afford to fix everything that breaks. I know all about the water thing - out here in the country with a century old well - my water tastes like iron. Of course, I buy bottled water for drinking even with the softener. It seems something new likes to break every day now - but that might just be because everything is getting old at the same time lol. I might have to just break down and start replacing things I guess.

laura

[Deborah Leah Krempa]

We have so many problems with out house as well. This is a great rant. Well written hope things get better for you soon. Thank you for sharing. Debileah

[Cherin]

Not a strange rant, by any means. LOL
I feel your frustration.

[Brette Medb]

When it rains it pours, though that cliche phrase came out sounding a little harsh with this story since most of it has to do with water : )

Every now and then we all need a good rant and this was one.

Brette

[Gary H]

I can completely understand this rant. My father is an electrician and can repair literally anything or 'knows a man that can'. This is fine for him and me as a child. Now I have my own home anything that goes wrong I sweat upon being able to repair it.

Water scares me as I am never completely sure how to fix problems. At least you saw the 'funny' side at the end but I bet you were not so amused at the time!!

[An Ordinary Woman]

It would've wore me down and out if all that happened here. I mean, my house is older and things do go wrong and it's all I can do to keep up with it all sometimes so I know what you mean.

hang in there, k?

[Daisy]

Ohhhh George, I started thinking you would be the ideal man for anyone then when things went wrong I thought maybe not. BUT the one thing that you have is the most wonderful sense of humour and that means soooo much. Bet you smell nice after a shower as well.

[rachel sennett]

I really enjoyed your rant.
It's always the little things... the many many many little things LOL!
Home is supposed to conjure feelings of welcome and rest, but so often it can cause total frustration.
We all need to go bush.
Can someone else go first? I have a load of washing in the machine, and dinner in the oven.
(-;
rachel

[poddar kushal]

this is a life shared by the remotest corner of the civilisation.now it is humorous that you still have found something to cheer up. well, pity that in some places water does not come cheap!