My plumbing tools were in hiding

I felt dreadful most of the day Saturday, and didn't really do much most of the day.  I played some games, napped, tested my septic system, and napped.  It was on the chillier side and the wind was howling most of the day too.  I did hear back from the scrapper, and he was too far away.  Not sure why he was advertising in my area (he was over an hour and a half from Keene), but I understand not coming out for dead snowblowers.

Sunday I felt a bit better, and while it was colder and still windy, I got the back of my truck cleaned out, got the paneling and whatnot out so I can make a dump run today. 

I started on the kitchen faucet as well.  The old one looks to be really nice, there is no crud in it like there was the bathroom sink, which I find odd.  Maybe that was leftover crud from before he installed the water filter and he used the master bath sink to test it?  Not sure.  But at any rate, I have a spare kitchen faucet if anyone needs one.  It is a cheap plastic one but worked fine.  I mostly wanted a sprayer and one that had more rise to it.

This is what the new one will look like.  

It is attached to the sink, but that is all.  This faucet uses 3/8" fittings though, the old had straight 1/2" pex threaded fittings (MPT), so I will need an adapter.  The biggest problem though was I couldn't find all my plumbing tools.  They weren't with the faucets, in the plumbing closet, nor in the plumbing tote in the shed.  I did eventually find them though, in my electrical tote (???).  Not sure why I would have put them in there.  So if I have time after shopping tonight (I am out of 1/2" pex rings), that should be finished up, otherwise it will be tomorrow.

While I was unable to find the pex tools, I took a quick stab at mounting the rings under the cabinet.  This is what I wanted to do.  

I am debating whether I want to rip off the drywall installed underneath the cabinets though.  I might be able to get the front rings installed without it, but I still have not found a way to install the back set.  I did pick up some vases for them, and I have some concerns about the larger utensils fitting in them too.  

I have also started to do a more formal comparison of the post-Markem options.  The spreadsheet isn't ready for primetime though.  Mostly looking at costs, traveling costs, feature trade-offs, additional requirements it forces, stuff like that.  And I decided to give trailers more of a fair shake this time.

The plumbing stuff can be done anytime, so hopefully I can finish that up this week.

Winter Projects:

• Build shelving for second room
  
• Design deck
• Eliminate cap
• Install whole house filter.
• Install new faucet in kitchen
• Install new faucet in master bath
  
• Access panel upgrades in master closet
• Cut trails, or at least mark paths.

2025 Projects

• Insulate the water lines
• Take scrap metal to Buffum.  Clean up trash.
• Storm doors
• Gravel the driveway
• Side yard drainage
• Build Deck
• Add the roof over to rocks
• Move carport up hill
• Smooth grade to shed.

The great cleanse. Okay, not really.

Not too much exciting the last couple of days, I have mostly been working on a deep clean for the house since clutter is everywhere.  

I started with a head to head vacuum.  I picked up my mom's old Kirby at Christmas, as well as my Aunt's old Dyson.  Someone came to pick up the big monstrous elliptical last night, so I had carpet that needed it.  The results: 

The Kirby got about 5 feet and tore the belt.

The Dyson was pretty disappointing with what it picked up.  I think it needs its filter replaced (it is a bagless), but I ran over the area with the Eureka I have been using since I moved in, and it did a very visibly better job (even though it has gotten so loud that you almost need earplugs to use it now).  

I also started in on the shower in the master bath.  I tried a more aggressive way to clean it this time, but still not great.  The shower seems to collect what I assume is rust in the water (I know that I still have metals in the water even with the filter).  Last time I cleaned it I used scrubbing bubbles, a stiff brush, and a ton of elbow grease.  And it literally took at least 6 hours to get it all off.  This time I tried using a pumice stick.

It didn't work great, but it looks a ton better than it did.  

The biggest problem is that it didn't get into the texturing on the tub.  

If anyone has any better ideas, I am all ears.  I am considering dousing it in toilet bowl cleaner, which is more aggressive than scrubbing bubbles and takes the stains out of the toilets without too much hassle.  I don't think it would hurt a shower. 

I contacted a scrapper about taking the old dead snowblowers and the trailer off my hands, we will see if that goes anywhere (I am not holding my breath).  I am thinking of rearranging the living room, but I think I need to finish the shelving since the lumber pile for it is  all but blocking the entrance to the third bedroom.  It is supposed to be cold but dry the next several days.  I doubt dry truly means dry (like last night we got an inch of snow), but the evenings should be good enough to cut pieces if needbe.  I obviously can't finish it; it is too cold out for stain, but oh well.  They are just shelves.

I ran out of time and didn't get the kitchen faucet done, but that should be easy to finish up this weekend. I might try to do the whole house filter too, especially after seeing the tub and the crud in the bathroom faucet I already replaced.  I have an indoor shut off for the main I am about 90% sure.

Winter Projects:

• Build shelving for second room
  
• Design deck
• Eliminate cap
• Install whole house filter.
• Install new faucet in kitchen
• Install new faucet in master bath
  
• Access panel upgrades in master closet
• Cut trails, or at least mark paths.

2025 Projects

• Insulate the water lines
• Take scrap metal to Buffum.  Clean up trash.
• Storm doors
• Gravel the driveway
• Side yard drainage
• Build Deck
• Add the roof over to rocks
• Move carport up hill
• Smooth grade to shed.

More snowblower ugh.

The temperature hadn't yet fallen off a cliff on New Year's Eve, so I decided to go out and do some of the maintenance I had neglected.  I kinda wish I had neglected it though.  I got the tractor greased up for the winter, and thankfully I did the tractor before the snowblower.  I got about halfway through the snowblower and then this happened.  I tried to get it back in, but it wouldn't go.  Ugh.

After I got the fitting out of the grease gun, I got another two fittings in and another chunk broke off.  I couldn't get it out, and I am pretty sure I destroyed the end on my grease gun trying.  

I did remember to do one thing that I forgot last year, I put the feet down.  

I also got the PTO shaft connected.  What a major pain in the neck that was.  It took me almost an hour to figure out how things had to aligned, and to get it set up correctly with no level ground was a major pain.  I did eventually figure it out though.  

I had enough of outdoor stuff at this point and it was nearing the end of daylight, so I shifted to indoor stuff.  I started with the bathroom faucet.  I had previously wrecked the aerator screen when attempting to clean it, so it shot sideways out of the faucet.  The new one is installed.  It was kind of a pain getting the drain lever to work (which is normally the case if you don't replace the drain, they are all ever so slightly different and only kind of compatible), but a few "tweaks" later everything works.  

I was surprised at the amount of dirt in the pipes.  This looks like sediment, which makes me wonder if my water filter isn't doing so great anymore.

I pulled out the kitchen faucet.  I apparently bought one with more bells and whistles than I thought.  I was surprised to see batteries and all that in there.  It has a proximity sensor so you can turn it on without touching it or something like that.  I got ready to install it, but then realized that I had started the dishwasher which branches off the kitchen sink.  Oops.  

Today is back to the drudgery at work unfortunately.  I really need to make a dump run, I have a pile of boxes that is taking over my living room, but I need to clean out the back of the truck first, so maybe that will be tonight's project, so I can go to the dump tomorrow on my lunch break.

Winter Projects:

• Build shelving for second room
  
• Design deck
• Eliminate cap
• Install whole house filter.
• Install new faucet in kitchen
• Install new faucet in master bath
  
• Access panel upgrades in master closet
• Cut trails, or at least mark paths.

2025 Projects

• Insulate the water lines
• Take scrap metal to Buffum.  Clean up trash.
• Storm doors
• Gravel the driveway
• Side yard drainage
• Build Deck
• Add the roof over to rocks
• Move carport up hill
• Smooth grade to shed.