I wrote this several weeks ago and thought I had published it. I went looking for it tonight and only then realized I had saved it as a draft. This was too much work not to post about. So here it is, quite a bit after the fact.
I will be honest with you from the beginning. This is not the most interesting thing I have ever written about. Nor the most fun. I feel compelled to write it though. I have to honor the monumental task that M undertook and completed for the most part all by himself. He did this to save us a HUGE chunk of money. That deserves recognition.
Lately, I have been living during the time of the Great Plumbing. Plumbing is very necessary, just not a lot of fun. Plumbing is very expensive too, but alas that does not make it anymore fun. Almost makes you resent it a bit even. We've (the royal we, which M would probably not find amusing) put in water lines (400 feet of it), drains, valves, pumps, tanks and infiltration chambers and infiltration chambers and infiltr.....this is an infiltration chamber
They are 5 feet long and we (royal we again) had to put in 190 feet of them. That is 38 of them. Each one had to have the trench dug for it, one 5 foot section at a time. Big Orange did the digging, but then M had to level each of them, one at a time, by hand. He leveled it by doing this,
The chambers had to be within 2 inches of level. No, not just from one end of the 5 foot section to the other, but from one end of the entire line to the other. So M ended up doing a lot of this. He shoveled and raked. And sweated.
While this half of the royal we watched and waited to be there to do my very technical part. Then we would repeat the process until it was level.
Twas not the most exciting job I have ever done. That is not a complaint, it was much better than having to wield the shovel or rake. M's Mom and Dad came to visit while this was going on and Dad got to do some of the very technical part. I am so grateful to him. (I had pictures but it is best if we don't talk about a certain someone that uses your computer and deletes files from it without checking them first. I will say it wasn't M)
Here is a shot from the end of the line before we made the U to head back. To give you some perspective, this is not quite half way done. This line ran a little further and then it made a U and ran back towards the house. M did a LOT of wielding of the shovel and rake. And sweating.
Then it was time for the infiltration chambers to join up with the containment chamber. We just called it a tank. Or I should say TANK.
Thank goodness for Big Orange, for digging and lifting! Though M had to level the hole by hand too. Wielding the shovel and the rake. And sweating.
I had a very important job for the installation of the tank. One end of the TANK insisted on swinging away from the hole. I had to stand next to Big Orange's Backhoe and push the end of the TANK towards the hole as M and Big Orange lowered the tank into the hole. Doesn't sound too tough, does it? Did you see how big that TANK is? Bigger than Big Orange. Did you see how deep that hole is? When M stood in it, the wall was just above his head. And I did say right next to the backhoe, the one that is lowering the TANK into the ground. So.....I pushed a very large TANK while standing right next to a very large tractor with a moving attachment on it, all the while standing with my toes hanging over the edge of a very large hole. I was very brave and just closed my eyes and pretended that I was still standing on the pile of dirt trying to take pictures of this happening.
When all of this was dug, leveled and connected, the House on the Hill had a septic system!
The County Inspector came out and approved it; we could FLUSH!
Pumps have been getting a lot of attention during our time of the Great Plumbing also. As in booster pump, so that we could have the amount of water pressure that M thinks we need. (and since he is the actual doer in the royal we....who am I to argue....but who knew a *!#*! booster pump would take so much time and energy....okay now my griping is done so M does not have to hear it) Remember we live up on a Hill. A Big Hill.
The home of the booster pump that seems to require constant coddling. (sh! I did not say that) Someday all this will be filled in, smoothed out and lovely grass will be growing there. Someday.
All of this Great Plumbing has allowed me to have some everyday convenieces. Like a DISHWASHER and a WASHING MACHINE that brought it's life time mate the DRYER with it.
I did say pumps though. As in booster pump AND washing machine pump. We moved the Washing Machine in, I joyfully put my first load of clothes into wash and it proceeded to leak it's innards all over the floor. M had to replace the pump. I washed 2 or 3 more loads of clothes and it again proceeded to leak its innards all over the floor. Defective replacement pump. M fixed it again. That pump was good and that makes me happy.
Did I ever mention that I've only had an appliance repairman at my house once in almost 39 years of marriage and that was because the machine was still under warranty? I live with the epitome of Mr. Fix Its and Mr. DIYers. Have you noticed?
I really and truly am grateful for the booster pump so that I do not have to wait an hour for the machine to fill and it does help the dishwasher to work more efficiently. But I owe an even greater debt of thanks to the booster pump. I can now fill this
and sit in it and soak for an hour if I want to. I sit and soak and dream about painting the walls (I think about shoulder high chair rail moulding with creamy white board and batten on the bottom and a soft green on the top) of the master bath and bedroom. Oh, and I won't even mention how grateful I am to be able to flush. Still, I'm very tired of the time of the Great Plumbing and very glad that time has passed.
Goodness that tank is large.
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