Thursday, October 11, 2012

plumbling stuff - continued

jambaloney here again!

first up - sky pic for helga - this is gabarus lake on my way into town a couple of weeks back:



back to the plumbing, first thing i had to do was clear out the shelves... i had some help, i am sure you approve winston ;-))


here is the line in from the well. the well is a good 200+ feet from the house and buried deep enough that it hasn't frozen yet, i am NOT screwing around with this:


however, this elbow isn't in a great place. note the plastic insert and hose clamp, this it the standard way to connect flex pvc, i know it's not high-tech, but it works:


you can see the bare bones here, there is a nice lean on the pump doe to slightly too short hoses. you can also see where the plastic ends and the copper begins. i am not replacing any copper today, but i do need to re-position some of it:


which requires a blowtorch, this handy little number has a built in igniter - works well!


i have to separate this section:


done! (yes, all the water is off at this point)... i had to shorten it and reattach it - no problem!


oh yeah, everything else has been disconnected -;-)))


i tear out the crappy shelving AND remove the boards that were used to pour the concrete foundation... these are supposed to be removed as soon as the concrete is set. not these!! as an added bonus, they are still in place 10 + years later in various spots...gathering mold, rotting and keeping the moisture in the basement and in the foundation - NICE!!


i had measured and pre-built a stand for the new setup as well as the "thing" i made in my last post. i also made a small stand for the bladder so the line out would line up with my "thing"


i also made a stand for the pump and fastened it firmly in place


here is the finished product. i re-attached the copper pipe with the existing faucet and shut-off to my thing with clear 3/4" hose at the far left. the pump is at a lower level so that the hose from the well has a straighter path. plus, the whole setup is lower now. i positioned the bladder so that the line our from the pump has a more gradual curve than it did. the line from the bladder at the right then goes to the "thing"... right to left:

1- ball valve to cut water supply after the bladder (to change filter, add lines etc.)
2 - t-junction for outside hose line (which i ran outside through a hole to a proper sill-cock)
3 - pre-filter tap for misc rough use
4 - water filter with 3 settings; filter, pass-through and closed
5 -  post-filter line for laundry  - i changed the tap for a 3/4" t junction and set the actual tap closer to where the washer goes, yes, it is zip-tied to a metal rod that is set in the concrete - a bit rough, but it will do fine ;-))


here is our outdoor hose setup complete with sillcock - woot!



a week later, shelves are built and storage is MUCH better. home-made berkey is close to water supply and the washer has it's own home with a nice built-in step.


i used a bunch of thin scavenged shelving to line the right wall. this was great because ALL liquid stuff is in one place now (oils, solvents, paint, glue, soaps etc. etc.)

all in all the basement is 100 times better and so is the plumbing. i can control it and as an added bonus, the pump makes a lot less noise attached to wood than it did sitting on top the bladder.


aug 31st trout (really nice ones) - that was the  last day of the season... no more of this until april 15th. apparently fall is striped bass season at fuller' bridge (5 mins from here) - i am going to give it a go and try garlic on the lure as wildflower suggested - wish me luck!



here is a pic of fuller's bridge ;-)


cheers all!


39 comments:

  1. Well done! You should feel good about this excellent improvement in your basement.

    No doubt that there will be more plumbing in the future as plumbing is a never-ending maintenance issue. But you have a good handle on it.

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    1. thanks grand - i do feel better about the whole setup!

      there sure is more plumbing to be done, but i think i can handle it ;-)

      cheers!!

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  2. Hey Jambaloney, Great Job!!! Look fabulous, I'm glad I don't have a basement at this house were renting.
    Love the fish!!!!
    Give Kymber a big hug :-)
    Your Friend Sandy

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    1. hey sandy!

      yeah - the basement is a bit if a downer, but we sure need the space;-)

      the fishing was awesome that day, would have been nice to have taken you with me !

      kymber has her hug - thanks for dropping by!
      your friend,
      jamnbalony

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  3. Wow, what a difference, much more effecient and look at the storage you have now! We salvaged abunch of those shelves and use them for storage in out basement as well. I like getting everything off the ground...If I actually swept down there it will make it easier too!

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    1. thanks kayidids - it was a challenge beforehand, now it at least works - glad you got some of those shelves too - getting stuff off the ground is crucial!

      no sweeping here - all gravel - LOL!

      cheers!

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  4. it is good to see what was a disaster area now organized

    did you get my little package yet?

    Wildflower

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    1. hey wildflower..

      disaster - that's how it felt, now it feels organized - you hit it on the head!

      no package yet - checked yesterday... mail can be slow here.. really looking forward to getting it!

      cheers wf!

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  5. WHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTT?????


    Is that foam pipe insulation I see???? Oily smokes Batman, I am not sure of my eyes any more.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAAA Good on ya Bud.

    Ah, if only I could post the "right" picture here of the scrutty cat. Sad, but gotta be PM.

    Winston

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    1. why yes it is!

      i wrapped the pipes 2 years ago, not needed now, i keep the basement above freezing at all times - generator and kerosene to get through the blackouts... that foam insulation did it's job the first year here - thank god!

      btw - we use scrutty as an catch all adjective now...

      "this shack is pretty scrutty"
      "i feel scrutty today"
      "MAN, does he look scrutty"

      so thanks for that addition to our lexicon... it is an amazing word, we use it all the time - cheers w and thanks!!

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    2. Ahhhh, but the one true daffynishion I will NEVER reveal.

      Your ears would melt.

      Winston

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  6. You've done some really fine work. Ah, I wish I could join you for the Bass season. Garlic? Really? When in California I used a nice shiny silver spoon.

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    1. thanks stephen!

      i wish you were here too - i will be out for bass in teh nest few days. the garlic tip i got from wildflower - all fish have certain scents that work... you rub the lure with a clove, that's it!

      got my heavy gear out, some of the plugs are bigger than the trout we eat - should be fun, i will be thinking of you!!!

      cheers !

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  7. Looks like you are staying busy.

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    1. sure am!

      good to see you rob, hope you are doing well friend!

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  8. I have never been able to pin down just what is the bladder or what a bladder is. What is a sillcock? Do you have the capacity to have four hoses on the outside of the house? If so, WOW! You have certainly done lots of specialized work. Is the plastic over the studs for insulation? Is there insulation behind all the plastic?

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    1. hey pp -

      the bladder is basically a tank with a balloon inside full of air. it has a factory pressure set, 40psi is pretty standard. the jet pump draws water from the well and fills the part of the tank without the balloon. as the bladder gets water in it, the balloon pushes back, applying pressure with the air inside... the pump has a pressure cut-off on it. when the balloon pushes back with enough pressure, the pump stops pumping an the bladder is partly filled with water, the rest with air


      so this is how we maintain water pressure with having the pump constantly on..

      i hope this makes sense to you.

      the sill cock is the brass fitting with the tap... the four hose splitter i got from canadian tire (a hardware supply store in canada) - it used to be in the basement - see the previous plumbing post... it's there LOL!


      the plastic IS over insulation... i had to fill in a pile of gaps, i will do more this winter and then cover the plastic with OSB.. but, one little mountain at a time..

      cheers!

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  9. Nice engineering. I love home made engineering products.

    I had good luck dragging a weighted diving lure and bouncing it off the bottom for stripped bass but that was here and a different time of the season. They fight nice though.

    Good luck!!!

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    1. thanks preppy - i will dedicate the next one to you - would you like me to add a small plaque made out of scrap wood ? ;-)


      hey, i will give that a try, i have no real idea what technique will work.. got two heavy rods and large lures of all types!

      cheers buddy!!

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  10. Thanks hon for the shot of Gabarus Lake. It looks peaceful and the cloud formations are eerily beautiful as a new day begins.

    Your before and after pics say it all - fantastic work ! The basement is really a vast improvement, and that mold has to be gone. Plumbing can be challenging but yet so interesting. That's when the creative side comes out.

    Take Care and chocolates coming soon ! :)) Hugs to my bestie please !

    ReplyDelete
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    1. no prob - it is always nice view around the bend, clouds here do their own dance - especially in the AM.

      oh thanks, the basement is better and mold and moisture is on the decline..

      chocolates, you shouldn't have... but i'll eat them ;-)) LOL!!

      hags given, take care yourself!!

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  11. Maybe you could try some homemade insulation. My post has several links to how to do it.

    http://practical-parsimony.blogspot.com/2011/04/homemade-insulation-for-your-walls.html

    Is the bladder in the white tank? That is what I have been trying to find out.

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    1. Interesting post - i bought enough for our current needs, but i will be sure to consider making our own for the future.

      the bladder is in the white tank.

      cheers!

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    2. Thanks for locating the bladder for me! I have never heard of a bladder for plumbing. Maybe there are no bladders in tanks in the US or I have not heard of them.

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    3. no problem - i THINK it is called a bladder, that is the term i have heard used anyway.

      cheers!

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  12. Sweet..looks all professional like..no more having to wash your laundry by hand outside in the winter!..or did I miss a post? hehe

    Yeah..the end of trout season sucks..do you get sea bass up in those parts?..I know you need a special rod and reel for them but I have always wanted to try it

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    1. hey egb!

      we've had the washer in the basement since last february ;-)) you DID miss a post!!

      i am going to try for bass for the first time later this afternoon @ fuller's bridge, should be interesting...

      cheers buddy!

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  13. You got a lot done pretty quickly. Of course with the water off, there is an incentive to not procrastinate.

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    1. thanks russell - yes, no water = work quickly ;-))

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    2. Thanks donna - it sure has made our life better!!!

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  15. Plumbing is perhaps one of the easiest jobs to do physically and isn't all that challenging mentally either. I learned how to solder copper for the first time this week and it was remarkably easy. However, saying all that, plumbing is my least favorite thing to do around the home because it requires a billion different types of fittings to get anything done and knowledge of a half dozen thread types you might find. It is a rare day indeed when I tackle a plumbing job when I don't have to make two or three trips to the store to pick up yet another fitting.

    By the way, nice job. I always love seeing a mess straightened up to look respectable again.

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    1. hey ed!

      i agree, plumbing is pretty easy on the mind and body, no so much on the emotions though.... i find a plumbing job is usually straightforward, but the work often frustrating, especially the fittings and all, as you pointed out.

      copper is pretty easy, pex even easier.

      thanks, it is a LOT more organized - cheers!

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  16. Blimey you work hard! I'm very impressed!

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    1. thanks ll - i do try to make things better..

      cheers mate!

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  18. You DID remove all the wood framing? Even though it lasted 10 years, that was ten years of moisture accumulating. Is the basement dry now? I don't know if there are termites where you live, but you dodged a big one if you didn't get them!

    My dad built my house I sold. He built it alone, and by hand. AFTER it was finished, my one sister got really phobic regarding tornadoes. Dad took a skill saw and went straight through the hardwood floor in the kitchen, built a trap door, then hauled dirt out from under the house, ONE BUCKET AT A TIME. He literally finished a basement under the house by hauling the dirt outside through the kitchen.

    60 years later, I still adored the tracks in the hardwood floor from him pushing a heavy wheelbarrow over it.

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    1. hey lotta!

      well, i did remove the wood there... but not all the wood framing, there is a ton still under the crawl space!

      no termites here, thank god... just mildew and spiders.. and slugs and toads and the occasional salimander..

      your dad obviously was a force to be reckoned with - my god!!... ine bucket at a time!! those wheelbarrow tracks must have been a great memory!!

      i have thought about enlarging the crawls space, but am afraid the old half of fm would collapse... maybe after i support it some more!!

      cheers!

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