Laundry Day

Here at Oak Spring Farm we have only a few modern convienences, we don't have an automatic washer and dryer. We use a Maytag wringer washer and clothes lines to wash and dry our clothes. In case of incliment weather we can run a clothes line back and forth in laundry/washroom. The clothes come out clean and drying in the fresh air gives them a nice smell as long as the wood smoke doesn't get to them.

I thought that using the old time washer would be a lot harder on me than an automatic washer, but I found that washing clothes using the wringer washer isn't that hard just takes longer. However I have the time and would rather let the sun dry my clothes and not pay the electric co-op for the privilege of using their power.

We don't have a dishwasher or garbage disposal either the dishes are washed by hand and the garbage goes in the compost pile. We do have a vacume cleaner here and it is handy catch those dust bunnies and we have 'em as we have indoor pets. We also have indoor plumbing now and hot water by an electric hot water heater, sure is nice when you want a shower.

Bathroom Project update

Things are progressing, I have a functional bathroom, not finnished yet still have a lot to do but it can be used. The toilet flushes the sink drains the shower works. Some things still have to be done and or redone; the electrical fixtures have to be put in, the drywall installed, the wax ring for the toilet reinstalled, painting, trim work and flooring installed. We are getting there just taking a lot more time, effort and money than I first thought. There is so much work to putting all this together it can be over whelming.

Had a little leak around the bottom of the toilet so that ment the was seal wasn't working. Removed the toilet; undid the tank, and pulled up the toilet, cleaned off the the old wax seal added the new wax seal and added another for good measure, put the whole sheebang back together again under an hour and a half. Practise makes perfect or almost perfect. Will have to wait till the wood floor dries out to see if the new wax seal is working or not. I sure hope it is I don't want to get to good at this toilet plumbing stuff :)

I just keep at it until I get it done; little by little. Sure have learned a lot.

Plumbing story part 2

I got the drain and vent system connected. Today I got the kitchen sink drain connected to the drain and vent system and tested. It drains well, no funny noises and it drains as fast as any other drain I remmember. This is a leap forward as before the kitchen sink drained into the cellar and was piped to the drain in the floor of the cellar and emptied out in the pasture somewhere. So, now the kitchen drain goes to the spetic system where it belongs.

The toilet has been mounted on the waste pipe and bolted to the floor and the sink is in place not connected yet, but it is ready to be connected. I am leaving it unconnected for now in case I need to move it out of the way to work on the shower. The shower is connected to the drain and vent system and the wall is begun.

I think things are going to look nice once everything is completed and decorated.

August 11, 2006
Progress is slow as I had to redo some work and get more pieces and parts. I do have the walls of the shower up and I have dry fitted the fittings and pipes to operate the shower. I will start cutting into the cold water line and connecting it to the shower and sink tomorrow. The directions for installing the single lever valve where confusing and incomplete, so I just guessed at the installation procedures. There is still a lot of work to do. This project seems to go on and on, sigh.