One of these days my determination to figure things out will backfire. I think I have reached my limit and call it a day on that.
A couple days ago I finished a major battle installing a stacked laundry unit in a very tiny place. I was expecting the delivery people to install it, but I screwed up. I thought the only thing I was installing was the pair of water inlet hoses that were only two years old and I worried their installation might just include crappy rubber hoses. They won't install old stuff.
But there was a failure to communicate. I had signed off on me installing it. All of it. I considered calling to straighten it out but I thought, I can do this. Totally. That's a weakness of mine that so far hasn't bit me in the butt.
I could have done everything from the front, with difficulty, but sadly the power cord had to be attached in the back. And there was no way to slide behind the unit to get behind. I tried.
So I had to drag out the whole unit that two burly men had manhandled in. My measurements were good and it did barely fit. Luckily I quickly realized that sliding a large sheet of cardboard under the stacked laundry units would help drag it. It did. I had to pull it all the way out to get access to the power access plate. Then turn it around and push it back in. Around a corner. With a furnace and gas water heater with pipes in the way, requiring much care to avoid bigger problems.
I had the foresight to tie some of the pieces I needed with string in case I dropped them behind the unit while trying to connect things. Although honestly if I dropped something I just might have called it a field loss and gone to the hardware store for a replacement rather than do another drag just for a clamp or even a tool. Luckily I dropped nothing.
After 3
hours I had it all hooked up, but because it was after business hours and I didn't
want to test it when plumbers were on double time I called it a day.
It was beer time to relax.
Sadly, right before going to bed I discovered the water inlets were leaking a bit, even with the water off. I fixed that and went to sleep.
Early in the morning I found no water leaking! After business hours started, I turned on the cold water and waited a half hour. No leak. I turned on the hot water and waited half an hour. No leak.
Now was the time for the big test. I did a cold water test wash--after belatedly, but in time, remembering to put in the drain hose. Success! Although every unfamiliar noise from a new machine made me hyper-alert for failures.
Then the dryer worked!
Then a hot water load--with a minor leak that I fixed with a bit of careful tightening.
I called it an official success and reattached the face plate that provides
access to water inlet and dryer vent hose connections.
Then I put everything back in the furnace closet and stairwell that I had removed to provide easier access to the furnace room.
Hey, at least they took away the old machines. That
went as planned.
This is the last time I don't make sure the seller installs something--and pay extra if necessary. I appear to have done it right but because I don't do this every week (or even ever before) my confidence in doing it right is shaky. If three weeks go by with no problem, I'll relax. May my floor water alarm in there never go off (while working perfectly, of course).
I'm getting too old for this. I'm not a little shocked that I didn't strain my back in this endeavor.
This really shouldn't be that intimidating. I mean, I tackled it, so it didn't actually intimidate me. But the individual pieces were easy. I've connected vents. I've connected water inlets. I've connected electric wires. I've moved furniture. I've done tougher jobs in the National Guard.
But this put everything together and added a very tight space that required doing things right, in order, without having to repeatedly drag the stupid thing out again for a do over on a missed step. While I could have handled the vent attachment better--attaching to the back of the dryer first and connecting to the outside pipe after pushing the unit in place, instead of the reverse, comes to mind--I did avoid repeat moves, at least.
And breaking the task down into sequential tasks rather than dwelling on the entirety helps. My first task was simply to pull the unit away from the wall and, if necessary (it was) get the unit out of the closet around the corner. Then I just went one step at a time for each smaller task.
Now I just need to clean my blood from various points on the machine that scratched and sliced my fingers and arms. And one day I will try to remove the cardboard sheet still under the unit. But today is not that day.
And hey, maybe in the days of Xi Jinping Flu pandemic, it was good not to have two strangers huffing and puffing for several hours in my home.
Anyway, tentative success. So I've got that going for me. Which is nice.
