Monday, December 17, 2007

Controlling the Flow

Have any of you seen my Channel-locks? I think our hot water heater is circling the drain. What else could it be? Every couple weeks I have to take the kitchen faucet head off and clean out the little white crystals that collect on the little filter screen because they build up and block the water flow. These little buggers have wreaked havoc on the shower head too and there is no way to clean them out, no filter. Water squirts out where it's not supposed to. sheesh.

So Saturday I went to Home Depot to buy another shower head. Now, I like a shower with a lot of pressure, not some mamby-pamby trickle, but enough force to actually rinse the shampoo out, not just water it in. I picked out a $40 shower head, very pretty, "euro design" and removed the water-saver feature and installed the head. Had to use the adjustable wrench since I couldn't find the Channel-locks. OK, they are really Craftsman groove-joint pliers, but "Channel-locks" is easier to write. Sunday morning I take my shower and I was in there for-ev-er because there was no pressure. Sheesh. I hate that. So I box the fancy new head back up and return it to the store. After church, not right then with a towel wrapped around me. It turns out the head had too many nozzles so the water was distributed too much and the pressure drops to nil.

This time I pick out a smaller $14 model and install it. And the flow is marginally better, but not good enough to keep. Maybe I'll put it in The Girl's bathroom. The guy who made up the 2.5 gallon per minute regulation on all shower heads must not have any hair. I guess I need to get one from Canada. Before you tell me to get one like the model I had before, I need to explain it was part of a set, not sold separately. Might still be under warranty, I'll have to check on that.

In addition to the shower drama, sometime over the weekend I have to clean out the filter on the kitchen faucet again and I'm reminded I might need to address the washer again. About a month or two ago I had to pull the washer away from the wall and clean out the intake filter. Man! that's no easy task and it was full of these little white particles. This is driving me nuts! Is this a symptom of a dying hot water heater? Maybe I should call my dad and ask, he'll know.

I wonder. My Channel-locks might just be on the shelf above the washer. I'll have to look when I get home.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

You need to add the title of "do it all house handy mom" to your profile.
When you are done, call your dad and see if he can figure out some stuff for me as well.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

You might be needed at my house. The shower flow isn't working well there.

Sara said...

Shower heads! When I moved into my new apartment - they had the worst shower head...so, I bought a new one...with different sprays. I don't know that it is much better - it's the water control feature (like you said) that drives me crazy...just not enough water!!!! Argh....

Lorraine said...

I'm ever so impressed with you. Especially the part about not returning the shower head in a towel.

Dtodd said...

Why don't you get your husband to take care of it? Otherwise, why have a husband?

Mom said...

I agree with dant. that's what husbands are for.
You might have gotten quicker service if you had returned it in your towel.

Ed & Jeanne said...

I always go to the vintage supply place and find a nice older shower head that didn't have the regulations. Occasionally I'll smuggle them in from Mexico...but it's getting so risky these days.

AM Kingsfield said...

husbands? Is that a brand name?

Linda said...

We searched high and low for the perfect shower head. You've seen our hair (well all of us but one) ...we need blistering force to get all the shampoo out of these mops! We have found the cheapest one to be the best-- single 4 or 5 inch long tube thingy, really pressurizes the flow. Don't know what it's called but all the hardware stores have it, it's about $10

wonder if that's what happened to you know who's hair? hmmmm....

Lisa said...

If your water heater is aged, you should proactively replace it. It's not overly expensive compared to coming home to a flood.

John said...

I was thinking "why would you wrap the shower head in a towel in order to return it." Then I went back and looked. Not the head but you. I see. Yes, service would probably have been quite prompt under those circumstances.

AM, husbands is not a brand name but is listed with The Centers For Disease Control.

colleen said...

I've never heard of a Channel lock. Not a good handy man either. Not even a man. I was here today, or was that yesterday? Michele says hi again.