Running Water

It wasn't quite a "light switch moment" but was close.  The feeling of warm water is pretty breathtaking after months of work.  While there was no "ah ha!" reaction to the tepid water as it flowed from the faucet there was again was the feeling of satisfaction and gratitude to all the efforts that we have been working on as well as the help from so many to complete this plumbing project.

I take from this plumbing experience a similar lesson to wiring: I enjoy the planning and rough plumbing but could take or leave the nitty gritty aspect of plumbing fixtures and appliances.  It sounds crazy but I don't mind drilling holes in the attic with my head jammed up against a rafter in hundred degree heat and my jaw rattling to the vibration of a drill hammer plowing through a top plate of the wall no more than inches from me but torquing a wrench around the outlet of a pressure tank or water heater drives me bonkers!

Cutting Concrete

The most difficult part of the project was the drain lines.  Here our friend Ben is grinding away at the footing of our concrete slab to obtain the space needed to get the drain line out. 

Apart from the warm bath at the end of the day, my favorite aspect of plumbing is the simple science of it all.  Plumbing, more than many trades, reminds you constantly that the laws of physics apply.  This reality is not very subtle either: gravity prevails and the water runs down slope, hot air rises, masses move from high to low pressure. 

Trimming out the Tub

Tub, faucets and surround all installed the only thing left to do is trim it all out!

Running water is something that many people take for granted.  Most folks move into a house that is hooked up to city water and sewer and never put a second thought to what kind of infrastructure is necessary for them to turn on the faucet and wash the dishes or brush their teeth.  This is part of the detachment that many humans in first world countries have with the natural world.  They don't know what it takes to get the conveniences that many take for granted.

This is something that I want to take out of this experience.  Just as it is easy to look at a gorgeous mountain scape, ocean, or lake everyday and get so used to it that you don't relish in it's grandeur; humans need to stop and think for a few minutes everyday about the amenities they do have and the work that is required to have them.  I never want to take running water, electricity, warmth, a roof over my head or food on my plate for granted.  The truth is that before I started hiking up the hill to clear this land I went through the motions without any thought. 

Humans seem to be losing the knowledge of what it takes to live the way we do.  Maybe everybody should have a start with a raw chunk of dirt and figure it out?  It teaches you what hard work is.  It instills an appreciation for how good we have it.  In turn this appreciation makes you think twice of leaving that light on and wasting electricity or letting the faucet run.

While there is plenty of finish work to be done before the project can be officially proclaimed "complete" I am proud to say that we have officially achieved the modern convenience of running water!