FLOOD UPDATE

The good news is, after hours and hours of back breaking work, everything is working great, and there isn't really any bad news. The washing machine began working of its own accord once we flushed out the resin (tons). A few faucets got plugged a second time but by then cleaning was second nature. The shower heads all had to be taken apart for cleaning; but that's done. The people who sold me the Super Duper Water Softener charged me $309 last December to repair the broken valve unit on the softener (that's what went bad this time). That was two weeks after they charged me $255 for an annual inspection of the softener (deeming it "fit") and changing the water filtration cartridges. These same people told me I should have the resin changed after only 5 years of service at a cost of $700+ (that was in 2006). I refused. So, I knew they would be charging me BIG bucks to fix it; and of course it would NOW need NEW resin! So, I went 'online' and decided that the cheapest Sears softener ($379.99) was the way to go (best reviews). I picked one up Sunday about 4pm. Monday I had to do a rather extensive modification of the softener plumbing and build up a level slab underneath the new softener. That done, I finished the job today, regenerated the new softener, and flushed resin out of the water heater. Only one last problem remained. The guest bath tub has a very fancy valve that prevents scalding if the hot/cold water gets interrupted. It was plugged. Took me a couple of hours to disassemble, figure out how it was supposed to work and where the problem was, fix it, and finally put it all back together (without leaks). I lost four of my precious days, but the satisfaction of figuring out multiple problems feels pretty cool. One side effect. The old softener was a "screamer". We had to regenerate in the afternoon it was so loud. The new one doesn't make any noise at all. Big Smile on My Face - even if my back IS killing me.