Saturday

It has been overcast most of the day, and humid. We rode our bikes to the causeway and walked. 

John took these pictures of terns flying around the tidal bridge.

After lunch, we walked Toby at the community center, and then I set my sights on a project. We knew from our previous 4-point home inspection when we bought our house that we had a problem with the sink and dishwasher not draining properly and leaking.

I replaced the sink drain that was leaking last year, but we decided to ignore the disposal and dishwasher not working. Our thinking was we didn’t need either and we could wait and replace them when we renovated our kitchen. Our plan was to begin renovations once my social security checks starting rolling in (August).

Now that we’re having to find new home insurance, we have to first have a 4-point inspection (plumbing, electrical, a/c, roof). We know that the disposal (and clogged sink above) and dishwasher will be flagged as needing repair. That may lead to a repair, reinspection and delay. We were given 45 days to find new coverage. The inspection is 10 days away. Therefore, we decided to try and fix what we can before the inspection.

After dismantling pipes and inspecting things, I believe that the disposal and dishwasher problems are related. Once I replace the disposal and clean out the pipes, I think the dishwasher will drain properly. That’s my theory. It’s a good theory since the dishwasher drains into the disposal, which is dysfunctional and drains slowly.

One complication is the previous owners installed a reverse osmosis system which ties into the existing water supply lines and drain pipe. I think it’s beyond my skill level to remove it. I will attempt to work around it.

Old disposal on the right; new one on the left. I removed the plug from the old one and re-used it on the new one.

I’ve watched several you tube videos and bought supplies. The only remaining challenge is finding the uninterrupted time to do it. I realize it sounds crazy, since we’re retired and all, but our schedule is full. I may have to stay up late to get it done.

I’ll also dismantle my previous sink drain and add plumber’s putty to prevent future leaks.

Miles walked: 10.7

Miles biked: 5.19