I've been assured the installer will call this afternoon. I've further been assured that my whole-house water shut-off valve, is, in fact, the valve by the water meter (as I've said, I'm kind of an idiot about some things. I suppose I would have figured that out in an emergency-type situation but it's a good piece of information to have). And yes, I know where the gas cut off valve is. (the one to the whole house and the one to each appliance.) I worry more about gas leaks - because they make things go boom - than I do about water leaks.

Lowe's has a very complex hierarchy for these kinds of things. There is the person who sells you the thing (and warns you that the installation will cost extra if things aren't up to code), there's the woman who is the liaison with the installer (who calls you and warns you that the installation will cost extra if things aren't up to code), there's another guy (who might well have been in New Delhi or somewhere, judging from his accent) who answers the phone when the woman's not there (and who warns you that the installation will cost extra if things aren't up to code.)

So the only one of the set (collect them all!) I don't have yet is the installer. (Who will, doubtless warn me - and say it with me, now - installation will cost extra if things aren't up to code.)

I wonder how many people they've had gripe at them because they had to make modifications to bring things up to code, and it cost the person extra. I mean, to me, it seems kind of a foregone conclusion: installer has to do extra to make the thing safe, it takes more of installer's time and it takes parts, why should it NOT cost extra? But maybe some people don't think that.

At this point? If there have to be modifications that need to be paid for, I don't care. I need my hot water. And I need for it to be safe - after all, that's what code standards are mostly for, no?


(Don't disillusion me and tell me it's just all a boondoggle to make money for carpenters and plumbers)

Along the way I've made it abundantly clear: Home all this afternoon, can be home most of the day tomorrow, canNOT be home Wednesday. I hope this means the thing is installed either today or tomorrow.