Monday, April 02, 2018

I adulted today

So:

1. Went and found my colleague T., who has worked on houses (and partially built his own) to see if he knew anything about water heaters. He did. He was of the opinion that the tankless was the best way to go, but "wait, won't you need an outlet there for the starter?" (Um....I thought there already would be one for the starter on the tanked heater? maybe I'm wrong? I don't know, I never really looked...).

2. Called the plumber. Talked to a knowledgeable guy who told me that, yes, the existing vent would be fine, though they might like to inspect it to be sure it has no holes in it (crap. So I still have to muck out the guest room/office, just in case). They can run the new venting (it is just PVC) up through the existing venting. He did say "Yes, you will need a nearby 110V outlet, call an electrician." Once that is okay, they can have the heater within 48 hours and can put it in. And I guess I have to trust them to do it in my absence; it will take a day and they don't do it on Saturdays so either a Monday or a Friday I let them in first thing and then come over here to work and then run home to retrieve my key and pay them....

(I think I also take all the quilts off the bed in the guest room, just in case someone forgets and lays a dirty tool down. Not all men, I know, but you get that one guy who doesn't know the difference between an old sheet and a handmade quilt and you've got an issue).

3. Called the electrician. He asked where the nearest regular outlet was and I was like "uhh....48 inches?" totally wild guess. He said if that was so, we could "pigtail" onto it. I don't know....110V and regular house current are different*, I don't know what all it involves. Again I'm worrying I will hit a "this is an impossible thing and you cannot do this" and I won't have hot water again and....I don't know. There are a few 110V outlets (I think) in my house, back from the days before it had central heat but (a) I have no idea if they actually work and (b) NONE of them are in a place convenient to either gas or plumbing, so I couldn't put the heater there.

(*Edited to add: Or are they? Now I'm confused. Is the 110V the standard in the house - in which case there's an unused outlet within 4' of where the heater will go, and is 220V  the "big" one for appliances that have to get hot, like my dryer? That seems to make intellectual sense to me but I was really confused this morning. And yes, I should NOT be so stupid about this but I don't like to do anything with stuff that can shock me or gas me)

(Best outcome? He looks behind the existing heater and says, "Oh, there's already an outlet here")

But yeah. I've kind of hit my limit of doing grown-up things for the day, am almost at the point of rocking back and forth as a self-comfort mechanism. I really just want this to be done and to happen with no bad or ugly hitches, and also the whole "move allllllllll the stuff in the guest room and store it where?" is bothering me right now. (I guess I know what I do with my evenings this week :( )

the worst thing? I can't even go home and take a hot shower to forget about this, because there's no hot water :(

1 comment:

purlewe said...

I am just catching up on all this. BOO! I say boo. That stinks rotten eggs. I am so sorry you are going thru all this right now. I wish things were different. I hope things work out. Please let us know how it all works out.