The Story, The Whole Story, and Other Things, Too.

Peggie found the three-compartment food service sink on CraigsList. Only $150, which is a very good price. This was on a Sunday. Being the busy bees that we are, we couldn't get downtown to see it until Tuesday evening. Downtown streets are torn up for the construction of a trolley line. We found an empty meter only a block from the location. While we waited, Peggie got a text that the seller couldn't find the key to the storage place. We waited. He showed up and we went around to the alley. The door had a combination lock, not a key lock. He had a key to the front door, so we went around to the side with the construction and he let us into the kind of place you'd never go in if you were in a slasher movie. Dark, crowded with detritus from bars, restaurants, apartments, junk yards, whatever. It was being used as a practice hall by this guy's rock band. Sure enough, there was a keyboard, guitars, amps, drums. Way in the back, was the sink. It was in good physical condition, but you could tell by its (long-term lack of) cleanliness that you were happy not to have eaten in the bar from which it had come. No way we could carry it back through the maze and around the block to our parking spot. Enter the smart phone. He texted someone and got the combination to the alley lock. So I brought the truck into the alley, we loaded up, tied down, and headed out.
When we got it home, unloaded it and carried it into the back yard, we discovered problem #1. One of the legs was missing a piece I have since come to know is called a bullet foot. It slips into (and, apparently, out of) the hollow legs so height adjustments can be made to deal with the inevitable uneven floor.
Plan A involved taking an inventory of needs to clean the sink, and hook it up to water and drainage. So I made a list and made Trip#1.  Lowe's for water line and drain pipe, Restaurant Supply for bullet feet and sink stoppers. I got everything on the list, except bullet feet. I was given the name of a local manufacturer of stainless restaurant equipment. They are out near D-M AFB, so that is a trip (#2) for tomorrow.
The clean up went well. I searched on-line, Casey, and found some instructional videos on cleaning stainless steel. Vinegar, lime juice, and baking soda were about equally recommended. I went with baking soda and it worked just fine. Except for the going blind part. Oddly, all of the videos were done indoors!
While hooking up the water supply, I realized I had waaayyy over engineered the project. So I scrapped Plan A, and since I had to make Trip # 2 anyway, I returned several pieces of plumbing and exchanged them for a simpler solution, namely a Y fitting for the existing faucet. We have used these successfully in RV parks, so why not?  Because....
... we have anti-siphon attachments on our outdoor faucets, and they leak when held under the pressure of a closed valve downstream. So, I had to remove that. Bad news. Twenty five years ago, when the contractor installed this device, he crossed the threads. So now I have to replace the faucet.  I know I should just take the faucet with me, but that would mean leaving Peggie without water while I am gone.
But wait, there are multiple sizes and types at the store. So this time I left the water off and took it with me.
Faucets are too expensive at Ace, but I remember seeing them for less at Lowe's.
So it is lunch time on Friday now and I think I have everything I need. After lunch I will make the "final" hookups.
Or so I thought. Here is what happens. Every time you get a connection to stop leaking, it puts pressure on the next connection. So, here I make the "last" connection solid and discover that the on/off handle leaks. Just a little bit. But, you know.
So, to recap: the swivel faucet had obviously been leaking for a long time based on the calcium build-up around it. The new washer there was in Plan A. When put under pressure, the valve on the wall spigot leaked. That was around Trip # 4. The connection from the garden hose to the sink hose leaked. That was part of Trip # 2. The faucet handle required Trip # 7.
Altogether I visited Restaurant Supply, Lowe's, [#1] AIS (for bullet feet),[#2] Lowe's,[#3] Lowe's, [#4]Ace,[#5] Lowe's,[#6] Ace.[#7] This is about 80 miles and another $50 over the original price, plus all those "priceless" hours of labor. I tried to time the work to coincide with shade after that debacle scrubbing in the blinding sunlight. I was interrupted by a crew who came to trim the big mesquite, a side chore to reset the timing and alignment of the drip system, some books that needed to be read, some TV shows that needed to be watched, and crosswords that needed to be filled in.
I still have to dig the trench and sump hole for the drain, but I have all the pieces of PVC I need.
Famous last words?
So far Dave looks like the winner. Thank you to everybody for playing. There is no prize beyond all the fun.