- Dan Schumacher
Dirty Dirt
I got the lab results back from testing the soil samples. As I suspected there is contamination due to the oil tank leaking. The amount of contamination is nine times the allowable limit. Not good. I met with an environmental attorney and as you Willy Wonka fans would say the "golden ticket" or "the get of jail free card" (everyone should know where that's from) is a letter of no further action for the state department of ecology. The soil scientist seems to think that would be next to impossible to obtain. He is of the opinion I should fill the tank and leave well enough alone. There is a state agency that will assist in the cost of the clean up if they approve my claim. I'm leaning towards removing the bad soil if my claim gets approved and leaving it as is if I have to pay for the cleanup. More to follow.
After reviewing the estimate from the mechanical contractor to purchase and install the salt less water softener and filter I decided I could do it myself. I contacted the manufacturer direct and bought the equipment. The install took about a half a day and I saved over $400!
The mechanical contractor came on Wednesday and Thursday to install the rigid ductwork, high efficient gas furnace, and tankless hot water heater. All went well and we now have a heated basement and an endless supply of hot water.
All three pieces of equipment fit nicely in the corner of the mechanical room which leaves much needed space for storage.
It was a busy week with the subcontractors. The plumber came on Friday and completed the rough-in for the drain, waste, and vent lines.
The plumber also reconfigured the main water line into the house which will enable it to fit inside the wall.
While the plumber was doing his thing I ran the trunk lines for the distribution of the hot and cold water.
Many of you may be wondering why I connected the hot and cold water lines at all of the locations. The plumber recommended I connect the lines and plug the lines at the toilets. Then at the beginning of the trunk lines plug the hot water line and put a gauge and compressed air fitting on the cold line. In essence I created a loop and can test for leaks using compressed air before I charge the lines with water.
I am proud to say that when I filled the lines to over 90 PSI there were no leaks.
In addition to working on the mechanical and plumbing components I have run the wiring for 18 circuits.
There is still on existing junction box I need to resolve and after I run all of the wires in the picture above into the electrical panel I will be ready for my electrical inspection.
We had a special guest this past weekend. My second mother came for a visit. I took her to Coeur d'Alene, Riverfront Park, Spokane Falls, Gonzaga University, and the historic Davenport Hotel. We naturally went out to dinner every night and enjoyed cocktails on the back patio.
