ADD: Day of Daze

Several months ago it seemed like a good idea to replace Calypso's 26-year old plastic galley (kitchen) faucet [below] with a newer model ... one that included a a spray attachment, for doing dishes.

According to Amazon, the faucet came with 1/2" IPS fittings. But 1/2" IPS fittings didn't fit. Nor did 3/8" IPS fittings. You can see the difference, below.


I thought they looked like 3/8" compression fittings, so I called Kohler's Customer service and was assured, "Oh Yes definitely, your model only comes with 1/2" IPS fittings." It's just that my model was different.

Long story short: I took the supply lines loose, got a ride to Home Depot, and spent 15 minutes in the Plumbing aisle until I got the right size ... 3/8" compression, as I first suspected. It took almost two months, but finally I had all the parts to get started.

So this morning I unbolted and took out the sink; that's the only way I could reach and unscrew the old faucet's huge Plex nut (below).


No problem so far, right? Things went so smoothly I decided to add a water filter to the cold water supply, too. The job ended up taking about six hours, but I finally got all the fittings right n' tight ... with no leaking at all. None.

Shoot I even replaced the sink's drain hose, while I was still on an enthusiastic Completion roll. Notice how good the new faucet looks, below:



Yes sir, good deal.

Then around 5 PM, after cleaning up and admiring my work, I realized I'd reversed the Hot and Cold supply lines: the faucet worked backwards. Huh?

Does that make me sound like a moron? How could I make such a simple mistake? Why couldn't I just C-O-N-C-E-N-T-R-A-T-E, make a list, pay attention to what I was doing, etc.?

The best answer is that ADD is like that.

Especially when you've got two supply lines, two shut-off valves, one water filter ... and 12 different 3/8"/MIPS/FIPS/Plex/1/2" Barb/Compression fittings, couplers & adapters, 76 pounds of nut drivers, wrenches, locking pliers, chisels, Vise Grips, sockets and extensions ... plus hose clamps ... and enough Teflon plumber's tape to gift-wrap the Eiffel Tower.

That's something like 86 aggravations and 1440 possible things going on at the same time, that's how: concentrating and becoming fixed on one thing means losing sight of the next thing.

Oh well, it's not like I'm not used to it.

So guess what I'll be doing tomorrow?