Repairing the Water Line, Part Deux

Repairing the water line has been my main focus for the past month or so.  I can't list this property for sale until I get this fixed.  When I left two weeks ago, the last part to be repaired was that compression coupler.

I took it apart and couldn't see anything wrong with it - it didn't look cracked.  So, I cleaned it up and then replaced the PVC pipe with a longer one that would slip into the coupler better and then I used coupler that was already there.  I drove over to the hardware store (the water department officer runs the hardware store) and asked to have the water turned back on.  He closed his store and came over.  I stood next to my repaired line and hoped for the best.  There was a v-e-r-y  s-l-o-w  drip. Like once every 5-6 seconds. 

Oh well.  Nothing else to do but turn off the water again and follow him back to his store where I bought a new 3/4" x 3/4" compression coupler.  Back at the farm...  I cut off the leaking coupler.

 

I brought a wire brush with me to try to clean the metal pipe a little so the rubber ring inside the coupler could get a better grip.  After I put it together, I realized that I had forgotten to put plumbers tape on the grooves before I screwed the two end caps together, so back to the hardware store to get the tape. 

 

I had whittled away most of the afternoon, but by 4:30 I thought I had it fixed.  Back to the hardware store I went.  He came by and turned the water on, and it seemed to hold!  Yahoo!!!  I went inside and turned on the water in the bathtub and was very pleased!  I turned the water off after I took this photo and went outside where I could get a signal on my phone.  I wanted to send the photo to my friend M.

 

I was about to hit 'send' when I heard a gurgling sound...

 

 

Apparently when I fitted the PVC pipe into the coupler, it didn't slide it in far enough.  The PVC was only about one inch into the coupler - I should have shoved it all the way up against the metal pipe.  And since I hadn't buried the rest of the PVC pipe yet because I wanted to make sure there weren't any additional leaks, there was just enough slack in the trench for the pressure to push the PVC out of the coupler. 

 

I hurried back to the hardware store before it closed to ask the officer to come turn off the water, again.  I'm not discouraged though, I know where my mistake is and when I go back in two weeks I can fix it.  I know this may sound crazy, but I'm enjoying doing this - I'm learning so much!  Now I know when my next adventure comes along, I'll be ready to tackle it.

 

I haven't surrendered, I haven't given up, I'm just here waiting for the Lord to direct me to my next adventure!