It’s Tool Time!!

My neighbor, Kent, usually signs emails as “Wilson.” So, naturally, I have to return the favor and join in the fun by being Tim. Well, last night, our garbage disposal had finally given up the ghost and leaked all over the place and we’d had enough! So I went up to Lowe’s to get a replacement. The plumbing expert told me (and expert, mind you) that it was a simple fix and yes, “I would recommend replacing the sink flange while you were at it, just to be sure.” “It is a really simple fix . . . 20-30 minutes–tops!”

Well, almost an hour and a half and two phone calls later, I finally got the disposal in and working properly. I called “Wilson” next door and he was no help. So I broke down and called my dad. He said, “yeah, I have heard that Harry Cooper Supply has contests on how quickly you can replace and install a garbage disposal.” “I think the record around here is around 5 minutes!” All the while he is laughing at me.

The issue is really what we all have . . . didn’t read the instruction manual thoroughly enough. I missed the fact that it has a little “ring” that holds the whole thing together. A little detail added about an hour and two phone calls worth of wasted energy and time.

But don’t we do that with everything? We don’t read the instructions and wonder why things in life are going as smoothly as they are told to be. Lesson learned . . . in plumbing, and in life. Read the instructions thoroughly before starting.