Friday :: 03 July 2009 :: 07:38 PM
175 days to Christmas!
Build This Test Unit For Water Pressure
Here is a handy device you can build to check the water pressure of your home plumbing system. Correct working water pressure is important for the proper operation of your plumbing system and fixtures. This handy tool will be an effective instrument for troubleshooting your system.
Building this tool is simple and requires only two brass parts and a gauge. From left to right:
- Female Hose to FIP Swivel: 3/4" x 1/2"
- Male Pipe to FIP Hex Bushing 1/2" x 1/4"
- One Pressure Gauge with a 1/4" NPT connection
Put this together by assemblying the parts. Some people use pipe dope on the joints but I stand by the rule that brass on brass needs no thread dope. Assemble the parts tightly with two ten inch adjustable wrenches: fifty to ninety pounds torque should be adequate.
After the unit is assembled, take it outside and install it on a hosebib. Turn on the water and read the pressure. Be sure to turn the water off before trying to remove the unit. This unit will install onto most laundry sink faucets, as well.
The cost to put this project together is modest: the two brass parts total about eight dollars and the gauge will run from twelve dollars to twenty-five dollars (unless you want to buy something elaborate). If your local hardware store does not have the swivel in the 3/4" x 1/2", you may purchase the more prevalent 3/4" x 3/4" swivel, insert a 3/4" x 1/2" bushing, then install the 1/2" x 1/4" bushing into that and then install the gauge. Where there is a will, there is a way!
Hope this is helpful and enjoy!
Random Humor: Grizzly Hunting And The Pope
On a tour of Oregon, the Pope took a couple of days off to visit the mountains for some sight seeing. He was cruising along the campground in the Pope-mobile when there was a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods. A helpless man, wearing sandals, Hawaiian shorts, a "save the whales" T-shirt and a tree hugger hat was struggling frantically, thrashing around trying to free himself from the jaws of a ten foot grizzly.
As the Pope watched horrified, a group of loggers came racing up. One quickly fired a 44 magnum into the bear's chest. The other two reached up and pulled the bleeding semi-conscious man from the bear. Then using long clubs, the three loggers beat the bear to death and hauled it to their truck.
Immediately the Pope shouted and summoned them to come over. "I give you my blessing for your brave actions!" he told them. "I heard there was a bitter hatred between loggers and environmental activists, but now I have seen with my own eyes that this is not true."
As the Pope drove off, one of the loggers asked his buddies "Who was that?"
"It was the Pope," another replied, "He's in direct contact with God and has access to all of Gods wisdom."
"Well," the logger said, "he may have access to all of Gods wisdom, but he sure doesn't know anything about bear hunting. By the way, is the bait holding up okay, or do we need to go back to Portland and grab another one?"