My spouse has spent the past four weekends attempting to install a new ventilation fan in our master bath. Four weekends, folks.
When we had the home inspected a year ago, the fan that was there didn't pass the one square of toilet paper test (turn on fan, attempt to have square of TP stick to vent). After we moved in, my husband took off the plastic grill and realized it wasn't going to be an easy fix, so he put it back on until he had time to really look into it.
Fast forward to last month. After two days of sawing away at metal screws and a lot of twisting, pulling and swearing, he was able to actually remove the old fan. Only to find out that it had not been vented to the outside of the house. In other words, for 22 years, the fan never did a damn thing.
Numerous trips to Lowes and research online showed him how to create a bendable venting tube. I stood there in claustrophobic fear as he was in the hole in our ceiling up to his knees. I didn't get a photo of the hole, but imagine the fan not being in this small rectangle, and instead, a human body:
No, I am not married to a 'little person.' And this is not really our master bath. It's the tiny closet off of the bath that holds the toilet and the shower. A ladder barely fits into it.
After hours of standing there, moving the ladder two inches this way and that so he could balance on it with one foot, handing him various tools, one-by-one, because that's all that would fit up there, he finally got the vent attached to the fan, and then positioned the fan down into the space with additional wood to fill in the gap. Then came the electrical nightmare.
The previous fan had one of those built-in nightlites that never went off. So, that's a fan, a nightlite and a regular light bulb. But there's only two switches on the wall. You can probably guess I'm not married to an electrician. And the new fan only has one lightbulb. He was practically in despair that he did all that work and was not able to complete the project. And now I'm going on month two of using the toilet in the dark.....
I feel sorry for the poor guy. As he says, "Something always goes wrong for me." It's true. The handle on the two year old lawn mower broke over the weekend. Something as simple as removing an old bush will take him six hours. I was wondering if it was just him, but I've witnessed first hand his bad luck. I assisted him in installing new outdoor lights last fall. And of course, there were screws missing from the box to finish the job. Another trip to Lowes, then having to paint the damn screws black, just so we could get the job done, instead of calling an 800 number and trying to describe what was missing from the box to someone in India.
My mantra has become, "Let's just call Big Lou!"
When we had the home inspected a year ago, the fan that was there didn't pass the one square of toilet paper test (turn on fan, attempt to have square of TP stick to vent). After we moved in, my husband took off the plastic grill and realized it wasn't going to be an easy fix, so he put it back on until he had time to really look into it.
Fast forward to last month. After two days of sawing away at metal screws and a lot of twisting, pulling and swearing, he was able to actually remove the old fan. Only to find out that it had not been vented to the outside of the house. In other words, for 22 years, the fan never did a damn thing.
Numerous trips to Lowes and research online showed him how to create a bendable venting tube. I stood there in claustrophobic fear as he was in the hole in our ceiling up to his knees. I didn't get a photo of the hole, but imagine the fan not being in this small rectangle, and instead, a human body:
After hours of standing there, moving the ladder two inches this way and that so he could balance on it with one foot, handing him various tools, one-by-one, because that's all that would fit up there, he finally got the vent attached to the fan, and then positioned the fan down into the space with additional wood to fill in the gap. Then came the electrical nightmare.
The previous fan had one of those built-in nightlites that never went off. So, that's a fan, a nightlite and a regular light bulb. But there's only two switches on the wall. You can probably guess I'm not married to an electrician. And the new fan only has one lightbulb. He was practically in despair that he did all that work and was not able to complete the project. And now I'm going on month two of using the toilet in the dark.....
I feel sorry for the poor guy. As he says, "Something always goes wrong for me." It's true. The handle on the two year old lawn mower broke over the weekend. Something as simple as removing an old bush will take him six hours. I was wondering if it was just him, but I've witnessed first hand his bad luck. I assisted him in installing new outdoor lights last fall. And of course, there were screws missing from the box to finish the job. Another trip to Lowes, then having to paint the damn screws black, just so we could get the job done, instead of calling an 800 number and trying to describe what was missing from the box to someone in India.
My mantra has become, "Let's just call Big Lou!"
I got claustrophobic just looking at that tiny hole in the ceiling as well! I'm a small person, but even I would have felt tight in that space.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the reasons why I so enjoy renting because whenever anything breaks or goes awry, I just call maintenance. I am so lazy when it comes to fixing things.
"....instead of calling an 800 number and trying to describe what was missing from the box to someone in India."
HA! Ain't that the truth!!!!
Have a super week, my friend!
X
You're not lazy, Ron.......you are an efficient time user!! Who the heck wants to waste four weekends on something as boring as a bathroom fan? Not you or me!
Delete'Certain people' never learn! Hahaha.....
Hi Bijoux,
DeleteAwhh.. That is an unfortable position to be in over all these weekends. 4 weekends is an eternity.
You have my sympathy.
Building codes... I remember growing up in a home where we had a noisy humming everytime in the big batheroom. I hope that your's will be silent.
Wishing you a quick closure to this affair.
I hated the noise of the bathroom fan in our old house. It reminded me of being on an airport runway This one seems better at least.
Deleteyeesh, my husband has been going full tilt trying to get things around here fixed up. it seems everything is breaking down all at once. you and your husband have my sympathies!
ReplyDeleteHome ownership sucks! It's not MY American dream. Thank you for your sympathy!
DeleteUgh. It's always something, isn't it? Enough to drive a person crazy!!!
ReplyDeleteWe've definitely got crazy peeps in da house here!
DeleteWhen I was fixing up this old house, I had some hard lessons in when to call for help. There's lots I can figure out how to do, but with electrical things, you have to be careful what you take on since you risk fires.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly why he stopped. He didn't want to mess with wires that he was unsure what went where. The fan is working, but the light isn't and he has an extra set of wires from the now gone nightlite that he doesn't know what to do with.
DeleteGood that the fan is running.
DeleteAt least when I had to replace ours, it was vented properly- *and*, thankfully, I could access it from above, in the crawlspace. Still hot and tight to maneuver, but at least it didn't feel like I was on tiptoe.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, our master bath doesn't have any ventilation at all, except for the window; and who wants to have to open the window while showering, when it's below freezing outside? I "get" that the building code here doesn't require mechanical venting if there's access to outside air- but sheesh, what was up with that thinking??
It makes no sense, esp. If you live somewhere cold. Even in Florida though, it's so humid, opening the window wouldn't do much good.
DeleteWell, I've got to give your husband for trying. Me, I just call somebody at the first sign of trouble. I skip the twisting and pulling and go straight to the swearing. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm all for calling someone immediately.
DeleteOK. . . Our Bathroom Vent Project for this year involves replacing the louvered vent on the exterior wall (one of the louvers is missing), which led to the major part of the project - removing the nest of the birds who decided that our vent duct was just the best place they'd ever seen in which to build a nest, lay eggs, and raise hatchlings. At first, we thought we had mice (because, you know, we had mice in the rest of the house). But once they started making little 'cheep, cheep' noises, we figured it out. . .
ReplyDeleteI've heard that happens frequently. They used to build a nest in our basement window near the dryer vent every year. No matter how many times we removed the nest, they kept coming back. Good luck!
DeleteI'm not only hopeless at any kind of DIY, it really stresses me out. Luckily we have enough spare cash to call someone in and get the problem fixed in the shortest possible time and (hopefully) know the work's been done properly. I certainly wouldn't want to spend one weekend after another wrestling with some incomprehensible wiring job!
ReplyDeleteI understand as I get stressed just watching.
DeleteThis is something that my partner understands and I never seem to get. "If something can go wrong, it will," she warns me each time we attempt any sort of home improvement. Last week we noticed that the ground next to our house was always wet, no matter the weather. A sprinkler line break, we figured. So, she dug up in there and somehow broke the "spigot valve." I have no idea what that is but it was important. 200$ later with help from our steam pipe fitter guy, all is okay. When she tried to fix the thermostat for our heating/air conditioning, she bought the wrong size. I had no idea there were sizes. She always says "Live and learn and I won't make the same mistake again." But, seriously, how many times do we have a broken thermostat or a leaking spigot valve?
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point about it never being the same repair twice!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Maria!
there is absolutely nothing that i will not try and do around our home. most of the time it goes ok, but even if it doesn't i learn things for next time.
ReplyDeletefull marks to your hubby for having a crack!
Thanks, Beach Lad. I do give him credit for trying. Plus, I believe it's good to exercise parts of the brain you don't normally use.
DeleteI've had a few disasters in my fix-it projects over the years. It's very very common for things to take longer than you expect. If it is the first time you are attempting a fix then of course it will take long because it's mostly new to you.
ReplyDeleteI sense that you completely sympathize with him. Failing as Mr. Fix-it can be demoralizing. Hope you can both hold the latter and his spirits up.
I really do sympathize and feel bad for him when he fails at anything because I know he always gives it 100 percent. But, good news! He had a 10 minute call with our electrician, who knew immediately what was wrong and told him what to do. My husband came home and was able to fix it! We now have light!
DeleteThanks for visiting, Bill! I always enjoy your comments at Agent's.
Cool beans. Glad to hear he cracked it, a little help is always essential.
ReplyDeleteYou know my place in this world by now I think. Sounds like your hubby and I could commiserate. I've got a "one day" project from before the wedding that needs another hour to finish ;-)
Yes, sometimes things turn into the project that never ends.
DeleteWell, the good news is I also got my never ending project to the next logical step. Not done, but at least buttoned up and non-evident that something's in progress.
DeleteOh man,
ReplyDeleteI have so much sympathy for him right now. I have phases in which life here very much resembles that description. In fact, right now we have a limping dishwasher (repair man ordered parts, going to finish fix on Wed.), the riding lawn mower is down (repair man due next week), and the toilet in the room off our garage was "running" for about two weeks until I found it Wednesday (that water bill is probably going to make me suicidal). The toilet probably needs some sort of fix to ensure it stops that... sigh
Anyway, send Big Lou my way next!
:p
Big Lou is our hero! I hope the potty problem gets fixed soon.
Delete