plumbing the depths of crappy repairs

The plumber fixed a few lovely things over the course of a very long day. We are continually astounded by the previous owners' cheapness. Things he's never seen before include the hard-wired plumbing for the crap-ass dishwasher (so it can't be pulled out), gas piping used instead of galvanized water pipe for the bathroom sink (so it has no protection against rusting inside the pipe) and a brick being used inside the toilet NOT as a water displacer but as a frickin' fix for the lever.



He took the brick out, shaking his head, and fixed the rotting parts inside. Then the toilet wouldn't work, so he realized that the brick was actually holding the ball up because the lever was broken. The options at that point were to have him fix the damn thing properly for $75 or to just buy a new toilet at $110 or so. Even though I adore the ancient (and not cute-ancient), mildew-laden, unmatching, 5-gallon flush unit, we opted for a new one.

Other treats include the sink in the small bathroom being held up only by its plumbing, the garbage disposal being about to fall off, and our kitchen sink having absolutely no support in the front, so if we lean on it it could also fall through the cheap-ass counter.

We purchased an American Standard Cadet 3 at Home Depot at the plumber's recommendation, and an elongated seat because every king deserves a throne. The thing flushes like a dream, doesn't waste water, and the back isn't furry with mildew. These are all qualities I find pleasant in a toilet. Plus, we received a $25 energy bill rebate for replacing the 5-gallon monstrosity and a free robe hook from American Standard (a rather odd promotion but who's counting?). So, if you're in the market for a new economy toilet, we say two thumbs up.