Getting closer
29 April 2012 | Vuda Point Marina, Fiji
Sunny and hot--plus humid!
I know, you've heard it before in the last two posts. "We're almost there". And we are almost there.
To bring you up to date, my illness descended into a full blown case of a sinus infection which came with an unpleasant fever just for fun. After having a fever and really bad coughs since Friday night, as I took a shower this morning(first one since Friday-yuck), Tracy was in the marina office finding a doctor to take me to. I don't think I've ever had a fever sit around for three days and it was even starting to worry me. I've had pneumonia several times in my life and the coughs I was having brought back some bad memories. So, fresh out of the shower, off we went in a taxi to the doctors office. I was seen quite quickly. From what it appeared to me, ahead of other patients that were already in the office. He checked my pulse(fine), blood pressure(fine amazingly) and listened to my chest(also fine). He listened to me outline my symptoms and came to the diagnosis that I had a sinus infection and needed some antibiotics to kill it off. He handed me a prescription and off we went to the pharmacy. The bill for the visit--$25.00Fijian($13.75US). The prescription for the antibiotic was $20.00Fijian($11.00US). For that kind of money, you don't even get in a doctors office in the US. So hear I sit, antibiotics coursing through my body hopefully doing what they are supposed to be doing. I guess I will know in 24 hours.
So, back to the water heater. Well, the small drip that started when we first installed it has continued and Tracy wanted it stopped. Easy to understand. We both want this job over and done with and poor Zephyr put back in shape. So, with me sitting on the sidelines giving instructions, in she went, screwdriver and wrench in hand. Her daddy taught here well. I pointed here and there for what to undo and redo and she was on it. I prepped the new fittings(brass to go on brass) with LOTS of teflon tape and even added some more of the Plumbers Putty for good measure smeared in the threads just for fun. On went the new fasteners and hoses and clamps and she was done. We mopped up what water had poured out of the tank and then crossed our fingers and hit the switch to turn on the water pump. One small leak that was stopped with the tightening of one of the hose clamps and we were done. We put a towel under it and sat back for 10 minutes and it was still dry so that part of the job is now done. We have pressure and we have lots of hot water. A big difference we have noticed is that the floor boards above the heater no longer feel warm to our feet as we walk over them. The old insulation was shot probably when it got so wet from all the leaking it had been doing.
When we were in town last Friday, we picked up the rest of the fittings we need to connect the heater to the engine so when the engine runs, it heats the water in the heater. Tomorrow(health willing) we will tackle that part of the job.