Garbage Disposal
For the past several days, I've been dreading the problem with our garbage disposal. Flipping it on, I could hear the motor straining, but the mechanism was jammed and wouldn't spin. If I left the switch on, the disposal would pop its reset button. A quick look with the flashlight didn't turn up any tiny pebbles in the teeth -- just slicks of half-masticated rotting noodles and other unidentifiable globs of food.
Here's what I decided: I would need an entire day to fix the thing. I mean, I didn't know how to detach it, or what breaker it was on, or how to open the thing up so I could get to the problem. In my head, too, I knew that the whole thing would be beyond my repair level, and I would have to go buy a new one (around $100). From there, I imagined none of the new parts lining up with the old parts, etc. In short, I imagined an entire day shot -- spent in a cramped, damp space under the kitchen sink.
I set that day aside for today: Friday.
Then, my in-laws called and said that they were heading to their cabin up north a day early for Labor Day Weekend. They wanted us to come. First, I was angry because of my plans for the disposal, but then I saw another opportunity to put things off. Still, I couldn't. The damn thing was starting to stink.
So, I told my wife that we might be able to go, but only after I fixed the disposal. I imagined us leaving for the cabin around 5 p.m. at the earliest -- and that was if I worked fast.
In any case, the thing slid right off. I didn't even have to turn off the breaker to disconnect the power. I brought the disposal down to my workshop. On the underside, there was a hex female end. I found the right male end hex for my drill. I set the hex in, hit the drill . . . and, boom, the drill's tough little motor spun the jam right out.
Ten minutes later, I had the disposal reconnected and working! The entire operation took a half hour. I do this all the time with home repairs. Usually, I underestimate the time a job will take. But, sometimes -- as with the disposal -- I build up the repair into something much more terrifying and time-consuming than it is. When that happens, I'm always reminded of the following Gary Snyder haiku. (Don't look for strict haiku rules here -- you ain't going to find them.)
After weeks of watching the roof leak
I fixed it tonight
by moving a single board.
I love that haiku. True art. Simple, but undeniably true.
Here's what I decided: I would need an entire day to fix the thing. I mean, I didn't know how to detach it, or what breaker it was on, or how to open the thing up so I could get to the problem. In my head, too, I knew that the whole thing would be beyond my repair level, and I would have to go buy a new one (around $100). From there, I imagined none of the new parts lining up with the old parts, etc. In short, I imagined an entire day shot -- spent in a cramped, damp space under the kitchen sink.
I set that day aside for today: Friday.
Then, my in-laws called and said that they were heading to their cabin up north a day early for Labor Day Weekend. They wanted us to come. First, I was angry because of my plans for the disposal, but then I saw another opportunity to put things off. Still, I couldn't. The damn thing was starting to stink.
So, I told my wife that we might be able to go, but only after I fixed the disposal. I imagined us leaving for the cabin around 5 p.m. at the earliest -- and that was if I worked fast.
In any case, the thing slid right off. I didn't even have to turn off the breaker to disconnect the power. I brought the disposal down to my workshop. On the underside, there was a hex female end. I found the right male end hex for my drill. I set the hex in, hit the drill . . . and, boom, the drill's tough little motor spun the jam right out.
Ten minutes later, I had the disposal reconnected and working! The entire operation took a half hour. I do this all the time with home repairs. Usually, I underestimate the time a job will take. But, sometimes -- as with the disposal -- I build up the repair into something much more terrifying and time-consuming than it is. When that happens, I'm always reminded of the following Gary Snyder haiku. (Don't look for strict haiku rules here -- you ain't going to find them.)
After weeks of watching the roof leak
I fixed it tonight
by moving a single board.
I love that haiku. True art. Simple, but undeniably true.
posted by Jeff Vande Zande at 7:53 AM
2 Comments:
A great post, Jeff. How much of a human life is spent making and correcting for such calculations? One version of my own personal living hell is that third trip to a hardware store for a single project. There are many, many other versions, of course. A related one is discovering that some expensive item has been rendered utterly useless because a 1/16 inch plastic catch has broken off -- and a century of steady progress in super glue chemistry is not enough to make the thing whole again.
Yes, Jon, I know about those trips to the hardware store. The moment of realization is always the worst . . . when the trip becomes undeniable. That's always followed up by a very encouraging look from one's wife.
Needless to say, the garbage disposal jammed again. But, this time I didn't even need to take it off. I fitted the hex drill into the slot, gave the trigger a squeeze and, boom, it was working again.
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