Tuesday 13 October 2015

Repairs around the Adobe Hut

_____________________________________________________________

The Culprit after having body and soul restored
______________________________

   One can imagine a voice calling out at 23:00 hours, "Deivy, don Deivy", and at least taking some comfort in knowing that it is the "backdoor neighbour".    I stumbled to the door, knowing that the voice was Anastacio's and quickly inquired as to what I might offer to be of assistance....(that is the way things are phrased in this 'behind the times' locale).


     Anastacio then suggested that I might need to go check on the water heater in back of our place, because it was on fire.   Instantly, of course, I went through the house, and to the water heater, and sure enough, it was not totally engulfed in flames, but it did had a significant leak fire in the area of the thermostatic control.   The fire was coming out from the bottom of that apparatus, obviously from a small leak that had just occurred.   The flame was yellow, and not at all spewing like a flamethrower....but it did need attention.

     Our water heater has served relatively faithfully during the past 14 years....never failing during the times of client visitation, and only needing, on a couple of occasions, a change-out of ignitors.   El Gringo Viejo took advantage during his last couple of days of his stay down at our little hideaway of the slightly warm water in order to shower. This was done while he contemplated from whence to scrape up the money to buy a new water heater and just get it all over with.

     Alvaro returned a little earlier than was programmed a couple of days after the "Great Conflagration" and said that there was nothing serious.   I, of course, suggested that having an indisciplined fire fed by propane under pressure was, in fact, something most people would consider serious.   Later that same day, our neighbour, Rafael, came and Alvaro showed him the problem.   Anastasio came over to kibbitz a bit, as men often do, and they all seemed to agree that "....there is no problem."

     The next thing is that I receive a photograph sent from Rafael's I-pod, showing the newly renovated thermostatic control with its new ignitors, etc.    The "maestro" replaced the plastic face with a forged aluminum face,  replaced the priming thumb-plunger, replaced the temperature control dial, cleaned all the innards (removing several preserved moths that I had been keeping, just in case), tested it out, pronounced it whole, and then charged Rafael and Alvaro, apparently as best I can determine, three hundred (300) pesos.  That is right at sixteen - forty(16.40) Yankee dollars installed!

     So, of course, we are searching for a small claims attorney to see if we can arbitrate a better deal.  Just joshing, folks.

Thanks for all attention and time diverted in this direction.  More will follow later to-day.
El Gringo Viejo
_____________________________________________