Some of the stuff I do around here....

Stuart Ablett

Member
Messages
15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
Here is a perfect example of the stuff I do around here, the building that we live in has 10 rental apartos in it, on each floor there is one large (for Tokyo) aparto and one small one. Room #202 had this Korean gal living there, she was pleasant enough, but certainly was not the sharpest tool in the shed. She never did figure out the whole idea of having to separate your garbage into burn and non-burn days. She cooked all the time, and the place smelled like Korean cooking, not the worst smell, but certainly it was a strong smell. After she left we did a walk through and it was obvious she was not going to get her damage deposit back, or better stated her low-life boyfriend was not going to get it back, as it turns out, he rented the aparto for her, through his company, an bit of info I'm sure his wife as not privy to.

One thing that caught my eye was the gas range.....

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Hmm, something seems wrong here....

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What's that, a rust hole?

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YIKES!!

Well that is going to need replacing for sure, sigh.....

The real-estate guys get a quote for us to replace the gas range, a new one lists at $1200, and another $200 to install it. My wife and I investigate a replacement gas range and find we can order one through my favorite DIY shop, Super Viva Home, and the cost will be $740, I'll install it, but I'll have to have the gas company hook up the gas, I'm not licensed for that, the hook up will be $100, so $840 to change the gas range. While we were at it we replaced the kitchen faucet, it was 10 years old and was leaking a bit, and was looking well used. Trying to spruce the place up for a new tenant, all new wall paper everywhere and a bunch of other small fixes, might as well replace the faucet. The real-estate guys got a quote for that too, $400, that is $300 for the faucet and $100 to install it, yep, I'll to that myself too, thank you.

OK first up the gas range, this is where I started after removing the old rusted out one......

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Now the big box on the floor....

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Everything well packed, and easy to get at, all straight forward, this should not take long at all.

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You can see the hole the range goes into.

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Took only a couple of minutes.

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With the top on and the spacers installed. This unit the top is screwed on the guts of the unit and there is a nice rubber seal that goes all the way around. I don't know if the old unit had this, but the new one certainly does!

On to the faucet
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I was wondering how I'd get the old unit out

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Turns out there is just one bolt holding it in place onto the collar that is attached to the counter top.

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Just two quick connect connectors and it was away!

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The new collar, nifty little piece of kit, the two wings are pushed in then they go through the hole in the counter top....

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When you start to tighten the long bolts, the wings pop out and then grip the underside of the counter top, the collar it then secure and you just slide the faucet in, and reconnect the quick connect hoses.

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Boom, that simple!

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All done!

Now if the good old Monster-In-Law did not have me around to do this stuff she would have paid;

ItemFull costStu Cost
Gas Range$1200$740
Install$200$100
Faucet$300$100
Install$100$0
Totals$1800$940

Savings of $860, but do you think she even said "Thank You", no she did not, but, my lovely wife really appreciates it, so that is what counts, to me :thumb:

Just some of the stuff I get into around here.

Cheers!
 
Well Stu , that MIL is for sure a piece of work. However were i in your shoes i would get great delight simply from demonstrating irrefutably that you are a very handy Son in law to have around. She cannot deny the hard evidence no matter how she trys to look at it and that must drive her even more crazy.:)

There is great satisfaction in being able to do this kind of think. Provides a sense of purpose and reward for oneself for ones efforts. No that different to woodworking. :) At the end of the day she is the bigger looser in my view. Great job and great savings.

Just cannot get over how small everything is in your part of the world.
 
but do you think she even said "Thank You", no she did not,

What do you expect, "Round-eye".

but, my lovely wife really appreciates it, so that is what counts, to me :thumb:

You got that right! I do all sorts of things that I would NEVER do if the LOML didn't ask :thumb:. I hate plumbing. But for her, I even did plumbing at someone else's house!!!
 
well stu you could just let the MIL pay to have it done and save you the trouble.. you could be riding your bike and getting caught up in your shop.. or have you got everything done in there that you want done:) sometimes doing things and getting no thanks or compensation grows old..
 
well stu you could just let the MIL pay to have it done and save you the trouble....

Remember that aparto remodel for a year or so ago? MIW had neglected that on to the point of it nearly falling down. I'd bet she'd have let that stove, etc., rot away unfixed, too. What say you, Stu?

Stu, does the monster-in-law treat everyone that way, or just you, the big Gaijin?
 
What do you expect, "Round-eye".



You got that right! I do all sorts of things that I would NEVER do if the LOML didn't ask :thumb:. I hate plumbing. But for her, I even did plumbing at someone else's house!!!

Well Stu , that MIL is for sure a piece of work. However were i in your shoes i would get great delight simply from demonstrating irrefutably that you are a very handy Son in law to have around. She cannot deny the hard evidence no matter how she trys to look at it and that must drive her even more crazy.:)

There is great satisfaction in being able to do this kind of think. Provides a sense of purpose and reward for oneself for ones efforts. No that different to woodworking. :) At the end of the day she is the bigger looser in my view. Great job and great savings.

Just cannot get over how small everything is in your part of the world.

Well don't forget that this is a big city, and this is a one room aparto, basically a studio, or bachelor aparto. Yes it is small, but I've lived in smaller apartos in Vancouver.

well stu you could just let the MIL pay to have it done and save you the trouble.. you could be riding your bike and getting caught up in your shop.. or have you got everything done in there that you want done:) sometimes doing things and getting no thanks or compensation grows old..
Yes Larry, it does get old, but like I said, my wife is happy, and I know I did the right thing!

Remember that aparto remodel for a year or so ago? MIW had neglected that on to the point of it nearly falling down. I'd bet she'd have let that stove, etc., rot away unfixed, too. What say you, Stu?

Stu, does the monster-in-law treat everyone that way, or just you, the big Gaijin?

You have her pegged right Jim, she can't understand the idea that you spend money now, to save it later. She has yet pay me for the two aparto renos. She treats everyone poorly, that is why her four daughters have nothing to do with her, and she has not real friends, so I don't hate the old broad anymore, I pity her.

In the end the job is done right, and we should fill that aparto quickly.

Cheers!
 
Wow that faucet mounting theory is sure a 100x better than the "can't get to the nut behind the sink bowl" setup I've normally seen. I wonder if that config is available on any faucets stateside...

The little micro-oven is pretty cute to, is that gas as well?
 
Good job Stu.... the only other thing I can say " It's better you than me"... I hate to do plumbing and in my house, any plumbing usually entales a trip under the house, which in some places is a whopping 24 inches high, requires me to lay on my back, reach up into the insulation under the house and try to not get my eyes full of dirt, rust and water. We live in a double wide modular and in the seven years here, I think I've replaced at least 2/3's of the pipe joints under the house...
 
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