It’s started as a simple project as most things do, then escalated into a 4 day event. You see we have a pool and the plunger that control whether the pool is backwashing or filter water to be returned to the pool requires lubricant every month or so. And about every 6 months, the o-rings need to be replaced. This is one of the months where replacement was necessary. So after the heat broke on Friday about 6pm, we undid the filter. I planned to lube it up and work the plunger out. Hubby decided to cut the top o-ring and slide it out. Unfortunately this necessitated moving the 600lbs filter. Which he did. Quite a ways. And somewhere in the process slid it off its little pedestal.

After many tools and swearing, we cut the o-ring and worked the plunger out, removed the old ones and inserted new ones, applied more magic lube and returned the plunger back in place.

Then we began to work the filter back into place. Slowly inch by inch, trying to get the thing seated right until in frustration there came a mighty heave.

And a mighty crunch.

But, everything was seated together so we primed and turned on the power and then turned on the motor and well let’s just say we got all wet.

The bottom of the filter cracked:

And took one of the lines with it. Off to Home Depot we went to buy more pipe. The next day while I was at a writing workshop, Hubby replaced the line:

Then began to replace the broken filter with the spare. Which we just happened to have. Unfortunately, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t remove the cover to the replacement, so we drilled and used the saws-all to force it off:

Then it was off to the store for 300lbs of sand. About 8PM we finished and thought we could use the cover from the broken one, but alas something magic happened between the time one was installed and the other. Thus the teeth were changed and this one wouldn’t work:

So we gave up for the day and ordered one from the great and might ‘Zon to be delivered on Sunday night. It arrived and wouldn’t you know it, fit just right. So I primed the filter and pump again and what to my wandering eye should appear but a leak in the pump. Given that one screw had gone amiss while we were putting it back together, I was naturally suspicious, but alas this was a new location and when I went to tighten that sucker down. It broke off.

Yep, a plastic drain plug that was hollow, so despite huffing and puffing with a hacksaw blade and wedging a screwdriver in, I couldn’t get the dang thing out. So I waited the 10 minutes for the pump to dry then brought out the dremel and ground it out:

Since it was now closing time on a Sunday night, I had to wait until Monday morning to visit the pool store. Thankfully, I presented my ring o’ despair and was given a brand new plug in its place. Okay, I paid for it. But here it is:

After a yard of Teflon tape, I plugged up the drain and primed the pump. Success! Now all I had to do was vacuum the pool since it had turned green in the 4 days the filter was off line. Now it is nice and blue and I’ve been able to swim again!

Remember: There’s no such thing as an easy project.