I have running water
in Buea. It runs almost every day from
5 AM to 6 AM.
Problem:
I don’t like waking up at 5 AM so that I can turn on the
taps and wait for buckets to fill up.
Solution:
The Magic Bucket.
I bought this 30 gallon bucket to store water in, but I
quickly got tired of waking up early. I stared jealously at my toilet tank which
would automatically fill up, until I though “duh, Allison, why don’t you just
make a giant toilet tank” but “giant toilet tank” doesn’t sound as glamorous as
“magic bucket” and I thereafter embarked on the magic bucket project. I guess I
could have stolen the tank apparatus from the toilet in the picture, but my
mind grosses out over the idea of something in a toilet going into something
that stores the water I bathe in. Also, half the bolts on that toilet are
rusted closed and I couldn’t take it apart.
Since that toilet doesn’t work anyways, I stole the water
line that used to feed into it. I debated splitting the line, but really, the
water pressure sucks since I am on the second floor, so that probably wouldn’t
have worked anyways.
Enough about the mechanics of it. Shopping! I had to buy a
new toilet tank apparatus so I went to my local hardware store. My local hardware
store is approximately 10 feet long by 10 feet wide and probably contains
everything you need to build a house, if you include the 2x4s and plywood that
lean against it outside. I have previously been to this store to buy lock
cannons and bolts for my doors and nails, so they have some faith that I know
what I am doing. Either that or they think I am getting someone else to install
it. It is probably 50/50 chance either way.
Being able to replace my locks, however, obviously does not
give me enough cachet to be able to fix a toilet. Knowing the American name for
an item is irrelevant when you are looking for an object here, as it probably
has an entirely different name. I spent a week looking for eye screws last year
because everyone said they don’t have them. Eventually I found out they were
just called “screws with a circle on top”. No one could tell me a more specific
name. Therefore, I asked for “that thing that is inside of toilets”. At least
they knew what I was talking about, although they did show me a pale pink porcelain
throne first.
After I successfully convinced the shopkeeper that I didn’t
care if it would last 2 years or 10, and bargained for a half hour, and said
half a dozen times that no, I didn’t need a plumber, I left the store with a
cheap toilet thingy.Success!
Except not. I realized after I got home and scattered parts
across my floor that the hose didn’t match up with the toilet thingy (2 female
ends). I couldn’t steal an adapter from my toilet because, of course, it was rusted
on. So I had to go back to the store. After another hour, 6 more arguments
about why I didn’t need a plumber, and having looked at probably 200 different
types of hose sockets (their storage system consists of things that look alike
go inside of the same box), I went home with the wrong size. Woops. That’s my
fault for only taking one end with me to the store. Who knew there was such
variety in hose sockets?
In order to save some of my dignity, I went to a different
store to look for another one. This led to many more discussions of why I didn’t
need a plumber. This store owner also got frustrated with me for not knowing
the name of what I wanted. However, when I finally explained well enough
(demonstrating with two pieces that didn’t fit together) he gave me the correct
piece. When I asked him what it was called, he decisively said “a socket”. I protested that this is what all of the things in the box were called and he smiled at me, glad that I learn so
quickly.
After I had the parts it took about 15 minutes to assemble,
most of that time being me sawing a notch in the bucket so that the lid would
still fit on.
Voila!
I have a bucket that fills with water and stops when it is
full so that I don’t flood my house.
Inconvenience is the mother of invention.
