20 Minutes Means 2 Hours

Anyone who knows anything about mechanical devices knows that storing them in a super heated garage for six months is not a good thing.Well every from our car to the riding lawnmower and every tool spends six months during the summer in near or above 100 degree weather. Add the humidity and you can imagine how much the rust devils love this picture.

Saturday I decided to pressure wash to pool deck and the cage. I prepared it in the normal fashion but the only place water was spouting was through the handle. I tried everything to get the darn working with no avail. I decided to share 20 minutes with this device and take it apart and correct the problem. There were 7 tiny screws in the handle and they were recessed far in. I had no screwdriver that could reach the screws.

I have a mini-set of screwdrivers, the kind you fix glasses with. I found the appropriate on but when it reached the screw I was unable to get enough purchase to turn it. Not to be outdone I used a small pair of vice grips and managed to turn the screw.Ten minutes a screw was slow work but six came easy. The seventh would not budge. I was tempted to force the separation but thought differently. Finally I got the seventh to co-operate.

Now the moment to open the magic handle. As I carefully opened the handle into two matching sides there was a burst of energy from within and parts scattered around the lanai propelled by springs and parts under pressure. I managed to gather up what I thought were all the parts and studied the plan to solve the problem and get it together again.

I saw the problem I though the small O ring was damaged and out of place.  I tried to put all the parts back in places that looked like the proper order but I had one spring too many. I could not get the thing to close and screwed using that extra spring. I realized then that the manufacturer placed an extra spring for some reason. I went ahead and screwed it together carefully keeping that spring handy just in case.

Well everything fit and Theresa turned on the water as I held the gun like handle at arms length to receive any punishment I deserved for not using that spring. Remarkably the power washer never ran as well and I got on with my job. Instead of twenty minutes I shared over two hours with that device but I am happy that it works and I have a spring to use on one of my other adventures. Life is fun if you don't take it too seriously. Time is a fleeting thing but when you are retired and have lots of patience little 20 minute jobs can take two hours.