Ahh, home again at Wal-Mart

We leak-tested the windows again yesterday, just before noon. Even though the additional sealant had only been curing about 20 hours, we felt we needed to have most of the afternoon available, if needed, for any additional repairs. A good ten minutes or so with the pressure washer revealed no further leaks, and so we declared the job done.

With half the day still ahead of us, we decided to get on the road, rather than spend another night in Alameda. We had the bikes loaded back up and everything stowed in another hour, had a quick lunch, and headed out. As I wrote yesterday, we headed directly to Cotati and the Lowe's there to buy some replacement diaphragms for the recirculating valves, and a few other hardware items.

We've now replaced all three valve diaphragms, but, even so, the valve on the kitchen sink again started leaking. A quick check of our own blog revealed that it has been fourteen months since that valve was rebuilt, so it's not unreasonable that it was needed again. The two bathroom valves made it nearly three years, but the kitchen sink gets used easily more than twice as frequently (I do dishes twice a day, plus hand washing and what-not) so it makes sense that the valve needs more attention. It does make me glad we chose inexpensive and easily rebuilt irrigation valves, as the source of the trouble appears to be mineral build-up from hard water, which would likely have a similar effect on any valve we used.

By the time we were done at Lowe's it was nearly four o'clock -- too late to press on toward Guerneville and the coast, so we made a grocery stop and then drove a couple miles further north to the Wal-Mart here in Rohnert Park (map). Fortuitously, there is an Outback Steakhouse right next door, where we walked for dinner after I got the valve rebuilt.

Tonight we will be on the coast.