They say no good deed goes unpunished. My ex came over to turn off the water at the curb and after a good soaking we figured out which direction to turn the gate valve (and I need to prune back the shrub that is growing over the top of the vault). And then the outer screw on the faucet is rusted in place and the whole faucet needs replacing so he headed over to Home Depot to get another faucet handle.

It turns out this is just part of the unit, screwed off of the part soldered onto the copper pipe, and the whole thing needs replacing, so a plumber will have to sweat a new fitting onto the pipe. The guy at Home Depot recommended a silicon filler that will replace the leaking washer on the existing faucet for now. Ok. Only one phone call and one trip so far. Next time I call a plumber about the tree-root-sewer problem I'll also have them (probably "him") replace the faucet as well. Note to self - pick up the faucet I want to use so I have it here ready to install. I like the way the gate valves work but they usually use the screw valves.

Any day you have a home project and can do it with only one trip to the hardware store is a win. My average on some projects is three trips in a day or weekend. I also take photos to show them what I'm working on. We got the washer unit reassembled (less is more when it comes to this silicone stuff) and back together on the pipe.

Standing in the yard for a little while wasn't bad, but I need to pace myself. I'm weaning off of the pain meds today. Wish me luck!