The water is finally fitfully flowing at the LaRue estate this week, after a battle of the pipes that lasted about six days.

Since that time, I have learned much about such things, including the fact that I knew much less than I thought I knew.

Dad always said that a really smart man is one who knows how ignorant he is. In that advice alone, I have hope for my future.

The water line was frozen during the bitter cold weather a few weeks ago that now seems almost like a dream when daytime temperatures are running in the mid to upper 60s and night time ‘lows’ are only hitting 40 degrees.

After it was thawed, I had errantly believed that a piece of ice remained, causing the flow to be restricted. I was later informed by the town maintenance crew that it was likely my pressure-reducing valve. If you’ve never heard of such a thing, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. Until my current experience with town water, I had never even seen such a valve.

Anyway, I first decided that I might replace the valve, until I learned that they cost $40 to $60 and would require plumbing modifications in addition to the purchase price. After a brief time shopping, I went home to measure the pipes and, upon further thought, decided I would instead try to fix the one I had.

I turned off my water and disassembled the valve, to find it contained only a very few parts: a spring, a cap, a brass ring, a plastic insert and a screen. I had been worried about it having about 100 moving parts, but was pleasantly relieved.

I couldn’t figure out what was stopping up the line after I took it all apart, but I did determine that I would have to figure it out before the water would come back on.

I took out the parts and turned the valve to one side and switched on the water, watching what looked like a few handfulls of rust and muddy-looking water flow out in a big rush. After turning the water on and off a few times, I put the valve back together, only to find that there was very little change inside the house.

Eventually, I figured out that I needed to take out the working parts and use the water pressure to blow out the line into the bathtub, which finally cleared the line.

After cleaning all the little parts in the sink and putting the whole thing back together, I adjusted the pressure to a very enjoyable level and sealed back the crawlspace.

I have neglected to mention the fact that I called the town maintenance crew at least three times through the process of getting the repair completed, and every time they gave me helpful and useful advice. Try calling the maintenance director in a big city and see how far you get. Raymond Moxley is seldom more than a phone call away and I dare say he knows more about water problems than anyone in the town.

After getting past that, I was very happy to get in the shower and turn the bathroom into a hot and steamy rain forest environment. The water had been flowing at such a low pressure that only baths were possible, meaning the warm showers I know and love were not part of my life for a few days.

You really won’t realize how important water is to you until you do without it for a few days or have its use restricted.

For instance, I got to take a trip to the local coin operated laundry a couple weeks ago when the water flow was too low to run the washing machine. It set me back about $20 just to wash and dry the clothing there, not counting the gas and other supplies needed.

On the bright side, an entire week’s worth of clothing can be done at the coin-operated laundry simultaneously, a fact that did not go without notice. Even though it takes longer at home, you can still do other things at the same time you are washing. At the laundry, I spent most of my down time watching other people wash clothes, which is not nearly as entertaining as it sounds.

One reader wrote me a little note urging me to unroll some plastic under the house to make life easier the next time I have to go under there. I think that may be the best idea I have heard yet. Goodbye dust. See ya, muddy area. If I can only motivate myself to go back under the house again, I’ll do that very thing.

But, to be honest, if I get my way, I’ll never see the underside of my home again.

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