Who'da Thunk It?

What would be your guess as to the one thing in someone's yard that would be among the items least likely to go kerflooey? Hey, that's spelled right - I even looked it up! Come on, take a guess. What do you think?

How about playing twenty questions?

• Is it Animal, Vegetable or Mineral? Other
• Is it used for entertainment? Partly
• Is it black? No
• Would you use it in the dark? Sometimes
• Do most people use this daily? Unknown
• Is it harvested? No
• Does it fold up easily? No
• Is it hard? Yes
• Is it smaller than a bread box? No
• Can it scratch? No
• Does it use numbers? No
• Does it have a handle? Yes
• Is it electronic? No
• Does it get wet? Yes
• Does it shine? No
• Is it white? Irrelevant
• Do you hold it when you use it? No
• Can you smell it? No
• Does it usually have four corners? No
• Do you use it at work? No
• Is it outside? Yes
• Does it move? No

The twenty-questions game I found on the Internet guessed it was a bidet. I'm not sure how many people would keep their bidet outside, but what do I know? Actually, bidet was a close guess... Give up? OK, it's a swimming pool filter, which sort of operates on the same principal as a bidet.

This story actually begins about two years ago. A small leak began inside the pool pump house, or I should say more properly, the pool mechanical house. Whatever. Anyway, that small leak caused me no end of hassle trying to localize it. First, I thought it was this, then that, and then the other thing. Mostly I was wrong. Oh sure, I did find several small leaks now and then. I think leaks go with the territory - piping, water, vibration - all lend themselves to creating leaks.

Anyway this one drove me to distraction. I would think I found the source, get it corrected and next thing I knew, more water on the floor. But, I could never really zero in on the source. It was always a mystery.

That is, till five days ago. I came down to the pool Sunday morning and noticed the water level had gone down two tiles. Uh oh, something's wrong. I went directly over to the pump mechanical house, opened the door, and there was no doubt. I could hear water running behind the filter, but I couldn't see or feel anything because the filter was almost right up against the wall.

I checked the small drain valve at the bottom of the tank just to make sure it wasn't leaking. Nope. It was fine. I felt around the top of the tank just in case I wasn't seeing the leak. Nope. Nothing there. Slowly it became apparent to me just what was leaking.

I shut off all the valves that would allow water to flow to the filter. That stopped the strong flow of water. It now became a trickle as the residual water in the tank drained off. I also now opened the small drain valve to help get rid of what water remained.

My next task was to see if there was any way to get a replacement tank in a hurry. The short answer was no. The long explanation was that yes, I could get one from one of several vendors up north. But after purchasing the tank, there was still shipping to our freight forwarder in Florida, their fees, then Belize duty and 12.5% GST, and presto, I would be into real money, not to mention the time delays till I could actually get my hands on the tank.

That took care of Monday. A little research, other daily chores, going out to lunch with friends, etc., pretty well filled up the rest of the day.

Tuesday, I checked with Island Pool Supply over in San Pedro. They could get one, but pretty much the same constraints as me ordering from up north would apply as they didn't have one in stock. However, Don told me they did have several TA-60s in stock (I was trying to replace a TR-60.). He told me I could get a complete TA-60 (tank and 6-position valve) for a bit less than the TR-60 tank alone.

That meant I could order it that morning and have it PDQ. Well, almost. First Wednesday, I had to go to Belize Bank and transfer money from our account to Island Pool Supply (If you're wondering, they don't take bank cards). Then I had to email them a PDF of the deposit slip to their account. That gave them enough time to get the complete filter down to the Thunderbolt water taxi so it would get up here to Corozal by 5:00 PM.

Since we went Jamrock for supper with Denis and Vivien, it was easy for Denis and I to slip away and get over to the Thunderbolt pier - about two minutes away and pick up the box. We were both amazed at how much freight came out of that boat, not to mention a boat-load of passengers. Shipping via Thunderbolt was very reasonable. It only cost $20.00 BZD.

That brings us to Thursday morning. Bright and early. But first, an aside. Wednesday evening, I had been searching YouTube to find a video on easily removing sand from the filter. I already had experience with doing it the hard way and the mess all over the floor that resulted. Dianna suggested trying to borrow a Shop-Vac to speed the removal up. My Shop-Vac is in pieces as I'm currently trying to get the motor rehabbed so that it will work again.

I called Graham Thursday morning. He had one and I could borrow it. I jumped into the Isuzu (did I mention we have the Isuzu back now - after about two-months in the shop?). Ask the doggies about that. They think they've led a deprived life with no rides for all that time. Anyway, I grabbed the doggies and we ran over to the house where Graham is house-sitting (Jim and Melanie's old place for those who remember them, or Don's place for those whose memories are more recent) and picked up the Shop-Vac.

Back home, I got to work getting about 325-lbs of wet sand out of the old filter. After a couple of hours, all the sand had been removed and I was then able to disconnect the filter from the piping and remove it from the mech-house.

Finally, I was able to see the extent of damage. As you can see below, the rip runs almost a whole foot vertically in the fiberglass of the tank. Plus, the discerning reader will notice some discoloration indicating a smaller leak that had existed for some time. How about two years? There's the source of the phantom leak. Finally!

Rip in the Fiberglass Filter Tank

Here's the sand that I took out of the filter. Almost got it all into the plastic bin, but just ran a bit shy.

Sand Ready to Go Back In

Looking at the wall inside the mechanical house, you can see easily where the leak had been going for quite some time. But with the filter right up against the wall, it was impossible to see where it was located.

Showing Leak Traces

 Here's a shot of the new filter, this time with the valve on the top of the tank instead of the side.

The New TA-60D Filter Mock-up

And in this shot, I'm adding the sand back in to the new filter tank. Since it was only a few months ago that I replaced the sand, reusing the sand made perfect sense. Even though wet, it still vacuumed easily and also went back in the same.

Adding Sand to the New Filter

Late Thursday afternoon, the new filter is in place, completely filled with sand. All that remains now is to rework and connect the piping. I'll start of that project tomorrow.

New Filter With Sand Sans Piping

Now, I'm not even going to ask what could possibly break next or go wrong. I'm ready for some uneventful mornings and afternoons - at least for a while.

Oh, I almost forgot. I put the old filter (minus the side valve) in the large cardboard box the new one came in, labeled it conspicuously 'BROKEN' on three side and put it out beside our trash bin. Around 5:00 PM, or so, some Mexican scrap metal scroungers stopped and loaded the whole thing onto their already overloaded pickup truck, and away they went. I just hope I don't head out tomorrow morning and find the filter and box lying beside the highway somewhere, after they discovered 1) it really was broken, and 2) there was no metal in the thing. I really don't want to bring it back.

We Don't Accept Those Checks Any More

Yesterday morning, in addition to my normal list of stuff to get and do in town, I also had to stop at our bank, Belize Bank, and deposit our US income tax refund check.

Now, you might ask why we didn't just use direct deposit to our US bank. Well, it's pretty simple really. Confusing, but simple. We filed an amended return as we got a late Form 1090 from one of our financial institutions. We thought it was important to do that, instead of just waiting till next tax season, since, until that form showed up, our tax return for the year 2012, was in stasis - no tax owed, no refund due. Once that form showed up, we were due, for us, a sizable refund, making it attractive enough to file an amended return.

What we didn't know, was this quirk in the Internal Revenue Code. It's OK to use direct deposit for the refund from your initial tax filing, but if you do an amended return and are due a refund, the IRS MUST send the refund for an amended return by check and snail mail. And, what else we didn't know, you'll see below.

Our Refund Check and Deposit Slip

"WTF!?" Was my immediate thought. "This is a brand-spanking new check, cut by the United States of America, Internal Revenue Service (otherwise knows as our friendly IRS), and you won't accept it? It's our amended tax return refund check. We've even endorsed it, see?" I said, rather expansively, to the bank teller.

Our Endorsement on the Back

"Sorry Sir," she said. "We haven't taken those for quite some time now. You might want to see if someone else in town will cash it for you."

"With the endorsement already made out to this bank? Fat chance. You won't take it at all?" I said, testily.

"No sir. Like I already explained we haven't taken this type of check in quite some time."

I was completely taken aback and just had to ask one more time. "You mean to tell me, that a new check from the US Government, for US dollars, properly endorsed by us, and we're customers of this bank, and you won't accept it?"

"That's right, sir."

At that point, I was a tad angry. I asked to speak to the manager. I was shuffled off to speak to some other functionary. I'm not sure whether or not I actually got to speak to the manager. Anyway, I got no further with that person - two persons actually, as they were now apparently tag-teaming me.

"Ok. I want to close my account immediately." As if this alone would force complete surrender on their part, and they would immediately accept the check.

"Alright, sir. We'll have the teller you were just dealing with take care of that for you." Check and mate, so to speak.

When I got to talk to the teller again, I again said that I wanted to close my account and that I wanted the funds in a cashier's check.

The teller was very polite through all of my dealings with her and advised me several times that closing my account was a drastic step and that the "account was good to have to do other things."

"For something like, oh, cashing a check?" I said, with just a slight touch of sarcasm in my voice.

I almost got her to laugh with that, as she went ahead and gathered the necessary forms to close my account. That took just long enough for me to calm down a bit. I decided to go ahead and keep the account for now and told the cashier, who seemed visibly relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with more forms.

I then gathered up the check and my other paperwork and left the bank.

After getting home, I told Dianna what had happened. She was as dumbfounded as I was. We both wondered just what we were to do at this stage.

Dianna needed to do some work with Cody, our caretaker, so I got on the computer and accessed the IRS website for their phone number, which I called. I explained what had happened, and the lady on the other end, very nicely explained the IRS' prohibition against direct depositing of amended return refunds (although she didn't explain the logic of that requirement).

I asked what I should do now as the check was unusable in it's current state. She suggested I contact the Taxpayer Advocacy Office and gave me their number, which I called.

According to those folks, if it was a life or death situation, they might be able to help, but short of that, there really wasn't much they could do. Well that was helpful.

As I was talking to them, I was, at the same time, surfing through the IRS site, and happened to see a form, Form 3911, the Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund, that might fit our situation. They have a form for everything, don't they?

IRS Form 3911

That seemed the closest that we would come to a solution. Since it's essentially destroyed in its present form, If the IRS reissued the check and mailed it to us, we could endorse it, get the check back up to the States and then deposit it in our US bank. Problem solved.

This shouldn't take any more than five or six months, tops. Amost worth it to just wait for next tax filing season and take care of it then, eh?

We decided to go ahead and see if Form 3911 can work its magic. We're just so glad that we weren't counting on that money to put food on the table right now. I think we'd be up the creek, without any rice and beans, y'know?

I guess what this little story does, is to serve as a warning to everyone contemplating moving here or any location outside the US really, that, just because a check is issued by good ol' Uncle Sam, that it's going to be accepted with open arms.

So, if you think you might just have your Social Security check, your income tax refund check, or some other benefit check mailed down here, you might want to reconsider that strategy.

We have our Social Security direct deposited to our US bank. That's easy.

There is a way to have your Social Security direct deposited down here to a bank. It's a little involved, but our good friends Bruce and Colleen did it, so it can happen.

Just be aware that having a genuwine US gummint check in your grubby little mits, may not be quite the thing you think it might be.

I mean, Belize, of all places, is widely known, accurately or not, as a major money laundromat for all sorts of  nefarious activities. If they won't accept a US Government Check, what does that say about the financial strength and viability of the US and the US dollar itself?

Kinda makes you wonder, don't it?

I Forgot To Give This'n A Title

As promised, I said I would include photos of one of the other houses around here that're adding to the changing landscape of the neighborhood.

And, here it is. Well, first, the gate. Featuring the sun and water, it's easily the most artistic gate in the neighborhood and quite striking.

Cool Gate

 The house that goes with it. Mae and Craig built this as a 'spec home'. It's cute with lots of potential and some really well-thought out ideas, besides the gate.

Cool House

For example, it has a crawl space, so piping repairs under the main floor will be a breeze. No need to dig up the concrete and tile floor first. And the roof. Right now it's suited as an observation deck, but can easily be walled in and become a second story for the house.

Ok. Enough of the sales pitch-like stuff.

Here's something entirely different. You may not know it, but satellite dishes here require a license. Our TV dish license from the Belize Public Utility Commission (PUC) costs us about $150.00 BZD annually. Not a big deal as far as such things go.

What is weird - at least for this year is paying for it.  Allow me to explain. We have a savings account with Belize Bank. the PUC has an account with Belize Bank. Ours is with the Corozal Branch, theirs is with the Belize City Branch. Makes sense so far, right?

So, I thought, well, I'll just transfer $150.00 from our account to theirs. Done deal.

Whoa, not so fast there, cowboy. It seems that I have to have the PUC's permission to deposit money into their account automatically. Since I did the transaction online without the intervention of a teller, they had to do it manually for me. Which meant debiting our account for the $150, transferring it to the PUC account and crediting their account $150.00. I'm assuming without PUC's permission.

With me so far? Ok. For that service, Belize Bank had to charge me $10.00 - which they did also without advising me or asking me beforehand.

When I went down to the Corozal Branch to find out why the extra withdrawal from our account, all that above was explained to me. I asked, "Even though it's with the same bank?" "Yes," was the reply.

For next year, I can avoid the fee by having PUC fill out a form that the bank gave me. I also have to fill out part of it and return it to my branch bank. What this form does (it's called a Online Transference Registration form), is the PUC, by filling out their portion, authorizes me to deposit money to their account, thereby avoiding the direct intervention (assistance?) of Belize Bank and their charging me the $10.00 fee.

Isn't that just the most convenient process you ever heard of? Goes without saying that there will probably be some rubber stamping required on the form as well. I wish I had a rubber stamp. It would make it seem so official.

I'm just wondering if it's worth the effort to get PUC to complete the form, or if I should opt to go down to my branch next year, stand in line and manually transfer the money to PUC's account and avoid the extra fee by doing so? I'll have to think about it.

Cheers,