It came to toilet repairs yesterday. The tank had been constantly refilling and wasting water, so I began the project. Removed the old fill valve with a wrench made in China. It did not work well and kept slipping off and stripping the threads I had to get the nut past. The old black washer had turned to liquid ink and leaked all over my hands, the wall and my white dog. I was frustrated as many of you probably have been doing these fun, weekend projects.
The replacement valve weighed a pound and was also made in China. Finally, with everything complete and in working order, I cleaned up the mess happy to know I was not needlessly wasting more water. But, I couldn’t help thinking throughout this project was why all the products I was using were made in China. I remember when the products and parts that I used were made here in the USA, and furthermore, used to last a lifetime. Sadly, it’s no longer the case. Products are not made to last, but we should take a hard look at why we have lost this work ethic that informed our greatness as a manufacturing Superpower for so long.
