Shopping at 4-county supply

The flapper--the little plastic valve that pulls up when you flush a toilet, allowing the water to leave the tank--on one of my toilets was leaking a tiny bit after Christmas, so I decided I needed to take a shopping trip to Rensselaer's cornucopia of plumbing supplies, 4-County Supply on Highway 114 near I-65.

In addition to a large display of plumbing items, the front of 4-county has a variety of other things that are common in hardware stores.  I could have wandered the aisles looking for the part I needed, but instead I waited for one of the men working there to show me where it was. In my infrequent trips there, I have always found the people who work there knowledgeable and helpful.

 

There is vastly more in the unheated back of the the building. There were rows of bins with PVC pieces, and much, much more. 4-County serves both the retail customer and the local plumbers and contractors.

 

4-County has been at this location for many years. However, it started in on Walnut Street in Rensselaer. I thought it had been in the building that now houses Vision Ag, but the man helping me said that it was in another building near there that has since been demolished. Below is the original sign that 4-County Supply used in its first location.

 

I was able to replace the flapper and the leak has stopped, so the toilet no longer turns on every once in a while. That is close to the limit of what I care to do with plumbing. I know I can do more, but for some reason, plumbing scares me. In fact, I have when I have a nightmares, it is usually about plumbing. (Maybe it is because the plumbing in my basement really is a nightmare. It was installed back when Rensselaer did not soften its water, so the house had a water softener, and the kitchen would have had at least three faucets: hard water, soft water cold, and soft water hot. The pipes form a maze that is difficult to follow, and more recent repairs have left sections of copper and PVC in addition to the original galvanized pipes. Do any of you live in old houses that have similar mazes of pipes in the basement?)