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Hateful plumbing work

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DrEntropy

DrEntropy

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The toilet in th' hovel has had a slow-to-fill "Fluidmaster" filler in it for over two years, it's bugged me that long. Had a new one in reserve. On Friday before Easter th' 'mits went down Miami-way to spend a week with her 92 year old mum, Saturday made for a perfect time for me to swap out that fill valve... umm... yeah.

A job which should take an hour, tops, right? Even with intermittent coffee breaks!

Step one: Shut off the supply valve at the wall. Stem started dripping. Catch-bowl under valve while swapping out the toilet fill-valve.
Step two: Turn supply back on to adjust flush valve. Water coming from supply valve stem increases, catch-bowl needs emptying quickly.
Step three: Hurriedly grab tool and shut off main supply at the meter.
Step four: Drain water from house plumbing with outside hose bib, remove valve under toilet leaving old compression ring and collar intact. Valve is junk.
Step five: Go to Home Depot, spend half an hour matching up old valve to one with compression fitting compatible with copper "stub" in wall.
Step six: Back home, schmear Hylomar on existing compression ring and copper stub, cross fingers and tighten "very carefully."
Step seven: Go outside and turn main supply valve back on. Run into bathroom to check for leaks. Leaks found. At compression fitting.
Step eight: RE-tighten compression fitting at valve with much muttering and fear, while lying over toilet bowl in awkward position. Leak squelched!
Step nine: Monitor for leak over the next few hours, none to be seen. <sigh>

Spent over five hours arsin' around with this.
 
Always reserve an entire day for a "one hour job".

A few weeks ago I replaced the flush valve in the downstairs toilet.

Step one: turn off feed valve from wall. Water line from wall snaps off, sending water gushing over bathroom.

Step two: plan on ten more steps taking up rest of day ...

yeesh
 
NutmegCT said:
Always reserve an entire day for a "one hour job".
Click to expand...
Truth! As I posted in previous topic, I had spent some time rebuilding my water softener after pulling it apart and discovering one of the 4 big valves inside that control the flow of water had broken and a smaller "control valve" was damaged. Parts ordered, parts replaced and, while I was at it, ordered some new resin and renewed same in the two tanks.

Got everything buttoned up and I was ready to push the plunger of the big brass bypass vale to bring the softener back on line when the stem of the bypass valve plunger broke off internally and water began gushing out all over the garage floor! Luckily, I determined that keeping the valve in the "bypass" position stopped the leak. It was a minor miracle that I was able to find a new (not used) plastic plunger for sale on EBay (from the same seller who had sold me the new valves). Still waiting for the part to arrive and praying that the softener functions properly once I bring it back on line.
 
My plumbing leak was simple. I replaced a water filter. stupid o ring would not seal. It had decided to expand out of shape. Had to order a new one and let the old one leak for 2 days. Should have been a 10 min job.
 
These are what we call "Plumbing Daze" - where things that can go wrong, do. The upside: satisfaction that the work was done for cost of parts! Oh, and a visit to the chiropractor.
 
George_H said:
Anyone who do not have a plumbing story like that is lying! I start all plumbing on friday after work and pray to finish by sunday night.
Click to expand...
A couple of winters ago we had a HARD freeze (well below zero) and the pipes in my garage burst (in several places). Glad I learned to sweat copper - saved myself a couple thousand! We were without water for a couple days though!
 
Not to pick on you - I'm still jealous - but you DO live in Florida. Home of heat, humidity, and sometimes salt. These rapidly kill and/or devour any metallic object. When we visit my parents-in-law on the West coast, I am always reminded of their need to pre-emptively replace all low-cost valves at two- or three-year intervals. (Toilet shut off valves in particular seem to be made from the cheapest pot metal available in the low cost country source of origin.)

Up here in (cold) dry Northeast, I replace toilet and sink valves on a five-year interval.
 
Doc is being modest. The appliance he was working on is a CAB Recycler which is invaluable when needed on a moment’s notice.
 
Popeye said:
Not to pick on you - I'm still jealous - but you DO live in Florida. Home of heat, humidity, and sometimes salt. These rapidly kill and/or devour any metallic object. When we visit my parents-in-law on the West coast, I am always reminded of their need to pre-emptively replace all low-cost valves at two- or three-year intervals. (Toilet shut off valves in particular seem to be made from the cheapest pot metal available in the low cost country source of origin.)

Up here in (cold) dry Northeast, I replace toilet and sink valves on a five-year interval.
Click to expand...
That's the truth about those valves. But the failed one lasted close to forty years. It was a typical cheap stem type, thought I could just disassemble it and replace packing and the seal... nope. Corrosion took most of the internals away. The replacement one is a synthetic ball-cock, it may last as long as the first one. Surprised me it is the same "package" as the old one.
 
George_H said:
Anyone who do not have a plumbing story like that is lying! I start all plumbing on friday after work and pray to finish by sunday night.
Click to expand...
My brother was replacing the tank for his water softener. The owner of the store where he went to get the new tank says 'don't start the project on a saturday' - 'if you do and you hit a roadblock I will be closed after noon and then you will have to call me to come fix it and I will have to charge you double time.'

I have many versions of these stories but, have learned to look at the clock before I start.

:cheers:
 
Our town is 12 blocks wide and 8 blocks long. We have a hardware store 6 blocks from the house. The family has owned it for years. I was told by their main plumbing sales contractor, when doing plumbing you will come in three times. Did not mention days. When I replaced the water heater, went bigger and electronic ignition. He laid everything on the floor in the sequence I would need, and said here is a start, see you tomorrow.Yep, 100 yr old house does not automatically take new without work.
 
Seems to me that no two manufacturers of fixtures use compatible fittings.

Whenever I do plumbing work at home it seems the new fixture requires a completely different connection to the water supply or drain.

David
 
I hate plumbing work, there is always some fitting when you think you are through that leaks just a little. Did learn trick from older man at our church years ago. When you have a fitting coupling etc. that just has a small drip that you can't seem to stop.
Tie a rag, piece of cloth etc. around it put the end of the cloth in a bowl or bucket to catch the water. Give it 2-3 days and the calcium in the water will harden around that fitting. Take the cloth off and no more drip. I have had to do this several times in last 30 or so years and it works great.
 
Electrical work: it's either ON or OFF.
Plumbing work: you never know when the drips may start.
 
Since my brothers and I went through the sale of the parents home and presale cleanup during this last winter We turned the water off and drained the plumbing as well as we could to avoid freezing if the power went off out in the country, considering the house was vacant. Seemed the smart thing to do with the number of subfreezing days we had as a just in case.
 
Well familiar with the "winterizing" of a vacant home. We had a house on the NE Ohio side of Lake Erie, only inhabited in the summer months. Prep for the winter shut-down included draining all lines & hot water tank, antifreeze in all the drains' P-traps. All faucets left open.
 
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