six hours to fix

[JRD77VET]

Went into the basement this morning and saw a little puddle of water at the "house" side of the shut off valve. Being the inquisitive type, I moved it and it started spraying water. Turned the shut off ball valve to stop the flow and turned off the breaker for the pump.

Did a quick assessment of what tools I would need and texted my boss to see if he was at the shop so I could pick what I needed up. Luckily he was there and off I went the 20 miles to work. Grabbed some tools and off to the home depot for a BRASS 1" NPT to 3/4"NPT fitting. Grabbed some solder and flux plus a couple 3/4" connectors. Head back home.

Cut the copper pipe and then grab two large adjustables to remove the corroded galvanized fitting. It broke right off.

Now I have a 1" ball valve with broken threads in it and no tap to restore the threads ( I have a few at work 20 miles away ). Get the hose and drain the pressure tank . Remove the back end of the ball valve and lightly hold in the small 6" chuck on my Monarch CK12 lathe I have at home. Bore out the broken section to 1-5/32" and then slightly larger but not as deep ( it's a tapered thread ). I was finally able to pick out the threads and wire brush the ID so it would work.

Using plumber's dope, I install the 1"NPT adapter into the end of the ball valve, the 3/4" fitting with the 90* elbow and tighten it up.( tighten ball valve cap, tighten 1" NPT and finally the pipe).

I have the the pipe all nice and clean plus the connector is clean. Slather it with flux and slip it together then start heating it up for soldering with acetylene torch from work. Even though I drained all the water out the pipe and blew it out with compressed air, it's still spitting steam and water droplets like mad.

Off to the local Ace Hardware for a "Shark Bite" connector for $10 . Slipped it on and that worked perfectly.

Had water once again about 30 minutes before the my came home from work.

Not exactly what I planned to do today but saved a few hundred bucks

[KenHorse]

Went into the basement this morning and saw a little puddle of water at the "house" side of the shut off valve. Being the inquisitive type, I moved it and it started spraying water. Turned the shut off ball valve to stop the flow and turned off the breaker for the pump.

Did a quick assessment of what tools I would need and texted my boss to see if he was at the shop so I could pick what I needed up. Luckily he was there and off I went the 20 miles to work. Grabbed some tools and off to the home depot for a BRASS 1" NPT to 3/4"NPT fitting. Grabbed some solder and flux plus a couple 3/4" connectors. Head back home.

Cut the copper pipe and then grab two large adjustables to remove the corroded galvanized fitting. It broke right off.

Now I have a 1" ball valve with broken threads in it and no tap to restore the threads ( I have a few at work 20 miles away ). Get the hose and drain the pressure tank . Remove the back end of the ball valve and lightly hold in the small 6" chuck on my Monarch CK12 lathe I have at home. Bore out the broken section to 1-5/32" and then slightly larger but not as deep ( it's a tapered thread ). I was finally able to pick out the threads and wire brush the ID so it would work.

Using plumber's dope, I install the 1"NPT adapter into the end of the ball valve, the 3/4" fitting with the 90* elbow and tighten it up.( tighten ball valve cap, tighten 1" NPT and finally the pipe).

I have the the pipe all nice and clean plus the connector is clean. Slather it with flux and slip it together then start heating it up for soldering with acetylene torch from work. Even though I drained all the water out the pipe and blew it out with compressed air, it's still spitting steam and water droplets like mad.

Off to the local Ace Hardware for a "Shark Bite" connector for $10 . Slipped it on and that worked perfectly.

Had water once again about 30 minutes before the my came home from work.

Not exactly what I planned to do today but saved a few hundred bucks

Awww, you didn't use lead solder! Now you won't be a babbling idiot in a few years from the lead contamination

[JRD77VET]

Awww, you didn't use lead solder! Now you won't be a babbling idiot in a few years from the lead contamination

My house was built in 1945. Who knows? :leaving:

[MikeB]

Garage door spring sprung this morning.
I did replace them once, 25+ years ago. My Dad helped
me (watched), as he had the rods needed to tension the springs.
New door installed 20 years ago.
Springs and opener replaced in 2016.

I'm too old for this stuff now.
Called my daughter. She and her husband own a garage door service
company. Took my SIL less than 30 minutes to replace the springs
and cables, and the guy was hung over too :rofl:.

They probably will not bill me, but I will internet search the repair price,
and pay them accordingly.
House built in 1983. We had it built.

[Yadkin]

I tried to solder onto my existing main when I did the addition. Shut the water off at the street, cut the pipe so it could drain then spent some time selecting tools, cleaning materials, wire brushes. Then I turned on my air compressor, ran the air hose out to the pipe and blew the line as dry as I could with only the low end available. Spent a half-hour digging out the end of the pipe and cleaning the end with detergent, warm water, scrubbing, then washing several times, rinsing, drying, wire brush, grey scotch-brite, then brake-cleaner. Used MAPP gas in my torch. That bitch would not accept solder.

So I went to Lowes Hardware and bought a shark-bite. Two minutes later the job was done. :o

[Bill]

My neighbors are all working on their flower beds. I had a big dead shrub to remove. Hooked a tow strap to it, wrapped it around the ball mount of the truck and pulled it out.

Neighbors laughed at my redneck ways. Total time to remove shrub? Maybe 5 minutes, including a minute or two to find the strap.

[Big bob]

Or you could of done it the old fashion way and stuff some crust less bread in the pipe.:slap:

[Big bob]

My neighbors are all working on their flower beds. I had a big dead shrub to remove. Hooked a tow strap to it, wrapped it around the ball mount of the truck and pulled it out.

Neighbors laughed at my redneck ways. Total time to remove shrub? Maybe 5 minutes, including a minute or two to find the strap.


Ball hitches are not safe for that. I am sure all my fans will disagree. But I told you anyway. :leaving:

[MikeB]

My neighbors are all working on their flower beds. I had a big dead shrub to remove. Hooked a tow strap to it, wrapped it around the ball mount of the truck and pulled it out.

Neighbors laughed at my redneck ways. Total time to remove shrub? Maybe 5 minutes, including a minute or two to find the strap.

I did the same with my 3.0L Ford V6 Escape.
Think it caused Cyl #6 to fail.
Ford's 5 yr drive line warranty came in handy.
Newly remanufactured V6 installed at $0 cost.

[Bill]

I did the same with my 3.0L Ford V6 Escape.
Think it caused Cyl #6 to fail.
Ford's 5 yr drive line warranty came in handy.
Newly remanufactured V6 installed at $0 cost.

3/4 ton diesel Dodge. Just put it in drive and the shrub just idled on out, never touched the accelerator pedal. Never even felt any resistance.

[Yadkin]

I did the same with my 3.0L Ford V6 Escape.
Think it caused Cyl #6 to fail.
Ford's 5 yr drive line warranty came in handy.
Newly remanufactured V6 installed at $0 cost.

I hired a guy to take down The Big Ugly, a huge tree that was half-dead, overhanging my neighbor's roof. He rented a cherry-picker trailer and backed in down into the woods with his 4WD F150. It rained just as he was finishing taking it down, so the dirt turned to mud and he started to spin tires.

I used my self-storing tow strap to to pull him out with my '22 Ranger, 2.3L, 4 cylinders, intercooled turbo, 4WD, low range, electronic locking differential. Easy as pie. :yesnod:

[Bill]

Went into the basement this morning and saw a little puddle of water at the "house" side of the shut off valve. Being the inquisitive type, I moved it and it started spraying water. Turned the shut off ball valve to stop the flow and turned off the breaker for the pump.

Did a quick assessment of what tools I would need and texted my boss to see if he was at the shop so I could pick what I needed up. Luckily he was there and off I went the 20 miles to work. Grabbed some tools and off to the home depot for a BRASS 1" NPT to 3/4"NPT fitting. Grabbed some solder and flux plus a couple 3/4" connectors. Head back home.

Cut the copper pipe and then grab two large adjustables to remove the corroded galvanized fitting. It broke right off.

Now I have a 1" ball valve with broken threads in it and no tap to restore the threads ( I have a few at work 20 miles away ). Get the hose and drain the pressure tank . Remove the back end of the ball valve and lightly hold in the small 6" chuck on my Monarch CK12 lathe I have at home. Bore out the broken section to 1-5/32" and then slightly larger but not as deep ( it's a tapered thread ). I was finally able to pick out the threads and wire brush the ID so it would work.

Using plumber's dope, I install the 1"NPT adapter into the end of the ball valve, the 3/4" fitting with the 90* elbow and tighten it up.( tighten ball valve cap, tighten 1" NPT and finally the pipe).

I have the the pipe all nice and clean plus the connector is clean. Slather it with flux and slip it together then start heating it up for soldering with acetylene torch from work. Even though I drained all the water out the pipe and blew it out with compressed air, it's still spitting steam and water droplets like mad.

Off to the local Ace Hardware for a "Shark Bite" connector for $10 . Slipped it on and that worked perfectly.

Had water once again about 30 minutes before the my came home from work.

Not exactly what I planned to do today but saved a few hundred bucks


You're lucky you caught it before it turned into a big mess.

[Yadkin]

You're lucky you caught it before it turned into a big mess.

That galvanized steel pipe is a homeowner's worst nightmare. My parents bought a 1930's house that had it, and moved into it 1964. My dad found a leak in the second floor bathroom and quickly realized that there was only one solution. I was too young to remember the details, but we lived at my grandparents house for a few days while he went to battle with it.

The house I bought in NY, a single story ranch with exposed floor joists in the basement ceiling, had copper pipe from the fixtures down to the basement ceiling, then galvanized in the basement ceiling to the well and hot water tanks. I replaced all that steel with CPVC and PVC. I laid out the new pipe on the floor of the basement with all the fittings and adapters in-place but loose. Once I knew I had all the parts I shut the water off, demolished the old steel and installed the new pipe. It may have taken me two hours- one of the easiest plumbing jobs in my DIY history.

[outrunm]

Nice work! I would have been at the mercy of the turd wrestler.

[Mike Mercury]

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[Frankie the Fink]

Had my swimming pool light go out last week and I had just put a new LED bulb in it with a new gasket. So my pool "guy" sees the fixture is 1/2 filled with water and its integrated into the 100' 120V cable to the house breaker panel. It all has to be replaced.

Wife and I installed this one 12 years ago with me in an icy pool pushing cable and slathering it with silicone while she pulled the cable through about 70' of conduit under my pavers, from the house side. a big PITA. THIS TIME I told the pool "guy" to do it and bill me.

I'm just not gonna do cr@p I don't feel like doing at 73 when I have the money to pay for it.

[6spdC6]

Had my swimming pool light go out last week and I had just put a new LED bulb in it with a new gasket. So my pool "guy" sees the fixture is 1/2 filled with water and its integrated into the 100' 120V cable to the house breaker panel. It all has to be replaced.

Wife and I installed this one 12 years ago with me in an icy pool pushing cable and slathering it with silicone while she pulled the cable through about 70' of conduit under my pavers, from the house side. a big PITA. THIS TIME I told the pool "guy" to do it and bill me.

I'm just not gonna do cr@p I don't feel like doing at 73 when I have the money to pay for it.

Going on 79 and I understand you. Been handy and worked with my hands my whole life. With that said many jobs I used to do I now have done by others. Its tough to get old. Hell its only money and the goverment prints tons of it daily!

[slewfoot]

Garage door spring sprung this morning.
I did replace them once, 25+ years ago. My Dad helped
me (watched), as he had the rods needed to tension the springs.
New door installed 20 years ago.
Springs and opener replaced in 2016.

I'm too old for this stuff now.
Called my daughter. She and her husband own a garage door service
company. Took my SIL less than 30 minutes to replace the springs
and cables, and the guy was hung over too :rofl:.

They probably will not bill me, but I will internet search the repair price,
and pay them accordingly.
House built in 1983. We had it built.



Ours broke about 5 years ago. Got educated over it all. All the homes in the subdivision had single springs. It was a matter of time. Our home was built in 97 and 2019 was that time.

During this time frame, many others to include our next door neighbors also broke. Our neighbor had a friend who worked for years at a garage door company.

He installed double springs on ours and hers. Took a little over an hour and for $200. Compared to the estimates we got, I thought that was very fair.

[Blademaker]

Glad you caught it early.
I had an icemaker line rupture in one of my rental properties. The management company called, .....get in touch with your insurance agent, PDQ. I filed a claim for plumbing repairs and a new kitchen floor.
Big pain in the ass.

[JRD77VET]

You're lucky you caught it before it turned into a big mess.

IF it would have turned into a big mess, I would have lucked out. We have a piece of carpet to stand on there. The water would have simply run out the garage door ( walk in basement) but that would have been an even bigger PITA.

My knees are killing me today , running is completely out of the question today :yesnod:

[ZipZap]

I use sharkbite on all the connections that I need to bypass the meter:D