I finally tried to install a new bathroom faucet myself

Last Tuesday in my apartment, I thought it would be a quick swap. Ended up with water spraying everywhere because I forgot to shut off the main line first. Anyone else have a plumbing story that started simple and got wet fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

ninas701mo ago

That boiling water trick is a real trap. Did your uncle ever figure out what kind of pipe it actually was, or did he just assume all pipes under a sink were the same?

hugo_jones211d ago

Three weeks later he found out it was ABS pipe, not PVC, and the same thing would have happened anyway since ABS can't handle that kind of heat either. Did he actually check the pipe type before pouring anything in, or did he just grab the kettle and hope for the best? I've seen that kind of confidence backfire way too many times with people who think all plastic pipe is basically the same. That weekend project cost him what, a hundred bucks in parts and a whole Saturday he could have spent doing something else?

johns181mo ago

My uncle told me he once tried to fix a slow kitchen sink drain with a chemical cleaner. The bottle said to use hot water after, but he used boiling water straight from the kettle. The old PVC pipe under the sink softened from the heat and just collapsed, dumping all that water and cleaner right onto his kitchen floor. He said the smell was awful and he had to replace a whole section of pipe. It turned a ten minute job into a whole weekend project.