I Despise Plumbing Work

[Brando]

****** 30 year old original hardware. I have a bad leak with my downstairs bath faucet. Double knob setup. Last week I tried replacing the valves and no dice, still leaks. So tonight I took a stab at replacing the old hardware with a new rough-in. Time flew and before I knew it, it's 1130 and I still have a couple joints l left to solder, and install the fixture. If I could take tomorrow off to finish the job I would. Looking like I will need a plumber to come do the rest. Sucks. /rant

[Brando]

Whoops, wrong o/t forum. Mods please move, thanks.

[T77911S]

I put in sharkbites and switched to pecs
no more soldering.

[GH85Carrera]

My old bachelor pad house was built in early 1950s. Not one bit of plumbing was standard to anything from modern plumbing. It had lead pipes for the drains. The bathtub faucet was two knobs about 20 inches apart. There are no replacements. I had to cut a access into the wall in the dining room to access the back of the faucets. Remove the entire faucet, and I found a guy that could rebuild them. They worked great, but a total pain.

I will never live in an older house again. Our current house is 25 years old and we have been here 21 years.

[Steve F]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

My old bachelor pad house was built in early 1950s. Not one bit of plumbing was standard to anything from modern plumbing. It had lead pipes for the drains. The bathtub faucet was two knobs about 20 inches apart. There are no replacements. I had to cut a access into the wall in the dining room to access the back of the faucets. Remove the entire faucet, and I found a guy that could rebuild them. They worked great, but a total pain.

I will never live in an older house again. Our current house is 25 years old and we have been here 21 years.

Our house was built in 1944 and is just as you say! NOTHING is standard 39 years and still dealing with it, and don't get me started on drains!!

[cabmandone]

I'm right there with ya man! Had to replace my well pump. Added a Cycle Stop Valve to increase run time of pump. Decided to add a ball valve shutoff up stream of the CSV. PVC pipe mind you! Got it all together, turned on the water, I'll be damned if the new ball valve doesn't leak out the freekin handle and there's a teeny tiny leak on one of the glue joints. I've NEVER had a glue joint leak. So... cut out the bad glue joint, install new fitting, cut out leaking ball valve, install 2 couplings, turn on water... one of the damn couplings pops loose even though it had been glued!!

[craigster59]

My house in Fillmore was built in 1928. There was a hardware store in the small town that had been in business since 1917, Patterson's Hardware. Most guys who worked there were in their late 60's-70's. I can't tell you how many times I'd take something in there only to hear "I haven't seen one of these in 40 years!".

Every project turned into an extensive repair project. Good luck!

[Brando]

Wow... Them's some horror stories. I'm just struggling with a rough-in replacement. I had to stop at 11:30 last night - now sitting at work trying to find a plumber who can come out today and finish it up because we can't be without water another day. Not bad progress for last night, just super slow going. I'm also super paranoid about getting a flame in the tight space behind the fiberglass shower.

Original quote I got was $1100 to do this. If I had a whole Saturday to do this I would have done it then. But, no such luck for me.

[craigster59]

Oatey makes a soldering flame protector that you can hang behind pipes while you sweat them.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-Soldering-Flame-Protector/1043403

Also there are escutcheons that install behind single shower valves that would make the job a snap.

[Scott Douglas]

To make any plumbing job I undertake more fun, I try like heck to get it done with less than 3 trips to the hardware store. If I can do that, I feel pretty good about it, no matter how long it takes.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by craigster59

My house in Fillmore was built in 1928. There was a hardware store in the small town that had been in business since 1917, Patterson's Hardware. Most guys who worked there were in their late 60's-70's. I can't tell you how many times I'd take something in there only to hear "I haven't seen one of these in 40 years!".

Every project turned into an extensive repair project. Good luck!

My saving grace back then was a similar lumber yard. They had lots of hardware parts and a full lumber yard. There was a regular group of old greys that would hang out there that were all retired plumbers, electricians and HIVAC guys. It was a analog brain trust. They came for the friendship and free coffee and donuts, and to get out of the house away from the wife to just chat.

Every project I had I went and asked them questions. They would steer me to the right products, and give advice. I miss all those guys.

The only similar group of old greys hanging out I have ever found is at the civil airports. Lots of retired business owners, and all experienced pilots and for sure they will give advice, even when not asked for, and they have opinions on everything. They solve the worlds problems every day with good natured banter.

That store like most hardware stores and lumber yards wes put out out of business by the big box stores selling Chinese crap really cheap.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

To make any plumbing job I undertake more fun, I try like heck to get it done with less than 3 trips to the hardware store. If I can do that, I feel pretty good about it, no matter how long it takes.

My wife has a theory about men and project times. She calls it male optimism. When asked how long it will take to replace a toilet handle, "oh 15 minutes honey". Then reality hits, the handle broke because of the guts of the toilet was installed improperly but the home builder. The tank has to come off, and the the seal is bad, so the toilet has to come off the floor. Then the rusted flange is found, and the tile floor has to be replaced, and that means the cabinets need to come out, and might as well replace the tub and then the wall is found to have a leak, so the walls have to be removed down to the studs. And then.....

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

To make any plumbing job I undertake more fun, I try like heck to get it done with less than 3 trips to the hardware store. If I can do that, I feel pretty good about it, no matter how long it takes.

LOL That's almost exactly what I was going to type.

The difficulty of the job is how many trips to the store.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

My wife has a theory about men and project times. She calls it male optimism. When asked how long it will take to replace a toilet handle, "oh 15 minutes honey". Then reality hits, the handle broke because of the guts of the toilet was installed improperly but the home builder. The tank has to come off, and the the seal is bad, so the toilet has to come off the floor. Then the rusted flange is found, and the tile floor has to be replaced, and that means the cabinets need to come out, and might as well replace the tub and then the wall is found to have a leak, so the walls have to be removed down to the studs. And then.....

My wife pokes me with this one from time to time. I have learned to overestimate the time required. It usually comes out about right.
Sort of related to plumbing: a few years ago, I decided to install a cabinet in the wall over the bathroom sink to replace the mirror. I was forgetting the vent pipe that went up through the interior wall. So, after making the cut out for the cabinet, I realized my error in planning. A trip to the hardware store (9 minutes one way. I checked) netted four elbows and enough pipe to get around the cabinet. Upon my arrival home, I realized I had bought the wrong diameter pipe and fittings. Another trip for the exchange and I finally got to drill studs with a hole saw, make another hole in the wall to the left of the install so I could piece together my vent detour and put the "easily installed" inset cabinet in place. Oh yeah, then I had to re-finish the gyproc.

The fun part is: I built this house 38 years ago, so you'd think I would remember how it went together. Yeah, right.

Best
Les

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

LOL That's almost exactly what I was going to type.

The difficulty of the job is how many trips to the store.

Well then, installing a ball valve, 3 PVC 90's, 1 PVC 45 and 8 feet of PVC must rank at about an 8 on the difficulty scale! I'm still pissed that it took that long. I've never had that much trouble before. I suppose I can accept the leaking new ball valve but the 90 and coupling with bad glue joints?

[Brando]

So, happy ending to this story. I was able to get in touch with a plumber and he knocked it out in an hour flat. No leaks, great flow, and the best part - only $300. Amazing how just cutting the fiberglass, pipes, and lining everything up saved me $800-900.



Thanks all for sharing your stories. Definitely made my day, and some highlighted how simple my issue really was. In the future, calling this guy for repair work.

[craigster59]

Happy Birthday Brando!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Brando

If I could take tomorrow off to finish the job I would. Looking like I will need a plumber to come do the rest. Sucks. /rant

BTDT. It sucks to have such time constraints. So much pressure. It takes a little bite out of your man card when you can't finish a plumbing job in time to not inconvenience your family. It's only a factor when you are doing your own stuff. A plumber isn't going to care whether your wife gets a shower in the morning. He can sleep easy.
Hope all goes well.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Brando

In the future, calling this guy for repair work.

A breath of fresh air.

I brought in an experienced mechanic recently who was "in a life transition" (needed work) to help me out with an overload of wrenching work.

It was so sweet to just stay out of his way.

[red-beard]

I had a 200 year old house in Western Mass. Everyone in a while, when doing work on the house, we'd find a new piece of former plumbing.

While I lived there, the town installed new water lines. They were supposed to tell me when they were going to shutoff the water. Nope. One day, no water. I had to take a day off and run pipe from one side of the basement to the other and tie it in, because no plumber was available for 10 days!

I really hate working under a sink. There is no way to get comfortable to do the work.

House in San Diego, it was re-plumbed due to the original piping being that lawsuit trailer hose. Suddenly there were pinhole leaks in two difference pipes in different parts of the house, all behind drywall. What a MESS!