WEEKEND PLUMBING JOBS NEVER GO AS PLANNED
That’s the thing—once you start opening up walls, you’re basically rolling the dice. I’ve had jobs where I thought I’d just swap out a valve, then found a whole section of pipe that looked like Swiss cheese. It’s always tempting to just patch and move on, but every time I’ve tried that, it’s come back to bite me later. If you’re in there already, might as well do it right, even if it means the “weekend” job stretches into next week.
I hear you on the “just patch it and move on” temptation. But then you end up chasing leaks for months, right? I’m curious—do you guys ever try to estimate how much extra time you’ll need, just in case? Or do you just dive in and hope for the best? I’ve found that even when I budget double the time, I still end up running to the hardware store at least twice. Maybe it’s just part of the process…
Honestly, I don’t even bother trying to estimate anymore. Every time I plan for “just a couple hours,” something weird pops up—wrong fitting, mystery leak, whatever. I just keep a stash of common parts and hope for fewer surprises. Planning only gets you so far with old plumbing.
I hear you—old plumbing is like a box of chocolates, except it’s all the weird flavors nobody wants. Last time I swapped out a “simple” kitchen faucet, I found galvanized pipe behind the wall and a patchwork of adapters that made zero sense. Ended up running to the hardware store three times just for the right eco-friendly fittings. Ever tried to retrofit with PEX in a house that’s still got lead solder joints? That’s a whole new level of surprise. Curious if anyone’s had luck with those push-to-connect fittings on really old lines, or do they just make things worse?
Curious if anyone’s had luck with those push-to-connect fittings on really old lines, or do they just make things worse?
- Push-to-connects are like the duct tape of plumbing—sometimes genius, sometimes a disaster waiting to happen.
- On my last “weekend” job (which turned into a three-week saga), I tried them on 60s copper. Worked... until I turned the water back on and got a fine mist shower from the joint.
- If there’s any corrosion or weird sizing, they can leak or just pop off. But when they work, it’s magic. Just don’t trust them behind a wall unless you like living dangerously.
- Lead solder joints? I’d rather wrestle a raccoon than try to get a good seal there.
