Barbed snakes are my go-to for surface clogs too, but I’ve had mixed luck with the shop vac—sometimes just makes a bigger mess than it’s worth. For leaks, I keep a roll of self-fusing silicone tape handy. Saved me from a midnight flood once... Old pipes, old problems.
For leaks, I keep a roll of self-fusing silicone tape handy. Saved me from a midnight flood once... Old pipes, old problems.
- Silicone tape is genius for emergencies, but I always end up wrapping it too tight or not tight enough.
- For clogs, I tried the shop vac trick—ended up with more water on the floor than in the vac.
- My current method: plunger first, then barbed snake, then (if desperate) take apart the trap. Gloves are a must... learned that the hard way.
- Still figuring out if pipe dope or Teflon tape is better for old threaded joints. Anyone else get those leaks that only show up at 2am?
I know what you mean about silicone tape—works in a pinch, but I’ve had it let go on me if the pipe’s even a little damp. I’m more partial to the old hose clamp and rubber trick for temporary fixes. As for Teflon vs. pipe dope, I lean toward dope on old threads, especially if they’re a bit chewed up. Teflon’s great, but on rough threads it can bunch up or tear. And yeah, those 2am drips are like clockwork... never during daylight hours.
Funny you mention the hose clamp and rubber—last winter, I had to raid my bike’s inner tube stash to patch a sneaky leak under the kitchen sink. Not pretty, but it held till morning. Pipe dope’s saved me more than once on those crusty old fittings... Teflon just shreds sometimes. Those late-night leaks really do have a sixth sense for bad timing.
Not pretty, but it held till morning. Pipe dope’s saved me more than once on those crusty old fittings...
I get the appeal of a quick fix—inner tube and hose clamp is pretty resourceful. Still, I’ve found that temporary patches like that can sometimes cause more trouble if you forget about them. I’d lean toward using a proper repair coupling, even if it means a late-night hardware run. As for pipe dope vs. Teflon, I’ve actually had better luck with the thicker Teflon tape (the pink stuff for water lines). It doesn’t shred as easily, especially on older threads. Just my two cents—sometimes the “right” product saves a headache down the line.
