4 replies to this topic

[Mea]

Do It Yourself

Sounds so easy, doesn't it ? Three little tiny words.......

Around here they are called "Five Minute Jobs". The problen is that Never, Ever in the history of DH and myself has a job "only" taken 5 minutes. Ever...Ever !

We needed to replace the kitchen faucet. (lifetime warrentied faucet. Right...IF one has the *original* reciept ! yeah...from 12 years ago !) OK. Finally managed to get the old one loose. Took the new one out of the packaging...to find that the connections, that hook the faucet to the water pipes, are a good 6 inches shorter than on the old faucet. OK...road trip. Got the connecting pipes...and pipe dope (just to have if needed). Got the faucet connected.

I forgot to mention that to be able to reach the faucet connections...we had to remove the drain pipe. Well, DH got that back together...only to find that one of the drain pipes had cracked. OK...road trip. New drain pipes. Got the pipes connected. Turned on the water...The trap from the sink to the drain pipe is leaking. Well, DH has another one in the shop...we'll simply remove the old trap and put in the new one. The trap had other ideas ! Two large wrenches. A cold chisel and hammer. A few words. Nothing worked. DH brought his torch from the shop to warm the metal up. DW (me) stood with the extinguisher ready to do Something should the flame get too heated. Finally with the heating and the chisel, DH got the trap loose. I cleaned the area so the new trap could get a good seal. New trap on...run the water to check for leaks....oh yeah...still leaky in places. Fortunately those only took a half hour to locate and correct.

Our "Five Minute Job" only took 7 hours and two road trips to finish. There was a point that i seriously thought we should have replaced sink and all while we were doing it. Then there would have been nothing to go wrong for a loonng time !

Now al that is left to do is pick up two large pipe wrenches, one visegrip, two cresent wrenches, several openend/boxend wrenches, three cold chisels, hammer, propane torch, flourescent light, two rachets and assorted sockets, hacksaw, pipe cutter, wrecking bar, pipe fittings, and old sink pieces. Oh...and the keys and change from DH's pockets.

I wonder what out next FMJ will be ?

[RobertaRogers]

Too funny! I always say this - a small job ends up taking all day because so many other things rely upon doing it. Gotta find the tools (have to fix a broken tool). Then clearning out a space to work in, which, of course, is usually cramped. Then there is a missing part so you have to go downtown to the hardware store. The car won't start. So your out there fiddling with the car starter. The car starts, but it needs gas so you will need to stop at the gas station for a fill-up before going to the hardware store. Your better half hands you a shopping list since you are going past the grocery store anyway...

Then, of course, the hardware store does not have the part you need.

[Annarchy]

(((Mea)))

Congratulations on getting it fixed.

I feel your pain..... While replacing my kitchen faucet one time, I was laying on my back connecting the last hose and bumped the drain with my elbow causing it to come apart covering me with the ewwwww from the trap...

So much for telling my DH "Oh, no problem, this will only take a few minutes."

Or the time my DH went to remove and replace the tub spigot and the pipes behind the wall twisted the plumbing and burst...... plumber-911 was sweating the new pipes and caught the wall on fire.... with the water turned off......

[Crazy4Canning]

Good grief, have you been watching over my shoulder or what?

Our home was built in 1928...EVERY project is this way. EVERY TIME. No freakin' lie.
Whenever we do something, I take the price and double it, then triple the time. Seriously.

I'm just so amazed when people buy a house and there's *nothing* going wrong with it... I often wonder what it would be like to live that way.

[Homemaker]

Oh, I dread it whenever my husband has to get under the sink to do any plumbing work. He turns into such a bear. I can't blame him though, since it is cramped quarters, you have the edge of the cupboard digging into your back, and you are required to make those multiple trips to the store.

Since you usually tackle the job on the weekend you have to go through with it and complete the job. If you called the plumber, you'd pay through the roof for weekends, (been there!) You can't wait for a plumber to come the next week because when the kitchen isn't running smoothly, life is in chaos!