Okay, so today I glued together all the different parts of the Lair's water plumbing. So I thought.
The lair is built on concrete pilings, so this was all done lying in dirt, often with the bottom of a 2X12 brushing my nose. It's a pretty simple job, really, since there are only four outlets for the water inside the lair. But the cold-water pipe for the shower had to pass through a timber, then make two tight turns and up through the hole in the floor. Finicky, and in very tight corners. Time-consuming. Which in turn made me forget that I'd stuck the pipe I'd cut for the toilet supply into its T-fitting, but...never...actually... Well, never actually glued it in.
I got everything put together, went inside and glued caps on all the pipes sticking out of the floor. Climbed up the ridge to the cistern, turned the water back on. Walked down the ridge. Went inside the Lair. Went to each of the pipes to look for leaks. Once I'd confirmed that they were dry, I'd crawl back under the lair and make sure all the fittings were dry. PVC is easy to work with, and this is one thing I've done lots. I didn't anticipate any real problem.
Until I took hold of the pipe for the toilet and gave it a wiggle. And felt the whole thing fall away under the floor. To an accompanying cascade of water. %$#@!
It didn't do any damage. But I got to fix it lying on mud, not dirt. I'z so stupid.
%$#@!
Dad Joke CCCXX
10 hours ago
2 comments:
Pardon my laughter. More than once I've taken a face full for precisely the same oversight. CPVC is advertised as idiot proof, and I am living proof that is a lie.
You're not an idiot, you are careful. Checking the joints with pressure was a smart thing to do, and it saved you from an empty cistern.
A few years ago I was visiting a friend in rural Maine. They complained about their dirt-floor basement always being wet, as in standing water wet. I crawled underneath, and found an unglued joint in the toilet cold water line. It was spraying water at perhaps 5 GPM. It had been running that way for the 4 years since the house was built.
I fixed it, and the basement dried in a few weeks. Maniac plumbers aren't as careful as you, and my friend's well could have been ruined.
Pat yourself on the back rather than kicking yourself. You did well.
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