hate working on anything home related....

**0rion** · 08-28-2012, 11:41 AM

I've never really minded working on my cars. I've done it since I was old enough to drive. I do however despise working on things around the house. I just know my limitations and I suck at that kinda work. One of our showers messed up a couple weeks ago. I've been putting it off and making everyone use a different shower just because I knew how it was going to go. Started on it today. What a pain in the ass. No matter what I have when it comes to shit in the house there's never a direct replacement for it at the store. This shower had a single handle for hot and cold and right below that handle was a push button that you pushed in to start the shower. That button is what screwed up....it broke. None of the replacement shit I could find had the push button...they all have the lever on the spigot that you lift to start the shower. That means I have to replace the 4 way combiner valve behind the wall. Fortunately access to it isn't bad....there's a panel there to get to everything. Everything else though has been a pain in the ass. I've made 3 trips to Lowes and now need 1 more to finish it up. I will say that gator bite connections and pex tubing are great inventions. Expensive as hell but you don't have to sit back there sweating pipes and soldering shit up with a torch. The main problem is when you're trying to work around the old shit....I usually end up just cutting as much of the old stuff out of there that I can and running as much new stuff as possible. This has been no exception. It'll be a miracle if nothing leaks when I turn it on. If it does leak then that's when the real cussing and wrench throwing starts. We're going out to dinner tonight for my birthday so I'll finish it when I get back tonight. If you hear on the news about a man in Ohio setting his house on fire because of some shower plumbing you'll know it was me.

**Zapper2003** · 08-28-2012, 12:26 PM

**wileyCoyote** · 08-28-2012, 12:38 PM

wait, ...what's that, ..i see smoke on the horizon!

**az gt eater** · 08-28-2012, 03:39 PM

Happy Birthday!!

**SuperSSguy** · 08-28-2012, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I've never really minded working on my cars. I've done it since I was old enough to drive. I do however despise working on things around the house. I just know my limitations and I suck at that kinda work. One of our showers messed up a couple weeks ago. I've been putting it off and making everyone use a different shower just because I knew how it was going to go. Started on it today. What a pain in the ass. No matter what I have when it comes to shit in the house there's never a direct replacement for it at the store. This shower had a single handle for hot and cold and right below that handle was a push button that you pushed in to start the shower. That button is what screwed up....it broke. None of the replacement shit I could find had the push button...they all have the lever on the spigot that you lift to start the shower. That means I have to replace the 4 way combiner valve behind the wall. Fortunately access to it isn't bad....there's a panel there to get to everything. Everything else though has been a pain in the ass. I've made 3 trips to Lowes and now need 1 more to finish it up. I will say that gator bite connections and pex tubing are great inventions. Expensive as hell but you don't have to sit back there sweating pipes and soldering shit up with a torch. The main problem is when you're trying to work around the old shit....I usually end up just cutting as much of the old stuff out of there that I can and running as much new stuff as possible. This has been no exception. It'll be a miracle if nothing leaks when I turn it on. If it does leak then that's when the real cussing and wrench throwing starts. We're going out to dinner tonight for my birthday so I'll finish it when I get back tonight. If you hear on the news about a man in Ohio setting his house on fire because of some shower plumbing you'll know it was me.

Aint that the truth.... they change shit every couple of years just to piss ya off! i swear it!! and with three bathrooms theres always something that needs fixing...We just( 2010) plunked down a hefty amount to re-model two of them had to r/r sub flooring in both...then the lo-flo toilets and the flooring -and the tile -and the light fixtures-the bathroom fixtures -exhaust fans-sinks-brass piping.lights that come on and off automatically-cabinets that have a easy glider no slam feature..toilet seats that have a no slam feature etc.......etc etc it goes on and on...but it looks sharp now. phew...oh wait a minute the tub faucet has a drip...drip....AARGGHH...its always something with houses! OH yeah HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO YOU!!!

**GTP231** · 08-28-2012, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Zapper2003

He had one to revoke?

**Jimmy Hoffa** · 08-28-2012, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I've never really minded working on my cars. I've done it since I was old enough to drive. I do however despise working on things around the house. I just know my limitations and I suck at that kinda work. One of our showers messed up a couple weeks ago. I've been putting it off and making everyone use a different shower just because I knew how it was going to go. Started on it today. What a pain in the ass. No matter what I have when it comes to shit in the house there's never a direct replacement for it at the store. This shower had a single handle for hot and cold and right below that handle was a push button that you pushed in to start the shower. That button is what screwed up....it broke. None of the replacement shit I could find had the push button...they all have the lever on the spigot that you lift to start the shower. That means I have to replace the 4 way combiner valve behind the wall. Fortunately access to it isn't bad....there's a panel there to get to everything. Everything else though has been a pain in the ass. I've made 3 trips to Lowes and now need 1 more to finish it up. I will say that gator bite connections and pex tubing are great inventions. Expensive as hell but you don't have to sit back there sweating pipes and soldering shit up with a torch. The main problem is when you're trying to work around the old shit....I usually end up just cutting as much of the old stuff out of there that I can and running as much new stuff as possible. This has been no exception. It'll be a miracle if nothing leaks when I turn it on. If it does leak then that's when the real cussing and wrench throwing starts. We're going out to dinner tonight for my birthday so I'll finish it when I get back tonight. If you hear on the news about a man in Ohio setting his house on fire because of some shower plumbing you'll know it was me.

Would you like American, Swiss, cheddar, or pepper jack cheese with that wine?

**Knight** · 08-28-2012, 06:03 PM

I am convinced that the improvement stores carry brand name items made specifically for them. I can't find the parts at any of my supply houses, and the numbers don't match up. But the improvement stores will carry them. Makes purchasing items there a bit tricky sometimes.

Good luck with the plumbing project!

**pajeff02** · 08-28-2012, 06:07 PM

I have replaced one shower valve and repaired another at our house. I agree, they are a pain in the arse to work on. I take it the "Gator Bite" fittings do not require a special tool?

**Knight** · 08-28-2012, 06:09 PM

Nope. They are plug and play. Makes short work of most plumbing projects.

**Zapper2003** · 08-28-2012, 06:11 PM

Gator bite, Sharkbite, they're all the same. Along the same lines as the common airline fittings on big trucks. Push it in till it stops and it's sealed.

They do sell a simple half-circle tool for taking them apart, but a well placed pair of channel-lock pliers can take them apart as well.

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**pajeff02** · 08-28-2012, 06:11 PM

Guess I'll have to check these out next time I play with plumbing.

**Zapper2003** · 08-28-2012, 06:14 PM

If you're working with older pipes you have to be sure there isn't anything on them (corrosion or paint etc) as it will hinder the o-ring seal inside, and if there is any kind of groove running the length of the pipe, it too will prevent a good seal. Basically you have to be certain that the pipe is clean and smooth.

**0rion** · 08-28-2012, 06:39 PM

yeah....I always hit the copper pipes with some fine sandpaper to clean them up. I've only used them once before when I replaced the water heater last fall. They definitely make any plumbing job much easier than it normally would be. They're also supposed to work with pex.....I'll let you know how that works out because I used some pex tubing on this one. I didn't make it to Lowes in time tonight to get the elbows I need to finish the job so I'll have to go in the morning. I want to get a crimp tool for pex and do one solely with pex at some point but the damn crimp/cutter tool is expensive as hell (the one I was looking at was $99). Definitely couldn't justify the cost on this job but if I do a bigger job down the line I want to use all pex stuff.....it's quite a bit cheaper than gator bite or shark bite stuff. I think any of that is much better than crawling around with a torch soldering pipes.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Hoffa

Would you like American, Swiss, cheddar, or pepper jack cheese with that wine?

I usually like some troll with my wine........

**Jimmy Hoffa** · 08-28-2012, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I usually like some troll with my wine........

Aww. Don't get so defensive, son.

I mean after all, assuming you're a male, what do you expect when you cry about doing male work around the house?

**blackSS01** · 08-28-2012, 09:27 PM

I love me some good plumbing

**SuperSSguy** · 08-28-2012, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by Zapper2003

Speaking of Official man card revoked...I had a male customer come in to the service station one day and asked me to check his oil...I was really busy and he kept insisting -so i asked him ''dont you know how to check your oil''?.....''.No ''...I said to him'' but your a guy all guys know how to check oil''.....''well i dont know how'' ...he said. I couldnt believe it. he was serious too. I checked it for him with a disgusted your a wimp look anyway......

**0rion** · 08-29-2012, 02:06 AM

a lot of guys don't know that shit.....there's more and more of those out there. My 9 year old boy knows how to check oil because I taught him. Shade tree mechanics are a dying breed. That's why if you see anyone that works on cars out of their garage they're always busy. There's just not a ton of guys out there that do that stuff anymore.

**Knight** · 08-29-2012, 03:10 AM

Sharkbite fittings work very well with pex. Most of the radiant flooring jobs I do, I use them. Beats the hell out of banding them. Plus, you can convert from copper to pex in one fitting.

And you're right about guys not knowing car stuff anymore. I find myself doing more and more work on my friends vehicles because they don't know how.

***SMWS6TA*** · 08-29-2012, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by 0rion

a lot of guys don't know that shit.....there's more and more of those out there. My 9 year old boy knows how to check oil because I taught him. Shade tree mechanics are a dying breed. That's why if you see anyone that works on cars out of their garage they're always busy. There's just not a ton of guys out there that do that stuff anymore.

Happy B-day Orion...

One of the truest statements I've heard. I know my limits, want something destroyed - call me, want me to build a house -sorry shit out of luck. I know just about enough stuff to be dangerous in a lot of different areas but smart enough to realize that there are some things you need to hire a professional.

Dying breed - My brother-in-law can't be trusted to hammer a nail into the wall let alone put oil in his car. I've wonder how he refuels it sometimes. Only reason "house repair work" get's done is because my sister either does it herself or if need be calls our dad. My dad made us as kids learn the basics because most of the time that is what it is, basic stuff that goes wrong.

As each of my kids gets near their teens I start showing them how to do things on the cars or any projects around the house. What's funny is when they used to ask "why do you do this, why don't you just call someone to fix it?" I then say fine, hand me $5 from your allowance. "Why?" Well you see where that was going....

My niece at the age of 13 could change tires, starters, alternators, serpentine belts, water pumps, and do tune ups (plugs/wires/filters)

At 17 her BF at the time got a little embarrassed when she was fixing his truck because he didn't know what to do.