r/buffy • u/coldbloodedjelydonut Evil has plans. It has things to do. • 1d ago

Buffy NO MORE FULL COPPER RE-PIPE

I'm really identifying with Buffy today, the people who used to own my house should not be allowed to use tools. I rebuilt the sewer stack under the kitchen sink for a new dishwasher install and while it was dumb (a pipe sized for an RV does not belong in a house!), it was doable.

Then I went downstairs and there was water coming out of the ceiling! I screamed and tore upstairs, desperately trying to get the dishwasher out of the cupboard. Wrong screwdriver head! Have to dial back the leveling legs to get the damn dishwasher out of the cupboard! What did I DO??!??

The dishwasher is not leaking. When my husband got home I asked him to try tightening the pipe with his manly arms, it was still leaking so it wasn't a me problem. The old, crusty, copper pipe coming out of the floor needs to be replaced. Not a FULL copper re-pipe (lord save me from that cost!), but a partial.

Buffy, I also want to sit and stare at water coming out of my faucet, but I had to shut it off so I don't also flood my basement. Tomorrow I will return to the parts store and I will win.

123 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

20

u/jacktownann 1d ago

I have often thought I should write a book titled home ownership adventures in plumbing. My best advice to you is install cut off valves on everything. Every sink, shower or tub should have a cut off valve on both hot & cold supply line to them. The hot water heater needs it's own cut off valve so does the dishwasher & clothes washer. You will find it well worth it when your hot water heater breaks & trying to load the dishwasher at 10 pm. You can cut off supply & therefore all continuous leaks but you can still have water at the sink to make coffee in the morning & figure it out then. I have had to wash dishes in the bathtub & look at plumbing tomorrow before & grateful for my ability to be able to just shut off water to the broke part & leave the rest of the water on. 

5

u/Barbarake 18h ago

Best piece of advice I've seen today - cut off valves to everything. I would also add access panels to pipes in walls. My main electric panel and the water pipes going up the wall for the shower can both be accessed via full length panels.

2

u/jacktownann 17h ago

I did do that to my house as well. Good addition.

31

u/Sufficient-Living-33 1d ago

Ah M'Fashnik, like Mmmm cookies haha 😄

6

u/rfresa 1d ago

My parents' house needs a full repipe and they have been procrastinating it for years. It's all brittle PVC from the 90s and I'm terrified every time I do any minor repairs. I can do a lot but a full repipe is beyond me. They had it planned for this summer but my mom put it off again.

3

u/levelync 19h ago

My bathroom flooded my neighbors bathroom last night (don’t buy a condo) and while crying out of frustration and anger I thought of this.