That week I tried to fix a leaky faucet and ended up flooding the kitchen

Last month I thought I'd save $150 by swapping a worn out cartridge in my bathroom sink. Turned out the shut-off valve under the counter was ancient and basically crumbled when I touched it. Water shot out everywhere for a solid 3 minutes before I found the main house shut-off in the basement. By the time I got back upstairs, there was a quarter inch of water across the whole linoleum floor. Had to rent a wet vac from Home Depot and run fans for two days straight. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn into a total disaster like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahs4529d ago

My neighbor had the same thing happen with a bathroom sink, except he didn't know where the main shut-off was and it ran for like 15 minutes before the plumber could get there. My question is, did you check the shut-off valve before you started, or did you just assume it would work? Because I think that's the part that gets everyone - you turn a valve that hasn't moved in twenty years and suddenly you're dealing with a geyser. That whole experience made me buy one of those emergency shut-off tools that lets you turn the main water off from the street without needing a wrench.

the_zara29d ago

My 1998 house had shut-off valves that looked fine until I touched one and the handle literally snapped off in my hand. Water shot straight up like a fountain... I had to shove a broom handle in the pipe while my kid ran to find the main valve in the dark basement. Those emergency street tools are fine but most people don't know their house doesn't even have one - the city ones require a special key and half the time the box is buried under six inches of dirt. Honestly I think checking the valve first just gives you a false sense of security because a valve that hasn't been touched in 15 years is basically a ticking time bomb no matter how careful you are.