DreadPirateRoberts cost me $250.

At a house warming party, if memory serves, he pointed at the main water cutoff valve and asked if I'd tested it. Seemed like a good idea, figured I'd get around to doing that eventually.

Well, flash forward to yesterday. Attached to the same pipe as the cutoff valve is a spigot for a hose. It leaks, so I planned to replace it, should be simple enough. I pick up a replacement at Home Depot, and begin my test of the water cutoff valve.

No problem, it does exactly what it's supposed to do and cuts off the water. Unfortunately, the old spigot wouldn't budge. I gave that thing all I had, went at it with a mallet and a pipe wrench. Didn't wiggle a centimeter. So I eventually gave up, resolving to eventually have a pro come out and deal with it.

And that's when I learned a valuable lesson in homeownership...don't go messing with utility lines after 6PM on a holiday.

Sure, the cutoff valve shut the water off no problem. Once I'd given up on replacing the spigot, I go to turn it back on. I turned the handle on the valve. And turned it. And turned it. And turned it...oh crap. Clearly DPR cursed me.

Seems the valve froze in the closed position and the handle snapped off and was spinning freely. Damn, hell, crap, hell damn. I mean, as failures go, that was certainly better than the alternate scenario of, "Something is gushing water and the valve busted in the open position," but still. Had to call a plumber out (who took 2.5 hours to show up). And of course it was no simple job, this being the 30 year old valve for the main supply, and right next to a wall forcing him to have to cut the pipe and solder in a new valve rather than just do a simple replacement.

And the real kicker...I asked if, while he was working on it anyway, the plumber might try to replace the spigot. He took one look at the old one and said, "You couldn't get it off because it's not threaded, it's soldered on." :mad:

I think the cardinal rule of home ownership is "If the house hasn't fallen down it is good enough and we'll probably move before it does."

:blush: Uh oh. I still maintain it was better to find out now, as opposed to when the upstairs toilet hose explodes and starts flooding your house, and you discover the shutoff handle comes off in your hand with the valve still in the open position.

I will strive to repay my debt. The next time you find me at DL, the churros are on me...

I feel a bit sick today.

This is not good. I have a lot I need to try and accomplish.

I think that's also called the Pressler approach.

Hurrah for you!

My days are so strangely timed. I sseem to do thing in an order that I just can't get used to. i wake up, drink coffee - all normal - then I go to work - THEN i take a shower and get presentable. After that, I work some more. I suppose i could get up really early and take a shower first, but the dogs aren't going to care of I'm clean and my hair isn't a mess. It just makes me feel a bit off. But, then, I AM a bit off, so what's the big deal.

We just found out our jobs may be outsourced. Boss is making a case to keep us all here but in the end he has no say. /sigh

Oh that is major suckage. :(

I hope your boss is persuasive BTD.

What is it with me finding funny stuff to distract me all day.

http://internetzillionaire.com/

Looks like I'll be procrastinating for a while ;)