Honestly, I’ve tried every kind of tag under the sun—laminated, metal, even those fancy “industrial” ones. Give it a year in a musty crawlspace and they all end up looking like cryptic hieroglyphics. Yogurt lids are genius, though. I once used old playing cards and a Sharpie... worked until the ace of spades got stuck behind a valve and nearly gave the plumber a heart attack. As long as you can tell hot from cold and don’t block anything important, I say go for whatever works.
As long as you can tell hot from cold and don’t block anything important, I say go for whatever works.
Totally get this. I’ve tried zip ties with labels, but the ink just fades or smears after a while. Even those “weatherproof” markers aren’t really crawlspace-proof. I started snapping pics on my phone before closing things up—at least then I have a reference when something inevitably leaks or needs replacing. Not perfect, but better than guessing which pipe is which in the dark.
Even those “weatherproof” markers aren’t really crawlspace-proof. I started snapping pics on my phone before closing things up—at least then I have a reference when something inevitably lea...
Honestly, snapping pics is handy in a pinch, but I wouldn’t rely on it long-term. Phones get replaced, photos get lost, and if you’re not super organized, it’s easy to forget which angle is which. I always end up scribbling a diagram on paper and taping it inside the access panel. Not fancy, but at least it doesn’t depend on tech. Just my two cents—“better than guessing which pipe is which in the dark,” but still not foolproof.
I hear you on the diagrams—my dad used to do that, and I always thought it was overkill until I had to fix a leak under my own kitchen sink. The phone pics helped, but when I went back a year later, I couldn’t remember what half of them were supposed to show. Ended up tracing the pipes with colored tape and jotting notes right on the wall (pencil, so it’s not permanent). Not pretty, but at least future me won’t be totally lost.
Honestly, I think jotting notes on the wall is a bit risky, even with pencil. It’s easy to forget to erase, or someone else might misread the notes down the line. What’s worked for me is keeping a small sketchbook dedicated to house stuff—plumbing, wiring, weird quirks. I’ll do quick diagrams and add labels, then tuck it in a kitchen drawer. It doesn’t look as “in the moment” as tape or wall notes, but at least everything’s in one place and I can add to it over time. Not perfect, but I like having a record that won’t get wiped away or painted over.
