Saw this news story earlier today about some dude who decided to save a few bucks by installing his own sink and toilet. Long story short, he ended up flooding half his house and causing thousands in water damage. Apparently, he didn't tighten something properly or used the wrong connectors...you know how it goes.
Kinda made me laugh at first, but then I felt bad for the guy. Plumbing seems simple enough until you're knee-deep in water yelling for help, lol. I'm all for DIY-ing things around the house, but plumbing always makes me nervous—so many little parts and fittings that can go wrong if you're not careful.
Curious if anyone here has tried installing their own faucets or toilets or whatever lately. Did you find it easy enough, or did it turn into one of those "wish I'd called a pro" moments?
Yeah, plumbing's definitely trickier than it looks. I remember helping my uncle install a toilet once—seemed straightforward until we realized the wax ring wasn't seated right. Ended up with a slow leak that took days to notice...lesson learned the soggy way, lol.
Yeah, totally relate to that wax ring issue—it's deceivingly simple-looking but can cause a real headache. Did you guys double-check the flange height before installing? I've noticed even slight variations there can mess things up big-time. Learned the hard way myself: thought everything was fine until noticing damp spots days later. Plumbing always seems straightforward until water finds its sneaky way out...
Yeah, flange height is key, but also gotta watch out for uneven flooring. My bathroom had a slight slope I didn't notice at first—caused the wax ring to compress unevenly and leak slowly. Took forever to pinpoint that one...
Yeah, uneven flooring can really sneak up on you. I've seen a few cases where people didn't realize their bathroom floor had settled or warped slightly over time, and it caused all sorts of subtle leaks. Wax rings are especially tricky because you don't always notice the leak right away—sometimes it takes weeks or even months before you spot water damage or mold.
Speaking of DIY plumbing mishaps, has anyone dealt with shut-off valves that won't fully close? I had a situation recently where the valve under the sink was so old and corroded it wouldn't shut off completely. Ended up having to shut off water to the whole house just to replace a faucet cartridge. Felt like overkill, but I didn't want to risk flooding the cabinet. Makes me wonder how often people check those valves before starting a project...seems like something easy to overlook until you're already halfway into the job.
