Teflon tape. I’m sure the group of brilliant engineers that gave this product the green light tested it on a straight joint of brand-new plumbing which was sitting on a pristine, stainless-steel counter, in the middle of 4-acre field, at least a half mile from any potential obstacles or distractions.
“Oh look,” one said, “see how easily it wraps around the threads!” as he used both hands, with just the right lighting to perfectly see the project from all angles. Not to mention the ability to turn the damn thing around in his hands to insure he was placing the tape exactly on the threads. “This stuff is great!”
NOT!!!
He sure the hell weren’t laying on his back, underneath a small vanity with the lower edge of the cabinet slowly, painfully breaking ribs as he was trying to wrap threads, using one hand at the end of an over-extended arm with one eye obstructed to the point of eliminating any shot at depth perception. While squirming, trying to find a place for the rest of his aging body in a tiny, cramped bathroom. And as Satan’s tape was trying to act like its equally frustrating cousin cling wrap, balling up and sticking to everything but where it needed to be!
All this after making three trips to the overpriced Ace Hardware to eventually cob together the adaptation on both ends needed to make a simple 3/8 T fitting work with the existing size (1/2”) of compression supply line. Not to mention that the supply valve was corroded open necessitating shutting off the hot water line at the tank.
I was not previously aware of the specialized code involved in plumbing fittings…FIP, MIP, NPT, NPS, compression…shall I go on? Such is life today, in the PEWE era. That stands for Post Everything Working in this writing but is likely pronounced Pewey, which is, according to Urban Dictionary, the new slang for butthole or how a dirty butt smells.
Ironic in that the whole episode described above involved the process of installing a hot/cold water bidet hose in my guest bath.
Now that this rant is finished, I’m off to the hardware (first time today) to find some pipe dope or anything that actually works. It’s only a little leak, but I’m a perfectionist.
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Been there, done that. These old bodies just won't bend like they used to.
You gave yourself away as an amatuer since there isn't any plumbers crack showing in your picture!
Plumbing is my nemesis. It is the one thing that calls in all its markers and gangs up on me. Being under the sink to do anything is like being in hell. It took me two hours to install a garbage disposal, or the time I had to install and uninstall five times a union joint on my water heater. It still leaked after teflon tape and pipe gunk. After a week it corroded shut.