Sunday, November 29, 2020

Vinyl Gloves, Silicone, and Duct Tape

My approach to plumbing is the same as my approach to watching French avant-garde movies.

I run as fast as I can in the opposite direction.

Yesterday, necessity forced me to attempt an emergency plumbing repair.  I tried, but could not reach my plumber.  And calling what I did a “plumbing repair” is something along the lines of calling Steven Seagal a gifted actor.   

Let’s have some background here.

Yesterday, I discovered that the very first plumbing fitting connecting the polyethylene pipe from my well to the metal piping in my house was leaking.  Squirting madly, actually.  The fitting was rotten.   I recall not liking the steel fitting when I installed it thirty years ago.  I wanted to use brass at the time, but could not find the fitting required in brass.

The fitting is located in my raw-earth crawlspace.  A large pool of water had formed around the fitting and was seeping into the earth without any harm to my house.

After shutting down the water and well pump, I devised a quick, questionable fix.  I would squirt a pile of silicone sealer on couple of vinyl gloves, wrap the gloves around the fitting, and then wrap that mess up under a few layers of duct tape.

If duct tape can save Apollo space capsules, certainly my plumbing had a chance.      

And in the end?

Still leaked.

I am, more or less, without water.



The Leak



Vinyl Glove and Silicone (Almond Color)



All Wrapped

Mitchell Hegman

No comments:

Post a Comment