Jonathan Kamens 86 47
Do yourself a favor: look under your toilet and check if the idiot plumber who installed it used a supply hose with a plastic fitting instead of metal, just to save a couple bucks. If so, replace it.
It's only a matter of time before a plastic fitting fatigues and breaks, spraying water everywhere.
If you're lucky (we were, thankfully) it'll happen when you're home and near the bathroom so you won't have water gushing for hours.
#HomeRepair #AStitchInTime #GoodAdvice #advice
Aug 31, 2023 at 1:58pmWeb
Show threadJonathan Kamens 86 47Aug 31, 2023
How this played out for us:
My wife suddenly yelling down the stairs, "Jon, there's a huge water leak in the bathroom!"
Me immediately running full-tilt down to the basement and throwing stuff out of the way to get to the whole-house water valve to shut it off.
Cleaning up the water, getting out the tools, turning off the toilet inlet valve, turning the whole-house supply back on while my wife stands by on the phone to confirm that the toilet shut-off actually worked... (continued)
Show threadJonathan Kamens 86 47Aug 31, 2023
... going to Home Depot, buying a replacement with a metal fitting, removing the old hose, struggling to install the replacement hose because the toilet is in a cramped location so it's difficult to tighten the fittings, discovering it's still leaking slightly even after tightening the fittings, diagnosing that the mounting nut for the valve assembly is loose, and tightening it.
So, how was YOUR morning?
Show threadJonathan Kamens 86 47Aug 31, 2023
If you look online you'll see plumbers claim it's rare for plastic fittings to fail so they're fine.
It may be fine for THEM if one of those fittings fails years after they've installed it. A failure doesn't do $thousands in damage to THEIR property?
This is a silly risk to take.
If you're having a new toilet installed, tell the plumber you want brass fittings on the hose, and don't let them talk you out of it.
Our toilet whose fitting failed this morning was installed just seven years ago.
Show threadknizerAug 31, 2023

@jik Hey, thank you! Ours is plastic, I'll pick a replacement up at Tags this weekend. 🙌

Also - Every person in ones home must know where the whole-house water shutoff valve is, because water.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/turn-off-water/

How to Turn Off Water to Your House

Where is your home's main water valve, and how do you turn it off in an emergency? We explain where to look for it, and which tools you might need.

Bob Vila
Show threadPomaxAug 31, 2023
@jik Also look behind your dish and clothes washers: if you see a rubberized hose, replace it asap.
Show threadIaniv 🇨🇦 🇲🇽Aug 31, 2023
@jik when those things fail they might cost you $30,000. Ask me how I know 😢
Show threadJonathan Kamens 86 47Aug 31, 2023
@ianiv
Show threadrefreshingapathy Sep 1, 2023
@jik now I know what I’m checking after I brush my teeth… why is it that homeownership is a constant battle with water??