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$300 finds the leak.
Another $1,000 fixes the leak.
I have the $300...
Yes, Mr Plumber, Sir, I am aware that I should have the house re-piped.
We could save up to do that, except we keep having to spend $1,500 every five months fixing leaks.
We haven't got the front porch's tropical storm damage repaired for the same reason. We keep spending money on emergency repairs so we can never save up to do preventative maintenance.
Oh, I can SO relate!
ReplyDeletei think we all can...panzer guy
ReplyDeleteI'm just thankful nothing big has failed while we're still paying for a roof. The home warranty is occasionally worth what we pay as long as the 25 year old furnace keeps working. Fortunately I can handle appliance repairs so oven, dryer and dishwasher were $150 in parts and a few hours of work
ReplyDeleteHere is a little secret of life. Every human can pretty much repair anything having learned by observing others or analyzing what is before them then have no fear of failure, that is to say, if it fails you dig in heels and fix it again until right.
ReplyDeleteWhen I arrived here as a newbie homeowner, I has only a basic understanding of wiring (engineer) but no practical experience whatsoever.
After 40+ years of having a home, the repertoire now includes pretty much everything, plumbing, roofing, wiring, gas plumbing, A/C and hot water, brickwork, cement floating (the first was ugly, the second smooth as silk). The only thing not tackled to date has been a furnace replacement 20 years ago.
Pay the guy to find the leak or use a metal detector to trace the pipe runs, then take a best guess at where there are junctions, rent an electric jackhammer and go for it. I am assuming you are on a slab in FL. Around here everything is in the basement for water or attic & basement for electric. Good luck and no beers until job is actually done, otherwise can lead to more issues than solutions.
Younger McThag did exactly that several times. I'm too old for this shit now.
DeleteI've said, more than once, "this is why houses used to have crawl-spaces."
However! If we REALLY have to repipe through the attic, I have the skills to get it done. I'm just too worn out to get the angles needed under the slab.
Deleteit's like going to the doctor or hospital and getting bills for the next 6 months...like what the hell people...panzer guy
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention that... Me slamming The Precious into a tree and Harvey breaking her shoulder generated such bills for about a year. She just mailed the last payment on hers and the collectors are starting to get the message that the VA paid the bill already.
DeleteRE: Re-piping. Having lived in FL, that is the ultimate destination. Under-slab copper, once it starts deveoping leaks at about 25-30 years, will just continue. If the attic is insulated, especially if well insulated, will be a PITA.
ReplyDeleteHad a neighbor once who did his own re-pipe; he spent some time in the attic measuring, looking for wall top plates, etc. and mapped out where everything was, then computer how much PEX he'd need and the fittings and tools (Pro Tip: it's ~$350, but the cordless expander tool and collars is the way to go, and brass fittings are forever; not an issue in FL, but PEX can tolerate a small amount of infrequent freezing but the plastic fittings can't. Those tools might be available to rent now, then they weren't. The crimping collars and crimp tool requires some "training and experience" to be confident of no leaks, the expander tool and collars are stone-simple to use)
He went to a local trade school and hired a plumber's apprentice-in-training for a weekend to help fish & run the PEX, he had already opened the walls to access valves, etc. A very, very long weekend without water (spouse and kids were dispatched to the beach for the weekend) by late Sunday night it was done and for about 1/3 the cost of a commercial plumber.
It can probably be DIY in stages - attic work, running PEX in walls to near the valves, etc. with wall cuts and fitting install held for last. Planning, planning, planning. Plumbers who do re-pipes know just what to do, 3 pro guys can do an entire house in 8 hours, but climbing the vertical section of the learning curve the first time is what's so time consuming and frustating.
I know how to run copper. I'm just too old to do it under the slab anymore. I can get IN, I can't get OUT.
DeleteStuff like this makes me glad my area builds on crawl spaces or even full basements so the pipes are out of the dirt and can be repaired without breaking concrete. . I've still had to shell out around $2000 back in the oughts to dig up sewer lines after tree roots blocked them and my current place has one sprinkler zone abandoned because of roots. I hate roots
DeleteWe need to move our on demand water heater and in floor heating pex 6’ into the garage. Two estimates so far, one for $18,000 the other for $12,000.
ReplyDeleteJFM