Sometimes DIY has a price...

[Bubba1235]

So the garbage disposal went belly up on me and I decided I'd replace it myself. Got the old one out fine and decided that as long as I was under the sink I would replace the faucets because the sprayer hose hasn't worked right in 6 months. (Very little water flow.)

Got the water lines off fairly easy and then had to take the large plastic retaining "nuts" off to free the faucet from the sink. Problem was, there was no way under the sun to get a tool on them. Well I worked out a solution.

1. Get the biggest longest screw driver I had in the tool box.

2. Get the ball peen hammer.

3. Put the end of the screw driver on the tab of the plastic "Nut".

4. Hold the handle firmly in left hand, hammer in right hand.

5. Smack the living crap out of the knuckle of my left thumb and bleed all over everything under the sink!

Can't hardly bend my thumb this morning...

 

[88wellcraft]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Been there....after i got ine replaced i noticed that they sell a specific tool for that at the hardware stores for $10 or so...

 

[JRJ]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

I'm surprised you didn't knock a hole in the sink. Good job

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Been there done that one...
If you do a few a year... Buy yourself a Basin Wrench.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Next time you pass by a Harbor Freight pick one of these up http://www.harborfreight.com/retractable-basin-wrench-41854.html You may never need it again but its cheap insurance.

 

[raven7]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

So you're saying you really didn't need the screwdriver to do what you did to your thumb?

 

[drrpm]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

A Basin Seat Wrench is the tool you need for remove that nut. If you're a homeowner you'll find it worthwhile to have since its likely you'll have to replace other faucets eventully.

 

[oops!]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

lol.....sorry boat the hand bubba.


but i just spit coffee all over my screen

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

You hit the wrong handle

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Working under the kitchen sink is never fun. The last time down there though was a success as I did replace the disposer

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

You only forgot to sharpen your screw driver first since you thought it was a chisel . Any guess's how many wacks any body can do before they miss in such a position ? Works good on steel and brass nuts , propane heated screwdriver tip works good on Plastic ,Oil dirivited nuts but fumes from nylon, delron , polyproplene not so good for you but and teflon can kill ,throbing body parts useasly heal and only have to wave hold hand above heart as long as queen in long parade . Besides Plumbers crack doesnt develope because their job is so pleasent and easy the just have the tools and experiance and body for that of work .

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Were you able to finish the job?

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Ahh yes I know that tool, mine is plastic and it came with my new faucet thankfully. Although I have since used it as a breaking bar and broke the actual tool...whats left of it remains a nice little breaking bar though.

When I was down there messin around I forgot the safety glasses. I ended up getting a nice piece of rust in my eye, as I'm throwing my head under various bottles of water and sinks, I realize I'm much better stripping naked and into the shower I go. The shower didnt help, I ended up naked, soaking wet with my girlfriend's finger in my eye. No damage to my eye thankfully. :facepalm:

And that's the OTHER way you can get soaking wet while working on a sink.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

 

[JRJ]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Next time you pass by a Harbor Freight pick one of these up http://www.harborfreight.com/retractable-basin-wrench-41854.html You may never need it again but its cheap insurance.

If that wrench works, I need one.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Those wrenches work amazingly well. Also great on oil pressure sending units on the rear of an engine block, loosening the cable TV nut on the back of a big screen TV, and for killing enormous spiders in your garage.

 

[Cofe]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Just because most of us can muster up a pro plumber crack, does not mean that a plumbing job will go smoother.
I have also noticed many specialized tools that plumbers have, and one of them is a big sharpened screwdriver. But that is made for scraping klingons off of things.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Sorry about your thumb. The correct score card for any plumbing job is how many trips to the store did you have to make. I think my record low was 3.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

Grew up the son of a plumber --- When everything goes right you have a good day and those are few and far between. Last week I broke a finger setting re-bar, this weekend I pulled a muscle in my back setting upper cabinets. Sometimes it is what it is but you still feel good about your accomplishments and that thumb is your trophy! Gettr Done!

 

[RandyJ]

Re: Sometimes DIY has a price...

If you're too cheap to go buy one of them fancy faucet wrenches find a piece of 1 1/4" PVC and cut slits in the end to turn those plastic ears with.... get more torque by drilling hole through other end to stick a big screwdriver thru to turn it... works great! But, I bet you're wife is still laughing at you! ... hehehe