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That stupid leak under my sink took me 6 hours to fix | Bad Day Turnarounds - Guest Forum

That stupid leak under my sink took me 6 hours to fix

I noticed a little puddle under my kitchen sink last Tuesday morning. Thought it would be a quick 30 minute job tightening a pipe or swapping a washer. Turns out the compression fitting on the supply line was cracked in a spot I couldn't even see without taking everything apart. I made three trips to the hardware store before I found the right part and a tool to reach the back of the cabinet. Six hours later I had it sealed up and honestly felt like I'd won a championship. Has anyone else had a simple home repair spiral into an all day project?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyr184mo ago

Oh man, the "three trips to the hardware store" part hit close to home. I had a toilet fill valve that I thought would be a quick swap and it turned into this whole thing where the old nut was basically fused to the tank. What finally saved me was taking a picture of the broken part with a ruler next to it before I even left for the store. That way I could just show the picture to the guy at the counter and he handed me the exact right part. Saved me from guessing and going back again. Your mileage may vary but for tight cabinet work a right angle drill attachment is a total lifesaver too.

linda3054mo ago

Wait, a ruler in the picture? That's actually genius. I've been doing this whole "hold it up and guess" thing for years like an idiot.

lee_butler4mo ago

Double down on that picture tip, honestly. Ngl, I started taking pics of everything before I touch it now. Like, the whole setup with a ruler, the broken part itself, even the damn screws lined up in order so I don't forget which hole they came from. That rule saved me on a garbage disposal swap last month. I had the old one half apart before I realized I forgot to snap a pic of the wiring. Took me an extra hour just sorting out which wire went where from memory. Now I'm paranoid and take like 15 photos before I even turn off the water. It feels ridiculous but it beats the hell out of another trip to the store.