The $27,000 Toilet Seat - Funny DIY Story

This story was told to me by a plumber I know and it brings home the reason why there are times to call a professional.

I received a call from a homeowner asking for someone to come estimate some repairs. When I asked the sort of repairs, he said it would be too many to enumerate, but much easier if I just came out to the house and looked. I went. It began like this...

Old Joe wanted to change his toilet seat, but couldn't get the old one off. So he tried wrenches until he rounded off the nuts (he was turning them the wrong way because they were upside down) and then decided to get his trusty cold chisel and hammer out. Well, he tapped a bit on it with no success, so he drew back the hammer to smite a mighty blow against the stubborn bolt. In so doing he broke the toilet tank and flooded the area with cold water. This cold water gave him a shock and he drew back in a hurry dropping the hammer into the bathtub causing a big chunk of the porcelain to pop off the tub floor.

Regrouping his thoughts, he ran down to the basement two floors below to shut off the water to the house, the house had no other valves installed when it was built in the 1890's. Meanwhile water was flooding through the floors and had saturated the plaster of the ceiling below to the point it collapsed into the living room. Old Joe then removed what was left of the toilet tank, and tried to remove the bowl from the floor flange. It wouldn't budge either, so out comes the trusty chisel and hammer again, and "WHACK" no more toilet bowl. In the process however, he managed to tear the closet flange from the floor as well,and since it was attached to a lead closet bend, it torn and now needed replaced too. He determined that it would be necessary to cut out the tee in the stack where the closet bent was attached. Since he had no idea how to repair old lead piping, he thought using that nifty PVC from Home Depot would do the trick.

He tried to cut the cast iron stack with a hacksaw to no avail, then tried a sawzall, also fruitless, so.... yep, out comes the good old chisel and hammer, but a bigger hammer this time. He whacks on the stack a few mighty blows and Viola' it splits into several pieces with one tiny segment still holding it all together. He pried the last vestige of solid pipe out of the wall with a crowbar and suddenly the remaining section of pipe (the vent going through the roof) lets go and with a mighty crash comes down and out of the wall through the sub floor into the now plaster less ceiling of the living room, continues its downward decent until it hits the TV set, ricocheting off that and through the floor of the living room until it hit the electrical panel plunging the house into total darkness and finally comes to rest after shearing off the main water shut off valve flooding the basement.

This was a $27,000 toilet seat replacement.

For More Do It Yourself Funny Stories visit: http://www.forteelectric.com/DIYproblems.html

Paul Forte has been in the construction field for over 25 years. You can visit his website at http://www.forteelectric.com

---

What Are Circuit Breakers?

Circuit Breakers are devices that stop the electrical current of... Read More

Air Sanders: Forget Electric, Go Air!

An air sander is a common air tool often overlooked... Read More

Maintaining Your Hot Tub

Purchasing a hot tub is a big investment and one... Read More

What is Wire EDM?

What exactly is wire electrical discharge machining, also referred to... Read More

Corrugated Roofing Materials Used for Roofing Any Structure

The roof is a very essential element of the house,... Read More

Fixer-Uppers: What To Fix

You've bought a house, a fixer-upper you can make some... Read More

Feng Shui, Design Psychology and Bed Placement

I love Feng Shui! Whether you believe this ancient Asian... Read More

The Health Benefits Of Drinking Water - Is Bottled Drinking Water Healthier Than Filtered Tap Water?

Water is a key ingredient in a healthy diet and... Read More

Allow Me to Introduce You to the Fungus Family

What exactly is mold? There are over 100,000 different kinds... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Conservatories - Dispelling a Myth

It's now well into the new year and the residential... Read More

Building A Pair Of Heavy Duty Saw Horses

Start out by measuring and cutting all your stock according... Read More

How to Select the Best Laminate Flooring for You

Hardwood flooring - its' traditional look is almost timeless, its'... Read More

Ways to Heat Your Water

Water heating optionsWhere you live, as well as the life... Read More

Repairing Your Faulty uPVC Double Glazed Windows And Doors

It is an amazing fact that uPVC double glazing was... Read More

Deck Building Basics

In my previous article, "planning for a new deck," I... Read More

Home Floor Plan Designing For Your Future Home

Designing Your Own Dream Home for the New Home Builder:... Read More

Single hung aluminum window glass repair

Let's talk about repairing broken glass in an aluminum frame... Read More

Bamboo Flooring Is Taking The Design World By Storm

Are you looking for something different for your house? Maybe... Read More

Would You Steel Your Household Appliances

Would you steel your appliances? That is a question many... Read More

Strongly Scented Candles: Use your mouth, nose and eyes to tell

Triple scented, heavily scented, strongly scented - these are all... Read More

Log Homes - Is a Log Home In Your Future?

Many people dream about a log home in their future... Read More

The Benefits of Steel Storage Buildings

Steel is gaining in popularity as a building material due... Read More

Bathroom Interior Design

Any advice or guide on the interior design of a... Read More

Choosing a Vinyl Replacement Window Contractor

Whenever I write an article, it's usually tailored to the... Read More

Hardwood Floor Refinishing - For The Faint of Heart

Are your beautiful hardwood floors not so beautiful anymore? Maybe... Read More

Different Materials Used for Roofing and Determining the Cost of Each One

There is never a structure you will find that lacks... Read More

Family Fun ? Is Swimming In A Safe Pool

Family fun is one of the most important things you... Read More

Faux Fireplace, on the Cheap!

Does the coming winter chill remind you how much you... Read More

Guide to Bathroom Design

The first step is to plan the design ? as... Read More

What to Know Before Signing a Home Improvement Contract

It is important to be a very careful consumer when... Read More

Ceiling Fans ? That Dont Require The Ceiling

The trend in remodeling homes is to expand the outdoor... Read More

Pool Supplies Should Also Contain Safety

A swimming pool with attached spa has just been installed... Read More

Planning Your In-Wall Speaker System

So you've finally decided to get your favorite music throughout... Read More