Tell us about your self-inflicted DIY cock-ups
Discussion
blueg33 said:
Bob_The_Builder said:
There is drilling into a mains water pipe, then there is doing it so an entire road in Westminster has to have their water supply shut off while we do repairs. Oops
I had a site in central Cheltenham. When we were demolishing it, I got a phone call to advise me we had created a new town centre water feature. A 50ft high fountain!
The council were not happy. You could see it from the town hall!
My very first DIY job with my brand new drill in our first house, a new build with storage heaters. I drilled a hole to put a curtain rail up, all seemed fine until 11:30pm when there was a flash and loud bang. I had drilled straight through the centre of the storage heater cable buried in the wall.
vaud said:
LimmerickLad said:
Installing a telephone extension pre-tinternet days...
Ahh you didn't have the magic pixie version.blueg33 said:
2 weeks ago, I had to replace a shower valve cartridge in our holiday let.
I drove down to Devon (3 hours) with tool kit and replacement valve.
Turned off the service valves (buried in the back of a cupboard under the stairs accessible only by a contortionist with night vision.
Checked shower was off
Unscrewed the retaining nut for the valve and the valve was ejected from the shower at about 100mph by a blast of high pressure cold water.
I was instantly soaked through and couldn't get the valve back into the housing such was the pressure
I also had an issue when replacing a shower valve cartridge, although with much lesser consequences. We have a combi boiler, so mains pressure hot and cold water.I drove down to Devon (3 hours) with tool kit and replacement valve.
Turned off the service valves (buried in the back of a cupboard under the stairs accessible only by a contortionist with night vision.
Checked shower was off
Unscrewed the retaining nut for the valve and the valve was ejected from the shower at about 100mph by a blast of high pressure cold water.
I was instantly soaked through and couldn't get the valve back into the housing such was the pressure
I'd turned the water off at the internal stop cock and opened the shower valve to drain the water, so the pipe was now empty of water (and full of air).
I replaced the cartridge and turned the water back on at the stop cock in the kitchen (thus pressurising the pipe and compressing the air in it).
I can't remember exactly why now, but before turning on the shower, I decided I needed to remove the cartridge again for something I'd forgotten to do - maybe putting a bit of ptfe tape on before fitting it. I therefore went and turned off the water at the stop cock in the kitchen and returned to the shower to remove the cartridge. Unfortunately I neglected to open the shower valve before proceeding to remove the cartridge.
As I took out the little retaining grub screw, the cartridge, powered by the compressed air in the pipe, launched itself with a massive bang, missing my head by a couple of inches, flew across the bathroom, took a 1 inch chunk out of the tile and left a significant dent in the opposite bathroom wall.
I didn't get round to sorting the wall for a good few months, which meant staring at the damage every time I went to the loo as a salutary reminder of how stupid I'd been, and also how lucky that it hadn't hit me in the head.
I can add to this as of last weekend. DIY service my mower every year, did it a couple of weeks ago. Fairly simple oil and filter change, fuel filter change and check belts followed by sharpen blades.
I must have checked the oil wrong. I swear I pulled out the dipstick, wiped and replaced.
Came to use it this weekend (I had previously used it after the service) and after a few mins it clonked out. Thought it was weird but tried to restart and it fired up albeit a little lethargically. Few more seconds and bangsilence. Would not move. Looks like it ran dry of oil and is seized solid.
Managed to find a replacement engine though so now just got to remove the pulleys on this one, take it out and put the newold one in.
I must have checked the oil wrong. I swear I pulled out the dipstick, wiped and replaced.
Came to use it this weekend (I had previously used it after the service) and after a few mins it clonked out. Thought it was weird but tried to restart and it fired up albeit a little lethargically. Few more seconds and bangsilence. Would not move. Looks like it ran dry of oil and is seized solid.
Managed to find a replacement engine though so now just got to remove the pulleys on this one, take it out and put the newold one in.
Years ago, when wallpaper friezes were a thing.
I ran out, a few inches short. Back to store, none left. But had a sample..
I carefully spliced it in, invisible join.
Then asked the snagger (wife) to see if she could spot the mistake.
Walked in, a quick look - yes, you hung it upside-down!
I ran out, a few inches short. Back to store, none left. But had a sample..
I carefully spliced it in, invisible join.
Then asked the snagger (wife) to see if she could spot the mistake.
Walked in, a quick look - yes, you hung it upside-down!
James6112 said:
Years ago, when wallpaper friezes were a thing.
I ran out, a few inches short. Back to store, none left. But had a sample..
I carefully spliced it in, invisible join.
Then asked the snagger (wife) to see if she could spot the mistake.
Walked in, a quick look - yes, you hung it upside-down!
All of it? It's art, darling. Just the carefully spliced in bit? Sucks to be you. I ran out, a few inches short. Back to store, none left. But had a sample..
I carefully spliced it in, invisible join.
Then asked the snagger (wife) to see if she could spot the mistake.
Walked in, a quick look - yes, you hung it upside-down!
hidetheelephants said:
James6112 said:
Years ago, when wallpaper friezes were a thing.
I ran out, a few inches short. Back to store, none left. But had a sample..
I carefully spliced it in, invisible join.
Then asked the snagger (wife) to see if she could spot the mistake.
Walked in, a quick look - yes, you hung it upside-down!
All of it? It's art, darling. Just the carefully spliced in bit? Sucks to be you. I ran out, a few inches short. Back to store, none left. But had a sample..
I carefully spliced it in, invisible join.
Then asked the snagger (wife) to see if she could spot the mistake.
Walked in, a quick look - yes, you hung it upside-down!
Hanging a cabinet in the kitchen the drill bit would only go so far in, not like the other holes drilled. Swapped bit for a masonry one, just in case, and applied more pressure. Unknown to me, for a short time, I was working my way through the metal conduit the 30amp supply for the cooker was in. A blinding flash with a loud bang was not good to hear early on a Saturday evening.
Learnt my lesson that day.
Learnt my lesson that day.
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