mapguy
03-30-04, 06:41 PM
Sort of....
In early February I went to a call about a hot water heater that was leaking. Told the guy that it was hosed and he needed a new one. So I went back to the shop and picked up a new one. Got back and started getting ready to take out the old one. Homeowner comes down and tells me that he is going shopping and that he will be home in a couple of hours. No problem, I told him and that I would call his cell if I was done before he was home. After he leaves I notice that the hackers who installed his original water heater (Sears..) had placed the water shut off valve to the heater about two inches above the water heater. So I try to find the main shut off for the house. Turns out it was in the next unit. (duplex). Damn.. So I grab a compression fitting from the truck and decide to cut the pipe above the valve as there was no way I could cut it below. I figure that I would get a little wet while putting the fitting on. Well, as soon as I made it through the pipe I got a blast of ice cold water in the face and I dropped the fitting. By the time I found the fitting and got it on the pipe I was absolutely drenched from head to foot. It was at this time that I realized that my can of mapp (no relation) gas was on the truck. This is really starting to suck as it is just above 0 outside and windy as hell. So I go out and as usual what I need is buried. By the time I grab the canister I notice that there is something restricting the movement of my legs. My pants are starting to freeze. I get back in the house, now I am really pissed off. So I get down stairs and notice that the washer and dryer are in the same room. Hmm... I figure that he won't be home for a couple of hours so I strip down to my undies and toss the rest into the dryer. So I go about installing the heater all the while carefully listening for the door. Luckily my clothes were dry before he got home. I never thought that I would be sweating pipes in my scivvies when I signed up for this job. It was tricky, I tell you. To make matters worse it was a gas hot water heater. I was lucky not to get any pipe dope on... well, you know...
In early February I went to a call about a hot water heater that was leaking. Told the guy that it was hosed and he needed a new one. So I went back to the shop and picked up a new one. Got back and started getting ready to take out the old one. Homeowner comes down and tells me that he is going shopping and that he will be home in a couple of hours. No problem, I told him and that I would call his cell if I was done before he was home. After he leaves I notice that the hackers who installed his original water heater (Sears..) had placed the water shut off valve to the heater about two inches above the water heater. So I try to find the main shut off for the house. Turns out it was in the next unit. (duplex). Damn.. So I grab a compression fitting from the truck and decide to cut the pipe above the valve as there was no way I could cut it below. I figure that I would get a little wet while putting the fitting on. Well, as soon as I made it through the pipe I got a blast of ice cold water in the face and I dropped the fitting. By the time I found the fitting and got it on the pipe I was absolutely drenched from head to foot. It was at this time that I realized that my can of mapp (no relation) gas was on the truck. This is really starting to suck as it is just above 0 outside and windy as hell. So I go out and as usual what I need is buried. By the time I grab the canister I notice that there is something restricting the movement of my legs. My pants are starting to freeze. I get back in the house, now I am really pissed off. So I get down stairs and notice that the washer and dryer are in the same room. Hmm... I figure that he won't be home for a couple of hours so I strip down to my undies and toss the rest into the dryer. So I go about installing the heater all the while carefully listening for the door. Luckily my clothes were dry before he got home. I never thought that I would be sweating pipes in my scivvies when I signed up for this job. It was tricky, I tell you. To make matters worse it was a gas hot water heater. I was lucky not to get any pipe dope on... well, you know...