Do it yourself

Quote: DRich

This week I drained my pool and cleaned it. Pretty simple but I was surprised how long it took to fill it back up with the hose. It took about 52 hours before it was full and I don't have a very big pool.

A garden hose will put out, depending on hose diameter and water pressure, between 7 to 20 gallons per minute.

Quote: GenoDRPh

A garden hose will put out, depending on hose diameter and water pressure, between 7 to 20 gallons per minute.

I do have a small diameter hose so I would guess I was getting about 4 gallons a minute.

Quote: DRich

I do have a small diameter hose so I would guess I was getting about 4 gallons a minute.

Most men will never admit to having a small diameter hose.

Quote: Evenbob

Most men will never admit to having a small diameter hose.

I only bring honesty to these forums.

So I went to do laundry the other day, and happened to pay attention to the state of the water hoses connecting to the washing machine-and they look every day of their 20 year age. Considering plumbers recommend replacing after 5 years I figure they're due for retirement. I tried turning off the valves, but the valves are even older than the hoses haven't been turned off in at least 2 years and were seized open. So now I have to replace the valves as well. A quick trip to the Big Blue home center for 2 new valves, a set of hoses and some ancillary supplies and I got to work. Problem is I needed to turn off the water to the hose. No big deal. I also needed to turn off the oil boiler, since it's a forced hot water heating system. A few turns of the monkey wrench to loosen each valve and they came right off with a judicious and generous application of elbow grease. The new valves installed even easier. Problem is I mixed up the red and blue valves so I had to change them out and switch their locations. Turned the water back on and the boiler and no leaks.

Less then $100 in parts and tools saved me a $300 service call.

Quote: GenoDRPh

So I went to do laundry the other day, and happened to pay attention to the state of the water hoses connecting to the washing machine-and they look every day of their 20 year age. Considering plumbers recommend replacing after 5 years I figure they're due for retirement. I tried turning off the valves, but the valves are even older than the hoses haven't been turned off in at least 2 years and were seized open. So now I have to replace the valves as well. A quick trip to the Big Blue home center for 2 new valves, a set of hoses and some ancillary supplies and I got to work. Problem is I needed to turn off the water to the hose. No big deal. I also needed to turn off the oil boiler, since it's a forced hot water heating system. A few turns of the monkey wrench to loosen each valve and they came right off with a judicious and generous application of elbow grease. The new valves installed even easier. Problem is I mixed up the red and blue valves so I had to change them out and switch their locations. Turned the water back on and the boiler and no leaks.

Less then $100 in parts and tools saved me a $300 service call.

Wow, I would have never taken those valves back off. I would have just crossed the hoses and lived with the hot water coming out of the blue valve.

Quote: DRich

Wow, I would have never taken those valves back off. I would have just crossed the hoses and lived with the hot water coming out of the blue valve.

I would have just painted the ends of the hoses the right color and not change them back.

Quote: GenoDRPh

So I went to do laundry the other day, and happened to pay attention to the state of the water hoses connecting to the washing machine-and they look every day of their 20 year age. Considering plumbers recommend replacing after 5 years I figure they're due for retirement. I tried turning off the valves, but the valves are even older than the hoses haven't been turned off in at least 2 years and were seized open. So now I have to replace the valves as well. A quick trip to the Big Blue home center for 2 new valves, a set of hoses and some ancillary supplies and I got to work. Problem is I needed to turn off the water to the hose. No big deal. I also needed to turn off the oil boiler, since it's a forced hot water heating system. A few turns of the monkey wrench to loosen each valve and they came right off with a judicious and generous application of elbow grease. The new valves installed even easier. Problem is I mixed up the red and blue valves so I had to change them out and switch their locations. Turned the water back on and the boiler and no leaks.

Less then $100 in parts and tools saved me a $300 service call.

I don't know where my new washer was made, (probably China) but the hot and cold water were reversed compared to the wall. I got my stuck valves to move by leaving several paper towels soaked in vinegar. overnight They are old though, and I probably won't mess with them again, unless I absolutely have to.

Conditions were conductive to replacement. The pipes and valves are exposed in a partially finished part of the basement. The valves are threaded and not soldered or braised. The whole house shut off holds well enough to stop water to the house. The replacement was within my skill level and didn't require any tools that I didn't already have or get at low cost. If all of those conditions weren't met I would've tried to find another way to change the hoses. Upon inspection both old valves would not have held water as the rubber gaskets were all corroded.

As for switching the hot and cold, I thought about just leaving them reversed, but that would have just led to confusion down the road. The hoses are color coded and would have added more confusion to see a red hose connected to a blue valve. Is it hot or cold? I though about labeling the valve or pipes with a sticker or marker or tag, but that would've been more work. I thought about taking the handles off and switching them but that would've been more work. The easiest way to do it correctly was to just switch the valves, while I was standing there with the pliers and pipe wrench in hand. Removing the new valves would never have been as easy if I decided to do so down the road than at that moment. All's well that ends better! Now I can move on to the next DIY, probably a couple of smart thermostats.

Quote: GenoDRPh

Now I can move on to the next DIY, probably a couple of smart thermostats.

That is one of the few projects that I was able to do by myself. It was incredibly simple.