DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sun, 09 Aug 2026 01:15:37 GMT

steelworker — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 01:15:37 GMT

@meatmarketdenim1 that’s scary as hell.
I’ve seen what happens when it doesn’t turn out well

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 23:46:01 GMT

meatmarketdenim1 — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 23:46:01 GMT

I got a leaky shower rn, not bad but need get it fixed. Was looking at YouTube videos but I learned a long time ago I’m not super handy. Plus YouTube videos make it seem way easier than it actually is for me.
My story is almost blew up my old apt and myself 5 or 6 years back. Replacing a thermocouple on hot water heater. I technically did it right, but the old handyman that installed hot water heater, didn’t install or leave drainage pipe/pan. So all the insulation was all water damaged. I Turned gas back on and light it up. Proud myself thought easy fix, the hot weather heater went boom, jumped like 2 feet in air and all the gas went up my shirt and hair/face. Luckly no flames, Was scary AF. I had handyman come next day and warned him my experience, same thing happened and he was scared as well, said he never saw that. We ended up needing a new hot water heater and valuable lesson learned

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 22:42:45 GMT

Giles — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 22:42:45 GMT

At my local chandlery, if I go in to buy n screws/nuts/washers/bolts, they always give me n+2 (but only charge me for n), because they know I will lose some in the bilges or the sea......

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:49:24 GMT

goosehd — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:49:24 GMT

@pechelman

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:36:21 GMT

Anesthetist — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:36:21 GMT

@Mizmazzle our old house had a mortis lock stuck in a door some 2” thick. It took a locksmith (owner of the company in his 60’s) over 3 hours to fix it.

Recently I was trying to fix a shower faucet that was super stiff to turn and dripped. After a few youtubes and a hardware store run, I had it figured out. I didnt take into account that the ancient ass cartridge would be cold welded in place. Another hardware store run to luckily get the last cartridge puller in stock and about 90 more minutes of cussing and fighting and it finally freed up. The cherry on top was I installed the new cartridge and turned on the water to test it and accidentally soaked myself. ‍️

Tired, sore, bloody knuckles, and soaked. Last time I try to be a plumber…

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:22:39 GMT

goosehd — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:22:39 GMT

@Mizmazzle those contortionist jobs are the best especially combined with the need to have the hands the size of a toddler with the strength of Hercules. Don’t want to forget the needed dexterity to balance the nut and washer on the tip of the finger hoping it’s doesn’t fall into some abyss that swallows all light. Then the joy of going to the hardware store to replace said nut and washer trying to explain what you’re looking for to the sales people. They know exactly what you need, but take great joy in you describing it and making you sweat

…or you decide not to ask for help and guidance, pick out something that should work, get home to realize that it doesn’t, to drive back and exchange it with your head hung in shame.

Not saying that any of this has ever happened to me

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:53:20 GMT

Mizmazzle — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:53:20 GMT

I had to change out a bathroom faucet last week. Fairly straight forward in concept. Decided to watch a quick YouTube video to make sure I wasn’t overlooking any steps. Video was clean and precise. No problem…
…until all the lines and connectors were different, the tight spacing for the nuts up behind the basin were damn near impossible to get to (requiring me to use 4 different sized crescent wrenches) and the whole time the ledge of the cabinet digging into my back the two hours it took me to complete the job.

20 minute job my arse!

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:47:20 GMT

Mizmazzle — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:47:20 GMT

@goosehd door lock, handles, and latches can be surprisingly challenging to fix and replace.

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:35:10 GMT

endo — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:35:10 GMT

It's like using a computer: everything goes faster, but it takes a bit longer.

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:10:20 GMT

pechelman — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:10:20 GMT

This thread reminds me of the scene in Malcolm in the middle where Hal had to change a lightbulb. With looking for the clip if you haven't seen it.

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:43:28 GMT

goosehd — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:43:28 GMT

Here’s another one…went for a quick pee in a bathroom that I rarely use. Flushed the toilet and it wouldn’t stop running. After 15-20 minutes of f’n around finally got it working properly again.

Asked the girls how long that’s been going on or if they noticed. Yes, for a few months, and you just have to jiggle the handle to get it to stop.

Could have told me and I would have fixed it…

We didn’t want to get in trouble.

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:30:18 GMT

goosehd — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:30:18 GMT

@Giles …and I’m working on a front door right now where the latch is broken. I’ve taken it apart to clean it to see if there is a build up of residue (oil, dirt, etc.) and it’s still not working properly. A trip to the hardware store is next on the list…Simple job that’s kicking my arse.

I’ve already fixed it once this year…

I believe it’s worn out, years of misuse of everyone reefing on the handle, and just at the end of its life (planned obsolescence). We have a door with a mechanism that is at least 80 years old that gives me half of the grieve of this one (12 years old).

Reply to DIY Jobs That Taker Longer Than you Planned, Or Just Go Badly Wrong on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:29:29 GMT

Giles — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:29:29 GMT

I had something happen on the boat yesterday that required me to work out the comparitive temperatures of the engines, long story, but I have fixed the issue now. Hurrah, I have an infra red camera precisely for this sort of thing.

I WhatsApped Dennis earlier to give him the sequence of events.....

Look for camera, took half an hour
Fits into charging socket of iPhone
That is, the old type charging socket, not USBC
I have an iPhone 17
Luckily I bought an iPhone 13 off @AdamJ when I lost my phone in Sark and double luckily decided that keeping it on the boat was a good idea
Phone no juice, charge that
Plugged IR camera into iPhone
Camera no juice, charge that
Download the app
90 mins later I can take a fucking photo

As Dennis said, a 5 minute DIY job that takes one and a half hours.

I have now bought an infra red thermometer as well.........