Sometimes it’s better to call a plumber

I’ll admit it – as a guy, I think I can fix just about anything. Most guys think that way. And let’s face it, a lot of them are really pretty good at taking things apart and putting them back together. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them, even though I’d like to think of myself as a handyman. Maybe I really am delusional after all.

I say this because I recently decided to replace the cartridge in my upstairs shower. The shower had been dripping for two or three years, and my wife wasn’t buying that I needed more time for planning the repair. So one day I jumped on YouTube and searched for videos on how to tackle the job.

I found a half-dozen videos, and the job looked ridiculously simple. And the best part is that they even pointed out that all Moen cartridges are the same and interchangeable. Really? After three trips to the hardware store, I still wasn’t sure I had the right cartridge. Lesson learned: don’t believe everything they say on YouTube, even if a guy with a tool belt is saying it.

Back to the repair. I pried off the cover on the handle and took out the screw holding the handle on. The handle came right off. Then there’s a thingy that’s supposed to slide right off. It didn’t happen and I didn’t have a pair of pliers that could give me a good grip. Back to the hardware store for some tools. I got it off finally and even managed to remove a little metal clip that holds stuff together. (Pardon me for using plumbers’ jargon.)

If I told you everything that happened after this, you’d be bored. So let me sum it up this way. The repair began at 9:30 a.m. and ended a little after 3. It involved three trips to two stores and I spent about $80 in tools, gadgets and things I might need to do the job. Granted, I took 20 minutes to eat a sandwich, but the rest of the day was shot running around looking for what I needed to make this so-called simple repair.

Well, I got the new cartridge in and got everything back together. The faucet doesn’t drip anymore, but when you take a shower, there’s a thumping sound in the wall, like water is dripping somewhere. Not good.

I ended up calling The Plumbing Source to fix the problem. They replaced the cartridge with the right one in about 15 minutes and cleaned up everything real nice. The guy had everything he needed right in the truck. Imagine that! I tried to sell him my plumbing tools, but he wouldn’t bite.

Next time you have a plumbing problem, think about this: Do you really want to spend all day doing a half-baked job and then taking grief for it? Trust me, you’re better off calling The Plumbing Source. Get it done right with one phone call to 877-768-7239.

Take it from me, an expert in how not to do plumbing!