Tried to fix a leaky faucet in my bathroom and flooded the whole cabinet underneath

I was just tightening what I thought was the compression nut under the sink in my apartment in Philly, and the whole brass fitting snapped off, spraying water everywhere for like 5 minutes before I found the shutoff valve. Had to tear out the particle board shelf and run a dehumidifier for three days straight - has anyone else had one of those $10 repair jobs turn into a $200 headache?

3 comments

3 Comments

karencampbell6d ago

Tightening is always what gets you.

bennett.harper6d ago

Read that in a builders forum, makes total sense now.

michaelgrant6d ago

Yeah I read something similar from an old mechanic who said "tight is tight, too tight is broken." Sounds like a joke but it's true. Once you cross that line you can strip threads or crack a bolt and then you're stuck with a much bigger problem. Over the years I've seen way more problems from things being too tight than too loose. A little thread locker goes a long way if you're worried about something backing out. Better to be a hair loose and check it again than to be too tight and break something.