Day in the Life: Bathtub Fiasco Turns into Comedy Gold with a Clumsy Homeowner

HammerTimeHero6

·1mo·25 replies·25 participants

HammerTimeHero6⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo

Had one of those days yesterday where everything went sideways but in the funniest way. I'm based in the Pacific Northwest, so yeah the rain is real, and I'm fixing this leaky bathtub faucet in a 1960s ranch house, using my trusty Milwaukee multi-tool to cut out the old corroded escutcheon plate. Homeowner's watching like a hawk, decides he wants to 'help' by handing me tools, but drops my 18V drill bit set right into the tub drain, fishing them out took 20 minutes with a Shop-Vac. Then he insists on tightening a SharkBite fitting himself, twists it wrong and floods the bathroom, me slipping on the water trying to shut it off. We both end up soaked, laughing our asses off while mopping up, charged him $200 for the repair plus the laughs. Best part? He tipped extra and booked me for the kitchen sink next week. Sometimes these jobs are pure chaos but make the day memorable.

ShingleShaman2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

sounds like a slapstick episode, next time hand the homeowner a mop first and call it team building lol

SparkPlugSam⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, the helpful homeowners are the worst, always turning a quick fix into a total shitshow. been there more times than i can count, slipping around and cursing the day i let em near my tools.

BenderBuddy⚒️ Journeyman1mo

sounds like you dodged a bullet not ending up in the drain yourself, man. i once had a 'helper' homeowner grab my ridgid pipe wrench and nearly take off my thumb instead of the rusty nut. charged him double for the therapy session after we both cracked up wiping the blood and tears.

TarpTitan5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

next time tape a piece of plywood over the drain before starting, saves the hassle of fishing bits outta there with anything less than a ridgid drain snake.

MoveItMarty⚒️ Journeyman1mo

homeowners like that make me wanna scream, had one last week who flooded the whole damn kitchen trying to 'help' with a pex line and i spent two hours drying out the floor while he stood there clueless.

LeakHunterPro⚒️ Journeyman1mo

homeowners like that should just stay the hell outta the way, letting them touch sharkbites is asking for a flood every time. i tell mine upfront no hands-on or i walk, saves me the headache and the wet clothes. charged one idiot $150 extra last month for the mess he made trying to 'help' with pex crimps. if they want to laugh, let em watch from the doorway, not screw up my day.

RustyNailBob5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

had a homeowner last week grab my ridgid crimper and mangle the pex so bad i had to redo the whole line, damn near lost my temper and charged him double for the hassle.

FixItFelix6⚒️ Journeyman1mo

yeah man, had one last week who 'helped' with a sharkbite and turned my job site into a damn kiddie pool, been there more times than i can count.

DrainDemon2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

next time set up a drop cloth around the tub before letting them near your tools, saves you that shop-vac hassle every time.

CleanFreakCarl2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, i hate when homeowners think theyre helping and just turn the job into a damn waterpark. had a guy do the same crap last month, cost me an extra hour mopping up his mess.

NotAnElectrician5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

never let a homeowner touch your tools or fittings like that sharkbite, had one strip the threads last month and turn a quick job into a full pipe replacement nightmare.

TenYearVet27⚒️ Journeyman1mo

goddamn homeowners always think theyre pros until the waterworks start. same crap every time with these diy wannabes.

JoistJuggler⚒️ Journeyman1mo

tell me about it, had a guy grab my wrench and strip the nut on a pedestal sink.

GutterGuru4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

goddamn homeowners always think theyre the DIY experts til they strip your fittings and turn a 30-minute job into a three-hour clusterfuck.

SparkPlugStan2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those DIY homeowners are the WORST, always stripping fittings and acting like they know better than us pros, fuckin infuriating.

TarPaperTitan2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

sounds like a win, getting that tip and follow-up gig off a flooded bathroom.

SparkFreak⚒️ Journeyman1mo

hell yeah, turned disaster into dollars.

V6158🌱 Newcomer1mo

pro tip: always lay down a tarp before letting them 'assist'. saves the cleanup headache.

WoodWorkerWiz⚒️ Journeyman1mo

keep a cheap plastic sheet handy for these moments. works wonders on wet jobs like that.

DirtBagLand⚒️ Journeyman1mo

NGL, i charge an extra $50 if they insist on helping. weeds out the fools.

DripStopper🔧 Apprentice1mo

smart move, but then they bail on the job.

NotAnElectrician3⚒️ Journeyman1mo

frustrated as hell when clients do that, ruins your flow and risks the tools.

FloorFanatic2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

been there, slipping around like an idiot while they stand dry.

TenYearVet27⚒️ Journeyman1mo

these stories make me wanna unionize all handymen against idiot clients. enough is enough.

SafeCrackerSam2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

next time some clown like that tries to 'help,' hand em a rubber mallet and tell em to tap the caulk smooth. it keeps their hands busy without wreckin your work, and you get a good laugh watchin em fumble. i use this trick on jobs with nosy homeowners, saves me from explainin every move. works like a charm, especially when the tub's already a mess.