Don't try this at home...

...is the title of  the home-improvement blog I have thought about starting. But I've become a bit  sporadic about posting to the blog I already have, so I'll just continue to throw my house-repair posts in here along with everything else.

Earlier  this week I was hurrying to get out the door so I could get to work on time when all of  a sudden I heard the sound of water rushing. Looking into the kitchen, I could see water pouring out from under the sink.  I dashed out to the curb with my meter key as fast as my lame foot could carry me and turned off the water. Turned out that the hot water compression valve had blown clear off the pipe. It had  been on the pipe for a month, and up to that point hadn't leaked a bit. I'm still researching what I might have done wrong. If  I figure it out I'll let you know.

The pipes I put in under my sink are those new-fangled PEX pipes. I'm thinking about going ahead and getting the fancy expensive tool that you use to connect the pipe to specialized PEX fittings. The tool can be expensive--but not as expensive as calling a plumber. Besides, after I get the foundation and the roof fixed, it might be time to install some new plumbing. This testimonial says that installing PEX water supply pipes is fast, easy,  and  relatively cheap:

In all, even with a burnt hand and broken ribs....don't even ask......I am very pleased with my new plumbing system and the fact that I was able to complete it myself without my house floating down the street!

 And also, apparently, quite an adventure.