Rooting Out the Source of Chad’s Tears Falls

What was the problem? We finally figured it out. It wasn’t that I drove a screw through a pipe when installing the sink. It also wasn’t that the Irishman did any damage with his power nailer. (And when I dropped by to offer this suggestion he didn’t take too kindly to the idea.)

No, it was something much dumber. When I turned the water on for the second time, my dad had both his hands inside the pipe chase and found nothing. But then he looked behind him and saw water dribble out through one of those holes I poked.

What a relief. I very nearly had to turn the water on for a third time. But how did the wetness start several feet away from the water lines?

An abandoned pipe in the wall.

Yep. It was just in there. Uncapped but still connected to the manifold with a shutoff valve labeled “Master Bath Lav 1.” That is now quite possibly the dirtiest word in the English language. And that’s saying a lot. Remember, i live next door to an Irishaman. But nothing that came out of his mouth ever led to effectively turning on a garden hose inside my walls.

Now… how exactly did this happen? I think I know the answer. I like my plumber, but the laborer who used to work with him is an imbecile. Like, remember the old red desk that I was starting to spruce up for my cousin?

I had the top unscrewed and leaning against the desk, and the plumber’s guy found it and NAILED IT TO THE BASEMENT WALL. I had to phone the plumber and tell him that he used a piece of an antique that had been in my family for 4 generations. Now it has a new top made of solid poplar… courtesy of the Irishman. The both of them are lucky that the chipped veneer has made it forever a paint grade piece of furniture.

Back to my problem, this same idiot saw lines going up for 2 bathroom sinks and abandoned one of them. Because clearly that was a mistake and one of them should be pulled out, right. So now my 2 sinks tee off from the same supply supply line. No big deal. Right?

Not until it is. Because that abandoned pipe was still hooked up. The good news is it looks like it’s all drying out. Air is moving through the insides of that wall. Humidity is low. With a little bit of luck we’ll be painting the room Easter Sunday.