alex820•11d agoProlific Poster

PSA: That 50 cent gasket I kept skipping finally cost me a $600 repair

I used to think those little rubber gaskets on PVC trap adapters were a waste. Figured if I got the nut tight enough with pipe dope, it would seal fine. Did it that way for maybe 15 years on dozens of jobs without a problem. Then last spring I got a call from a customer in Medford whose vanity cabinet was warped from a slow drip I caused. Had to tear out the whole sink, replace the particle board base, and eat the material cost. My profit on that job went from $400 to negative $200 real quick. Now I use the gasket every single time no matter how much extra 30 seconds it takes. Anyone else learn a lesson like this the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley63911d ago

Man, ain't that just how life works. Penny wise, pound foolish every time.

ivan46211d ago

@wesley639 what's the one thing you keep cheaping out on that always backfires?

mason_murray811d ago

Cheap tools are the biggest trap in my book. Bought a budget drill once and it crapped out halfway through hanging shelves, wasted more time and gas returning it than just getting a decent one upfront. Now I just save up and grab a mid-range option from the start, pays for itself in headaches saved.