"Have Caulking Gun Will Travel" and Silicone almost anything

I found out recently that Silicone is a very sticky substance. (actually I found that out a long time ago). I have used Silicone or caulking to fix and seal a lot of stuff over the years. I have used it to mend sinks and along the floors to stop leaks, around bathtubs and basins. To hold tile and boards to mend boats and make gaskets to stop leaks at the trailer. Fill in little gashes on metal etc. I have used 100's of tubes over the years as part of preventive maintenance. Sealing the outside from getting inside on windows and door to roofing and flashing.

There was a problem last fall at the camp with our bathroom sink that wouldn't stop dripping. So in the fall as the water was turned off. I found the plumbing to be faulty in the bathroom and promptly went out to find parts for the trailer. As anybody would know who has also went to look for parts for your RV as you tend to need them ( parts) on the weekend the problems occur. You can buy a new trailer on a weekend but no parts what-so ever are to be found from an RV Dealership even those with Spare parts Dept. As the Parts Dept. are not open on weekends. It really doesn't make a lot of sense to me. As one only realizes, you have a problem or need something on a weekend.

So I cut the pipes knowing ( so I thought anyways) I could fix them in the spring, before I turned the water on again. So the Spring now arrives. I cannot find in any Hardware Store 3/8 inch Pvc pipe or connectors or any one who knows anything about Plumbing in a Plumbing Store or Dept. of Home Hardware or Home Depot or even Kent's. So I found out by chance something called compression fittings or caps in a 3/8 but know one has any idea how they work. Or even if they would work; to stop the water from flowing out and flooding the trailer once the water was turned on. So I bought 4. I got more Airmiles that way. I read the directions for use. Yes I actually did read them. As real men do-not usually read directions and just wing it. I would have been smarter just to wing it as they were written in every language under the sun with fancy diagrams but still didn't explain how they werre put together and how to use them.

So I did what any red blooded male would do or so I thought anyways. I reached for the Caulking Gun and my trusty Silicone Tube. I filled the water pipes both cold and hot with Silicone just a little at the top. I thought just in case it goes down a long ways and blocks the pipe altogether and then put the compression caps on the top of the cut pipe. Well It worked no water was coming through. So my plan was to use the Shower Hose from the Shower as it stretched to the sink for water to wash up with.


Brilliant I thought. Ginny had other ideas and told me so in very blunt english even I could understand. And asked Jim one of the gang we hang around with to look at the sink and fix what Don had done.. So he came in looked at it and promptly went home and brought back a bunch of stuff to put the water back on, connectors, metal hoses etc.

So He takes off the compression caps to hook up the water. Found we didn't have enough piping to do both hot and cold water as all he had; was standard stuff that didn't fit. No, problem we will just make due and put on the hot water only use the pipe that is under the sink and connect them." I found some compression tees to use ." He told me with a smile." Do not know if they will work though as I can't understand the instructions but they are 3/8." Well, it was deja vue . I already knew that. Didn't want to say anything as He is an Handy Man with the County Housing Authority. I am used to having someone repair what I attempt to fix anyways.

So He looks and sees silicone in the pipes. " Who the hell put silicone in the pipes." He asked rather loudly " I did" I said very quietly and starting to realize maybe it wasn't such a good idea. "Well you know where to shove your silicone the next time you have a plumbing problem . Just bend over." He scolded me.

Meanwhile this was attracting a lot of curious onlookers with their beer and rum as my repair job was becoming the joke of the camp ground. Due to the very excitable sounds coming from the bathroom of our Trailer. Well it got worse the little caulking I used was a lot and I managed to plug up both the pipes a very long ways down. He got a wire hanger and proceed to push it down through the pipe to clear the silicone which he thought he did. And put the pipe together with the tee connector. He then got the pipe connected to the hot water on the sink and put new taps in as well. The crowd was getting bigger and more laughter.

The magic moment arrived the water was turned on but no water. @@#@#$%$#@@##$%$#@ing. Which got even more laughs from the deck. Jim was beaten. My beer was all drunk.

"I WILL BE BACK IN TWO WEEKS GET SOME 3/8 PIPE AND WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER GO." He took my caulking gun with him and the crowd followed him back to his camp. I was now known as Silicone Don.

I went the next day on a Monday and lo and behold the Parts Dept of the RV places were open. I found the pipe I needed different color and the guy at the desk explained how the compression fittings were to be used. Emboldened or humiliated from the day before latter more than likely. I drove up to the camp to fix the problem myself. I asked Ernie to hold my beer and to watch so He was a witness and I managed to fix the problem myself but I had to keep cutting the pipe down till almost none was left to find water as the silicone went down a long ways. Even bought several washers I needed. The Water is now running and Jim is happy, the work has been approved by him. I thanked him for being a very good teacher.

It was a very good thing he didn't turn on the cold water tap . As I have Hot water coming out of the Cold water and Cold coming out of the Hot. Hey it works and I got a new Caulking Gun with Silicone just in case in the Bathroom drawer. You can never be too careful.

So what plumbing horror stories do you have??