A 5 minute job

thecfarm · January 01, 2025, 08:56:59 AM

I know. No such thing and I never should of said it.
Washer machine hose screen.
Wife calls me and says the washing machine is filling slow.
So like a dummie I said, Oh that is a 5 minute job, when I get out of work I will fix it.
We have a well and sand will come through the line and plug up the screen to the washing machine hose. It use to happen a lot, seem like once every 3 months. But it has not bothered for years. Note the years word. Mayve even 5 years if not more. We lived here for 25 years.
So, in I go for a 5 minute job with pliers and an old t shirt to keep things dry. I noted some rust color around the lip of the connection. I did not like the looks of that and that years word was loud and clear now.
I went to loosen that up and nothing would turn. Well it would of turned but I had enough smarts to hang on to the facet part too. No I did not broke anything like that.
I gave up on that loosening part quick.
Out came the blue creeper and about an hour wait too. I knew I just had to let it sit and the blue creeper would work. I was lucky because there was a slight lip for the blue creeper to sit in.I would put some more in after about 15 minutes and some tapping to get things moving.
It worked!!!!!
That screen was plugged. which I knew it was. It was just about mud in there. The years word again.
I cleaned it out and put some vaseline on the threads and put it back on and the washing machine fills fast again.
Another 5 minute job is done.

doc henderson · January 01, 2025, 09:07:25 AM

Well, Ray, let me know if you are ever in town. have I got some 5-minute jobs for you! That reminds, me of my first year on the forum and winning some jelly from you, I think from completing the Christmas job/puzzle/task. Thanks again.

Magicman · January 01, 2025, 09:09:29 AM

And another Shout Out for Blue Creeper

WV Sawmiller · January 01, 2025, 10:35:36 AM

Reminds me of a couple years back when I started out of the house for some project and was promptly called back by my wife who said "The basement is flooded." So I returned and found a leaking hot water heater. We mopped and soaked up water for a couple hours and removed the carpet in the closet to let it dry out.

Then I started calling for a plumber. My regular guy is sky high but good. He was also on another job and not available. I called the guy on TV who is so famous in our area and his secretary said they could come out in 5 weeks. 5 weeks!!! I called my local hardware and got another referral. Turns out he was our former sheriff and said he'd be here in an hour.

Sure enough he showed up. The last guy who replaced the hot water did it while I was overseas and could not see any reason to waste time and money installing a shut off valve to the water heater. So we go to turn the water off to the house and the valve twists off in my hand. So I go turn off the pump.

The plumber goes and gets another water heater and stuff to fix the shut off and starts there. When the shut off valve is fixed he put a compressor on the old water heater and blew the water out of it. We moved it and we had it pretty full of sand like Ray describes at his place. Finally we put the new water heater in and hooked it up making sure to include a shut off valve. A few days later when the stuff had dried I put the carpet and boxes back in the closet.

By rights replacing the water heater should have been about a 30 minute job so I am well aware of what Ray is saying here.

thecfarm · January 01, 2025, 10:48:43 AM

Quote from: doc henderson on January 01, 2025, 09:07:25 AMThat reminds, me of my first year on the forum and winning some jelly from you, I think from completing the Christmas job/puzzle/task. Thanks again.

You are welcome.
That was when the wife was making jam and jelly.
We had to buy berries to keep her supplied in berries.
Seem like you took the jelly to work and shared it with the crew.

SawyerTed · January 01, 2025, 10:59:52 AM

The infamous 5 minute job..

5 minute plumbing jobs are the worst! I hate plumbing! That guy Murphy seems to always be around when I have a 5 minute plumbing job.

rusticretreater · January 01, 2025, 11:53:25 AM

You should also installed a screen filtration system prior to that to keep that crud out of the system. I have been continually upgrading the system in the house I recently bought. Red Clay silt is the bane of my system. With the screw on filter containers it truly is a 5 minute job.

thecfarm · January 01, 2025, 12:52:27 PM

I did think about a filter system, but only bothered the washing machine and has not bothered for years. And I do mean years.

Log-it-up · January 01, 2025, 08:18:09 PM

Not so much a 5 minute plumbing job but when the wife and I built the new house a few years ago we bought new washer and dryer (stackable, a challenge with me and the wife to start) any how after a trip to the hardware store for connection parts mainly for the gas dryer we finally get it all together and in place ( these where the first new appliances that we had ever bought) we are ready to pull the choke out and give a go for a trial run.
We hit the go button let it fill up with water for couple minutes and then moved it too the drain and spin cycle to see how everything worked. well let me tell you it was quite a show my almost 6 ft 270 lbs frame and the washer dryer commenced to start dancing in are laundry room I was bear hugging that thing for all I was worth trying to keep it from shuttling out the door and my wife reaching to hit the off button
So to come to close in the story and a day later on the phone with the manufacturer it's best to take the shipping blocks out of the unit before starting we still have a good laugh every now and again about that

Old Greenhorn · January 01, 2025, 09:53:11 PM

I haven't met a 5 mnute job yet that I can't do in 2 hours. (or more)

rusticretreater · January 02, 2025, 12:24:16 AM

Quote from: Log-it-up on January 01, 2025, 08:18:09 PMSo to come to close in the story and a day later on the phone with the manufacturer it's best to take the shipping blocks out of the unit before starting we still have a good laugh every now and again about that

This post belongs in the "did something dumb today" thread even if it was from awhile ago.

doc henderson · January 02, 2025, 01:58:53 AM

Yes Ray, when I joined the forum, it was based on a comment and direction from Dr. Gene Wengert. I was mostly on at work in the background. when doing the puzzle, the nurses were helping with clues. We often brought fun snacks, like a variety pack of spam from Hawaii with Kings Hawaiian rolls. We all enjoyed the literal "fruits" of our labor and yours.

hedgerow · January 02, 2025, 05:13:43 AM

Kind of worked with a guy for many years he was on the day shift and I was on the night shift working on trucks and TK units on trailers for a large grocery whole seller. He was the five min guy. He would always tell a driver it was only going to take five mins to fix something. Then it would leave it for the night shift to fix and then the driver would show up in the middle of the night to go on his run and wonder why the truck wasn't ready to go and would have to take one of the spare trucks. Another five minute job that took eight hours.

. I just ran into five minute guy last week at a funeral of one of our old co workers from the past. This getting old thing is tough.

aigheadish · January 02, 2025, 08:30:18 AM

I've been neglecting a 5 minute job with a several hour layover... Our water heater heating element gets bogged down with hard water (Not sand here as much as calcium on everything, I've had to change out like 6 toilet guts since we've lived here). I know how to take the thing out, that part is easy, then I'll likely soak it vinegar for a few hours rather than buy a new one. I can always tell because the shower knob gets progressively farther left earlier and earlier. It's happening now. The wife is watching the neighbors dogs and staying at their house. Now is the time. Will I do it?

Cedarman · January 03, 2025, 06:11:28 PM

Have a small heater that I keep at the spring to keep the temp above freezing during cold snaps. Fan was noisy, so I brought it back to house to take front off and lube the thing if possible. 5 minute job. 4 little screws. Well, takes small 4 cornered and I get 2 out quickly. Other 2 don't want to turn. Cannot see what is going on. Get light, look down deep hole and see that 2 screws have a slot for flat screw driver except that there is a bump in middle of slot. Need U shaped screw driver. Never needed one before. Thought about making one. Knew I was going uptown today, so just bought a new fan. Will start on 5 minute job when I get a screw driver made that will fit the screw head. I would like to blankety blank the engineer who designed that assembly.

doc henderson · January 03, 2025, 06:55:37 PM

well, it sounds like a security bit. you can get a 100-pc set at HF for about 14 bucks.

SwampDonkey · January 04, 2025, 05:35:59 AM

First thing I did from day one was install filtration on the water line and a water softener. All them troubles are non existent. It's a lot easier to clean sinks, toilet and shower that ain't got calcium build up. But there never seems to be a whole lot other than some fines in the filter. I don't have to change that more than 4 times a year. Basically I time it with the change of seasons. If it's plugging your wash water line, what's it do to your water heater? Can't be good.

GRANITEstateMP · January 04, 2025, 08:20:20 AM

I have 2, 5 minute jobs lined up today. I have to do some bodywork on the mailbox, someone hit it with a bat. My other project is to enlarge a hole on a ball hitch that'll slide into my logging winch from 3/4 to 1in. If I can find the right bits up at the farm that might actually be close to a 5 min job...

Rhodemont · January 04, 2025, 09:14:57 AM

I have a couple 5 min jobs I would really like to complete. But, not feeling great after having gone to NYC for a couple of days for New Years. The wind out there is biting so I think I will stay inside and warm. That will teach me for going to NYC, I need to stay in the woods with my dog and stay healthy.

beenthere · January 04, 2025, 11:56:10 AM

Quote from: GRANITEstateMP on January 04, 2025, 08:20:20 AMI have 2, 5 minute jobs lined up today. I have to do some bodywork on the mailbox, someone hit it with a bat. My other project is to enlarge a hole on a ball hitch that'll slide into my logging winch from 3/4 to 1in. If I can find the right bits up at the farm that might actually be close to a 5 min job...

I've found the step bits work very well enlarging a hole, over the regular steel twist bits. Don't grab and rip the drill out of your hand. Sorry to hear about the mailbox damage. Kids at play?

step bit

GRANITEstateMP · January 04, 2025, 12:21:47 PM

beenthere

I'm guessing either kids or maybe someone I pithed off? Not sure, but its kinda a chore to hit, they had to work at it a bit. I will bang it straighter, then consider building the next one out of plate steel so it breaks the future drain on our economy's arm the next time they try it.

We have a small mill up at the farm shop. I'll get the plate I got to enlarge the hole in set up on that, square it up , then enlarge. I've wrestled with enough hand drills, if I can I go for bench mounted and slow and easy! Pretty sure its 1/8in plate that I have to drill

Andries · January 04, 2025, 01:34:34 PM

Some jobs are five minute jobs because they have to be done poste haste.
The temperature in Winnipeg dropped to forty below last night, and guess what?
The boiler in the house stopped working.
🥶
That'll get the DEFCON meter up to condition Red!
A quick look showed that the pilot light wasn't burning.
Ha! says I to myself, I've got a spare thermocouple hanging on a nail above the boiler from when the gas company replaced the main burner valve last year. I had saved that thermocouple before the valve was sent to be recycled.
Five minute job and a 3/8" wrench later, I lit the pilot light and all was well.
. . .
For half an hour.
Crap, so much for trying to save ten bucks!
It took a heart-felt prayer to the Gods of Bad Decision Making, and my truck started without being plugged in. A run up to the big box store just before it closed.
I scooped up the last two 36" thermocouples, installed one and 'spared' the other.
Three hours later, the boiler fired up and we woke up to a toasty warm house this morning.
Some nights you just have to beat up on Murphy with a big stick.

GRANITEstateMP · January 05, 2025, 12:41:12 PM

I added another 5 min job to yesterday's TO DO list. I had about a years worth of bills to file. I hate that task and usually push it off to an every 3 or 4 month kinda thing. Well, my procrastination cost me a couple hours of my time, BUT, its done. I did file a bunch in the woodstove, that is a permanent file!

barbender · January 05, 2025, 01:27:57 PM

I have a lifetime supply of 5 minute jobs, I think. I have such a disorganized mess in all of my work areas, that I know just finding the tools and parts to do a 5 minute job will cost 2 hours.

It's better if I figure on the task being an all day job, then I can be happy if it takes less.

Granite, I remember many years ago there were some folks out smashing mailboxes in our neighborhood. Their vandalism spree seemed to end when my boilermaker neighbor's mailbox got hit. Steel post and fully welded construction. And this is on a state highway, mind you, with a 55mph speed limit.

We heard the squealing tires, the crash and bang. We ran our to see what happened, but the perpetrators had already got away. Not before leaving the long chrome strip from the side of a pickup box, and other miscellaneous trim parts.

I wouldn't doubt the Sheriff's department could've tracked them down with the evidence left on scene. But my neighbor felt no need to call in the incident, I think he got full satisfaction out of what was in front of him- chrome strewn about, tracks into the ditch and hitting the road approach, and his mailbox scraped and bruised, but still standing proud😂

SawyerTed · January 05, 2025, 02:32:09 PM

Back when I was teaching high school, there was "that one group" one year who decided my mailbox was a good target.

The first mailbox was a fancy expensive thing that was a house warming present. It lasted 6 months and was rebuilt a time or two.

Once it was smashed beyond repair, I bought the cheapest mailbox I could and bought a backup. I used a piece of plywood under the mailbox and on top of the post. The mailbox was attached with short nails.

The result was a whack with a baseball bat or pipe caused the mailbox to separate from the plywood base and fly several feet. I'm sure it was satisfying in a perverse way.

I made it a point to quickly mount the spare so when the hooligans ride by the next day - there's a fresh mailbox as if it never happened.

Necessity made mailbox replacements a true 5 minute job.

Funny thing was when checking my mail one day there was a yellow baseball bat laying in the ditch and a yellow mark on the post. The dumb izz, missed!

My suspicions were confirmed when one particular student came to class the next day with a broken arm! I carried the bat to school that day. I showed him the bat and asked if he lost it!

The look on his face was priceless.

I turned the bat over to the sheriffs dept. He and his buddy, the driver with a yellow dent in his truck that matched the bat, did get arrested for a rash of vandalism and the bat was the item that linked it all together.