Traveling salesmen and saleswomen have always been around----whether roaming around the country in horse drawn wagons, in “Pink Cadillac’s,” or going door-to-door as, “Avon Calling.” Their stocks of toilet waters, potions, and lotions were considered snake-oil by some and worth more than gold by others. I am sure the horse and buggy guys, hawking their wares, would have loved to have had the option of today’s Lingerie Parties in their bag of tricks. (Sorry guys----I know you were hoping for a “live” link. And, how come I have never been invited to one of these parties yet?) These potions and lotions were “guaranteed” to: enliven, enlighten, whiten, brighten, straighten, deaden, and even frighten. Of course they would take the kinks out of anything that needed the kinks taken out of them. Especially hair. So it was with delight that I also came to learn that Breck Shampoo could also be used to take the kinks out of plumbing pipes----who would have ever guessed? Certainly not this Seattle Home Inspector. Charles Buell
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WA State, Home Inspector Advisory Licensing Board
American Ingenuity at it's finest.
Creativity is a wonderful thing! I would have never thought of that. Now I am armed with a new idea!
that's one way to take up the "slack"......that's very funny.
LOL! That's so funny Charles. It seems like one out of five home inspections we have gets sited for similar annoying little plumbing problems. Great McGiver on the spot fix. :-)
Now that was not what I expected --- great humor!
Love it
As long as it was empty, it was just there version of saving energy (why bother to undo it)
and less material for the land fills
Enjoy the day
Scott, indeed :)
Gary---I doubt that I would have thunk of it either
Barbara, I had a hard time not smiling when I saw it
Rob & Jeannie, might not even be a problem :)
Joan, it would take quite an imagination to expect this fix :)
Don---it seemed to be doing the job for sure.
How funny....I am sure you realize every day that just when you think you have seen it alll.....well some thing surprises you! LOL
Charles...
It seems like we have see quite a few of these DIY plumbing solutions these days!
Deborah, I am constantly surprised by what I find.
Richard---gotta love it :)
I wish I'd known that trick back when I was a plumber's friend. Oh, that's right. We didn't have the flexible vinyl tubing then.
Glenn, I remember the flexible pipe days myself----and a few kinks :)
Charles, that's one sure way to keep the kinks out. Whatever works!
Morning Charles, I remember attending a county fair where they had a guy selling stuff off the back of a big truck. It was all gadgets and housewares, etc. He would get a big crowd and once he had a buyer would manage to parlay that sale into several others. He was as entertaining as he was artful. I watched him work the crowd and saw people buying stuff they didn't need and enjoying being part of the experience !
C'mon Charles; you're too mean! Give them points for creativity! Imagine how proud this Fix It Person was when they came up with this 'solution'.
If you read the Breck instructions, it does say, "Lather, Rinse, Repeat, Un-kink plumbing."
Michael---I really can't see the harm in it
Bill, yes---most of them were "entertainers"
Vic, I do give them lots of points :)
Richard----I didn't read that close :)
Yes, Charles! Don't you just LOVE innovation? LOL
Debi
Ingenious, what will they come up with next? =)
I hope you're having a good weekend Charles,
Paul
You just have to love good old American ingenuity!
Did these folks actually think this was not going to be called out on your inspection report?!!!
So good to see recycling in action. A shampoo bottle has been repurposed into a plumbing fixture. Great innovative repurposing and one less bottle thrown into the trash! :-)
Craig, it would be interesting to hear what other inspectors think of this "ingenuity." I had a very difficult time (while finding it VERY interesting) could not figure out a way to see it as a defect worthy of making it into the report. :)
Michael----and look at the blog fodder as well!
Hi CHarles, Too funny but somehow not unexpected. Home made remedies are the forerunners of new inventions I suppose. Can't imagine what this would lead to. " Keep your pipes and hoses smelling fresh and well conditioned?" hehehe
William, looks like a good place to recycle some old typewriter tape reels :)
Charles, I like to think that homeowners do this on purpose just for us inspectors to give us a good chuckle. jay
Cjharlie,
I saw some of those the other day that are so twisted the water would only seep out.
Jay, they do indeed.
Steve, you need to email them right away and tell them about the Breck Bottles.
Hi Charles,
Very interesting and quite creative. Thanks for the tid bits! Who would of thought... Shampoo bottles! Now I have to go to your last blog and find out what the pipe sticking out of the wall is all about!
Dawn
Thanks Peter and Dawn---no shortage of tid bits here :)
If the shampoo works so well, imagine what the "conditioner" would do! Thnaks for today's photo.
Now i think that was just ingenious. Hooray for the woman in this house.
Tom, yes---for sure----should be much better
Robert, yes, otherwise it would have had to have been a deodorant stick or something
And so thick it causes pearls to take a long time to travel through the pipe.
Or is that VO5?
Jay, will hopefully it stays "outside" the pipe :)
Charles - Sometimes the simplicity of a "fix" is as inventive as the fixer.
Claude, so true