Fluorescent light
Refrigeration gauge protection
PEX snake adapter
How many times have you heard this: “No, we can’t open up that wall; you’ll need to find another way up to the second or third floor with those new water lines.”I found a way to snake PEX lines up from basements to higher floors without opening walls. Take a PEX adapter of whatever size you’re using and solder a copper x IPS bushing onto the adapter. Connect an I-Bolt onto the threaded end of the adapter.
Drop a snake down from the higher floor, then connect the snake to the adapter on the PEX and pull. This works nine out of 10 times. Cut the adapter off when done and save for future use. I keep several in my PEX kit.
John Giering
G.P.S. Plumbing & Heating
Beverly, Mass.
Let there be fluorescent light
My work often takes me into old dug-out basements or crawl spaces where lighting is either inadequate or nonexistent. Many times I end up using a trouble light. It works great until I bump it or drop it and the light bulb filament breaks.I replaced the fragile incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, which does not get nearly as hot as a conventional bulb and has a stronger filament.
Dan Mangione
DM Mechanical
Panama, N.Y.
Refrigeration gauge protection
The plastic lenses on my refrigeration gauges always seem to take a beating while in the truck or while getting ready to work on an air conditioner. Scratches and smudges make it hard to get an accurate reading.I’ve started using a pair of thin, collapsible can koozies as gauge covers. Take about a foot of string and tie a koozie to each end. Make a small loop in the center of the string and slip the loop over the gauge set hanger. This will allow the cover to hang free and not blow away when removed. The gauges will be protected until needed.
Al Schouten
Schouten Plumbing & Heating
Sioux Center, Iowa
