Almost burned my house down fixing a toilet flange in Portland

I was replacing a rotted toilet flange in my 1920s bungalow last Tuesday and accidentally nicked a gas pipe with my reciprocating saw. Thank god my buddy Steve was there to smell it before I sparked something with the angle grinder. Cost me an extra $150 for a emergency plumber to come seal it up proper. Has anyone else had close calls with hidden utilities behind walls during bathroom renos?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenny_sullivan971d ago

Funny you mention that, because I used to roll my eyes when people would say "always call before you dig" or check for pipes. I figured if you're just cutting drywall in a 1920s house, how bad could it be? Then my neighbor tried to hang a shelf and hit an old gas line that wasn't even mapped anywhere. His whole kitchen had to be aired out for a day. Now I'm a total convert - I spend the $50 on a cheap utility locator and take it slow around any plumbing or wiring. That "nick" you had could've been way worse, and $150 is cheap compared to a hospital visit.

kim_hart71d ago

Funny you say that, because a buddy of mine once drilled into a live electrical wire thinking it was an old antenna cable. Sparks flew everywhere and blew a fuse for half his block. Now he triple-checks every wall before touching it.