My handyman fixed a leaky faucet with a zip tie last Tuesday...

I had a tenant in unit 4B complaining about a slow drip in the bathroom sink for weeks. My usual plumber wanted $150 just to show up, so I called my buddy who does odds and ends around the complex. He came over, looked at the faucet handle for about 30 seconds, and pulled a zip tie out of his pocket... he rigged it to hold a loose washer in place. Drip stopped instantly and it's been five days now without a problem. Has anyone else had a repair guy pull off something that simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

jasonf3527d ago

And that right there is why I've learned to stop rushing to call the big name guys first. In my experience, sometimes the simplest fix is the best fix. A zip tie holding a washer in place, that's not hack work if it works and doesn't cause any leaks or damage later. I've seen guys use rubber bands on old shower valves to keep tension on a spring, lasted two years before the band finally rotted. Your mileage may vary on how long it'll hold, but honestly, if that washer needed a little pressure and the zip tie gives it, that's just clever problem solving in my book.

ryanm6026d ago

Exactly. Buddy of mine zip-tied a sink trap once, held for years.

beth27627d agoMost Upvoted

Hold on a second though, I gotta play the other side of this… a zip tie holding a washer is a ticking time bomb. I've seen those things get brittle from heat and snap after a few months, and then you're dealing with a slow drip inside a wall that you don't even notice until the drywall's all swollen and moldy. That rubber band trick you mentioned? Yeah, it lasted two years, but that's pure luck - water is constantly trying to find a way out, and a temporary fix like that just delays the inevitable bigger problem. Plus, if you ever sell that house and an inspector sees a zip tie in the plumbing, they're gonna flag it as a hack job and it'll kill the deal. Sometimes "clever problem solving" just means you're avoiding doing the job right the first time, and I'd rather spend an extra twenty bucks on a proper repair than gamble on a plastic strap holding back hundreds of gallons of water pressure.