Anyone have a job where the water source is stripped out (uses the 4-way key)?

Christopher

Christopher

Moderator
I had a job where both the faucets in the front of the restaurant were stripped out but we barely got one of them open and barely got it closed to get the job done but I did tell management before and after the job about the faucets.

They were going to have them repaired but tonight when I got there to do the job they were both still stripped out (square is brass and someone had been using pliers and stripped it so bad none of my 4-way or other keys would work on it) I could not get water out.

They have a hot water source in the back of the restaurant and I used it 2 weeks ago because the faucets were not fixed yet and did not know it was hot water until later in the job so I told management about it and that I could not do it again because I was worried about damaging my pump seals. Not sure how hot the water is but I did not want to take a chance.

I called the phone for the restaurant and asked if they had a short hose they could run out the door (front or back) so I can get the job done but they said they would be gone in a little while so no. I asked if there was any other water faucets besides the 2 in the front and hot water in the back and they said no. Not sure what else to do here as I can empty the 325 gallon tank in about 40 minutes but it takes about an hour to fill it and last time this job took a while and I did not want to spend all nite filling the tank and driving back and forth across town.

Does anyone know if those faucets can be repaired or do they have to be replaced?

I am just curious as they were told by the plumbers that parts would be here last week and the faucets would be fixed but they were not fixed yet.

Thanks.
 
Chris they can Be repair. Are they like the house faucet or in the wall style?
Christopher said:
I had a job where both the faucets in the front of the restaurant were stripped out but we barely got one of them open and barely got it closed to get the job done but I did tell management before and after the job about the faucets.

They were going to have them repaired but tonight when I got there to do the job they were both still stripped out (square is brass and someone had been using pliers and stripped it so bad none of my 4-way or other keys would work on it) I could not get water out.

They have a hot water source in the back of the restaurant and I used it 2 weeks ago because the faucets were not fixed yet and did not know it was hot water until later in the job so I told management about it and that I could not do it again because I was worried about damaging my pump seals. Not sure how hot the water is but I did not want to take a chance.

I called the phone for the restaurant and asked if they had a short hose they could run out the door (front or back) so I can get the job done but they said they would be gone in a little while so no. I asked if there was any other water faucets besides the 2 in the front and hot water in the back and they said no. Not sure what else to do here as I can empty the 325 gallon tank in about 40 minutes but it takes about an hour to fill it and last time this job took a while and I did not want to spend all nite filling the tank and driving back and forth across town.

Does anyone know if those faucets can be repaired or do they have to be replaced?

I am just curious as they were told by the plumbers that parts would be here last week and the faucets would be fixed but they were not fixed yet.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
Guy Blackmon said:
Beat a smaller socket on the nub and open it with a ratchet. Hydrant fill, or go back home and send them a bill for your trouble at their expense and their neglect. I'd do the latter, I got no time for stupid, but I got a calculator for it.
Click to expand...

ya ya i like thar one, i will be using that line.
 
Guy Blackmon said:
Beat a smaller socket on the nub and open it with a ratchet. Hydrant fill, or go back home and send them a bill for your trouble at their expense and their neglect. I'd do the latter, I got no time for stupid, but I got a calculator for it.
Click to expand...

Exactly! We just hydrant fill in those situations if there's one close enough.
I don't have the time or patience to be screwing around trying to get water in the middle of the night.
 
It is written in my contracts they are to provide access to adequate water supply, and that based on the price I can not do the work until they get them repaired or provide a convenient alternate source. Yes they can be repaired. Had a shopping center repair 5 in the wall faucets in December so I could start a monthly contract.
 
Keep searching! I have rarely, rarely been skunked on water. No backflow ?
 
These are the in the wall type, the square and rectangular box type.

Problem is I tried some sockets but with the front part stripped and flattened, my socket and keys would not work so since they were stripped already we used pliers (I try to never use pliers on these since the parts are brass or bronze) we barely got one of them open and then barely got it closed when we were done.

If they could have run a short hose out the door, I have those caps I can put on the end of the hose so water is not running and that can stay overnite but I am guessing that they just did not want to stay too late and did not want to take a chance with a hose out the door overnite.

I tried everything I could think of, even the closest hydrant was in the mall parking lot with a sensor on it so if anyone taps into it, the fire dept. gets a message and they respond usually within 5 minutes and the mall security is always driving around, I don't like to use hydrants without meters as luck goes, I don't have good luck so I don't take chances with things that you can get caught. That is just me.

Thanks guys.
 
Where you put the key, the part that's covering it where you insert the key normally will unscrew like a cap. After that I just use vise grips and turn the water on. Never had a problem doing it that way if they are stripped.
 
Vince Wood said:
Where you put the key, the part that's covering it where you insert the key normally will unscrew like a cap. After that I just use vise grips and turn the water on. Never had a problem doing it that way if they are stripped.
Click to expand...

That's what we do all the time! It feels like 50% of them are stripped or broken.
 
I have done like Guy said before. Take a socket just a little shy of fitting and hammer it on then use the ratchet. Or fill a 600 gal tank in 3 min from a 2.5 inch Hydrant Hose
 
Vince Wood said:
Where you put the key, the part that's covering it where you insert the key normally will unscrew like a cap. After that I just use vise grips and turn the water on. Never had a problem doing it that way if they are stripped.
Click to expand...

This one was so bad that vice grips would not even get on it, it was stripped almost flush to the wall.

I got a call tonight and they will have a plumber there early in the morning to fix the faucets so the job can be done, I was worried that I might have lost the job due to not being able to work without water, the DM called and asked if I can do the job early in the morning and gave me his cell number if there are problems as this job has to get done.

I feel better about the situation now.

Besides the regular work that he wanted done, he added about 3 times the amount of work to be done at nite as the place can use a good cleaning. Cool!
 
What are those water supply things called? Is there a name they call them besides the obvious names like faucets, hose bibs, etc...?

Thanks.
 
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