Efiwym, my wife, was not home, so I was on my own to turn on the main water shutoff valve and check for leaks. I went downstairs and quickly turned the knob on the valve. I ran as fast as an old fat guy could run. Up two flights of stairs and to the master bathroom I went. As I entered the room, it was all quiet. Except for my heavy breathing there was no other sound. Not a trace of a water leak.
I approached the shower and with a flashlight checked for leaks. I touched around all the fittings and shower valve. My hope was for no leaks and there were no leaks. I removed the bronze cap from the shower head pipe. I lifted up the shower valve handle slowly. I heard the gurgling and sputtering as the air was pushed out by the water. Soon the water shot out getting the back wall wet. I immediately turned off the shower. I got the old handheld shower head from the other bathroom and screwed the hose to the shower head pipe. I placed the shower head near the shower drain and turned on the shower again. Water flowed as I tried to check the shower head pipes for leaks. Holding the shower head down with one hand and trying to look up at the pipes was an impossibility.
I shut off the water and checked the fittings for any water. The pipes were dry, but my socks, and everything else around the shower base were wet. I wiped down everything that should have not been wet. I was not satisfied that the shower head fitting was checked well for leaks. What I did next would create a leak that stumped me.
I removed the shower head and put back the cap. I then turned on the shower valve fully to check for leaks. I shut the valve off and on several times. I was convinced that my soldering job would hold. However, the cartridge was leaking. Not much, but a drop or two. I tightened the bolts more. Still leaking. I cranked hard and I broke the screw head off. The cartridge started shooting a stream of water. I ran quickly to the basement and shut off the water. Back upstairs with more rags to wipe up the water. I grabbed some bath towels too. After I cleaned up the water, I removed the valve cartridge and the broken screw.
I went to the kitchen and wrote a note on the whiteboard, “Water still off. Went to hardware store.” Off to the hardware store to find a matching screw. I returned with two screws just in case I needed another one.
Back to the shower where I reinstalled the cartridge. I went down to the basement and turned the water on. Another sprint up to the master bathroom to check for leaks again. The cartridge was dry. I decided not to touch anything else for the day. I was done. I would come back throughout the day to check for leaks. There would be none. But that was not the end of it…