I’ve been doing a lot of backflow tests recently, but three came up that belong to my day job. Of course, I did them because I need the practice anyway, but I couldn’t charge for them due to conflict of interest things. I wouldn’t want to make a few bucks just to lose my job.

Two were straightforward, even if one was very large, but when I was doing the third this afternoon, I ran into some problems. I mean besides the red ant nest living in the pipe insulation.

I started to check the test ports, and found that some bonehead had put a plug in one that I needed, but there was still a valve in one that I was less likely to need. I also had to take the unit completely apart to clean out the crud clogging it up, so I popped the union and flipped it over.

Trouble was, the valve I needed was on the upstream side of the first shutoff valve, with no others in sight. Now, I am by no means a plumber, so in my vast ignorance, I thought if I moved real fast, I could get the plug installed in the whole while the water was shooting out.

Yeah, not so much.

I should know better. I mean, I am one of the operators, and I know damn well that the pressure in the lines is about 50 psi, and velocity increases when the pipe diameter decreases. And this was only a quarter-inch hole.

Oops.

I let the water gush after soaking myself trying to stuff this tiny little plug into the geyser. I called the water guy to get him to shut of the main for me, but then I had a brain flash. What if I opened the bigger valve and let the water waste out that way to lower the pressure?

Fortunately, that worked, and I got my plug installed and called off the water guys before they came out to point fingers and laugh. I think I filled up one of my boots before I got it fixed, but at least it’s a nice day.

And I had the most fun I’ve had in months, working with my hands and getting soaking wet.