Hit 500 flawless connections on pex pipe this morning and finally felt legit

I'm not some master plumber, just a guy who runs a small crew. But today I connected my 500th pex fitting without a single leak or call back. It took me 4 years and at least 200 screw ups to get there. That moment when you just know the crimp is perfect without checking twice, that's a weird personal milestone. Has anyone else hit a random number like that in their trade and felt a shift?

2 comments

2 Comments

eric_knight71h ago

Did you scrap any of the bad ones or just send it on the wall?

noahmartin22m ago

Yeah, "just send it on the wall" is a dangerous game. I've seen guys try to hide a bad crimp by pushing the fitting in a little deeper or hoping the drywall will hold it together. That's a call back waiting to happen, or worse, a flood. For me, if the gauge doesn't slide in smooth and click right, I cut that ring off right there. It takes an extra 45 seconds to redo it, but it saves you a Saturday morning fixing a drip in someone's finished basement. You can't always spot a bad one by looking, so you gotta trust the tool and your feel more than your eyes. That's how you keep that streak alive.

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