Removing a push-on hose

The most common way of removing the hose from a barbed fitting is to take a knife and cut down the hose. While that is efficient, it can do more harm than good. Using a knife or razor blade to remove the hose can damage the barb on the fitting and lead to a leak.

Instead of using a knife, remove the hose with a soldering iron. Just add a plastic cutting tip to it and bend it 90 degrees so it acts like a cutting blade. Then, after letting it heat up, slowly use it to cut down the hose.

While this method might take a little longer than using a knife, it will leave the barb perfectly intact. I know this because we did it over 800 times at a trade show without scoring the barb once.

Dick Raczuk

Koul Tools

Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Removing plastic nuts

If you’re having trouble removing plastic nuts holding down a faucet or toilet flush valve etc., they can be removed easily with a sharp wood chisel and a few light taps with a hammer. For brass/metal nuts, you can use a drill bit on a cordless drill to cut away a section and peel off the nut with a flat head screwdriver. Wear safety glasses!

Joseph Simpson

George A. Green plumbing

Woodbury, Conn.

Freeze a pipe to make repairs

I work in a hospital that is going on 50 years old, and a lot of the water shutoffs are hard to find or they cannot be shut off completely. So for the past year, if I can’t shut off a water line to fix it or to replace a fitting, I freeze it.

I use a pipe-freezing kit called Cold Shot. You take the special fittings to clamp around whatever size pipe you are working on and freeze it. It takes about 3 to 5 minutes, and then you have about 10 minutes to work on it. I have to say, it has paid for itself in the last year. 

Tim Lee

Goodland Regional Medical Center

Goodland, Kan.