The $5 trick that saved me from a stuck valve 80 feet down

I was wrestling with a stubborn ball valve on a sewer outfall job in Baltimore, couldn't get any leverage. Then the deckhand tossed me a cheap ratchet strap from the hardware store, looped it around the handle and the pipe, and I cranked it open in 30 seconds. Anyone else got a random tool that bailed them out underwater?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_rivera631d ago

Hear me out on this one, were you worried about the ratchet strap breaking under the pressure? I only ask because Ive seen cheap hardware store straps snap when they get wet and dirty, especially after sitting in a gear bag with salt water and grit. That kind of failure could leave you in a worse spot than before, with a broken strap stuck in the valve and no easy way to get it loose. Did you have a backup plan if that strap let go, or was it just a roll of the dice?

laura_ross1d ago

You asked about the strap breaking. I always carry a spare strap in my pocket for exactly that reason. If one snaps I just grab the backup and keep going.