I hate compression fittings

I think one of the nastiest things B&Q have done to me has been to sell me two 15mm compression fitting end caps in exactly the same kind of packet, with different sized nuts on the end.

In an effort to remove two unnecessary radiator feeds from my living room, I decided that instead of draining the central heating system and taking my time over it, I'd just go gung-ho into it, and cut the pipes with water still flowing through them, then attempt to quickly stick a compression style end cap over it. Sure there'd be a bit of water spray into the foundations of the house, but it would only be momentary, and I'd have it capped off in a few seconds.

Wrong.

The first pipe I removed went quite smoothly. Apart from underestimating the pressure of the water, and getting a face full of black slimy water at first, it went quite nicely. The pipe was capped and I felt quite happy about it all. The second pipe was a little more awkwardly placed, hiding being a joist, but I set about it none-the-less. After cutting the pipe and getting another face full of water, I slapped the fitting over the end, the started tightening it up with the same two spanners I used on the other side. After about a minute of tightening it up, I realised that the spanner was too big for the nut, and was just spinning around doing nothing.

It was just as well Lisa was upstairs really. I had to shout her down, so that while I lay on the floor with my thumb over the end of the pipe, she had to search through my tools, trying to find a spanner that fit. In the end, the pipes were capped, and I think I've just created a swimming pool underneath the house. Now I'm enjoying my usual post-plumbing paranoia that the pipes will explode in the middle of the night, and the house will sink a few feet into the ground.

Joy!