History Main / DoItYourselfPlumbingProject

* The "Leaky Pipes" story in language game ''VideoGame/{{Duolingo}}'' is the story of how Pamela and Jose met due to her trying to fix a leaking pipe on her own before her date, and having to call him in for help when it gets worse, leading to her actual date arriving while they're laughing over it, and they are MistakenForCheating.

* Whenever ''WesternAnimation/PatAndMat'' try do do anything remotely water-related. Duct tape is an ''improvement'' on their usual technique.

* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers''

* In a ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'', Roger refuses to call a plumber because it is not worth a $90 call-out fee just to have him change a washer. After flooding the bathroom, he declares that at least now it is a situation worth the call-out fee.

* Getting the electrical system mixed in with the plumbing (but only in slapstick comedies.)

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[[RealityEnsues Can also result in extensive property damage and, in extreme cases, a trip to the ER.]] DontTryThisAtHome.

* Similarly, DonaldDuck has also fought his share of losing battles against the dreaded faucet.

* Averted in the HGTV series ''Holmes on Homes''. Mike only took on jobs that were screwed up by ''[[CrookedContractor paid contractors]]''.

* Being TheKlutz, this happens a lot to the title character of ''Franchise/ArchieComics''. What starts as an annoying leak will often end with a flooded basement.

* Disney's ''Disney/TheRescuers''

A leaky faucet is not only [[DrippingDisturbance an annoying sound that keeps you up at night]], it also wastes water. However, since most people don't feel this issue is urgent enough to justify hiring a plumber, they will try to fix it themselves. This usually results in a hilarious DIYDisater.

A leaky faucet is not only [[DrippingDisturbance one of those annoying sounds that keeps you up at night]], it also wastes water. However, since most people don't consider that a big enough emergency to call a plumber they will try to fix it themselves. Of course, HilarityEnsues.

* The family pet runs off with that one important piece and/or swallows it.

* Getting the electrical system mixed in with the plumbing (but only if you're a character in a slapstick comedy.)
* Making the problem worse, so that by the time you finally give up and call the plumber, you end up paying way more than if you had relied on expert help to begin with.

Since this is TruthInTelevision, it's a staple of {{Sit Com}}s. A subtrope of DoomItYourself. Can result in a DIYDisaster.

[[RealityEnsues Can also result in extensive property damage and, in extreme cases, a trip to the ER. Or worse.]] DontTryThisAtHome.

* Film/TheThreeStooges, in ''[[Recap/TheThreeStoogesAPlumbingWeWillGo A Plumbing We Will Go]]'' pose as plumbers to escape the police and end up destroying the house, getting water in the electrical system, digging up the lawn, etc.

[[caption-width-right:325:Sometimes even leaving it to the professionals doesn't work.]]

--> And the pain you fell at that moment is something no woman could ever understand.

* ''Film/{{Brazil}}'' has the maliciously incompetent Dowser and Spoor and the competent freelance maverick Harry Tuttle.

* The entire premise of the ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "Pipe Dreams", in which Rocko and Heffer try everything they can think of to unclog a toilet. [[spoiler:It turns out there's a giant goldfish living in the septic tank.]]

* The ''{{Popeye}}'' cartoon ''Plumbing is a Pipe'' has Popeye helping Olive fix her leaky plumbing when the plumber (Wimpy) takes too long to arrive. It goes as expected until Popeye eats his spinach and starts [[GoodOldFisticuffs punching]] the gushing pipes so hard that they seal themselves, then lifts the house off its foundation and tips it over to pour the water out a window. Shortly afterward, Wimpy finally arrives and all the pipes burst open again.

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* In the ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' episode "Seat of Power," Martin makes fun of Frasier and Niles' lack of practical skills, so in an attempt to prove him wrong they try to fix Frasier's toilet, with [[DoItYourselfPlumbingProject foreseeable results]]. Even more HilarityEnsues when they call in the plumbers, who turn out to be [[spoiler: the bullies who tormented them in grade school]].

** Another HGTV show, ''Series/DisasterDIY'', has contractor Bryan Baeumler come in to fix DIY projects gone wrong.

* One episode of ''Series/FamilyMatters'' had Karl trying to install a second shower in the house. Before his wife finally convinced him to call a plumber, he had somehow gotten the bathroom set up so that you turn on the shower by turning off the sink (simply put, he placed the shower's faucet upstream from the tee that divided between sink and shower).

* Mr. Turtle from ''WesternAnimation/{{Franklin}}'' tends to run into this when he's confronting a plumbing problem (he's competent at repairs, otherwise).