Switched to a 5-gallon bucket for plumbing repairs and it saved my back

I used to squat over a regular drip pan under sinks, but after 3 years of that my knees started complaining. Then I saw a plumber in Atlanta use a cut-down 5-gallon bucket to catch water from a P-trap removal. It sits higher so you can work standing up, and the wide base keeps it steady. Has anyone else tried changing their setup for under-sink jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilyfisher5d ago

Wait, did you cut the bucket down yourself or did you buy it that way? I've been thinking about trying this but I'm worried about the bucket tipping over if it's cut too low. I used a regular 2-gallon pan for years and my lower back is absolutely killing me after a long day of service calls. The standing up part sounds like a game changer, but I gotta ask how do you keep the bucket from sliding on tile floors when it's full of water?

dakota4794d agoMost Upvoted

Cut a standard 5-gallon bucket down to about 10 inches with a utility knife. The trick nobody talks about is putting a strip of rubber drawer liner on the bottom. The bumpy mesh kind. That stuff grips tile like crazy even when the bucket is full of water and you're sloshing around. As for tipping, the cut is low enough that the water weight keeps it planted. Never had one tip over on me.