Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

mahatmakanejeeves

(70,774 posts)
Wed May 20, 2026, 10:41 AM Yesterday

"I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work."

Reposted by Kevin M. Kruse
https://bsky.app/profile/kevinmkruse.bsky.social

Jess Calarco
‪@jessicacalarco.com‬

I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work.

US Department of Education Facebook post saying SKILLS THAT PAY OFF, showing an AI image of a White man and a brown-skinned woman wearing blue coveralls and tool belts. He's pointing off into the distance and she's working on a sink that has way too many exposed copper pipes in all the wrong places
ALT
7:57 AM · May 20, 2026

I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work.

Jess Calarco (@jessicacalarco.com) 2026-05-20T11:57:06.791Z
47 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work." (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Yesterday OP
Maybe it's a still? displacedvermoter Yesterday #1
Hey DOE, those copper thingies are not pipes, they're conduits for the wiring! RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Yesterday #2
Made me laugh gab13by13 Yesterday #9
A Plumbing We Will Go!!! pdxflyboy Yesterday #13
There's a Three Stooges episode about this. C_U_L8R Yesterday #3
GMTA - I was riffing on The Three Stooges, too Brother Buzz 21 hrs ago #29
Hahaha Thank you for posting this awesomerwb1 21 hrs ago #32
Pretty sure the "tool" the woman is holding doesn't exist.. LeftinOH Yesterday #4
It's an Eicher wrench - haele 20 hrs ago #39
I'd Call It A Basin Wrench ProfessorGAC 18 hrs ago #40
Beryllium is used on spark free tools rickford66 9 hrs ago #41
I Saw Brass ProfessorGAC 4 hrs ago #43
Two reasons I said beryllium rickford66 2 hrs ago #46
I Looked It Up ProfessorGAC 43 min ago #47
Your government on generative AI. highplainsdem Yesterday #5
It's a fitting wrench - part wrench and part fittings underpants 20 hrs ago #36
Gotta love AI slop. Ocelot II Yesterday #6
The handle is a wrench and then it becomes fittings, probably brass underpants 21 hrs ago #35
Did Linda make that with A1? blogslug Yesterday #7
😂😂😂😂😂 underpants 21 hrs ago #34
WTAF!!! Wuddles440 Yesterday #8
Yeah, so? Hugin Yesterday #10
Just title it "Trump Admin at Work" Nittersing Yesterday #11
...need someone stealing all the copper leftstreet 22 hrs ago #22
Skills, like the ability to draw a sink? Iggo Yesterday #12
AI strikes again. Biophilic Yesterday #14
What idiot uses a monkey wrench on copper pipes?? lastlib Yesterday #15
That blue wrench in the woman's tool belt is a classic plumbing tool ornotna Yesterday #16
Looks like a 6 inch adjustable wrench gab13by13 23 hrs ago #17
It's a scissor wrench. Not scissorS, scissor. underpants 20 hrs ago #37
Do they have to use this AI slop because no artists will work for the Federal government anymore? sboatcar 23 hrs ago #18
Trump's lackeys are dumb enough to think this is good. Or good enough. highplainsdem 22 hrs ago #19
I think the bigger message is the DOE wants to turn places of higher learning into trade schools. sop 22 hrs ago #20
THAT'S A BINGO! 👍💯 And Work On Multi-Generational Assembly.... ColoringFool 21 hrs ago #31
Needs more pipe BaronChocula 22 hrs ago #21
Why are there copper pipes installed in the front of the sink? Ray Bruns 22 hrs ago #23
Looks like rolls of wire above sink? Devilsun 22 hrs ago #24
I think it's supposed to be solder. Ray Bruns 21 hrs ago #33
I would hire these guys before the ones in the photo. Ray Bruns 22 hrs ago #25
I was waiting for someone to post this. maveric 21 hrs ago #28
Not going to hire these plumbers (pipes to nowhere). waterwatcher123 22 hrs ago #26
Making a $150 plumbing job into an $850 plumbing job. bucolic_frolic 21 hrs ago #27
Comedy Gold spanone 21 hrs ago #30
Yes BUT I'd bet that nondescript windowless van is already paid off underpants 20 hrs ago #38
"SKILLS THAT PAY OFF" Straw Man 7 hrs ago #42
There are times I desperately need a plumber, but not desperate enough for that pair! Vinca 4 hrs ago #44
why does he get all onethatcares 4 hrs ago #45

gab13by13

(32,789 posts)
9. Made me laugh
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:03 AM
Yesterday

Should have used the shark bite conduit.😊

Must not have had a bender for the conduit.

LeftinOH

(5,677 posts)
4. Pretty sure the "tool" the woman is holding doesn't exist..
Wed May 20, 2026, 10:59 AM
Yesterday

..outside of an AI prompt for "plumbing tool."

haele

(15,600 posts)
39. It's an Eicher wrench -
Wed May 20, 2026, 03:25 PM
20 hrs ago

The hand grips are aligned in one direction, and the tool head is aligned to an offset dimension.
I've used tools like that in dreams ..

ProfessorGAC

(77,294 posts)
40. I'd Call It A Basin Wrench
Wed May 20, 2026, 05:37 PM
18 hrs ago

Any wrench that use a circle of semicircle that reverses is an Eicher wrench.
An oil filter wrench, a jar lid removal wrench, a basin wrench; all forms of Eicher Wrench.
But, that contraption she has also has what appears to be a ratchet head above the jaws which would render those useless.
Also, for most applications, why would it be made of brass? Brass is usually used on wrenches to assure spark-free uses. I've seen them used on railcar domes where the contents are highly flammable as on, for instance, and ethylene oxide railcar.
Don't think a plumber needs brass which wears out sooner.

ProfessorGAC

(77,294 posts)
43. I Saw Brass
Thu May 21, 2026, 06:57 AM
4 hrs ago

But, if beryllium was alloyed with copper it might look like brass., so I could have been fooled.

rickford66

(6,096 posts)
46. Two reasons I said beryllium
Thu May 21, 2026, 09:10 AM
2 hrs ago

In the service (1969) I had to do some work close to fuel bladders full of AV gas and was required to use a beryllium hammer. You do what Uncle Sam says. Several years later (mid 70's), I worked at a resort that had held conferences and one was KBI. One of the products they had was beryllium tools, touted as spark-free. I remember this well, because I was unhappy because the corporation was known to be poisoning the environment with their processes. Brass may be in the alloy though.

ProfessorGAC

(77,294 posts)
47. I Looked It Up
Thu May 21, 2026, 11:07 AM
43 min ago

Berrylium is, of course, a reactive metal.
So, it coordinates with copper. Making a stable alloy.
Brass is copper & zinc. If these tools are copper & berrylium, they'd look just like brass, or at least bronze.
Probably why I thought it was straight brass.

Ocelot II

(131,248 posts)
6. Gotta love AI slop.
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:02 AM
Yesterday

Just apart from the fact that nobody's bathroom anywhere on Earth has plumbing like that, it looks like one of the copper pipes goes right into a pocket of the guy's tool belt, and another one into his butt. And what is that weird tool the woman is holding?

underpants

(197,200 posts)
35. The handle is a wrench and then it becomes fittings, probably brass
Wed May 20, 2026, 02:18 PM
21 hrs ago

Are we sure that he’s just in the way and one of those copper pipes connects with the nondescript windowless van? 👀

lastlib

(28,627 posts)
15. What idiot uses a monkey wrench on copper pipes??
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:21 AM
Yesterday

And the pipe going down to the left side of the sink looks like an optical illusion--I've never seen a connector that turns a pipe through two axes. (Pretty sure they don't sell that at Home Depot.....)

ornotna

(11,560 posts)
16. That blue wrench in the woman's tool belt is a classic plumbing tool
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:34 AM
Yesterday

For when you want to do a halfassed job.

sboatcar

(871 posts)
18. Do they have to use this AI slop because no artists will work for the Federal government anymore?
Wed May 20, 2026, 12:06 PM
23 hrs ago

sop

(19,337 posts)
20. I think the bigger message is the DOE wants to turn places of higher learning into trade schools.
Wed May 20, 2026, 01:33 PM
22 hrs ago

No more woke STEM shit, everyone has to take shop and home economics.

BaronChocula

(4,763 posts)
21. Needs more pipe
Wed May 20, 2026, 01:36 PM
22 hrs ago

And another one of those mystery gadgets the woman is holding. Haven't seen those at Lowe's.

bucolic_frolic

(55,842 posts)
27. Making a $150 plumbing job into an $850 plumbing job.
Wed May 20, 2026, 01:51 PM
21 hrs ago

That's what contractors do these days. Upsell.

underpants

(197,200 posts)
38. Yes BUT I'd bet that nondescript windowless van is already paid off
Wed May 20, 2026, 03:14 PM
20 hrs ago

Nondescript….windowless….van 🍭🤡 👀

Vinca

(54,340 posts)
44. There are times I desperately need a plumber, but not desperate enough for that pair!
Thu May 21, 2026, 07:12 AM
4 hrs ago

That's one weird plumbing job.

Kick in to the DU tip jar?

This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.

As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.

Tell me more...

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»"I'm not a plumber. But I...