Alright, let's talk about my little pump spray wand project. It was one of those things where I just got tired of the cheap sprayers that come with bottles of cleaner and decided, "I can do better."

First things first, I grabbed a few essentials. I had an old, busted pump sprayer lying around – the kind you use for gardening. The tank was cracked, but the wand and handle were still in decent shape. I also picked up some PVC pipe and fittings from the local hardware store – nothing fancy, just the standard stuff.

The initial plan was simple: cut off the old, flimsy spray nozzle from the original wand and replace it with something more durable. I started by disassembling the pump sprayer wand. It was pretty straightforward, just a couple of screws and some plastic clips. Once I had the wand separated, I used a hacksaw to cut off the existing nozzle, leaving a clean, straight edge.

Next, I fumbled around with the PVC pipe. I decided to use a small section of pipe as an adapter to connect the wand to a new spray nozzle. I found a nozzle online that looked promising – it was made of brass and had adjustable spray patterns. When it arrived, I tried to fit it onto the PVC pipe, but it was slightly too small. Damn.

Okay, new plan. I went back to the hardware store and got a slightly larger PVC fitting, along with some PVC cement. This time, the nozzle fit snugly onto the fitting. I applied a generous amount of PVC cement and joined the pieces together. I let it cure overnight to ensure a strong bond.

The next day, I reassembled the wand. The PVC adapter fit perfectly into the original handle, and the brass nozzle looked much more robust than the old plastic one. I filled a bottle with water and tested the sprayer. It actually worked! The spray pattern was consistent, and the pressure was decent. I even tried adjusting the nozzle to get different spray patterns, and it responded well.

Of course, it wasn't perfect. The PVC adapter was a little bulky, and the whole thing looked a bit Frankenstein-ish. But hey, it was functional, and it was definitely an improvement over the stock sprayer. I've since used it for various cleaning tasks around the house, and it's held up surprisingly well.

Lessons learned? Sometimes, a little DIY ingenuity can save you money and give you a more durable product. And don't be afraid to improvise when things don't go according to plan. PVC cement is your friend. And maybe, just maybe, I'll actually buy a proper sprayer next time instead of trying to MacGyver one together.

• Disassembled old pump sprayer wand.
• Cut off the original nozzle.
• Experimented with PVC pipe and fittings.
• Glued everything together.
• Tested the new sprayer.

It's not pretty, but it works. And that's what matters, right?