Winterize old plumbing from photos with Gemini, and know when to call a plumber

Posted

Nov 11, 2025 by Ned Desmond (LinkedIn)

·

Last checked

Oct 17, 2026

·

Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Outcome

At his late mother's 100+ year old house, a poster uploaded photos of three plumbing issues to Gemini Pro. For two (valves for outside hose bibs and a shower) it identified the plumbing type and explained how to winterize, which he did without a hitch; for a leaky hot-water boiler it diagnosed the problem and told him to call a plumber, which he did.

Agent

Gemini

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Identify plumbing parts from photos and tell me which jobs I can do myself and which need a plumber.

What I'll share as we go:
- Photos of each valve, pipe or appliance
- Age of the house and heating type
- What I'm trying to do (e.g. winterize)

Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional.

Rules:
- Identify each part and the pipe type, with your confidence level.
- Give step-by-step instructions only for safe DIY jobs.
- For anything with heating systems, gas or pressure, tell me to call a plumber and what to tell them.
- List the tools I need.
- If a site asks for a login, a CAPTCHA or payment details, stop and hand control back to me.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: For each photo: what it is, DIY or pro, and steps or a note for the plumber.

You'll know it worked when: the easy jobs are done and the risky ones are booked with a pro.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Identify plumbing parts from photos and tell me which jobs I can do myself and which need a plumber.

What I'll share as we go:
- Photos of each valve, pipe or appliance
- Age of the house and heating type
- What I'm trying to do (e.g. winterize)

Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional.

Rules:
- Identify each part and the pipe type, with your confidence level.
- Give step-by-step instructions only for safe DIY jobs.
- For anything with heating systems, gas or pressure, tell me to call a plumber and what to tell them.
- List the tools I need.
- If a site asks for a login, a CAPTCHA or payment details, stop and hand control back to me.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.
- Before I close any valve, tell me what it supplies so I don't shut off something needed.

Output: For each photo: what it is, DIY or pro, and steps or a note for the plumber.

You'll know it worked when: the easy jobs are done and the risky ones are booked with a pro.

Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.

Source

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/neddesmond_i-just-used-google-gemini-pro-to-solve-three-activity-7394125364752670721-WESf