|
How about the manufacturer's product page and parts list for that exact model? edit: I couldn't find "weep hole" anywhere on those pages... Here's what I've crammed and found out about them. Basically, frost free yard hydrants have to be able to drain the water remaining in the pipe that comes out of ground after you shut it off so it won't freeze. They do this by having that "weep hole" that opens once you shut the water off and allows the water in the pipe to escape to the ground. double edit: I think I just solved my own problem. I just remembered what the damage to the old plunger looked like. When the plunger comes up, it has to block the weep holes, otherwise you'd have water spraying into the surrounding ground under pressure, right? Well, the old plunger was scuffed on opposite sides, high up. The weep holes must be plugged or corroded over or something. gently caress, I don't want to have to dig that thing up 
kid sinister fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Mar 25, 2010 |
#
?
Mar 25, 2010 06:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 22:55 |
|
|
The only thing i could think of is you didnt replace it with the right rubber. Other then that im out of ideas.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2010 15:47
|
|
|
Nope, it was the manufacturer's own replacement part.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2010 16:55
|
|
|
I've got a Moen single-handle rotaty control in my shower and lately the temperature has gone crazy. It'll be perfect for 5 minutes, then a minor loss of pressure from someone else using a sink elsewhere in the house, and when the pressure comes back it's scalding hot. Could the cartridge be causing these temperature fluctuations, or am I looking at a bigger issue? The control is very much like this one, but in a different style.
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2010 12:31
|
|
|
It could be the cartridge, it could be the water heater. Does this only happen at the shower or does it happen else where in the house?
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2010 15:45
|
|
|
Rd Rash 1000cc posted:It could be the cartridge, it could be the water heater. Just the shower, everywhere else is as constant as it's always been. Also the water heater is only a couple of months old, whereas the shower controls are almost 20 years old I believe.
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2010 22:53
|
|
|
Messadiah posted:Just the shower, everywhere else is as constant as it's always been. Also the water heater is only a couple of months old, whereas the shower controls are almost 20 years old I believe. Moen cartridges are cheap, , ive heard they even have a life time warranty but i'd contact the company directly because i'm not to sure about it. If not you can pick one up at home depot.
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2010 01:06
|
|
|
Okay, so here's our scenario: We bought a house about three weeks ago. Prior to buying, we had an inspection where we ran the water for several minutes and flushed all toilets to check for any back-ups and leaks. We found nothing out of sorts. Move ahead a few weeks. About a week after closing and 2-3 days after we officially move in, the main drain backs up all over the basement as I'm doing a load of laundry. We had a guy out to run an auger through the drain, which definitely cleared whatever blockage it was, but he also pulled back just a tiny bit of mud on the end of the auger. He guessed that the main blockage came from the sudden abundance of paper going through the drains (house had been vacant) got caught on some roots and eventually backed up, but was still concerned that the mud was coming from a small break in the line (since it didn't feel collapsed). A few days later we have a guy out to camera the line. He saw some roots growing in at a few places (but nothing extremely pervasive or huge blocking the way), but the main thing he saw was that our main pipe is misaligned from the pipe that drops down to the city sewer. The pipe, while old and made of clay, is not actually broken and water is still able to flow through. It's just that there is a spot at the bottom where you can tell that the pipe is not quite the same diameter (it is, however, aligned at the top). The mud may be able to seep in from that misaligned spot at the bottom. Since the home was bank-owned, we have no disclosures stating whether or not this problem had occurred before. We're planning to be in this house for 5-10 years. We realize that the whole line will probably have to be replaced down the road, but it isn't feasible for us to do anything about it at this time. We were quoted from the company that augered and ran the camera that it would be about $3800 to fix the 6 feet of pipe that have roots and is misaligned or $7400 to replace the entire line. We don't have that kind of money to work with at the moment, and didn't figure it would be worth it to replace a section when we'd probably just have to pay for a new line down the road anyway. So given all this, do you think it would be worth it to do ANYTHING about it right now other than take preventative measures towards treating the roots? It seems like we might be able to get away with that because the pipe isn't REALLY broken or leaking. And second, if we really are only here for 5-10 years, would it be worth it for us to save and replace our clay line or would it be better to leave it and list it among our disclosures when we go to sell? Granted, who knows what kind of housing market we'll have 5-10 years from now, but I'm thinking more generally. Of course, I realize there's only so much you can tell without actually seeing the line, but I appreciate the input. We're going to get second and third opinions and have asked family and friends who are more knowledgeable about this kind of stuff than we are, but hey, I can't pass up a good plumbing thread! 
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2010 03:14
|
|
|
The sewer smell is coming back when I run the dishwasher. Snaking the vent was a temporary or coincidental fix. Tomorrow I'll try to crawl underneath and see what is going on.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2010 07:36
|
|
|
Ambidextranata posted:Okay, so here's our scenario: That is a lot of money to fix such a small amount of pipe. I imagine most of the cost is coming from the excavation. I would let it go an see if it gives you any more trouble. If it does there really isnt much preventable measures you can take. And you will need to replace it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2010 17:45
|
|
|
Our toilet wont completely flush unless you hold the handle down for the entire period of the flush. If you just push the handle down, it flushes for 4 seconds and then stops. Any idea how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? If it helps, we have incredibly powerful water pressure.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2010 05:32
|
|
|
I have an issue with an outdoor storm drain overflowing during heavy rain. My house is on a hill, driveway going up the hill to the house, and the backyard and woods behind at a slightly higher elevation. Both sides of the house have ~20' high birms/rocks so all the water needs to drain down the hill at the front of the house. I think I have isolated the problem to a particular segment of pvc drain pipe, that I am guessing got clogged with leaves and other debris during one of the more recent mega-rainstorms that has hit the east coast. I think the pipe in question is at least 200' long, and I only have a 25' snake (which I have tried snaking from both sides and not hit any clogs. Should I rent one of those 100' industrial snakes (http://www.homedepotrents.com/diyTools/rooter_100.asp)? Or is this something I should call a plumber to look at? There is still some water coming out the drain, and the blockage is most likely leaves. So I don't think it would take too much pressure to get the blockage out, I just don't want to damage anything. Here's a helpful MS Pain diagram. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2010 14:12
|
|
|
RivensBitch posted:Our toilet wont completely flush unless you hold the handle down for the entire period of the flush. If you just push the handle down, it flushes for 4 seconds and then stops. Any idea how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? If it helps, we have incredibly powerful water pressure. It might be as simple as the chain being too long, so it doesn't pull the flapper all the way up. Easy to test that out.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2010 15:50
|
|
|
slap me silly posted:It might be as simple as the chain being too long, so it doesn't pull the flapper all the way up. Easy to test that out. No the chain is as tight as it can be without it holding the flapper open all the time. When I flush the toilet, the flapper opens all the way, stays that way for about 4 seconds, and then falls down and closes the water drain.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2010 20:58
|
|
|
RivensBitch posted:No the chain is as tight as it can be without it holding the flapper open all the time. When I flush the toilet, the flapper opens all the way, stays that way for about 4 seconds, and then falls down and closes the water drain. Hmm... the flapper is supposed to float in the vertical position until the water level gets below it. Try a new flapper next - they're all of $3 and five minutes to replace.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2010 22:27
|
|
|
bgack posted:I have an issue with an outdoor storm drain overflowing during heavy rain. My house is on a hill, driveway going up the hill to the house, and the backyard and woods behind at a slightly higher elevation. Both sides of the house have ~20' high birms/rocks so all the water needs to drain down the hill at the front of the house. I think I have isolated the problem to a particular segment of pvc drain pipe, that I am guessing got clogged with leaves and other debris during one of the more recent mega-rainstorms that has hit the east coast. I'd unclog it with water pressure. These Drain kings with hose attachment. http://www.amazon.com/G-T-Water-Products-H34-Attachment/dp/B0002YUWQG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1269918981&sr=1-3 Get one for the size of pipe you have and attach it to a house and go to town. They may sell these at home depot also. Rivensbitch: I'd suggest doing the flapper first. Its either that or the chain length. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Mar 30, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2010 04:19
|
|
|
This may not deserve it's own thread so I'm glad this one is here! I've got an aerobic septic system. It runs an air pump of some kind that I don't quite understand. It runs 24/7 and pulls between 1 and 2amps. This septic tanks is not operating anywhere near capacity. It's for a 3 bed 2 bath house that I live in alone. Recently I've been auditing every item that pulls electricity in my home to make as many cuts to my electric usage as possible. I'm curious if I can safely put this air pump on a timer to reduce it's run time by 25% to 50%. I completely understand that this pump does indeed serve some valid purpose in the operation of the tank...but is it completely necessary for it to run 24/7 pulling hundreds of watts?
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 03:17
|
|
|
chedemefedeme posted:This may not deserve it's own thread so I'm glad this one is here! With out knowing much about the pump itself I would imagine it should have multiple floats to tell it when to turn off and on. It shouldnt be running 24/7. What type of pump is it?
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 03:59
|
|
|
Air pump. It runs 24/7 by design. It doesn't have anything to do with levels in the tank...it just bubbles it to promote breakdown by my small understanding. There's a second liquid pump that runs based on liquid levels to ensure the tank does not overfill. This one is not my concern cause it only runs a few hours a day. chedemefedeme fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Apr 1, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 05:07
|
|
|
Sorry i meant brand not type of air pump. edit: I mean you could look into the wiring, or look in the schematics to see if its designed to be on all the time. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Apr 1, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 05:41
|
|
|
It's pretty much hardwired to be on all the time as far as I can tell. I remember them telling me a drawback to this type of system is power consumption. Not like I got a choice...it is required in this county now due to a shallow aquifer that brings us our groundwater. It has it's own little breaker inside the septic system's control box. I have enough electrical skill to safely and effectively install a timer on this circuit and I don't see why the pump itself would be harmed by being cycled a time or two a day. The electricity out here goes out frequently at times and it has never harmed the pump. My main curiosity is how much I can reduce operation of the septic aerator without causing some negative effect on treatment considering the tank is not heavily utilized with me living alone. I imagine there is some margin for it not needing to operate 24/7 but I'd love an idea how far I can go with it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 06:30
|
|
|
chedemefedeme posted:My main curiosity is how much I can reduce operation of the septic aerator without causing some negative effect on treatment considering the tank is not heavily utilized with me living alone. I imagine there is some margin for it not needing to operate 24/7 but I'd love an idea how far I can go with it. Some research would indicate that the air is fairly important. Any timer you put on there should be a reasonably high cycle time. I can see a 50% reduction in usage with a 1-hour on, 1-hour off, but I think it'd probably screw up if it were 12-on, 12-off. Remember that frequent starts kill motors quicker and cause surge currents many times the running current of the motor.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 13:46
|
|
|
babyeatingpsychopath posted:Some research would indicate that the air is fairly important. Any timer you put on there should be a reasonably high cycle time. I can see a 50% reduction in usage with a 1-hour on, 1-hour off, but I think it'd probably screw up if it were 12-on, 12-off. Yeah, doing a frequent cycling of power would allow for significant reduction without leaving the tank still for extended periods. Perhaps I'd do two hours on two hours off to reduce the number of startups the pump does while still not leaving the tank still for anymore than two hours?
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 16:43
|
|
|
I need to de-winterize my home. I am pretty sure I know how this works after researching quite a bit, but I want to make sure I have this right: 1. Make sure all water valves/faucets in the house is are turned off 2. See above 3. Turn on the water at the water shut-off valve 4. Allow water to fill up hot water heater 5. Turn on all valves checking for leaks as each one is turned on 6. Run faucets/flush toilets to flush out anti-freeze in drains and tanks Am I missing anything?
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 16:57
|
|
|
tadashi posted:I need to de-winterize my home. I am pretty sure I know how this works after researching quite a bit, but I want to make sure I have this right: It looks like you've got everything.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 17:00
|
|
|
tadashi posted:I need to de-winterize my home. I am pretty sure I know how this works after researching quite a bit, but I want to make sure I have this right: Do you have the old fashioned non-frostproof spigots on the outside of your house? You can also open the valves inside for those now.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 17:27
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:Do you have the old fashioned non-frostproof spigots on the outside of your house? You can also open the valves inside for those now. I don't think I do. The plumbing was redone in 2003. Also, I just removed a toilet to find that it was never actually bolted into the floor. As in there are no holes there and they just installed it to look like it should be bolted in place. If I just use silicone and make sure that the wax seal on the phalange is installed correctly, do I still need to drill the holes and run the bolts? tadashi fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Apr 1, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 20:36
|
|
|
Well I've gone ahead and installed my timer. Measuring with my Kill-a-watt while I had the air pump disconnected showed it consumes considerably less than half the marked rating of 120v 0.9a..so my savings aren't as large as calculated, but they still exist. Now we wait to see if I have a poo poo explosion. Edit: Next plumbing related energy savings consideration; water heater relay/timer. I've got a home automation system that adjusts things like HVAC, lighting and fans dependent upon whether I'm away from home or sleeping. I'm considering connecting my water heater to this system but I'm getting mixed google results on whether or not a modern (~2 to 3 year old) water heater will save much energy being switched off when i'm not home or am asleep. The unit is a 60gallon 240v electric water heater, standard tank type. chedemefedeme fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Apr 1, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 20:58
|
|
|
tadashi posted:I don't think I do. The plumbing was redone in 2003. Yes I would bolt the toilet down. You can get a bracket that mounts over the flange and bolts to the floor. They're easily to install and I imagine are sold at home depot. Here is one of the repair kits. http://plumbing.hardwarestore.com/51-291-closet-flanges/spanner-flange-117291.aspx chedemefedeme posted:Well I've gone ahead and installed my timer. Measuring with my Kill-a-watt while I had the air pump disconnected showed it consumes considerably less than half the marked rating of 120v 0.9a..so my savings aren't as large as calculated, but they still exist. I am not sure if the saving you will achieve will be lost in the energy it costs to fully reheat the water. I guess you can try and it and tell me what you find.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 21:37
|
|
|
Rd Rash 1000cc posted:I am not sure if the saving you will achieve will be lost in the energy it costs to fully reheat the water. I guess you can try and it and tell me what you find. Agreed. There's very little energy savings, but pretty good money savings for heating your water on non-peak power rates.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 03:57
|
|
|
Well that would be nice...but where I live in south central texas we pay one rate for power 24 hours a day.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 15:49
|
|
|
My fiance and I are in the process of buying a new home. It looks like it's going to be a good buy, but we'll see once the inspection is finished. The seller did their own inspection back in January and provided me with a copy of the report. One thing that concerns me is that the gas water heater is 20 years old with a stated lifespan of 10-15 years. I have a few questions: 1) I'm thinking of switching to a gas tankless water heater, probably something like this 7.4 GPM model sold by Home Depot. I have some experience with plumbing, but little experience with gas. How would it be to do this kind of operation myself? Is there anything that would require a professional? I have DIY-inclined family members with gas experience who would be willing to help. 2) What are people's opinions about tankless vs traditional water heaters? I'm also considering a heat pump electric option. 3) The water heater is currently located in the laundry room. Although not a direct plumbing question, would a gas clothes dryer be a better choice than an electric? Is it difficult to branch a gas line to do this sort of thing? If there are any recommendations about where to learn (or recommended tools, like a good gas detector) I'd appreciate them.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 06:41
|
|
|
Beer4TheBeerGod posted:My fiance and I are in the process of buying a new home. It looks like it's going to be a good buy, but we'll see once the inspection is finished. The seller did their own inspection back in January and provided me with a copy of the report. One thing that concerns me is that the gas water heater is 20 years old with a stated lifespan of 10-15 years. I have a few questions: 1) Make sure you size the gas piping right or it wont work right from day one. 2) Tankless are junk in my opinion. You will want to have a water softener also to soften the water or you will have a poo poo ton more issues. How many bath house are you buying. Because that 7.4gpm is at best case scenario. And I doubt you will see more then 3-4 gpm which is basicly a faucet and a shower. You also have to look at yearly maintinence I've heard those require. Unless you do it yourself that will take away your savings. I dont know much about heat pump's except I've heard they can be noisy. 3) I hear gas dryers are more efficent ,but I don't know much about them. It is easy to Tee off from a gas line as long as you size the pipe right. But remember if you some how screw up the sizing of the gas lines or blow up your house then you're home owners insurance won't cover it. I would pay a licenced contractor to do it to save headaches and you will have someone to fall back on if its hosed up. You may be able to get your hands on gas sizing charts which will tell you what size of pipe you need to service a certain number of BTU's. Make you you can vent the water heater properly. There is usually ratings on how far the vent can go and how many 90's you can use. A long sweep 90 is less resistance then a short sweep 90. If the venting is messed up it will have issues firing. Gas detectors: I havent used one ever, I've always used leak detector. Even on the low PSI of gas you can see a leak if you have one. You just have to look really close. I would trust it more then a gas detector.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 07:23
|
|
|
Thanks for everything!Rd Rash 1000cc posted:1) Make sure you size the gas piping right or it wont work right from day one. Got it. Is it basically like water, where you have a source at a given pressure and your pipe diameter dictates the flow rate? Or am I wrong on that? Is there a benefit to using black iron or flexible conduit? Manual says minimum 3/4" black pipe. quote:2) Tankless are junk in my opinion. You will want to have a water softener also to soften the water or you will have a poo poo ton more issues. How many bath house are you buying. Because that 7.4gpm is at best case scenario. And I doubt you will see more then 3-4 gpm which is basicly a faucet and a shower. It's a 2.5 bath house. According to the spec sheet at a 70 degree rise the max flow rate is 4.3 gpm. Maintenance doesn't look too bad; a monthly filter cleaning and an annual inspection by a 'qualified technician.' Supposedly heat pump water filters are almost as efficient as tankless. There's a local rebate for $350; coupled with the federal tax credit the price looks really competitive with a tankless heater. quote:3) I hear gas dryers are more efficent ,but I don't know much about them. It is easy to Tee off from a gas line as long as you size the pipe right. Which would you recommend? Is there one I can get without breaking the bank? Beer4TheBeerGod fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Apr 3, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 14:21
|
|
|
Beer4TheBeerGod posted:Thanks for everything! 1)Length of pipe is also factured into when sizing for gas. The flex connectors do limit the BTU's more so then black iron. 2)What part of the united states do you live in? This depends on your ground water coming in. Ideally most people take a shower with water between 115-120°F. You will have to have 45 degree water coming in and then you still can only run a shower and a a kitchen sink. (with around one gpm buffer) 3) I can not think of the liquid detector we use off hand right now. But see what home depot has to offer. There isnt to much difference in liquid leak detectors. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 17:48 on Apr 3, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 17:45
|
|
|
We live in Maryland. I did a brief search around for ground water temps, and found the image below: So our inlet temperature would be around 52 degrees. According to the spec sheet if our desired temperature is 120 we would be in the 5.0 gpm range, which as you said would be enough for a faucet and a shower. I could see it not working in colder climates, but for my area it looks reasonable. Aside from the flow requirements (which obviously need to be taken in to account) what don't you like about tankless heaters?
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 19:02
|
|
|
Beer4TheBeerGod posted:We live in Maryland. I did a brief search around for ground water temps, and found the image below: I've never seen one that really worked that great. And the price difference between a tanked water heater and a tankless is a decent margin. The years it will take to make that up don't make it worth it. If you ever have to have a service on it it takes away your savings. The ones i've plaid with had noticble less pressure on the hot side then the cold. I was just testing it with a washing machine hose off one of the drain ports. When the heater kicked on the GPM drop was notible. This was in summer time too when groundwater wouldnt have been below 50.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 19:12
|
|
|
I've never heard of that issue before, so thanks for letting me know about your experiences. Everything I've read suggests that these things are passive systems that don't affect the flow rate. When a flow is detected the burner ignites and heats the water as it passes through an exchanger. Turning on the heater shouldn't change the flow rate since there's no pumps or valves. If you start to demand more water than the unit is designed for then your outlet temperature decreases, but otherwise nothing changes. Any ideas what could have affected the flow rate like that? The price is a concern, so maybe you could help me make sure I'm getting the best bang for my buck. I'm just comparing numbers from Home Depot and using their Energy Star Ratings. A 50 gallon 12 year gas water heater is $648 and has an expected cost of $294 a year. In contrast the tankless water heater I've been looking at is $1200 and has an annual cost of $223, but with the 30% tax credit we can get this year it's effectively $840. So by my calculations the $71 difference in annual cost will pay back the $200 difference in under 3 years. Obviously this doesn't include the cost of installation, so I'd have to keep an eye out for that expense if I decide I can't do this myself. The tax credit also applies towards installation costs. In a related note, what is your opinion of those hot water recirculating pumps designed to provide nearly instant hot water?
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 19:41
|
|
|
Beer4TheBeerGod posted:I've never heard of that issue before, so thanks for letting me know about your experiences. Everything I've read suggests that these things are passive systems that don't affect the flow rate. When a flow is detected the burner ignites and heats the water as it passes through an exchanger. Turning on the heater shouldn't change the flow rate since there's no pumps or valves. If you start to demand more water than the unit is designed for then your outlet temperature decreases, but otherwise nothing changes. Any ideas what could have affected the flow rate like that? The tankless water heaters really don't differ in technology since its pretty old technology and hasnt changed much in over the years. Rheem isnt a bad one, althought i've played mainly with takaghi. My boss hates tankless water heaters more then I but thats the brand he chooses to install for customers who insist upon one. Recirc pumps are good if done proper. Also it depends on how you control the pump. Some systems are operated by timers, others are operated by sensors. Insulating the hot water lines in your house with a tanked water heater will also give you alot of energy savings.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 20:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 22:55 |
|
|
Help! I moved into a new place about a month ago and the toilet's been rocking back and forth a bit. I thought I just needed a new wax ring and I finally got around to fixing it today. Unfortunately, when I removed the toilet and had cleared the wax this is what I found:  Click here for the full 1944x1296 image.  Click here for the full 1944x1296 image.  Click here for the full 1944x1296 image. Basically, there's about a 1/4" gap between the edge of the floor tile and the toilet flange, and the previous owner had just filled it in with wax. I'm not a plumber, but that doesn't seem good at all to me. What should I do? This is the only toilet in the house, and I'd like to go to the bathroom again today.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 20:58
|
|