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I wouldnt suggest drilling the 3 inch line for a bunch becuase its not likely to work. Can i get real picture of the fittings? You may be able to wet vent it if the lay out fits.
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Apr 20, 2010 19:04
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Here's a couple more pics. I finally got a flashlight and looked down the hole. I was mistaken. It doesn't go straight down, it curves out of sight. I ran water for about 15 minutes the other day and its still stinky. You can see it better in this pic, but it looks like it was installed to sit higher than its suppose to. The baseboard along the bottom is a wood baseboard and not part of the shower.  I tried to take a picture to show this, but it might be hard to see. The drain is a 2" drain I think, but its sitting in a larger pipe. I put an arrow at the end of the drain and you can sort of see how the pipe its sitting in looks a lot bigger.  Is that normal? The hardware store I normally go to was out of the correct size plugs so I'm going to have to go to a different one. Its really stinky today. Its been warm and dry. I wonder if that's why.
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Apr 21, 2010 01:47
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Alterian posted:Here's a couple more pics. I finally got a flashlight and looked down the hole. I was mistaken. It doesn't go straight down, it curves out of sight. I ran water for about 15 minutes the other day and its still stinky. Yes you're seeing the bend of the trap if i see that correctly. I dont see any water in it though. Stuff a rag in it till you get the correct plug.
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Apr 21, 2010 01:58
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I got a weird feeling about that picture... What are the odds that the previous owner stuffed the smaller shower flange (or part of one) inside a larger toilet flange or 3 inch toilet pipe?
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Apr 21, 2010 03:17
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kid sinister posted:I got a weird feeling about that picture... What are the odds that the previous owner stuffed the smaller shower flange (or part of one) inside a larger toilet flange or 3 inch toilet pipe? There is no chance of that. He gave a scale picture. a toilet flange is nearly 7 inches in diameter. That pipe (that is in the picture) is an inside diameter of 2 inches. I believe its the right drain it is just installed improperly.
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Apr 21, 2010 03:49
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I am trying to turn on my water heater on a foreclosed house I recently purchased. The house was winterized when I got it, and I made sure to give the water heater time to fill before I turned on water elsewhere in the house. My problem is that the spigot on the water heater that should turn to provide hot water to the house doesn't turn. It turns slightly in each direction, but you can't actually rotate it to open it up. I was wondering if this was related to winterizing the house - if they put a special spigot or some sort of locking mechanism on the water heater to prevent people from opening it up? In my experience, if something is this difficult, or maybe impossible to turn then it was done for a reason.
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Apr 22, 2010 15:04
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tadashi posted:I am trying to turn on my water heater on a foreclosed house I recently purchased. The house was winterized when I got it, and I made sure to give the water heater time to fill before I turned on water elsewhere in the house. My problem is that the spigot on the water heater that should turn to provide hot water to the house doesn't turn. It turns slightly in each direction, but you can't actually rotate it to open it up. Can i see a picture of the valve?
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Apr 22, 2010 15:50
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Can i see a picture of the valve? I can get one in a little while.
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Apr 22, 2010 17:06
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I talked to my local office, and they said that in order to do significant work on my own I'll need to pass an exam. If it's anything like the electrical permit test then it'll be a 2 hour test that pulls questions out of the code. Can you recommend any good study guides or other resources that I should consult to prep myself for the test?
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Apr 22, 2010 17:30
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:I talked to my local office, and they said that in order to do significant work on my own I'll need to pass an exam. If it's anything like the electrical permit test then it'll be a 2 hour test that pulls questions out of the code. Can you recommend any good study guides or other resources that I should consult to prep myself for the test? With out knowing what code they follow i really can't. Washington and idaho (and other states) go by the uniform plumbing code. While other states go by the International Building Code ( correct me if thats wrong) They both offer study guides that you can use to help past tests. Though the study guide is extensive.
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Apr 22, 2010 17:37
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:With out knowing what code they follow i really can't. Washington and idaho (and other states) go by the uniform plumbing code. While other states go by the International Building Code ( correct me if thats wrong) Here's what the permit guide specifies: International Building Code/2006 International Mechanical Code/2006 International Energy Conservation Code/2006 International Residential Code/2006 International Existing Building Code/2006 2003 National Standard Plumbing Code Illustrated 2004 Supplement to the 2003 National Standard Plumbing Code 2002 Edition, National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI, Z223.1, NFPA 54 Board Modifications to the Code 2005 National Electric Code So for the plumbing test I assume it's the 2003 National Standard Plumbing Code. Beer4TheBeerGod fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Apr 22, 2010 |
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Apr 22, 2010 18:08
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:Here's what the permit guide specifies: Well good luck, that is alot of stuff to study for.
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Apr 22, 2010 19:26
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Well good luck, that is alot of stuff to study for. Those are all the codes. Pretty sure the plumbing one just covers the 2003 NSPC, the supplement, and the Fuel Gas Code.
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Apr 22, 2010 19:43
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:Here's what the permit guide specifies: I'm pretty sure I should be able to find this, but I haven't had any luck yet. Where can copies of these codes be found? I imagine they are charged.
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Apr 22, 2010 19:59
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You can search for the books online. Usually labor and industries (this is for WA state) can tell you where to get the books at. I'd try to find .PDF of the books. I know ive found a 2003 UPC PDF recently.
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Apr 22, 2010 20:10
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Dragyn posted:I'm pretty sure I should be able to find this, but I haven't had any luck yet. Where can copies of these codes be found? I imagine they are charged. You can also check the library, code books are pretty pricy.
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Apr 22, 2010 20:52
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Dragyn posted:I'm pretty sure I should be able to find this, but I haven't had any luck yet. Where can copies of these codes be found? I imagine they are charged. The code handbooks are a lot more useful than just the code, since they explain why the code requires what it does and have example calculations and such. It's much easier to remember the code when you know the thinking behind the requirements. Of course, the NEC handbook alone is about 1400 pages, so good luck to anyone trying to study all of those codes.
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Apr 22, 2010 20:56
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I planned on mostly getting them from my library. Fortunately it's open book so I just need to know how to access everything quickly.
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Apr 22, 2010 21:18
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:I wouldnt suggest drilling the 3 inch line for a bunch becuase its not likely to work. Can i get real picture of the fittings? Ill work on getting an actual picture So are you saying that it is a legit possibility to drill the pipe and cement or thread another pipe on? Is there a special term for that?
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Apr 23, 2010 05:28
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dwoloz posted:Ill work on getting an actual picture No i would not suggest drilling a pipe and tapping in a drain. Wet venting means when you use the vent of one fixture as a drain for another. A toilet with the sink run into the vent is a common practice.
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Apr 23, 2010 07:27
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:You can search for the books online. Usually labor and industries (this is for WA state) can tell you where to get the books at. I'd try to find .PDF of the books. I know ive found a 2003 UPC PDF recently. Library would be the best place to look for casual interest or specific code questions, but if someone wants to go pro, I'd highly recommend sucking it up and buying a hardcopy.
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Apr 23, 2010 07:48
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Sigh. Pleae tell me there's some trick with a snake that I don't know, and I'm not going to have to entirely replace my bathroom sink's 1947 cast iron drain pipe. I have this thing: And here is my situation (except there's no vent!) 
slap me silly fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Apr 26, 2010 |
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Apr 26, 2010 04:59
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Snakes are pretty simple in their use, though they can be tricky to use. Basically, this is how to use a snake: 1. feed the snake straight down a drain until you hit resistance. Ideally, you've reached the clog. Unideally, you've hit an elbow. 2. Tighten off that screw on the handle and use it to screw the snake clockwise a few turns while feeding more snake down the drain. If you can keep feeding, then you've just navigated an elbow. 3. If you reach resistance that you can't screw and feed past, ideally you've hit the clog. Screw into it just a few turns and give it a tug. If you feel resistance, you'll know you've hit the clog. 4. Pull and push on the clog until it comes free. Another method is to keep turning the head all the way through the clog, then counterclockwise a few times. Pull the clog all the way out if possible.
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Apr 26, 2010 05:24
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First, some background: In my basement there was a DIY nightmare of a bathroom, where the previous owners put in a shower and just stuck the drain into the cleanout of the shower stack from upstairs. I've taken all this out and while the plumbing will be getting a major redo, I need a good way to seal off the cleanout. It's a 1 1/2" cast iron. A couple (3) Qs: 1) If there is water coming out of the cleanout when it is open when someone is showering upstairs, does that mean I should probably snake out the lines? Or is that normal? It's not gushing out or anything, it fills up to the top then dribbles over the side a little. 2) What is the best way to clean the threads of the cast iron? Scrubbing them with a brass brush did little, still filthy. 3) I got a cleanout plug from home depot (PVC) and I stripped the hell out of the threads trying to get it on (due to the filth, no doubt) so it is on all wonky right now. Any recommendations to how to get it on there properly for the next time? Teflon tape y/n? This will all be a temporary fix because there will be big changes coming to the whole bathroom layout so a lot of the pipes will be taken out anyway. Thanks for any info!
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Apr 26, 2010 06:49
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1. Yes, snake it out. 2. You could try a wire brush with steel bristles, but that would do hardly better than the brass. Try a utility knife. 3. Yeah, clean out the threads. Teflon tape is for preventing trickle leaks, not for helping threads go together easier.
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Apr 26, 2010 15:50
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All the way back on page 9, I asked a question about replacing a bathtub, and I thought I'd share the outcome of that project. The shower demo itself was enormously fun and went very quickly and more easily than I'd dared hope, as the surround wasn't glued to the studs, there wasn't a mortar bed, and the walls were square. Once I got the wall opened up though, I discovered that at some point, a very lazy "plumber" had been at work. The cold water supply, should have been 1/2" copper with a tee, supplying both the shower and the hose faucet on the other side of the wall. Instead, the plumber had replaced the shower supply pipe with pex and spliced in a ~8" run of pex between the tee and where the copper passed through the next stud. Not an entirely bad idea, if you do it right. This...wasn't. The pex had been looped around the hot water supply twice, and the fittings had been wrapped in duct tape over a layer of electrical tape over a layer of silicone sealant. And as if that wasn't bad enough, there was the issue of the house ground. From what I can tell, the house ground was originally clamped to the copper where the 8" run of pex was put in. There wasn't enough slack to reach the far side of the splice & tee. So they clamped the ground to what was left of the copper on the other side of the splice - the part isolated from the rest of the house, and effectively removing the ground. But they didn't stop there. They spliced a piece of stranded 16-18ga jacketed wire to the end of the ground wire, and electrical taped the other end on the other side of the splice. I can't imagine that it would have passed a proper inspection when I sold it. Even with the wall open from both sides, I think it took the plumber four hours to fix that mess and install the new shower valve body. But it's all up to code now, and everything is properly grounded, so it was well worth the money.
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Apr 27, 2010 18:28
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badnoodle posted:All the way back on page 9, I asked a question about replacing a bathtub, and I thought I'd share the outcome of that project. Wow do you have any pictures to show the before shots. That sounds like it was an abortion of plumbing.
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Apr 27, 2010 21:04
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Scary plumbing moment yesterday: rerouted copper stubs for a clawfoot tub I'm installing, had the water shut off at the main, turned on faucets in the house to let out remaining water, did the hot side, no problem, cut the pipe for the cold side, water spews out (!!). Panic sets in by the time my bucket is 3/4th full and the water isn't stopping. I tried to stop the water with a tourniquet rag and ran around checking wtf was up. Traced the line back and it felt oddly warm, too warm for a cold supply line. The water must have been siphoning out from the water heater! Ended up alright, no catastrophe...but it was near. Lesson learned I guess, shut off the water heater supply valve
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Apr 29, 2010 16:55
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Yes you should always do that or you're asking for trouble. Hopefully it didnt make to much of a mess.
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Apr 30, 2010 02:16
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Looks like my main sewer pipe is having a slow drain again. About 4 months ago my bathtub would drain very slowly and water would bubble up from both the toilets and the other bathtub. I even had some draining issues in the kitchen (when I ran the clothes washer, the sink in the kitchen would back up). At first I did liquid plumr in the main bathtub, didn't help the clog. Then I tried some other drain cleaning products (can't remember the name now) and that didn't really help. I even pulled the broken toilet in my guest bathroom (the wax ring had failed, so the sewer backup flooded the bathroom) and poured some main drain cleaner into it, and it didn't work. I read somewhere about cleaning the vent on the roof, so I got a hose and a long auger snake (I think that's the right term, 20 feet of coiled wire with a spiral thing on the end, left by the previous owner) pushed the snake down the pipe as far as it would go, knocked it around a bit, then let the hose run for 5 minutes or so and didn't notice any new flooding. However, after all this, bathtub still drained slowly. The next day I called a drain cleaning service, they came out and found that I don't have a tie-in to run the roto-rooter down. They also said that they had little success running it through the bathroom pipes, so dragging the portable unit into the guest bathroom wasn't really an option. Their suggestion was to dig a ditch and replace the pipe, additionally installing a clean-out plug. Incidentally, sometime between me cleaning the vent stack, and their coming out, everything started working properly and I haven't had any issues until now. They came out, ran water from every shower, sink, and even the washing machine, and it all drained properly. So, at this point, I'm starting over again, and I'd like some ideas on how to go about solving this in a more methodical fashion. I'm cash poor, so I can't really afford to redo the main sewer line right now, so something temporary will work just fine. Any ideas?
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Apr 30, 2010 17:51
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Scipio posted:Looks like my main sewer pipe is having a slow drain again. You could try a water jet that i have liked to in previous pages. Though you could have a problem with roots in your sewer too. If you dig up your own sewer and give them a clean out to use they should be able to snake through it. What type of drainage pipe is in your house right now?
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May 1, 2010 18:28
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One of the sillcocks on my house is missing the cap for the anti-siphon. What would be the best way to fix this problem? I'm hearing some recommendations that I just replace the whole thing, and others that suggest I find a sillcock repair kit. We closed on the house Friday, so I'm still figuring everything out. What's the best way to find the valve that closes off the sillcock?
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May 2, 2010 05:00
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:One of the sillcocks on my house is missing the cap for the anti-siphon. What would be the best way to fix this problem? I'm hearing some recommendations that I just replace the whole thing, and others that suggest I find a sillcock repair kit. Another option would be to find an exact replacement sillcock and steal just its cap, but the kit would probably be cheaper. If its a frost free sillcock, then it might not have its own valve, or rather your mains valve would be the one to shut off. Regardless, the shutoffs would be in the basement.
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May 2, 2010 14:08
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:You could try a water jet that i have liked to in previous pages. Though you could have a problem with roots in your sewer too. I don't know, I'm on a slab and I don't have a lot of information from the previous owner. All of the pipes under the sinks are a black plastic. The house was built in 1972 and I'm in Indiana, but I don't know what the building codes were like then. I do know that the previous owner did a lot of DIY repairs, and most of what he did was supremely half-assed. When I changed the curtain installation, I found 6 different types of screws used to anchor to the drywall. There is a beautiful maple in the front yard that's fairly huge at this point, so I could easily see roots being the problem.
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May 2, 2010 16:14
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Scipio posted:I don't know, I'm on a slab and I don't have a lot of information from the previous owner. All of the pipes under the sinks are a black plastic. The house was built in 1972 and I'm in Indiana, but I don't know what the building codes were like then. Depending where you sewer exits the roots could be a problem.
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May 2, 2010 19:25
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My In-Laws have an old decrepit bathroom and I'm planning to gut it and replace the tub/toilet/vanity. It's such an old building that I'm assuming I'll run into a bit of mold as I can see slight bits of it creeping behind the shower tile and the floor. I've done my share of home plumbing, replaced a few sinks and rerouted some ABS and water lines before. I've never sweated copper or done too much with old lines though. Here is my plan, please let me know if I'm missing anything: FYI, I plan on replacing the lame shallow tub with a 3 piece shower/bench w/o tub. I've seen a few of these at home depot where the pan/seat/drain is one piece, then the walls are another piece and maybe a ceiling unit as well, but I might just go for walls+shower pan. I believe I need to cut/install my own sliding door system as well. Something like this: http://www.handicap-showers.net/accessibility_images/ADA%20Shower%20Stall.jpg Gut room: Rip out all drywall that looks suspect and may have mold (wearing a breathing mask of course) Rip out vanity which I shouldn't have a problem with as I've replaced this sink and drain lines before. Rip out old what looks like enamled iron tub. I've never ripped out a tub before and I'm hoping I don't find too many surprises. Install: Install lower tub (I will likely have to reroute some plumbing as the current tub has a faucet for the tub and a line for the shower. I likely need to cut out the tub faucet line and replace it with some pass-through copper for the shower line only. I assume I'll also need to cut in a space for the valve to turn on/off the shower. I've read that I may need to do some work with the floor to properly support the base of the unit. Any tips on this? Replace drywall (I plan to install the mold resistant drywall. I won't need cement board as I am not tiling, the shower walls will all be one piece, possibly one piece for each wall panel. Do I need to mud/do anything with the seams or corners before putting up the shower wall panels? Still need corner tape? Install shower panels on 3 walls, should be straight forward as long as I plumbed the faucet and valve assembly right. Any tips on sealing the joins? Mud, tape, paint exposed drywall in rest of bathroom Paint walls Install new floor tile and edging tile for shower. This should be easy as right now the floor is stuck with cheap vinyl tiles. Is it an issue if I go right over these? I know there's also a sheet of lino under the vinyl tiles too. I'm sure the bathroom door won't need to be shaved for clearance, but should I shave it down anyways for ventilation spacing? Install new baseboard Install new toilet. Is it an issue if the drain isn't flush with the floor now? The tile will bring the floor up maybe 1/2 inch. Install vanity Thanks!
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May 3, 2010 19:38
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The biggest thing when installing a pre-fab surround/base: make 100% sure the walls are square to each other, plumb to the floor, and that the floor itself is level and smooth. Failure to do so will most likely result a.) leaks and b.) the floor cracking 6 months after you button everything up. Don't ask me how I know this, just take my word for it.
Richard Noggin fucked around with this message at 12:11 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 20:18
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I've decided to replace my aging 20 year old gas water heater with an electric heat pump model. Between the rebates and energy credit the hybrid model is just $100 more than a new gas model and saves me $100 every year in utility costs. The water heater is currently located inside a utility room in the back of the garage. I have a few tasks ahead of me. 1) Disconnect the gas, remove the line, and cap off the gas line in the crawlspace. 2) Remove the vent and patch the holes in roof and ceiling. 3) Run an electrical line from the breaker panel in the garage to the utility room. This shouldn't be too hard since it's a straight shot across the crawlspace. Unfortunately the closet doesn't have a drain and the heat pump will supposedly create a lot of condensation. What would be the best way to address this issue? I was thinking I could relocate the water heater closer to the utility sink, run a drain line under the closet and patch in to the line for the utility sink, or run a condensate pump.
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May 4, 2010 03:54
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:I've decided to replace my aging 20 year old gas water heater with an electric heat pump model. Between the rebates and energy credit the hybrid model is just $100 more than a new gas model and saves me $100 every year in utility costs. The water heater is currently located inside a utility room in the back of the garage. I have a few tasks ahead of me. Depending what the drain on the laundry sink is. The PH of the condensate could be alkaline and eat a copper drain line. If its ABS or any other plastic you should be fine.
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May 4, 2010 05:34
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My girl and I just moved into a new place and I've been tasked with replacing the old shower head with a new one. I've done this before and not had any issues with installing it, but I ran into a snag. The shower head in this place is screwed on to the pipe coming out of the wall and the bit thats screwed on is completely circular and has no place for vice grips to gain purchase and spin it off. The spigot is a square, I was wondering if there is some special tool to help me get this thing off. I can post pictures if they're needed.
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May 4, 2010 10:30
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