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I am going to need to make the washer a little off level in favor of the door so it stays open and that will help. As the door swings closed on its own right now. And it is against a wall so it can't open past 90° My clothes don't smell after a wash, just the water on the way out. So I guess a bleach through and keeping the door open will help so I don't need to open a window when I do laundry.
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Nov 29, 2011 21:11
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I've got a leaking toilet that I plan to take apart over Christmas break to find the leak. I'm not getting in over my head am I?
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Nov 29, 2011 22:16
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pseudonordic posted:I've got a leaking toilet that I plan to take apart over Christmas break to find the leak. I'm not getting in over my head am I? Around base? From tank bolt? From supply line? From the tank into bowl (running when not flushed) Toilets aren't too hard, if you know what part is broken, just don't over tighten anything that is in contact with the porcelain, you don't need to be super gentle but don't go gorilla on it
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Nov 29, 2011 23:01
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pseudonordic posted:I've got a leaking toilet that I plan to take apart over Christmas break to find the leak. I'm not getting in over my head am I?
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Nov 29, 2011 23:15
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grover posted:People often worry about working on toilets, but they're actually not bad at all. If you take the toilet base off the flange, you'll need a new wax ring; they're really cheap, so picking up one of each size in advance may save you a trip to the big box (you can return the others later) if you needed a thicker or thinner one. Make sure to shim the bowl when you're done, or you risk it rocking and cracking later. If you can take what you need apart then go to the box store, the fun killer can be driving back and forth 4 times.
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Nov 29, 2011 23:37
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tater_salad posted:Around base? From tank bolt? From supply line? From the tank into bowl (running when not flushed) It appears to be leaking from the back of the base near the tank. I haven't had a chance to find the exact source yet. Since I have two bathrooms, I plan on taking the whole thing apart to see how it's put together before I run to the Lowes down the street.
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Nov 30, 2011 01:28
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grover posted:Make sure to shim the bowl when you're done, or you risk it rocking and cracking later. I never shimmed the bowl when I'm setting it down on the wax and tightening the bolts on the bottom and never had an adverse effect after multiple toilet pulls/replacement. Am I just lucky or did you mean when I'm sitting on the throne much later? pseudonordic posted:It appears to be leaking from the back of the base near the tank. I haven't had a chance to find the exact source yet. Sounds like either the bolts (usually two from my experiences) holding the tank to the bowl is loose or the rubber stoppers in between are worn and need to be replaced. If so, either ones are easy fixes. Try to make sure the bolts are not horribly loose (careful not to tighten too much) and the rubber stoppers aren't cracked along the sides. quaint bucket fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Nov 30, 2011 |
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Nov 30, 2011 01:29
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quaint bucket posted:I never shimmed the bowl when I'm setting it down on the wax and tightening the bolts on the bottom and never had an adverse effect after multiple toilet pulls/replacement.
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Nov 30, 2011 03:03
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mrglynis posted:Open the door to your front loader and pull back on the rubber door gasket. At the bottom there should be some weep holes, but that doesnt mean all the water drains out. Look to see of you have a mildew spot inside the door gasket. Mine pools water there, even with the weep holes, and after 3 yrs developed a spot that wont go away. Replacement is possible. But the HOW-To's have all said its a huge pain in the rear end. And the part is like $120-140. At least for my washer. I've taken to just sopping up all the water after i run a load, then just throw the towel in the dryer with the rest of the clothes. I replaced the door lock solenoid on my washer, which required removing the door gasket. Putting the gasket back on wasn't the biggest pain in the rear end, but it required some strength and patience, which can be difficult to have at the same time.
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Nov 30, 2011 03:16
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quaint bucket posted:I never shimmed the bowl when I'm setting it down on the wax and tightening the bolts on the bottom and never had an adverse effect after multiple toilet pulls/replacement. Sounds like leaking tank bolts, take the tank off.. And bring the screws and rubber to lowes, you should have 2 or 3 depending on brand. You will also want to replace the tank to bowl gasket (and nut too if you have one), it's worth the $5 to not have to go to the store again after you put everything together and it's still leaking
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Nov 30, 2011 03:28
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The toilet tank bolts can be a bitch. You may need a friend to hold the top bolt with a flat head screw driver while you use a socket and undo the bolt. Not all toilets do this but some can give you hell. Check to see if its the supply line leaking where it connects to the toilet.
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Nov 30, 2011 04:01
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:The toilet tank bolts can be a bitch. You may need a friend to hold the top bolt with a flat head screw driver while you use a socket and undo the bolt. Not all toilets do this but some can give you hell. As an exercise in  , I will be taking it all apart. I like to see how things work and I've got a good track record of putting them back together.I'll make sure to double-check everything mentioned here! Thanks!
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Nov 30, 2011 04:24
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grover posted:You don't shim when you're setting it on the wax, you shim it afterwards, to take up for the unevenness of the floor (which is very rarely perfectly even). If it sits perfectly flat, you're fine. But if there is a gap under a portion of the bowl, you need to shim it, lest the bowl rock. If it rocks, one of two things happens: 1) a gap opens in the wax ring and leaks when you flush or 2) the stress on the bolts cracks the porcelain. Okay, that is definitely a good reason. Glad I know this now since I'm kinda responsible for 20+ toilets as the ops manager but thankfully we've only pulled 2 toilets this year. Also, forgot about the supply line to the holding tank... drat.
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Nov 30, 2011 06:44
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Hey guys, got a plumbing-related heating question. I've got an issue with the hot water heat on my 2-floor 1920s twin. The first floor heat works awesome, and one of the three radiators on the second floor also works great. The other two are completely ice cold. When I bleed them they work for a day or two, still not getting as hot as the other radiators, and then they're right back to being ice cold 24/7. I should note also that when I bleed them, I have to manually go down to the boiler and "add pressure" using the momentary valve to bring it back up to IIRC 12-15psi. I'm not sure if this is normal or not. Any idea what might be going on here?
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Dec 1, 2011 14:51
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Jared592 posted:Hey guys, got a plumbing-related heating question. I've got an issue with the hot water heat on my 2-floor 1920s twin. The first floor heat works awesome, and one of the three radiators on the second floor also works great. The other two are completely ice cold. When I bleed them they work for a day or two, still not getting as hot as the other radiators, and then they're right back to being ice cold 24/7. Wait whats the problem with your hot water heater. All I am seeing is your radiators aren't heating right. Which that could be a bad pump or a pump starting to fail.
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Dec 1, 2011 15:37
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Wait whats the problem with your hot water heater. All I am seeing is your radiators aren't heating right. Which that could be a bad pump or a pump starting to fail. Yep, sorry, my hot water is fine. It's my hot water heating (radiators) that have the problem. Thanks for the insight, I was thinking it might be a bad re-circulator pump, but was wondering how air was getting back into the system. I'm still clueless as to how that's happening, but I'll look into what I need to do to test the recirc pump.
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Dec 1, 2011 17:11
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Jared592 posted:Yep, sorry, my hot water is fine. It's my hot water heating (radiators) that have the problem. Thanks for the insight, I was thinking it might be a bad re-circulator pump, but was wondering how air was getting back into the system. I'm still clueless as to how that's happening, but I'll look into what I need to do to test the recirc pump. That is odd that air keeps getting into the system though. It could be a bad check valve in the pump but its hard to say. You may want to hire out a contractor who is good with boilers.
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Dec 2, 2011 03:33
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I just installed my first dishwasher (Bosch). The 90 degree elbow I installed has a slow drip where it connects to the dishwasher. I wrapped thread seal tightly 4 times. I've now tightened it more so that it's not level anymore; it's angled downwards a little. Still it slowly drips. Bosch warns not to overtighten it, so I don't want to take it around another full turn; it's really tight already. Should I just tighten the elbow even more until it nearly points towards the ground? Leaky elbow 
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Dec 14, 2011 09:16
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Is it a brass elbow? And did you only put teflon tape on it or did you put tape then dope on it? If you only put tape, re do it and tape and dope it. 3-4 wraps of tape and a thin coating of dope that covers the threads.
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Dec 14, 2011 15:02
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Yeah, it's brass. I basically just followed the directions of the manufacturer. LIES! Thanks. I will try the thin coating of dope, you're the second person I read say that. edit: Just in case anyone else has this problem, you may need to tighten it a bit more (1/8th turn maybe) than indicted in their installation manuals, in addition to thread seal and dope. It's fixed! Thank you. Fishmasher fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Dec 15, 2011 |
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Dec 14, 2011 18:03
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Fishmasher posted:Yeah, it's brass. I basically just followed the directions of the manufacturer. LIES! Brass on brass just tape wont work. You can get plastic on plastic fittings to work with just tape but any metal fitting wont really seal right. I hope you backed the dishwasher brass piece when you screwed into it. Because that can get tweaked. The over tightening really isn't an issue as long as you back it. You can stretch brass but it still usually isn't a problem.
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Dec 15, 2011 04:01
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Unfortunately I did not. I'm really not very experienced with plumbing, so I just tried to follow instructions. Both the elbow manufacturer and the refrigerator installation guide basically just said to use thread seal tape, and then wrench tighten. :/ But oh well, it finally seems ok I guess. Thanks again for your help.
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Dec 15, 2011 19:47
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Fishmasher posted:Unfortunately I did not. I'm really not very experienced with plumbing, so I just tried to follow instructions. Both the elbow manufacturer and the refrigerator installation guide basically just said to use thread seal tape, and then wrench tighten. :/ Well just a basic rule of thumb. When ever threading two fittings together. You grab them both with your channel locks kind of close to each other. Even if you are tightening it, can tweak something else down the line and make it make. This is especially true for old galvanized. Also same goes for threading a pipe with a hand threader or power threader.
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Dec 16, 2011 04:03
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As part of a plumbing project (fixing some code violations and making updates) for my condo I am looking to upgrade my water softener but have not been able to find useful information about specific brands. My 40 year old condo is on a shared well with a septic system and did not have a softener until 2002/2003. Currently I live alone and try to minimize water usage using low flow heads and high efficiency appliances. The water quality is not bad but it is still fairly hard. Currently only the water going right into the water heater is softened which has lead to issues with the toilet and shower. Currently I have an older version of this Addie but have been told that upgrading to a newer electronic controlled/on-demand regeneration model would saved a noticeable amount of salt and water. The plumbers I got estimates from both listed a Hellenbrand H100-24 as what they would be installing. How is this model compared to say a Kenmore, Whirlpool, or GE I could buy at a big box? One plumber made it sound like the single tank designs were much inferior to the traditional two tank system. How about Culligan? One plumber listed $750 for the cost of the softener and its install. I take it the price of a Hellenbrand or Culligan can vary between dealers? All the information I have been able to find is pretty basic and doesn't go into specific brands or in depth reviews.
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Dec 17, 2011 04:59
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MH Knights posted:As part of a plumbing project (fixing some code violations and making updates) for my condo I am looking to upgrade my water softener but have not been able to find useful information about specific brands. My 40 year old condo is on a shared well with a septic system and did not have a softener until 2002/2003. Currently I live alone and try to minimize water usage using low flow heads and high efficiency appliances. The water quality is not bad but it is still fairly hard. Currently only the water going right into the water heater is softened which has lead to issues with the toilet and shower. Well having an electronic softener is some what ideal.But I would recommend a Kinetico softener. I imagine there is a dealership in your area. Now they are more expensive for a dual tank system But they are ran off of kinetic energy. The service tech will set the system up for your water needs. The system will only backwash itself when it has used so many gallons of water. While one tank is back washing the other tank is still up and running giving you still softened or filtered water. The only down side you have is the cost. For a Q237 I believe they are around $2,000 with install included. The benefit behind the initial cost is the softener has a 10 year warranty on the parts. I've actually had a service call on a system that was 20 years old. The media inside the tank was finally exhausted and it needed to be replaced. He got an $800 bill for a rebed and he was good to go. Now you can go with a single tank design that has the brine include but also you have to think about if it breaks. I mean will you be able to call someone to come out and fix it. Also are you on well or city water? edit: Here is the main website for Kinetico.
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Dec 17, 2011 11:09
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So my new dishwasher is installed, and there are no problems that I'm aware of. I can see some water standing in the drain hose though. Also I saw a large air bubble. After the dishwasher drains, the air bubble and the water in the hose moves a few inches back towards the dishwasher. That's not a problem is it? I have the hose looped up all the way to the top of the sink. I just wanted to know if that sounded like a problem to anyone, or if it's normal.
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Dec 21, 2011 10:07
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Fishmasher posted:So my new dishwasher is installed, and there are no problems that I'm aware of. That shouldn't be a problem at all.
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Dec 22, 2011 03:51
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Ok, thanks. Just making sure. 
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Dec 22, 2011 05:30
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Any one wanna write up some basic plumbing guides . I will quote you and put it in the OP.
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Dec 23, 2011 05:13
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Any one wanna write up some basic plumbing guides . I will quote you and put it in the OP. 1. Don't bite your fingernails. 2. Before working on any plumbing, your pants must expose sufficient butt crack. In fact, this should probably be #1. 3. Cover the drain before you take your faucet apart so you don't lose anything. 4. Sewer gas coming out of a rarely used drain? Pour a gallon of water down it, followed by a shot of bleach. 5. Toilets are easy to fix! The flushing toilet is over 4,500 years old. That should give you an idea of how simple the technology is. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Dec 23, 2011 |
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Dec 23, 2011 07:29
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kid sinister posted:1. Don't bite your fingernails. I added a 6th one but its their, thanks.
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Dec 23, 2011 15:43
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quote:2. Before working on any plumbing, your pants must expose sufficient butt crack. In fact, this should probably be #1.
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Dec 23, 2011 22:06
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Hey, plumbing question I hope to get some opinions on. I have a very tiny, very old house. It was originally a 20'x20' box built in 1925 sans plumbing. At some point, a 10'x10' bathroom and plumbing was added (and a garage was transformed into a bedroom a few years ago). Here's a crappy mspaint sketch:  I don't know how clear it is but the water line comes in from the meter (blue dashed line), travels under the bathroom, and comes up outside the house adjacent to the water heater. The line from the meter is old galvanized steel and where it come up is steel embedded in a concrete slab (part of the old garage) which seems to be leaking slightly (but not much my water bills are about normal). There's no cut-off other that at the meter. The water goes into the closet that hold the water heater, then PVC pipes go outside the house and under the bathroom and then to the rest of the house (all PVC). Even tho' I live in Austin, TX whenever we have a hard freeze (a few times a year), I have trouble with the pipes freezing because they're just PVC on the outside of the house. (I actually had to have a handyman plumber guy replace the pipes outside last winter after a freeze and he had difficulty connecting back in because the PVC under the house is so brittle. I wanted to get the leak fixed and the pipes rerouted under the house so the BIL of a friend (who's an old school but very experienced plumber) came to take a look. He says the pipes need to be replaced back to the meter but it looks like the bathroom when it was built over the water line. The house (and additions) are pier and beam but it's really shallow under the bathroom. Because of the shallowness, the trenching will be really tough without taking up the bathroom floor, meaning $$ (but he didn't actually give me a quote). Also, this guy only works with copper but he did pass on the job because the trenching is too much for him. Had another guy out this morning and he recommends running the line around the bathroom to keep from having to trench under. He quoted be $1k to run the line from the meter to where it come out of the ground (doesn't include the replumbing to get the pipes under the house) and recommends CPVC. I'm not that confident in this guy as he did only a cursory look around and didn't even look under the house. Anyway, questions: Would routing the plumbing around the bathroom and introducing a couple of 90 degree turns be a problem? Copper vs CPVC, the eternal debate, any thoughts? What do y'all think is a fair price for all this work? The plumbing under the house is relatively simple (close to the orange lines I drew). I'm wondering if I should just live with this until I redo the bathroom (planning on a couple of years out). What are the chances the small leak becomes a catastrophic failure? I can get some pics if that'd be helpful. OK, I realize this is a lot but you guys are so helpful, I'd really appreciate any advice you give.
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Dec 29, 2011 22:02
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Hi, I have a (possible?) plumbing question and was hoping to get some advice. After returning home from visiting family over the holiday, I noticed a faint smell reminiscent of the odor you get from an opened septic tank in our front room and kitchen / dining room areas, but it faded pretty quickly. After the heat came on, I smelled it again in other rooms in the house - and it seemed to be coming up through the floor vents. After doing some research it seems like the problem is sewer gas entering the home from someplace, but I can't figure out where it might be coming from or where to look first. I checked under my sinks to see if any trap pipes were missing - everything looks properly arranged, as far as I can tell - and from the look of things the toilet seals are fine because their water levels aren't too low to the point where they'd be letting sewer gas up through the commode. I can't detect any funny odors coming up through any drains, and when the septic system was inspected prior to us moving in at the end of October everything looked fine. The only thing I can seem to figure out is that the odor is more noticeable when air's moving through the vents - I turn the heat down at night because the master bedroom stays much warmer than the rest of the house and the odor subsided some after that. We're not gagging or retching on the intensity of the stink or anything, but I don't want to leave this alone because it seems like a problem that could be costly or dangerous if it's not taken care of. Any opinions on what the first step I take should be?
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Dec 30, 2011 00:42
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Chachi posted:Hi, I have a (possible?) plumbing question and was hoping to get some advice. PVC is not allowed in doors. Who ever did it was a hack. Cpvc is allowed but it gets brittle also. I wouldnt put that poo poo in anywhere. Copper is way to expensive to keep plumbing with that.(it is still used in commercial applicaitons, and it looks great but 1 inch copper is almost $3 a foot.) Find a company that will run pex. Pex-A is the best type of pex, it takes expansion fittings. Uponor is one brand of pex-a. Don't let them throw pex b or c in your house. I hate that stuff in my opinion. If they use crimp system it can restrict the flow of the pipe becuase the fittings slide into the pipe and you slide a crimp ring around it. I wouldn't hire a random stranger , get a decent company. You may pay more but atleast it will be done right and they will stand behind there work. Pex also is less likely to freeze. It still can crack but not as easy as copper. Pex A is made to expand so it wont hurt the pipe. Chachi posted:Hi, I have a (possible?) plumbing question and was hoping to get some advice. Are you on city or well water. If its well water it could be sulfur in the water. If the furnace uses a humidifier with make up water that would put the smell through the entire house. If thats not the case then start closing vents and doors and try to isolate where its coming from. The make up air for the furnace could be near a dry trap or clean out that is leaking and its sucking in the air.
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Dec 30, 2011 04:07
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Are you on city or well water. If its well water it could be sulfur in the water. If the furnace uses a humidifier with make up water that would put the smell through the entire house. We're on well water out here. If I didn't notice a funky odor coming from a faucet running hot water, would there still be a possibility of sulfur in the water? Regardless, I'll try the vents idea tomorrow. Is there a typical "symptom" associated with a dry trap or a clean out that's easy for a layman to identify?
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Dec 30, 2011 08:35
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Chachi posted:We're on well water out here. If I didn't notice a funky odor coming from a faucet running hot water, would there still be a possibility of sulfur in the water? Regardless, I'll try the vents idea tomorrow. Is there a typical "symptom" associated with a dry trap or a clean out that's easy for a layman to identify? If you are are on well water there is a number of things it can be. Did you get a water test when you bought the house? If not i'd suggest getting one. It could be a sulfur or bacteria problem.
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Dec 30, 2011 14:54
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Question Time : I have gurgling that has just started to happen right when my washer drains (runs about 15' to the main drain) My toilet also acts odd when the shower is running. Will fill and drain with what I believe is clean water. No drains are slow, everything seems to be draining fine (hard to be 100%! Because I don't have a cleanout close to the source I'm wondering if it's my vent or if it's time to call the plumber to run the big power auger through the main drain.
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Dec 30, 2011 16:24
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:If you are are on well water there is a number of things it can be. Did you get a water test when you bought the house? If not i'd suggest getting one. It could be a sulfur or bacteria problem. We got a water test when we were in the purchasing process and everything came back fine, according to the people who did the testing.
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Dec 30, 2011 17:38
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Chachi posted:We got a water test when we were in the purchasing process and everything came back fine, according to the people who did the testing. Have you done the basic "make sure all your traps are full" step yet? A lot of people forget basement floor drains when doing this.
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Dec 30, 2011 18:22
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