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MH Knights posted:Did you get the 1.6 or 1.28 gpf version? I have had a couple plumbers recommend the Cadet 3 as well but one said to avoid the 1.28 gpf as he felt it was underpowered. Thought I would chime in here in support of the Cadet 3 1.28gpf model. I replaced a 40s era 10gal (guesstimation). This toilet has seen me through two bouts of food poisoning and the flu. Single flushing all the way. And the city helped pay for it!
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Jan 24, 2012 23:24
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Kung Fu Jesus posted:Besides my fcuked up toilet, I have a minor issue with my hot water that you might give me insight on. Most likely its the dip tube that needs to be replaced. Is it gas or electric? If its gas it can also be the gas valve. A good way to see if its your dip tube. Pull an aerator on a sink and if it has white flakes in it its the dip tube.
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Jan 25, 2012 04:17
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What kind of drain pipe am I looking at here in this 1970s basement half-bath? Not plastic, doesn't seem to attach to a magnet. 
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Jan 26, 2012 19:41
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resistentialism posted:What kind of drain pipe am I looking at here in this 1970s basement half-bath? Not plastic, doesn't seem to attach to a magnet. Is that clay pipe?
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Jan 26, 2012 22:02
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About 6 inches to the left there's was a big honkin orange Y that pointed off towards that toilet hole, and eventually there was a coupler that connected it to the ABS. Still would be nice to know what to call it.
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Jan 26, 2012 22:33
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Looks like clay to me, too.
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Jan 26, 2012 22:55
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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (click for animated/bigger) resistentialism fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Jan 26, 2012 |
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Jan 26, 2012 23:50
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I have a quick plumbing question that I can't seem to solve by googling. The large black cylinder on my fluidmaster fixture in my toilet tank doesn't go back down after I flush, so the tank doesn't fill back up with water. I can open the tank and firmly press down on the cylinder and it'll click into place and the tank will start filling again. I just want the process to be automatic again.  On a possibly unrelated note, when the tank is filling it sometimes, but not always, leaks directly into the toilet bowl. I know this part isn't caused by the flipper. That's the first thing I checked. Otherwise I have no idea what I'm doing, but I assume it's an easy fix. Thanks for any help.
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Jan 28, 2012 01:48
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I have a question for the rear end-crack masters; I have a single hot/cold/diverter knob in the master bath that leaks like crazy when the knob is pulled out. Pushed in, it doesn't leak, but I can tell it's not in good condition and may very well break soon (as has already happened with the other bathroom). Question is, do I need to replace the whole valve, or is there a quick fix like a screw that needs to be tightened, or a cartridge that needs replacing?
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Jan 28, 2012 02:59
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A Bag of Milk posted:I have a quick plumbing question that I can't seem to solve by googling. Its already been replaced once it sounds like becuase no toilets come factory with fluidmaster that I am aware of. Go to the hardware store and buy a replacement kit, it will come wth a flapper and new ball cock. Adjust the float so the water line is 1 inch below the fill tube. Exi7wound posted:I have a question for the rear end-crack masters; You can get a new stem and seat for it and it will do the trick. Replace the seat can be a pain in my experience. Maybe others have done it more and can tell you a couple tricks.
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Jan 28, 2012 03:34
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:You can get a new stem and seat for it and it will do the trick. Replace the seat can be a pain in my experience. Maybe others have done it more and can tell you a couple tricks. I dunno about needing a whole cartridge, he might be able to get away with just an O-ring.
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Jan 28, 2012 04:05
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kid sinister posted:I dunno about needing a whole cartridge, he might be able to get away with just an O-ring. Well I've heard you're suppose to do the metal seat inside of the valve also. You can replace the O rings on the stem itself depending on the condition of it.
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Jan 28, 2012 11:52
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My parents are redoing a bathroom and they have a question: When I replace the fauce in the tub do I need to replace the valve body also? He just doesn't know if he needs to put a new cartridge in it or something. BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 22:13 on Feb 1, 2012 |
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Feb 1, 2012 22:09
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Thanks guys. I'll look into it. The one (same design) in the other bathroom completely disintegrated inside. To replace they are at least $70 a pop, so I am hoping for a quick fix for right now. Thanks again.
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Feb 1, 2012 23:46
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BlackMK4 posted:My parents are redoing a bathroom and they have a question: Depends do they like the style of the valve. Are they ripping down the wall where you have access to the valve itself. Does the existing cartridge leak. If it doesnt leak dont replace it. If they want a new one then replace it.
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Feb 2, 2012 03:11
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The sink in my room has started noticeably draining slower, to the point where I can't wash my hands without the water standing in the sink for a while. I took apart all the piping to the wall and cleaned it out, and despite the s-trap being pretty gross, the problem persists. I tried putting a snake into the pipe in the wall but it doesn't seem to hit anything, and I'm in the basement so I can't go further than the concrete in the floor. What else can I try out to fix what I'm assuming is a clog somewhere down the line?
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Feb 7, 2012 07:03
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GobiasIndustries posted:The sink in my room has started noticeably draining slower, to the point where I can't wash my hands without the water standing in the sink for a while. I took apart all the piping to the wall and cleaned it out, and despite the s-trap being pretty gross, the problem persists. I tried putting a snake into the pipe in the wall but it doesn't seem to hit anything, and I'm in the basement so I can't go further than the concrete in the floor. What else can I try out to fix what I'm assuming is a clog somewhere down the line? When you put the snake in the wall make sure its not hitting the end of the T for the dirty arm and going up into the vent . It is easy to and hard to feel for. If the drain is backing up that quickly the problem has to be pretty close to the sink.
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Feb 7, 2012 15:44
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After just buying a house last month, I'm finding all kinds of plumbing issues (surprise!) Hopefully some of you might be able to help me. 1) Both of our full bathrooms are on the top floor of my house. We've noticed that when using the bathtubs in either bathroom, the water drains pretty slowly. I've tried using the "baking soda/vinegar combo in the drain, wait 20 minutes, then pour hot water" trick to no avail. I'm starting to think there might be a bigger problem since both tubs are draining slowly. Should I just call a plumber to clear the line or is there anything else I can check first? 2) The bathtub fixtures in both tubs leak heavily from the faucet when using the shower. They're both the same model of 3-handle faucet (very similar to this) and are fairly dated. I'd like to replace all of the hardware, but I'm not sure how much work this is going to be given that I don't think we have any access panels to get at the pipes easily. This leaking is compounding problem #1 by filling the tub faster than it should. I'm pretty handy, but I just don't know how much work I'm getting myself into. 3) This one's not really a plumbing question, but I figured I'd ask. The gas hot water heater that came with the house is easily on its last legs. The pilot light has gone out on us twice in the last 30 days, the hot water doesn't stay hot for long, and when it's heating, I can actually hear quite a bit of mineral build-up clanging around inside the tank. My question is, is it cost-effective to go out and pick up a new 12-year warranty tank or should I consider a tankless solution? I've read pros and cons for both, but it seems like there's no clear "better" solution. For reference, we run the dishwasher maybe once every 2-3 days, there are only 2 adults living in the house (both of us love long hot showers, though), and we wash all of our clothes with cold water.
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Feb 8, 2012 21:04
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chrix posted:After just buying a house last month, I'm finding all kinds of plumbing issues (surprise!) Hopefully some of you might be able to help me. 1) You have partially clogged pipes. Determining where those clogs are is the tricky part. What about the sinks in those bathrooms? Do they drain slowly too? 2) You don't need access to the pipes. With both handles closed and the drain covered, take out the diverter cartridge and examine it. Does it need a new rubber washer or O-ring? Is it cracked anywhere? You may just need to replace that whole cartridge.
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Feb 8, 2012 22:16
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kid sinister posted:1) You have partially clogged pipes. Determining where those clogs are is the tricky part. What about the sinks in those bathrooms? Do they drain slowly too? Thanks for the reply. 1) Now that you mention it, yes, the sinks drain slowly, but there's never enough water in there to notice. 2) This is something I can probably check tonight when I get home from work. Once I get the diverter cartridge out and find it needs to be replaced, how do I determine what part I need? Are these universal? If not, how do I find the correct one for my fixture?
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Feb 8, 2012 22:43
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chrix posted:
This is a simple fix. Your thermal couple is most likely bad, its a cheap and easy thing to fix. If the water temp is hot then gets cold pretty quickly it could be the dip tube. If its not thedip tube then your gas valve is bad and you should replace it. Tankless are junk in my opinion. If you go that option you should install a softener also since the calcium will gently caress up the heat exchanger. They require special venting, there output isnt that great. I'd just stick with a tank water heater and insulate all your hot water lines to save your self energy.
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Feb 9, 2012 03:46
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GobiasIndustries posted:The sink in my room has started noticeably draining slower, to the point where I can't wash my hands without the water standing in the sink for a while. I took apart all the piping to the wall and cleaned it out, and despite the s-trap being pretty gross, the problem persists. I tried putting a snake into the pipe in the wall but it doesn't seem to hit anything, and I'm in the basement so I can't go further than the concrete in the floor. What else can I try out to fix what I'm assuming is a clog somewhere down the line? I keep saying it because works so well for me. Pour a pound of lye into the open, dry drain of the stuck sink, and follow it up with a quart of near-boiling water. Run like hell.
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Feb 9, 2012 16:08
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:This is a simple fix. Your thermal couple is most likely bad, its a cheap and easy thing to fix. If the water temp is hot then gets cold pretty quickly it could be the dip tube. If its not thedip tube then your gas valve is bad and you should replace it. The water doesn't get cold right away, but due to the extra hot water being wasted by the potentially crappy diverter cartridge/stem, it seems faster than it really is. Honestly, I think I'm going to just replace the water heater. It's very old and as I mentioned, there is a significant amount of mineral buildup inside. We just bought this house, so we're looking to upgrade as much as we can instead of waiting for surprises. Since the diverter problem compounds both the slow drain and the weak water heater, I think I'm going to tackle it first. I didn't get a chance to take it apart last night, but I should have some time tonight. I'll try to snap some pictures as well.
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Feb 9, 2012 16:54
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insta posted:I keep saying it because works so well for me. Pour a pound of lye into the open, dry drain of the stuck sink, and follow it up with a quart of near-boiling water. Run like hell. I know nothing about plumbing so I can't tell if this is a serious response, but this seems...really dangerous. Does this actually work? And if so, will having PVC piping be a problem?
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Feb 10, 2012 21:16
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chrix posted:2) This is something I can probably check tonight when I get home from work. Once I get the diverter cartridge out and find it needs to be replaced, how do I determine what part I need? Are these universal? If not, how do I find the correct one for my fixture? Crap, I never did answer this one for you... Determining which part you need depends on the condition the cartridge is in. Some parts are proprietary, some are universal. The first and most basic fix is the rubber seals. Almost all rubber washers and O-rings are universal. The ones that are tricky to replace are the ones the seal between the 2 pieces of the diverter cartridge. Often you will have to replace the whole cartridge. Even if all the rubber is okay, there could be a crack in the nylon on the cartridge somewhere and you will need to replace the cartridge. If that's the case, you will need to look up your local plumbing supplier and take your cartridge to them. They should be able to help you identify the manufacturer and order you a replacement part if they don't have any in stock.
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Feb 11, 2012 01:47
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GobiasIndustries posted:I know nothing about plumbing so I can't tell if this is a serious response, but this seems...really dangerous. Does this actually work? And if so, will having PVC piping be a problem? It's a serious response, and PVC is fine. The drain will roar for a bit and then flow like it was brand new. Don't loving stand over the drain and look down it to see what's happening because you might lose your face.
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Feb 11, 2012 17:59
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Hey all. I am completely clueless on all things plumbing, but I think my water heater is on its way out. There's a small puddle around the base which I first noticed today. It comes back every few hours or so. I checked the piping and pressure valve and they're dry, so I think it's coming from the base, which judging by everything I've read online means that it's time for a new heater. I was wonder if there are certain brands which are/aren't recommended for a normal 40 gal gas tank water heater and how much a "normal" charge would be for a replacement, including parts and labor, as price is an issue and I don't want to get ripped off.
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Feb 19, 2012 04:31
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ManifunkDestiny posted:Hey all. I am completely clueless on all things plumbing, but I think my water heater is on its way out. There's a small puddle around the base which I first noticed today. It comes back every few hours or so. I checked the piping and pressure valve and they're dry, so I think it's coming from the base, which judging by everything I've read online means that it's time for a new heater. Put a bucket under the T/P line and see if it is leaking. I can't really say how much someone would charge you but im guessing around $400-500 dollars for a water heater. And an hour or two of labor.
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Feb 19, 2012 20:30
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Interesting plumbing and construction framing question.  I'm currently in the painting stage after finishing my basement last year and noticed something I looked over during the plumbing stage. I replumbed a vent and waste line into the same pipe (two pipes crossing in an unfinished basement consolidated down to one line now) that sites behind a new framed wall. A wall with two layers of 5/8" drywall. I had to notch a stud to clear a pipe and I completely forgot about thermal expansion. Being a kitchen sink waste line, it gets a lot of hot water flowing through it, causing an awesome creaking sound on warmup and cooldown as the PVC line slides against the wood stud. What would be the best way to fix this issue to alleviate the creaking with minimal damage? Under normal conditions the pipe won't creak while we are down in this room (washing dishes at the same time we are enjoying a movie in the theater room) but when it does happen the noise is loud and annoying. Noone can really be blamed but myself on this one either 
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Feb 21, 2012 18:07
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dietcokefiend posted:Interesting plumbing and construction framing question. I dont think there is a easy fix to this with out removing some dry wall and drilling out the studs. If anyone else has some ideas I'd love t hear them.
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Feb 22, 2012 03:14
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Looking for clues as to how to troubleshoot/solve this weird issue. Brand new 3 year old house, all pex plumbing. 3 stories and the water main and heater on the 1st floor. The shower on the 3rd floor has dropped water pressure significantly within a last 6 months. The faucet in that same bathroom is ok, but it's hard to tell because it's barely used. This is in center city Philadelphia, and our water pressure is already borderline terrible. What can we do to troubleshoot this? Can I replace the shower head with a high-intensity unit of sorts? Thanks in advance Unrelated question, different house. If I were to replace a section of vertical iron drain pipe with a PVC, what are the best connectors to use? I'm weary about rubber couplings because there is a certain amount of weight resting on this. Am I allowed to go from 4" iron to 3" PVC by code(s), considering that it's just 1 bathroom? I'd appreciate any opinions or advise on the matter
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Feb 22, 2012 04:27
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Plumbing horror story for y'all. I live in a rental house. The owners got a policy from American Home Guardian. The kitchen sink faucet would occasionally flood the countertop. Called, got an appointment set up, dude replaced the faucet. He saw that there was a leak from the outlet pipe. He couldn't address it because AHG required a separate service call. On Tuesday the 14th,  came out at 5:00 and said there was no leak from the outlet pipe in the kitchen and that the other guy "was an idiot". He just tightened the fitting down, seems OK. He was generally gruff and unfriendly.On Thursday, my roommate told me about the water hammering noise and the low flow from the hot water in the master bathroom bathtub. AHG scheduled the same guy to come out to look at the water heater leak and the bathtub issue.He was as gruff and unfriendly as before. He banged around with the water heater for about an hour and appears to have fixed that issue. He spent about five minutes looking at the bathtub and said that "that's just how it is, water pressure is weird". I pointed out that before all of this started the hot and cold water were both the same pressure. He said "Well I don't know how that could be. There's nothing I can do to fix it." He said he wasn't going to charge for the tub thing. He went out to his truck to leave, then came back to tell me about the leak at the water main. He said "You'll want to call the city to fix that", and left right away. This leak was on the home owner side of the meter.  came around 4:45, was very nice, noted that the hadn't put the exhaust flue for the gas water heater back in place correctly and said it was likely extremely dangerous. He diagnosed the water main problem and while the glue was setting cleaned out the cartridge for the tub, noting it was really clogged. Some additional tweaking, and everything started working as it was supposed to! Near as I can tell, the initial water shutoff to take care of the kitchen sink issue caused enough sediment to be dislodged in the hot water pipes to cause a clog in the master bath cartridge. Not really something that the first guy could have reasonably anticipated.I've told the property management company that I won't deal with again, and will tell the same to AHG if I talk to them directly again. I've also told the property managers that they need to give as much work as they can.
I like turtles fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Feb 22, 2012 |
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Feb 22, 2012 06:42
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Nitrox posted:Looking for clues as to how to troubleshoot/solve this weird issue. Brand new 3 year old house, all pex plumbing. 3 stories and the water main and heater on the 1st floor. The shower on the 3rd floor has dropped water pressure significantly within a last 6 months. The faucet in that same bathroom is ok, but it's hard to tell because it's barely used. This is in center city Philadelphia, and our water pressure is already borderline terrible. What can we do to troubleshoot this? Can I replace the shower head with a high-intensity unit of sorts? Thanks in advance Take the shower head off and soak it in vinegar for an hour or so. It will eat the calcium right up. If you remove all of the 4 inch in the bathroom and replumb it all 3 inch then hook up to the 4 inch its fine. But you can not hook up 4inch to 3 inch then back to 4 inch. There is a lot of ways to support cast iron pipe. You could frame wood from a joist to the center of teh pipe then wrap the bottom half with plumbers tape. I like turtles posted:Plumbing horror story for y'all. Ya was retarded. I doubt he is even a plumber. I'd be curious to what he did on the water heater.
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Feb 23, 2012 02:42
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The gasket on one of the lines was shot, I guess, and he replaced that. Seems to be holding so far, the area is still dry. I'm keeping an eye on it, in case he was incompetent with that too.
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Feb 23, 2012 03:06
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I like turtles posted:The gasket on one of the lines was shot, I guess, and he replaced that. Seems to be holding so far, the area is still dry. I'm keeping an eye on it, in case he was incompetent with that too. He actually had to remove the flue to do a gasket on flex. Hahahah what the gently caress. I could see doing a dip tube but not a flex line gasket.
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Feb 23, 2012 03:30
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Take the shower head off and soak it in vinegar for an hour or so. It will eat the calcium right up. Also, can I pour concrete over a rubber coupling joint? Common sense says no, but my dad says sure.
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Feb 23, 2012 04:25
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Nitrox posted:The diverter and shower head were filled with all sorts of gunk, not even sure what it was. Also, the rubber washer left a tiny opening and I replaced it with a less restrictive one. The shower never worked that good before, holy poo poo! Describe the gunk, was it white chunks that looked like larger sand grains? If so it could be your dip tube. This would occure if your water heater was bought in the 90's. You can remove that washer and put tape and dope on the chrome nipple then tighten the head and you will have even less restriction. Don't get to heavy with the pipe dope or it will clog the shower head. A thin layer will suffice. Why is the fitting in concrete ? Can't you have it above or below concrete to protect it. Regardless I would use a fernco. They have a shield on them and hold up much better. They also allow you to roll the rubber to fit it in , in tight places. 
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Feb 23, 2012 04:36
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I'm adding a toilet in the basement, so the coupling for the new connector needs to be buried in order to keep that toilet at reasonable height. Is 2" pipe good enough for a toilet drain? The gunk looked like paste, some fine shavings and possibly wood dust. Maybe a bit of calcium, but I couldn't tell. I imagine it's been there since the house was built 3 years ago. Once we started using the shower, it accumulated in the shower head and diverter, eventually clogging it. Thanks for the advise. Nitrox fucked around with this message at 05:21 on Feb 23, 2012 |
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Feb 23, 2012 05:16
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Nitrox posted:I'm adding a toilet in the basement, so the coupling for the new connector needs to be buried in order to keep that toilet at reasonable height. Is 2" pipe good enough for a toilet drain? 2 inch pipe will work for a toilet vent that is it (by code its suppose to be 2 inch). You need a 3 inch drain pipe for for the toilet its self.
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Feb 23, 2012 05:26
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I need an opinion on my kitchen sink. I just moved into this apartment 3 months ago and have had a lot of problems with it clogging. There's no garbage disposal, but I'm careful about what I put down there and after running a bunch of draino through it was still having issues. I decided to take a look and noticed that the loving pipe runs UPHILL (it's hard to tell from the photo, but it is most definitely a slight incline) from the trap to the connector. I'm not an expert, but I did receive a little training on plumbing proofing in the military, and I'm fairly certain that this is not to code. I know it varies from location to location, but I live in Annapolis, MD if that helps at all. I want to be absolutely certain before I go calling up the landlady to complain.
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Feb 25, 2012 17:16
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