|
sirr0bin posted:I would probably go with something like this: Looks like that should do the trick, thanks!
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2015 02:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 23:22 |
|
|
We bought this house a over a year ago. It was a DiY-er built in 1945, one owner home. When the owner passed away the house was passed onto the sons in a trust fund. We think they quickly made some repairs and updates before putting the house up for sale. There are some quirks we are running into.  First... the shower head. It was a hand held shower head and I decided to update it since it was old and wearing out. I was stupid enough to throw it out when I took it off, only to find that the fitting on the shower arm is not standard. The pipe end is 3/4". Every shower head we tried was 1/2". I had to call my dad to rig something up. We tried to unscrew the whole shower head arm, but it won't budge and I don't know what it's connected to behind the tile. Any suggestions would be appreciated. In the room next to the bathroom, there is a wall access. I asked my husband to go in there and see if there is access to the pipes. He won't.  Second. We are having problems with sink drainage in the kitchen. If I fill up one side of the sink (to do dishes, mop, etc) and then let it drain, it will back up into the other side. This has become worse once the dishwasher started running (actually, it always ran, but we were under the impression it wasn't hooked up/didn't work until one day we just tried it). Now when the dishwasher drains, it backs up into both side of the sink. I'm wondering if there is food built up blocking a pipe or something, but not sure if there is a trap. We've tried liquid plumber and plunging the sinks.  Both sinks  Dishwasher is on the right
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2015 16:09
|
|
|
Regarding the shower head I got nothin. Pics of inside the wall might help, sounds like there could be just about anything going on in there. Regarding the sink, it is missing a vent. That in itself could cause slow draining. It also has the wrong kind of trap - it needs a P trap instead of an S trap. I would not mess with fixing what's there, I would just re-plumb the entire business in that cabinet. And very likely, the drain is blocked with crud further down. If so, you would need it snaked out, and if there's a gravity problem in the plumbing (i.e. part of it installed going uphill, for some reason this seems really common) you'll need to get that portion of the drain line fixed also.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2015 16:27
|
|
|
What is that rubber vent line off the drain pipe on the sink? Isn't that possibly a vent? I have a pair of sinks done wrongly and unvented and it's a real pain.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2015 18:45
|
|
|
Paramemetic posted:What is that rubber vent line off the drain pipe on the sink? Isn't that possibly a vent? Dishwasher drain hose is thst rubber thing on the bottom pic leading off to the right.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2015 19:01
|
|
|
Oh gotcha that makes sense. Other than inadequate ventilation meaning inadequate draining, what are the possible consequences of bad ventilation? As I posted before (no pics yet sorry) my waste stack was chopped off and left under a floor in an unfinished future bathroom. If I simply extend it to outside the house through a wall up there, is that okay? My understanding with a vent stack is as long as it never goes downwards it can be turned, correct? Furthermore, there is a goofy offset secondary stack for said second bathroom running off the same manifold, can I vent that to the main vent stack? My understanding is basically "so long as the air has someplace to go" but that's strictly intuition and not any kind of know-how, is it accurate?
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2015 19:23
|
|
|
I think I have a clogged drain vent, house is from 1952. I'm hoping that it's just the roof vent being a bit covered/clogged, but what's the best way to deal with cleaning it out? I don't like getting on top of my house, so I'm thinking of calling my handyman to deal with it unless this is something that needs a plumber.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2015 19:56
|
|
|
Paramemetic posted:Oh gotcha that makes sense. Well, worst case scenario of bad venting would be sewer gas building up to the point of an explosion, but that would almost take the perfect combination of events to happen. You'd notice the smell of the sewer gas long before that though. Sewer vents need to go up, not just out. Yes, you can make turns in them but that should be avoided as much as possible. Sections of them can even point downward in Chicago Loop setups. Those are nice if AAVs aren't allowed where you live. Yes, you can link vents back to stacks, with a lot of conditions. That's called "wet venting" and has a whole slew of rules to go with it, let alone how hard that is to do for renovations. You will have to move around the stack, the largest, heaviest pipe in your house that everything is attached to, and maybe screw up the flashing and tiles on your roof in the process since you'll be moving the existing pipe through your roof up and down. WeaselWeaz posted:I think I have a clogged drain vent, house is from 1952. I'm hoping that it's just the roof vent being a bit covered/clogged, but what's the best way to deal with cleaning it out? I don't like getting on top of my house, so I'm thinking of calling my handyman to deal with it unless this is something that needs a plumber. The best way is to get up on your roof and snake it. However, this the time of year for cold weather. Are your vents iced over? kid sinister fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Mar 8, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2015 00:38
|
|
|
The other thing that is more likely to happen if you don't have good ventilation is traps siphoning (and thus not working as traps)
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2015 06:01
|
|
|
Zhentar posted:The other thing that is more likely to happen if you don't have good ventilation is traps siphoning (and thus not working as traps) It's been with one drain (bathroom sink) being slow. It seems to gulp for air or have a big air bubble come up. I haven't seen issues with the toilet or bathtub, or the basement's sink or toilet. Although after I use the bath there's a little water sitting in the top of the drain. I haven't seen water back up into any other drain. kid sinister posted:The best way is to get up on your roof and snake it. However, this the time of year for cold weather. Are your vents iced over? I've had the issue when it isn't below freezing, so I don't think that's it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2015 18:36
|
|
|
So Saturday night found me hunching over my toilet quite frequently thanks to a stomach virus my kids brought home from daycare. At one point, I bumped the toilet and noticed it shift maybe the better part of half an inch. I shifted it back, but in the ensuing days, I swear I'm picking up a very subtle hint of sewage smell in the bathroom. So my question is twofold: 1) Should it have shifted at all? I'm thinking maybe the bolts have rusted out or failed or something? I assume I should pop the caps off and take a look, and expect to replace them? 2) Is it likely that I damaged the wax ring or something, and that needs to be replaced to fix the seal? This is a strictly floor-mounted toilet, doesn't touch the wall at all.
|
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2015 01:29
|
|
|
1) No. 2) Yes. 2a) Replace the flange bolts as well. 2b) If you're having the shittiest of luck, and the floor flange is cracked, you should be able to purchase a new, bolt-on flange repair kit from the same place as the new flange bolts + wax ring. Clean the hell out of the mating faces: the flange, and particularly, the underside of the toilet. Until it squeaks. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Mar 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2015 01:51
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:So Saturday night found me hunching over my toilet quite frequently thanks to a stomach virus my kids brought home from daycare. At one point, I bumped the toilet and noticed it shift maybe the better part of half an inch. I shifted it back, but in the ensuing days, I swear I'm picking up a very subtle hint of sewage smell in the bathroom. So my question is twofold: You got the right idea: the wax ring isn't sealing anymore. You're right in that it shouldn't have shifted at all. There are a couple scenarios where that could have happened though. A bolt could have rusted out, the nut on top was loose, or the flange itself broke, or the floor itself isn't flat right there and allowed the toilet to tilt towards the wall. While you're buying a new wax ring, I would just go ahead and buy new bolts too. There are options if the flange is damaged too. If the floor is uneven, get some toilet shims.
|
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2015 01:53
|
|
|
My house has a power direct vented water heater that's on its way (brown hot water suggesting internal rusting). My friend has a newer water heater I can have, but it's not powered vent - can it be adapted, or is there simply no compatibility?
lushka16 fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Mar 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2015 20:51
|
|
|
I assume your current vent is PVC? No, it can't be used with a natural draft water heater.
|
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2015 21:17
|
|
|
I think it's aluminum, but I can't be too sure. Not that I mind installing a new vent, doesn't seem very difficult given the layout of my utility room.
|
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2015 21:20
|
|
|
Could you post a picture of it? And if it's a sidewall vent, you can't just replace it with a different material for a natural draft water heater; you either need a chimney that goes out the roof or an induced draft fan.
|
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2015 22:27
|
|
|
Hi goons.. whats required (by code possibly) for my prv to have an extention? House is selling and the inspection said they wanted an extension on the hwt prv. Do I just need to grab a fitting and a length of pvc to bring it to the floor? 
tater_salad fucked around with this message at 14:40 on Mar 11, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 01:53
|
|
|
tater_salad posted:Hi goons.. whats required (by code possibly) for my prv to have an extention? Pretty much, yeah. It's so it doesn't relieve hot water pressure in your face.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 01:59
|
|
|
Ive never had one at this house just wanted to male sure pvc was ok copper woukd cost like 30bux probably. I I'm tall so it would relieve pressure on my chest which im okay with
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 02:14
|
|
|
tater_salad posted:Hi goons.. whats required (by code possibly) for my prv to have an extention? Double check your contract. Usually it says work has to be done by a licensed contractor, and you probably don't want the buyer to make an issue of this at closing.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 02:41
|
|
|
PVC is not okay. T&P relief valves are required to be plumbed with materials approved for distribution plumbing. CPVC can be acceptable.tater_salad posted:I I'm tall so it would relieve pressure on my chest which im okay with Uh yeah, about that. It's a temperature and pressure relief valve. If it relieves onto your chest in a high temperature scenario, you'll be probably be spending several weeks in your local burn center. Zhentar fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Mar 11, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 04:18
|
|
|
lushka16 posted:I think it's aluminum, but I can't be too sure. Not that I mind installing a new vent, doesn't seem very difficult given the layout of my utility room. It could be stainless I guess? I've never seen B vent used on any power vent but I've never seen stainless used on anything but a tankless. You can try posting pictures for us to ID. Zhentar posted:PVC is not okay. T&P relief valves are required to be plumbed with materials approved for distribution plumbing. CPVC can be acceptable. Off the top of my head UPC says minimum 4" off the ground max 18" I think?. I usually put them around 6" up. And yeah, CPVC is legal PVC is not. And it has to be graded.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 06:26
|
|
|
Zhentar posted:Uh yeah, about that. It's a temperature and pressure relief valve. If it relieves onto your chest in a high temperature scenario, you'll be probably be spending several weeks in your local burn center. I obviously wasn't being serious.. the HWT is out of the way in an area that we don't really access, I"m surprised the contractor that installed it didn't put the extension tube there. edit: it's been on my list but since it's been out of the way it's been out of sight out of mind. The agreement states "Have the following repairs made in a good and workmanlike manner at no cost to the purchaser, have all required govt inspections completed). The contaract states to indicate if they want it do be done by a contractor.. none of the items indicate. The water heater PRV is the "hardest" thing on the list tater_salad fucked around with this message at 14:26 on Mar 11, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 13:33
|
|
|
Let's talk water hammer. A little while back, I replaced the water pressure reducer on my house, I'm the guy that was unknowingly running at 150psi and was replacing a pressure relief valve on a water tank that was actually doing its job flawlessly, thank goodness for that, good job little valve. Anyhow, I put in the new reducer and now if you run, say, a faucet, I get massive water hammer right there at the reducer valve. And it's a continuous thing, too, not just a one time BANG, but a BANG BANG BANG BANG and the pipe actually starts waggling back and forth. I tried securing the pipe better, but that just keeps it from moving, the hammer is still going on to the point that I can actually hear the water cavitating inside the pipe. This doesn't happen if I have a larger water flow, say a couple faucets or a faucet and the bathtub or similar. And it doesn't happen from turning the faucet on or off, it's more that while the faucet is running, this oscillation ramps up over (a very short) time. I was able to alleviate the issue by turning the main supply valve just allllllmost off, which works fine if you're only trying to run one thing at a time, but if someone flushes while you're taking a shower, there's just not enough flow for both devices and the water pressure goes to poo poo. So my guess is that the pressure reducing valve is fluttering open and shut, which is causing the water hammer. My incoming pressure is about 180, my house pressure is about 50. 3/4" pipes at the meter/reducer valve. I'm assuming I should just put a hammer arrester on there, but I'm also wondering: 1) Should the pressure reducing valve be fluttering like that? 2) How do I figure out what size hammer arrester I need? 3) Is turning up the household pressure just a bit, say to 60-70psi, likely help at all? But really (2) is the biggest question, assuming a hammer arrester is the right answer here. I'm having a tough time finding guidance for this sort of situation. I can get a video of the thing in action of need be.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 14:18
|
|
|
Jadunk posted:I've never seen B vent used on any power vent B Vent is only designed for negative pressure applications; it doesn't seal tightly against positive pressure so if you try to use it with a power vent heater flue gas will blow out the seams.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2015 15:42
|
|
|
I've given up trying to fix the toilet in my basement and have decided to replace it. The plan is to buy an American Standard Champion 4 to replace the toilet in my main floor bathroom, then move that one down to the basement. There are no markings anywhere (including under the lid or in the tank) of the basement toilet to indicate who makes it or what the model is. The one in the upstairs bathroom is an Eljer with "2582" embossed into the underside of the lid. I have been able to find out very little information about that model. I can't check the backs of either tank without removing them. I've also never installed a toilet before. I have a few questions because, once I remove the upstairs toilet, I want to make sure I have everything I need to get at least one working toilet in the house. The basement toilet can be made to work by manipulating the innards and holding the flapper down with a stick, but the ladies in the house aren't really that mechanically inclined. Also, they are scared of spiders and centipedes so they don't go downstairs much. 1: The American Standard has a 12" rough in. Is there a way to measure if that will be enough room without removing my existing toilet? 2: Is there a way to measure what the rough in of my existing toilets are without removing them? I want to make sure the working one can be transplanted to the basement. 3: Is there a way to tell if standard wax rings will work or if I will need extra thick ones? Any recommendations on what brand is the best? 4: The inlet valve and plastic fill hose both seem to be working fine on the upstairs toilet and I've checked the fittings to make sure they aren't rusted together. Any reason I shouldn't replace the fill tube with a stainless steel braided hose just to make it look a little nicer? Here are some pictures if that helps any. This is the barely functional basement toilet. It is going in the trash. That stuff on the floor is not black mold. It is rust from when I used to have a bench grinder mounted next to the toilet. It has no shutoff valve and I'm pretty sure the fill hose will need to be removed with extreme prejudice.  This is the functional main floor toilet in my gay pink bathroom that will be demoted to cellar duty with the centipedes and spiders. The valve and fill hose are in good condition, but I want to install a stainless steel hose to make my bathroom more fabulous. The back of the tank is almost touching the wall - only leaving enough of a gap to get the lid on.  Underside of the gay pink bathroom showing the vent pipe (left) and toilet drain (right).  Another shot of the toilet drain. 
Skunkduster fucked around with this message at 02:08 on Mar 12, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 02:02
|
|
|
SkunkDuster posted:It is rust from when I used to have a bench grinder mounted next to the toilet. Jesus christ, dude, eat a fuckin' prune or something, that ain't healthy.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 02:23
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:Jesus christ, dude, eat a fuckin' prune or something, that ain't healthy. I eat steel and poo poo rebar.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 03:30
|
|
|
tater_salad posted:The water heater PRV is the "hardest" thing on the list I know I'm kinda being a dick about this, but it's still not a PRV, if you want more accurate it's a T&P. They make pressure only relief valves but generally PRV means pressure reducing (or regulating depending on who you ask) valve. Generally the code requires the T&P discharge line goes to outside of the building OR into a drain (in an approved fashion). As others have said you can use CPVC or copper (I think galvi may still be allowed but I'd have to check, I haven't needed to look it up in 10 years or so) Zhentar posted:B Vent is only designed for negative pressure applications; it doesn't seal tightly against positive pressure so if you try to use it with a power vent heater flue gas will blow out the seams. Makes sense. I have heard noritz is coming out with a tankless later this year that will work with B vent which is pretty exciting, it will make retrofitting considerably cheaper. Bad Munki posted:
1- no 2-hold off on that 3- maybe! doubt it. I would take the PRV apart, it sounds like something is wrong internally so either pull it apart and rebuild / check it OR just return it and get a new one. I did a call back years ago on another guy at my company that had put the PRV in upside down, it still allowed water through but caused a similar kind of problem to what you're experiencing. Not saying this is the case but double check the arrow is facing in the direction of flow. (I that's a tier 1 tech support kind of solution but I figured I should mention it) I would be willing to bet that you rebuild or replace the PRV and the sound issue goes away.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 04:28
|
|
|
SkunkDuster posted:1: The American Standard has a 12" rough in. Is there a way to measure if that will be enough room without removing my existing toilet? 1- measure from the finished wall to the closet bolts. 2- see above 3- not exactly. generally if you have linoleum or hardwood it will be okay, carpet or tile sometimes you're fine, sometimes not. I highly recommend Harveys #2 wax ring. I know they say they're for wall mount toilets but we have had great experiences with them on floor mount toilets because they have a little springiness to them so they're less likely to leak years down the road. (and yours in the pink bathroom has leaked at some point in the past it looks like) Also the #2 doesn't have that reducing plastic flange inside which is good, the 4x3 plastic flanges that stick out on some wax rings gives you a very slightly higher chance of your toilet backing up and having to pull out the plunger. 4-You should replace the supply line with a SS braided supply line because they're much, much less likely to blow out and flood your house. Make sure you get one that's actually braided SS, home depot/lowes have started selling some that are plastic made to look like SS. Also make sure you replace the closet bolts using new ones with 2 nuts/washers per bolt. You want to bolt the bolts to the flange then to the toilet, a lot of handymen/DIYers will use the dumb plastic things that hold the bolts in place long enough to tighten the toilet down initially but god do they make it a nightmare years down the road to pull the toilet again.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 04:40
|
|
|
Toilet install chat: I use a marker and draw a line on one side of my flange bolts so I know if the head is engaged or if it has rotated.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 13:52
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:Let's talk water hammer. What sort of adjustments do you have on your PRV? On some of mine at work there is a flow adjustment screw where under high water demand we have to tweak it when new to fine tune the hammer out of it. Is the water pressure gauge on the house side of the PRV flying around wildly while the hammer is going on?
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 15:14
|
|
|
What happens if I leave 1/4" vinyl tubing pressurized at 50-70 PSI (house water pressure) all day? That's OK right? It's under a sink, not being used for an ice maker.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 15:57
|
|
|
Quick question: About to run some pex. How necessary is the $70 pex cutting tool? Can I get away with just using a razor instead? Edit: never mind. Did some research and looks like any PVC cutter will work. END OF AN ERROR fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Mar 12, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 16:12
|
|
|
Tiny Lowtax posted:Quick question: Totally unnecessary, but I would use something like a tubing cutter at least if you're doing more than a couple of cuts. You basically need to get the cut straight and not totally crush the tubing or it ends up being a real pain in the rear end. I'm talking this kind of thing:  You can find them for under $20.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 16:36
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Totally unnecessary, but I would use something like a tubing cutter at least if you're doing more than a couple of cuts. You basically need to get the cut straight and not totally crush the tubing or it ends up being a real pain in the rear end. Yeah that's what I was planning after looking online a bit. I'm only making 4-6 cuts, so didn't want to spend a ton. Thanks. Also, compression fittings are preferred over the crimp rings, correct?
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 16:47
|
|
|
Tiny Lowtax posted:Also, compression fittings are preferred over the crimp rings, correct? That's what they say...... (I still use crimp rings and have yet to encounter a single failure)
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 16:48
|
|
|
insta posted:What happens if I leave 1/4" vinyl tubing pressurized at 50-70 PSI (house water pressure) all day? That's OK right? It's under a sink, not being used for an ice maker. If it's the braided stuff, you're probably fine. If it's not, there's a fair chance that exceeds it's working pressure rating, and some day (maybe years from now, who knows) that tubing will likely fail.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 16:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 23:22 |
|
|
Tiny Lowtax posted:Also, compression fittings are preferred over the crimp rings, correct? The expansion systems are generally regarded as superior, since they have less flow restriction at the fittings and the connections are harder to screw up. But the tools are much more expensive and the fittings and tubing aren't as readily available to DIY'ers. The crimp ring and cinch clamp systems work just fine; you should go with them unless you really like spending extra money for things that are "the best" but don't have any reasonable payoff.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2015 17:23
|
|