|
I get propane at cost, so like $1.25 right now compared to $2.35 for oil. I have a propane tank for water heater and gas range right now. Even over the course of 15 years I wouldn't (or would barely) reach that $3000 I put into the more expensive unit. poo poo's expensive I guess, i was thinking Oil would be in the $4000 range. drat.
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2017 16:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 06:13 |
|
|
Spermy Smurf posted:Holy cow, just got quotes and the propane is $9000 for a GV90-5LP Direct Vent boiler and all the other stuff installed. Put some numbers into https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/renewable-energy/Documents/ON-Farm/heatcalc.xls
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2017 00:33
|
|
|
Cross posting here and the Quick Answer for advice on this little project I've been toying with: I want to go with the last, lower design. Any suggestions for the piping? How many pieces am I looking at here?
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2017 23:55
|
|
|
Uhh, what are you even going to use it for?
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2017 22:23
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:Uhh, what are you even going to use it for? It's a foot stool/ step stool/ sitting-on-after-mowing-the-lawn-and-drinking-a-beer stool I want to make. I'm going with the design on the very bottom of the page, I found some recast vintage bottle openers I want to attach to a couple sides.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2017 10:23
|
|
|
Question about replacing a leaking shutoff valve. I tried to find a solution skipping through this thread so sorry if I missed a previous answer for this. I've got a bathroom valve that keeps dripping no matter how tight I try to shut it off. I've seen a few youtube videos about replacing one of these but all the valves used are attached with a sort of collar nut, rather than soldered on. What's the best way to remove/replace/repair this particular valve? I'm thinking just use a pipecutter and cut off the old valve. There should be plenty of bare pipe left over to attach a new valve, but I wanted to make sure I'm not shooting myself in the foot here. edit: I really am helpless, how the hell do you attach images on SA these days? nevermind 
ihop fucked around with this message at 01:32 on Mar 7, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 01:25
|
|
|
ihop posted:Question about replacing a leaking shutoff valve. I tried to find a solution skipping through this thread so sorry if I missed a previous answer for this. I've got a bathroom valve that keeps dripping no matter how tight I try to shut it off. I've seen a few youtube videos about replacing one of these but all the valves used are attached with a sort of collar nut, rather than soldered on. What's the best way to remove/replace/repair this particular valve? I'm thinking just use a pipecutter and cut off the old valve. There should be plenty of bare pipe left over to attach a new valve, but I wanted to make sure I'm not shooting myself in the foot here. You can use a mini copper cutter. And then get a new 1/2 compression angle stop (3/8 compression will be the outlet going towards the sink) Turn off water to house Cut angle stop with a copper cutter if you have one. Sand the pipe with some pipe sand cloth or a brillo pad. Slide new nut and ferrel over the pipe. Put a thin amount of dope on the ferrel and a little bit on the threads of the angle stop Snug it back down with 2 cresent wrenches. (8" wrenches should be fine)
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 02:09
|
|
|
ihop posted:Question about replacing a leaking shutoff valve. I tried to find a solution skipping through this thread so sorry if I missed a previous answer for this. I've got a bathroom valve that keeps dripping no matter how tight I try to shut it off. I've seen a few youtube videos about replacing one of these but all the valves used are attached with a sort of collar nut, rather than soldered on. What's the best way to remove/replace/repair this particular valve? I'm thinking just use a pipecutter and cut off the old valve. There should be plenty of bare pipe left over to attach a new valve, but I wanted to make sure I'm not shooting myself in the foot here. Another option is to just replace the rubber washer on the end of the stem. Turn off the water. Do you see that big nut in between the hole and the handle? Unscrew that, then turn the handle open until the stem unscrews out of the valve. Take that to the hardware store and get a rubber washer of the right size for the end.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 04:13
|
|
|
You guys are awesome. I'll consider kid sinister's idea plan A, Turd Herder plan B (because plan A never works.)
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 04:57
|
|
|
Does my old, dead water heater have any scrap value? Any copper in there?
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 05:04
|
|
|
Turd Herder posted:Put a thin amount of dope on the ferrel Technically illegal iirc. (I do it too)
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 06:32
|
|
|
Squashy Nipples posted:Does my old, dead water heater have any scrap value? Any copper in there? The tank and outer cover are steel. The tank does have a fair amount of steel. It will only have a significant amount of copper if it's an electric, and even then only a couple wires and maybe the thermostat(s). Jadunk posted:Technically illegal iirc. (I do it too) ferrule 
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 06:35
|
|
|
Jadunk posted:Technically illegal iirc. (I do it too) Why is it against code?
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 14:01
|
|
|
ihop posted:You guys are awesome. I'll consider kid sinister's idea plan A, Turd Herder plan B (because plan A never works.) Ended up doing both these things. The first try at plan A ended up predictably enough with water on the ceiling. In the end I had to replace one valve entirely and rebuild the stems in 3 other valves. I'm guessing they're so old that any time I close the valves the rubber washers end up disintegrating or popping off the stems and clogging the pipe. I do still have an issue with my kitchen sink. The water flow is still very weak. It happens running either full hot or cold. I'm guessing one of the old washers crumbled and is blocking flow somewhere between the valve and the faucet but I can't seem to figure out where and can't figure out why it's affecting both hot and cold. Replacing these valves doesn't seem like an option (for me) as there's not much bare pipe between the valve and the wall. I've taken the faucet apart entirely to no avail. The last idea I have is to remove the hoses connecting the valves to faucet and see if anything is stuck in there but I don't have much hope or enthusiasm at this point. Any ideas? Thanks again guys for help here. I have no doubt that on the bathroom alone you guys saved me a couple hundred on a plumber.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 21:41
|
|
|
ihop posted:Ended up doing both these things. The first try at plan A ended up predictably enough with water on the ceiling. In the end I had to replace one valve entirely and rebuild the stems in 3 other valves. I'm guessing they're so old that any time I close the valves the rubber washers end up disintegrating or popping off the stems and clogging the pipe. 1 or 2 handle kitchen faucet? Did you check the aerator?
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2017 22:01
|
|
|
It's a one handle. I did take apart the aerator and didn't see anything there and didn't see any changes. I also disconnected the supply lines and ran them into a bucket. It appears that the low pressure is upstream of the faucet. I suspect there's still something in the valve that's obstructing flow. This issue arose about a year ago when I had to shut off the main and drain the water heater. When I turned it back on the flow was reduced to the kitchen sink. All other outlets have normal pressure. To be honest I can live with it for now, so long as nothing is leaking. I'm trying to prepare my house for sale and if potential buyers make an issue of it I'll probably just hire a professional to sort it out.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2017 00:31
|
|
|
Man I must have angered some water god. After replacing or repairing 4 different shutoff valves I've got 3 working and one that won't shut off, but at least isn't leaking. Apparently all the charging/discharging broke the fill valve on one toilet. It won't stop filling. I'm planning to just replace the whole fill valve tomorrow, and the toilet's coming out anyway so that's not a big deal. Go to shut off the valve to the toilet and low and behold a steady drip continues to flow. The good news is that after replacing or repairing this valve, there's only two showers and two sink valves left in the entire house. Hopefully by then I can have it down to only one trip to the hardware store per valve.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2017 04:47
|
|
|
ihop posted:Man I must have angered some water god. After replacing or repairing 4 different shutoff valves I've got 3 working and one that won't shut off, but at least isn't leaking. Apparently all the charging/discharging broke the fill valve on one toilet. It won't stop filling. I'm planning to just replace the whole fill valve tomorrow, and the toilet's coming out anyway so that's not a big deal. Go to shut off the valve to the toilet and low and behold a steady drip continues to flow. The good news is that after replacing or repairing this valve, there's only two showers and two sink valves left in the entire house. Hopefully by then I can have it down to only one trip to the hardware store per valve. It sounds like the rubber washer from the stop valve broke off and a piece got stuck in the fill valve, keeping it from closing. You can probably fix this one for free without leaving the house. Turn off the water, take apart the fill valve and clean out its seal.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2017 18:42
|
|
|
And I'll put this over here, looks like it does belong here: Our new house has a drain system around the house. It's pretty badly clogged up, mostly with sand and small aggregates (white gravel). What is the best way to get it clean? Just run water and use an auger to slowly drain it? Is there a better way to clear it out quickly? If I rent an auger, is there a cutter head that will work best for rock? Or should I just rip it up, dump it out and put it back?
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2017 05:56
|
|
|
Turd Herder posted:Why is it against code? If I remember my code right putting pipe dope on the ferrule makes it a wet seal, not a true compression seal. This means it doesn't fall under the "acceptable joining methods" which means its no bueno.
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2017 06:01
|
|
|
Jadunk posted:Technically illegal iirc. (I do it too) It's not illegal as far as I know. It is against manufacturers instructions and voids any warranties or liability coverage. I personally dont do it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2017 07:41
|
|
|
BubbaGrace posted:It's not illegal as far as I know. It is against manufacturers instructions and voids any warranties or liability coverage. I personally dont do it. 605.1 Copper or Copper Alloy Pipe, Tubing, and Joints. Joining methods for copper or copper alloy pipe, tubing, and fittings shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer' s installation instructions and shall comply with Section 605.1.1 through Section 605.1.5. As a general rule manufacturers specs override code.
|
|
#
?
Mar 10, 2017 09:53
|
|
|
Ok plumbing thread, I've got myself an issue and I'm trying to figure out if I can resolve it myself with help from someone more experienced. I recently removed some drywall in a storage room of my (finished) basement because there was mold growing behind it. Fortunately the mold was confined to a relatively small portion of the wall. Looking straight up through the wall I could see a large (4" or so?) black pipe directly above. There is a bathroom with a toilet a floor above and on the other side of this wall, so I'm assuming the pipe is the outflow of the sink and/or toilet. When flushing the toilet, a bit of water (1-2 tablespoons) comes straight down the wall and his the area where the mold was. Is this kind of leak something that could be the result of a bad toilet gasket or likely something worse? The toilet above has always looked a bit off level since we moved in 6m ago, but I've never seen even a drop of water leak from around that area so I didn't think much of it until this issue came to my attention.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 01:48
|
|
|
BeastOfExmoor posted:Ok plumbing thread, I've got myself an issue and I'm trying to figure out if I can resolve it myself with help from someone more experienced. Yea, toilets have a wax seal. Wax seals can stop working if your toilet rocks (or I guess just randomly). They're pretty cheap to replace (but you'll want gloves... lots of gloves....) On a related note, if you hate your toilet, or it doesn't flush well, or anything similar... replacing the wax seal is about 75% of the job of just installing a new toilet.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 04:08
|
|
|
Fwiw, when we remodeled I replaced only one toilet (cause it was, like, almond colored) and now I kick myself for not doing them all. The new toilet flushes better, with less water.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 05:12
|
|
|
BeastOfExmoor posted:Ok plumbing thread, I've got myself an issue and I'm trying to figure out if I can resolve it myself with help from someone more experienced. Tolet seal leaks (technically "closet flange leaks") rarely show on the floor/at the toilet. They run down & drip below. Sounds like you need a new wax seal...and be prepared for a possible surprise with your floor flange or subfloor around & under the flange, if the toilet's not sitting level. Protip for removing wax seal: Use a disposable paint scraper & put your hand in a plastic grocery bag, pull off what you can, scrape off the rest, and, when done, pull the bag off inside-out to catch it all. VVV I have trouble with the nitrile gloves ripping. Hard to get them in a size large enough. VV PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Mar 11, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 05:35
|
|
|
There are two things I learned were indispensable after buying a house: a big box of nitrile gloves and a pair of good leather work gloves. The latter are good for yard work or moving poo poo around, the former for gross poo poo like dealing with wax seals.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 05:44
|
|
|
devicenull posted:(but you'll want gloves... lots of gloves....) Jesus, how many gloves do you go through replacing a wax seal? You should only really need 2 pairs. (undo bolts, scrape wax, dispose of wax seal and first set of gloves. second set should carry you through cleanup)
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 06:44
|
|
|
Speaking of toilets is there any big difference between Kohler and American Standard? I was looking to replace my condo's current short/round toilets with chair height/elongated ones and the American Standard Cadet 3 looks to be good for the price. Also one of my co-workers insists that using toilet bowl clean to clean your toilet will destroy the glazing so he used dish soap or laundry detergent instead. Is there any truth to this? I know you are not supposed to use the in-tank cleaners as those deteriorate the flushing mechanism.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 06:49
|
|
|
IMO kohler and american standard are pretty much the same quality. I prefer the toto drake or ultramax personally, but they are a bit more expensive. I've never heard that about toilet bowl cleaners, I usually just use soap and water or some of that all surface cleaner poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 06:56
|
|
|
devicenull posted:Yea, toilets have a wax seal. Wax seals can stop working if your toilet rocks (or I guess just randomly). They're pretty cheap to replace (but you'll want gloves... lots of gloves....) angryrobots posted:Fwiw, when we remodeled I replaced only one toilet (cause it was, like, almond colored) and now I kick myself for not doing them all. The new toilet flushes better, with less water. PainterofCrap posted:Tolet seal leaks (technically "closet flange leaks") rarely show on the floor/at the toilet. They run down & drip below. Sounds like you need a new wax seal...and be prepared for a possible surprise with your floor flange or subfloor around & under the flange, if the toilet's not sitting level. Thanks all. All I could find about wax ring leaks talked about leaks above the floor, so I was a bit concerned. Crossing my fingers that it's an easy fix. I'm not in love with this toilet (almond), but it's in good shape so I'll wait until we redo the bathroom in a few months/years. minivanmegafun posted:There are two things I learned were indispensable after buying a house: a big box of nitrile gloves and a pair of good leather work gloves. Agreed. I bought roughly a billion nitrile gloves from Costco a few years back and use them all the time for everything from painting to dishwashing to cooking. Cheaped out on "heavy duty" gloves before I finally bought some half decent leather ones and the difference is huge. Use them all the time as well.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 07:17
|
|
|
BeastOfExmoor posted:I'm not in love with this toilet (almond), but it's in good shape so I'll wait until we redo the bathroom in a few months/years. Don't wait! New toilets work way better then lovely old ones. The only extra steps involved in replacing it versus doing the wax seal are building the toilet (two bolts), and attaching the new supply line.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 17:30
|
|
|
Okay another question: Trying to plumb the drain in a new sink. The drain in the new sink is significantly offset from the old one, it's approximately 6 inches from the center of the drain to the center of the pipe where it makes the 90 deg bend downward into the p-trap. Unfortunately the pipe coming out of the wall has already been modified and I don't see any room to cut it off and attach a new coupler. I tried using one of the bendy pipes to make the stretch but I don't think it's going to work. Any ideas?  edit: if I could drop the p-trap down lower I think I'd have room to put a double 90 bend off the sink drain and forego the kinky bit. Unfortunately I can't find a piece to attach to the 90 off the wall, to allow me to drop the p-trap. So far the only piece I've been able to find that'll thread onto the 90 bend is the original p-trap. something like this edit 2: holy balls the highs and lows of plumbing are intense, I don't know how you guys do it professionally. Does anybody see any major problems with this? I don't know the general view on the slinky pipes but this is a low-use bathroom sink and it doesn't leak so unless I'm blatantly violating code here I'm happy with it. 
ihop fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Mar 12, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 19:57
|
|
|
So as a bit of follow up to all my water pressure issues (or non issues, whatever), my water heater decided to start leaking. There was no shutoff valve on the intake, so I was shutting off the entire house. So I would drain the water heater (with a hose) at night (Open up the drain valve at the bottom, and release the pressure valve at the top) and re fill it the next evening to be used for showers and stuff. Standard browning of the water etc. However, this got annoying, fast, so I decided to throw a sharkbite (Blue Hawk from Lowes) ball valve on the copper so I could just shut off the hot water (and flush the toilets, get water for the boys, etc). However, I noticed there is still water draining from the tank even after letting it out overnight. So the main question: Would there be any point where water could back feed through the system into the hot water? I don't see why there should be any drain after 12 hours of shutting off the cold water intake line. I can only think of 3 even remote possibilities: The two showers (One of the valves for the shower heat is wearing and allowing water through), or at the kitchen sink somehow. Is there anywhere else? Gothmog1065 posted:We looked, didn't see anything in the meter box and it doesn't look like there is another box. I'm not too awfully worried about the pressure being high or low, even when it is "down" it is fine. Again, it only seems to happen when the hot water is run for an extended period of time. The house is probably going to need to be plumbed anyways, I don't see any reports on when it was last done by the previous owner (Trust me she left EVERYTHING she did there like it made the house value go up). So a few followups on this. Looks like they ran 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 black poly from the meter to the house shutoff. No PRV anywhere that I saw. Will probably put it on the back burner until I can get the water heater fixed.
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2017 20:15
|
|
|
ihop posted:Does anybody see any major problems with this? I don't know the general view on the slinky pipes but this is a low-use bathroom sink and it doesn't leak so unless I'm blatantly violating code here I'm happy with it. 2 extra 90s after the trap before the vent is very much violating code. Cut the 90 that's currently there off, buy a rambit for that size pipe and drill out the coupling. You will probably be able to just glue a slightly longer piece in and then install your ptrap. As I'm sure you already know, I hate those accordian pieces.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2017 03:15
|
|
|
Fuuuuck that sucks. Doubly so since I've gone ahead and installed all the faucet hoses. Any advice on what to use to cut the pipe? I've got a confined space saw but I don't think there's enough space even for that. Do those cable saws work very well? Thanks for the help. ihop fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Mar 12, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2017 04:20
|
|
|
PainterofCrap posted:Tolet seal leaks (technically "closet flange leaks") rarely show on the floor/at the toilet. They run down & drip below. Sounds like you need a new wax seal...and be prepared for a possible surprise with your floor flange or subfloor around & under the flange, if the toilet's not sitting level. Ding ding ding. Pulled the toilet out and things look bit wonky. I've never installed a wax seal, but..this didn't look right. I didn't even notice the there was a thin part with a hole in it until I pulled it out of the garbage to take this photo.  The floor underneath the toilet at least felt pretty solid, which was definitely a concern. The flange, however, is indeed damaged. Rusted out for sure on one side and not looking too hot on the other side. Looking at the first youtube video on replacing flanges makes me think this above my comfort level. I see several products carried by my local Home Depot that have good ratings and preport to be flange repair products. Examples: http://www.homedepot.com/p/DANCO-HydroSeat-Toilet-Flange-Repair-10672X/204403879 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Mossbay-Specialties-7-in-Galvanized-Steel-Toilet-Flange-Repair-Kit-886-MRM/202528435 Either way, now that we've got the toilet sitting in the garage it sounds like we may just redo the bathroom now. My wife is 36 weeks pregnant so no time like the present I suppose. devicenull posted:Don't wait! New toilets work way better then lovely old ones. The only extra steps involved in replacing it versus doing the wax seal are building the toilet (two bolts), and attaching the new supply line. Yea, it looks like the renovation is happening now after all. I was hoping to get the toilet back in very quick, but since things are going to go a little slower it looks like a new toilet is in our future. It looked a lot less worth keeping once I was 6 inches away hugging it to unbolt it anyhow.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2017 06:01
|
|
|
BeastOfExmoor posted:Ding ding ding. Pulled the toilet out and things look bit wonky. I've never installed a wax seal, but..this didn't look right. I didn't even notice the there was a thin part with a hole in it until I pulled it out of the garbage to take this photo. The flange repair products are supposed to work well if you have enough original flange to make a good connection. Looking at that seal, I warrant that it came cleanly off the floor, and possibly cleanly off of the underside of the toilet as well. This indicates that it was not making a good seal at either the top or the bottom. It may be worth your while to put a flange repair unit on and a new wax seal (and new bolts) & button it up, especially if the subfloor's still tight (a new toilet would be fine if the old one's giving you fits). However, to avoid your predecessor's error, clean the hell out of the mating surfaces & wipe them down with alcohol, especially the underside of the toilet. You want them pristine and free of grease or dust (dust being the primary culprit on a new toilet) edit:  That is a piece of the original protective plastic cover over the wax that is supposed to be peeled completely off before installing the ring. Right there is a leak source. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Mar 12, 2017 |
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2017 18:16
|
|
|
ihop posted:Fuuuuck that sucks. Doubly so since I've gone ahead and installed all the faucet hoses. The cable saws work okay, and given that you don't need a perfectly square cut (since you're just going to be drilling out the pipe) it should work great if you don't have a hackzall or appropriately sized hacksaw. IMO the biggest problem with the cable saws is just that they get hotter than poo poo and the cable starts warping after just a few uses. Not a huge deal since they're super cheap, but also why I only use them when basically nothing else will work. Gothmog1065 posted:So the main question: Would there be any point where water could back feed through the system into the hot water? I don't see why there should be any drain after 12 hours of shutting off the cold water intake line. I can only think of 3 even remote possibilities: The two showers (One of the valves for the shower heat is wearing and allowing water through), or at the kitchen sink somehow. Is there anywhere else? Unless you have a mixing valve installed somewhere then you only really need to look for single handle faucets as your culprit. I've never personally seen a two/three handle valve let water pass from c->h or h->c without leaking out the spouts. I've seen single handle faucets do so tons of times. (single handle shower valves are one of the most common causes of hot/cold cross connection symptoms appearing in multi-unit buildings we service) Gothmog1065 posted:So a few followups on this. Looks like they ran 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 black poly from the meter to the house shutoff. No PRV anywhere that I saw. Will probably put it on the back burner until I can get the water heater fixed. gently caress man, sorry to hear that. Obviously the water heater is higher priority but start budgeting for replacing that water main.
|
|
#
?
Mar 12, 2017 20:02
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 06:13 |
|
|
Jadunk posted:Unless you have a mixing valve installed somewhere then you only really need to look for single handle faucets as your culprit. I've never personally seen a two/three handle valve let water pass from c->h or h->c without leaking out the spouts. I've seen single handle faucets do so tons of times. (single handle shower valves are one of the most common causes of hot/cold cross connection symptoms appearing in multi-unit buildings we service) Thanks. The showers are all 3 handle (H/C/and Shower-tub). The sinks are all two handle. The only "single" handle is the kitchen sink, and ironically enough I'm about to replace it. Pretty sure there are no mixing valves anywhere (This is all ~20 yr old installs). I'll see how much the main is going to cost to replace.
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2017 01:52
|
|