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angryrobots posted:Is the sink in the bathroom on the same shared wall? If not, is this house on a slab or is there access via above or below? Sadly no, the sink and toilet are both on walls perpendicular to the wall shared with the garage. There is a full basement below the bathroom and the rest of the main floor of the townhouse. That's where the water heater and main valve are. Both bedrooms are directly over the garage as well, one with an ensuite bathroom. So I would think there are water and drainage lines running all around the garage... Scarf fucked around with this message at 17:07 on Aug 1, 2018 |
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Aug 1, 2018 14:55
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Scarf posted:Hey plumbing thread. Does it freeze where you live? Installing anything in an un-insulated space might be a no no.
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Aug 1, 2018 23:36
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How fast would a hairline crack in a brass fitting worsen? When I came home I noticed a nice puddle under the inlet to my water pressure tank - turns out there is a hairline crack in the brass fitting [pic below]. Drips are significant enough I put a shallow container below it and I'm getting a plumber to fix it tomorrow. Big question is, are these usually quick failures (i.e. is there a chance it could blow out while I'm sleeping)? Should I just shut off the breaker to the well pump and save myself the worry? View is looking up at the fitting from below 
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Aug 2, 2018 00:29
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No, that's crack has been building for ages now. You'll survive one more night.
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Aug 2, 2018 02:08
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kid sinister posted:Does it freeze where you live? Installing anything in an un-insulated space might be a no no. Had a plumber come by yesterday for an estimate. I'm in Denver, so there's moderate concern for a hard freeze a few times a year. The plan will be to install a cutoff valve and slope the lines down towards the sink so I can drain them when needed.
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Aug 4, 2018 19:49
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I installed a new bathroom sink and it not only looks better and solves the issues I had with the old one, it also didn't spawn any more house projects. Truly a homeownership first for me.
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Aug 10, 2018 02:18
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Well my bathroom sink is hosed. It started leaking from where the pipe meets the floor. I pulled out the old pipe and s-trap: Well now I don't know how to connect the pipe to the floor hole:  The instructions helpfully say 'be sure you have the proper adapter in drain line' but I have no idea what that would be. The old one seemed to be stuck in there with something hard and metallic - solder or something? Anyway I just need to make a waterproof seal down there, so do I need some sort of adapter or can I use silicone or something?
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Aug 13, 2018 22:05
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Unkempt posted:floor hole Accurate description. Does this lead to a crawl space?
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Aug 14, 2018 03:31
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Unkempt posted:Well my bathroom sink is hosed. It started leaking from where the pipe meets the floor. I pulled out the old pipe and s-trap: The metal appears to be poured lead based on what little bit is left I can see. Did you pull out any kind of strands or packing that looks like hair? Either way at this point, the material you have now isn't gonna cut it by it self. You either need to get under that floor cut the old riser (vertical) pipe out and tie in a new one with the proper adapter on it. The adapter is called either a Marvel or Trap Adapter depending on who you ask. Your other option is to lead caulk in a small piece of pipe where you removed the old one and then adapt from that. I don't recommend doing either of these yourself if you don't really know what you are doing, especially lead caulking.
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Aug 14, 2018 06:24
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BubbaGrace posted:if you don't really know what you are doing, Yeah I think that covers it. Thanks anyway.
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Aug 14, 2018 15:44
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Hello plumbing thread occupants. I am knee-deep in a bathroom renovation. I'm reasonably handy and have already replaced all of the ancient supply shutoff valves and their associated galvanized nipples for all of the fixtures in this bathroom. I've been replacing a few areas of damaged subfloor and one of the areas of concern is under the washer in the attached laundry room. The floor is damaged from a leak or flood long before I owned the home, but while I have the floor open I was wondering about whether I should install a floor drain or plumb in a drain for a washer pan. Any experience in this space? To put a floor drain do I need a vent stack? Can I tie something like this into the existing laundry drain plumbing behind the wall? How would I keep the trap wet? Should I leave it all alone and just hope whatever past catastrophe ruined the subfloor just never happens again? Naffer fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Aug 22, 2018 |
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Aug 22, 2018 17:34
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Naffer posted:Hello plumbing thread occupants. Attached W/D space? How "deep" are you in this reno? You could opt for a wet room instead. Basically, the entire bathroom becomes a shower stall, then just slope the W/D space toward the drain.
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Aug 22, 2018 20:49
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Re-posted from the 'Fix-it-fast' thread after this thread was pointed out as a better forum for the question: I have a leak in the water line to my house (the line that runs from the water main at the street to inside the house). I diagnosed it by finding a water bill that showed that last month I used 3 times the maximum amount of water I have ever used in a month. I placed dye in the toilet tanks and determined that the toilets were not leaking, and then stopped using water in the house for an hour while I watched the water meter at the street and it used approximately 12 gallons over that hour. Last month I had someone come out to my house and take down a tree. In the course of taking down the tree he drove his truck + trailer over my lawn and over where the water line is (it is buried at least 18 inches below grade here in Virginia). I called out a plumber and he indicated that a truck would definitely not cause the break / leak. He determined that the pipe is Quest pipe and that my only good option was to completely replace the pipe because: 1. Quest pipe is horrible and might spring another leak if we only found and repaired a section of it, and 2. The pipe goes up a fairly steep hill and my house is on a slab, so looking for the leak will be difficult and might be a waste of time if the leak is under the slab. The complete replacement options are to: 1. Pull a new pipe ($5k), which has some risk of failure and would necessitate digging / boring after trying this option, and 2. Boring a new pipe ($7k). I have someone else coming out to the house on Friday to give me another opinion and quote. Questions: 1. Is it possible that driving the truck over the line would cause it to break / leak? If so, I know exactly where the truck was driven so it might be fairly easy to locate and fix the leak. 2. Given that the existing pipe is Quest pipe, is complete replacement the logical option so that I won't be faced with this problem in another few years? 3. The water heater needs to be moved out of the way and replaced since the water pipe comes in under the stairs and that is the location of the 50 gallon water heater as well. The water heater seems to be original to the house (built in 1988) so replacing the water heater seems fine by me. They are quoting $1800 for replacing it with a 50 Gallon, 10 year warranty State Select Electric Water Heater. Does this seem reasonable given the quality of the water heater brand, the warranty length, and the location of the water heater in terms of ease of replacement?
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Aug 23, 2018 15:28
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Jose Cuervo posted:Re-posted from the 'Fix-it-fast' thread after this thread was pointed out as a better forum for the question: What's the distance between your house and city water?
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Aug 23, 2018 16:34
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tactlessbastard posted:What's the distance between your house and city water? The plumber measured it as approximately 70 feet from the point in the house (under the slab) to the water meter down by the street. The house is on a steep hill though (the water meter is in the ground just below the bottom right hand corner of the picture): 
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Aug 23, 2018 17:35
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kid sinister posted:Attached W/D space? How "deep" are you in this reno? You could opt for a wet room instead. Basically, the entire bathroom becomes a shower stall, then just slope the W/D space toward the drain. Here's a diagram. My plan was just to cut out the damaged subfloor on the laundry side. I figured if I had access to the joist space below I could put it in a drain, but I don't really want to turn the whole space into a wet space. The flooring is just vinyl tile on subfloor.
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Aug 23, 2018 18:46
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Jose Cuervo posted:Questions: Given the alternative of $5-7k+, I would definitely give it a go. I use an insulated probing rod at work to find buried pipes sometimes. Often you can find the trench line (the disturbed soil never compacts back like the surrounding soil, and is usually softer), and in your case possibly follow it to where the probe comes up wet. YMMV depending on soil type and amount of buried rocks.
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Aug 23, 2018 19:35
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Leaky waterline goon: If you're going to rent any poo poo, like a mini excavator to dig that poo poo up, make sure you call before you dig. http://va811.com/ For that matter, if you hire someone to do the job, and they don't call before they dig (unless they're using hand shovels), tell them to gently caress off. Actually, if you call there, you might be able to get someone to locate your line. For free. You'll still have to dig that poo poo up though. For not free. Unless you already own a shovel.
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Aug 23, 2018 21:00
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^^^ You are absolutely right, and I would say you need to call even if hand digging. We have popped phone drops with a shovel and gotten a cool $750 bill from the phone company.
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Aug 23, 2018 23:22
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wesleywillis posted:Actually, if you call there, you might be able to get someone to locate your line. For free. It is free. Calling 811 works now in all 50 states.
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Aug 24, 2018 03:10
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kid sinister posted:It is free. Calling 811 works now in all 50 states. True, but where I come from if its between the meter and/or shut off valve then its considered to be privately owned. In other words, between meter/shut off and house, home owner owns that poo poo, and there fore isn't covered under "public" utility locates. A "Private locate" may be necessary. But thats where I'm from, it may be different where water leak goon is from.
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Aug 24, 2018 03:21
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It's not the water line, it's the other utilities you need to be concerned with. Phone/power/gas. Lol it was your idea. Edit: but you are right about the water line, the 811 locate will not mark your water line past the meter, and in my experience they often fail to mark the main because it's all old and there's no tracer wire. But usually the water mains (here) run under or next to the road bed and are out of the way. angryrobots fucked around with this message at 12:40 on Aug 24, 2018 |
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Aug 24, 2018 12:36
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It is highly unlikely that any vehicle damaged a water line buried below the frost line (>3-feet). A full cement mixer or tank may be able to compress soil sufficiently to crack clay or orangeburg (or really rotted cast-iron) waste line if it’s closer to the surface than it should be. The last water line I dealt with that was damaged by a vehicle resulted from it running over the jacket (a vertical section of 4” PVC that was sticking a little too far above grade) for the shutoff valve - which shoved the entire jacket & valve down far enough to crack the line. A properly-equipped plumber can locate a break using sound-sensing equipment. Some plumbers want the job of replacing the line for more  . Sometimes it’s cheaper since the whole dog & pony show has to be dragged out for excavation. See if there is an American Leak Detection franchise in your area; they, or companies like them do a good job of pinpointing leaks.
PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 13:53 on Aug 24, 2018 |
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Aug 24, 2018 13:46
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Minimum of 15 year old shower setup here, the downspout started dripping a slow, constant drip. Watching some youtube videos, doesn't look like it should be terribly difficult to replace, but figured I might as well look into replacing the whole knob/spout setup. Any recommendations for this configuration? (Bag and duct tape on it just to redirect the dripping water away from the filthy back of the tub so it could dry enough to put some temporary caulk on it after ripping out some of the old stuff). Edit - Hot water/shower toggle/cold water 
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Aug 25, 2018 19:05
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I finished replacing my entire 3 knob setup a month ago so I am basically an expert at everything related to this. The dripping you're seeing is from one or both of the valves not sealing properly. If the water is hot, it's your hot water valve (most likely as the hot water destroys washers faster), otherwise it's your cold valve, or both. Also, if the tub spout puts out water while your shower is going, your diverter valve seal is also bad. Basically everything was bad in mine, maybe not yours though. When I'm back home later I'll write up a guide on how to disassemble it, figure out what you need, and replace the necessary parts.
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Aug 25, 2018 19:23
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I was thinking about something this morning. How many of you replace galvanized nipples with brass nipples in houses with copper pipe? I recently replaced the nipples on my supply in a bathroom. The old ones were galvanized and in rough shape. I replaced them with galvanized nipples, but on reflection I wonder whether I just made the same mistake that the last plumbers made. Should I have sprung for brass nipples so I'm not kicking the can down the road to save $5? Is it worth pulling them back apart now or are galvanized nipples still the standard in homes with copper supply pipe. Naffer fucked around with this message at 19:47 on Aug 25, 2018 |
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Aug 25, 2018 19:43
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SpartanIvy posted:I finished replacing my entire 3 knob setup a month ago so I am basically an expert at everything related to this. Yeah I was watching videos that were showing how to figure out what needed replaced and I figured since it was ancient anyways I might as well just replace everything. Would definitely like to hear what you had to do.
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Aug 25, 2018 20:02
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Naffer posted:I was thinking about something this morning. Trimson Grondag 3 posted:yeah if you live in a wine producing country an $8 bottle of wine is vastly better than cooking wine and will improve your food (probably even if you don't live in a wine country). edit: not sure how I screwed up that post so badly. I meant to say that the local store has $9.99 and under wine and it's all really good. GWBBQ fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Aug 30, 2018 |
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Aug 26, 2018 02:19
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Medullah posted:Yeah I was watching videos that were showing how to figure out what needed replaced and I figured since it was ancient anyways I might as well just replace everything. Would definitely like to hear what you had to do. That was my thinking as well. I could have technically gotten away with only replacing one washer, but I replaced all 3 stems, and my tub spout. I also have plans to replace the drain, but that's a lot more involved and will wait. Before you start, make sure you have an adjustable wrench of some sort. I used a crescent wrench for most of it, but by the end I had to buy a bigger set of pliers and they were totally worth it. The extra leverage and grip is always helpful. So with that said, I would start by taking the knobs and escutcheon of one of the valves off and see what kind of setup you have. If you're lucky, the valve/nut protrudes from the wall that you can use a regular crescent wrench to remove it. If you're not lucky, you'll need a set of shower wrenches to reach into the wall and undo the valve stem. For mine, I did not need shower wrenches, but from the youtubes I've seen they are fairly straight forward to use. When removing a stem MAKE SURE YOUR WATER IS TURNED OFF. ESPECIALLY THE HOT WATER. Also, the valve needs to be turned so that it's all the way open when you both remove, and reinstall the valve stems. That means the hot water valve should be turned all the way counter clockwise, and the cold should be turned all the way clockwise. This also makes you aware if you did not turn your water off, like you need to. Make sure your water supply is turned off! Once you can get a valve out you should be able to google search and figure out what kind it is. Look through the Danco product offerings, as they seem to make reproductions of basically every old type of valve stem. There are other brands but I suspect they all come out of the same factory in China or wherever. I bought a Danco valve, and then ended up buying an entire set of some other brand and they were identical (but the set was a much better value!). Post pictures here and I might be able to help you out. It looks like your knobs are one of the styles of American Standard, which is what my setup was, so I am especially familiar with those. Also, with the valve out, peak into the valve opening in the wall and see if the seats for the valves are square or hexagonal. You use the same tool for both but it's still good to know and could help identify the right parts you need. You will need to pick up this tool or one like it if you plan on replacing the seats. Finally, the diverter stem is different than the hot/cold stems, and for that matter the hot and cold stems are different from each other. They each rotate in different directions, so make sure you order the right ones and that you install them on the correct side! I wouldn't bother with trying to remove the diverter stem at this point in time, but just be aware of it in the future. If your valve stem is stuck, like my diverter stem was, the trick I came up with to get it out was to use a set of locking pliers, grab the knob stem with them so they're perpendicular to it, and then put a wooden dowel, or screwdriver handle behind the pliers and gently tap the handle end of the pliers with a hammer so that you get some leverage action on the stem. Some dumb rear end had slathered plumbers putty on my diverter stem so I had to use that method for 30 minutes and slowly work it out millimeter by millimeter, but it worked. Another helpful tool, especially for getting smooth escutcheons off, is a strap wrench. That way you don't risk marring the surface with your pliers. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Aug 26, 2018 |
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Aug 26, 2018 02:45
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I have a portable dishwasher that is designed to connect to the sink by replacing your normal aerator with this nipple thingy the dishwasher hose snaps to. Instead of doing this, I would like to connect it in a defunct laundry alcove we aren't using for a washer(now in the basement). The tap there is a regular hose hookup. The problem is, the laundry tap has male threading (I think that's typical) and this aerator is also male threaded - so I think I would need a female/female adapter that goes from the hose threading to the aerator(/) But I'm having a hell of a time finding female/female connectors. Are they simply scarce? Am I getting this wrong and that's why it's so hard to find this bit? I don't mind stacking connectors if this is what is needed, but I'm not sure the best way to do it. I wouldn't need to remove it regularly (part of the point) so ugly/awkward is ok if it works. I tried going to a hardware store but they didn't have anything in stock that would do it.
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Aug 27, 2018 02:40
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Most tap quick connect adapters are female AND male threaded, in a thinwalled single fitting. Figure out your threading (US/Euro, M18, 20, 21), and hit up Amazon.
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Aug 27, 2018 03:01
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Ashcans posted:I have a portable dishwasher that is designed to connect to the sink by replacing your normal aerator with this nipple thingy the dishwasher hose snaps to. Instead of doing this, I would like to connect it in a defunct laundry alcove we aren't using for a washer(now in the basement). The tap there is a regular hose hookup. The problem is, the laundry tap has male threading (I think that's typical) and this aerator is also male threaded - so I think I would need a female/female adapter that goes from the hose threading to the aerator(/) But I'm having a hell of a time finding female/female connectors. Are they simply scarce? Am I getting this wrong and that's why it's so hard to find this bit? I don't mind stacking connectors if this is what is needed, but I'm not sure the best way to do it. I wouldn't need to remove it regularly (part of the point) so ugly/awkward is ok if it works. FYI you can replace the hoses underneath a portable dishwasher and have it work with a regular washer supply tube and a washer drain line.
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Aug 27, 2018 06:34
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Also true but many portable dishwashers have different sized fill and drain hoses, keep that in mind too. I needed some combination of: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06WRP4XGK/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FGB5T0I/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0058G1I34/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GP9G860/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FPAPM8/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Aug 27, 2018 12:06
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Metal Geir Skogul posted:Most tap quick connect adapters are female AND male threaded, in a thinwalled single fitting. Figure out your threading (US/Euro, M18, 20, 21), and hit up Amazon. I appreciate the other advice, even if I didn't need to take more drastic steps.
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Aug 28, 2018 04:15
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Medullah posted:Minimum of 15 year old shower setup here, the downspout started dripping a slow, constant drip. Watching some youtube videos, doesn't look like it should be terribly difficult to replace, but figured I might as well look into replacing the whole knob/spout setup. Any recommendations for this configuration? Okay, I've got the knobs and spout off easily enough except for the hex pipes which I guess I need a special socket for. There is still a drip coming from the spout - Is replacing the spout and 3 knobs still the best course short of getting a real plumber out? It looks like I can get the socket from Lowes for $7. (Cleaning it like hell first, of course)  
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Aug 31, 2018 21:39
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You'll need a shower wrench set. They're basically giant sockets that will let you unscrew those stems. I tried matching what's visible to stems on Home Depot and it looks like it might be an American Standard model, but I can't find an exact match with what I can see. The spout isn't at fault for the dripping. It's either your hot or cold water stems letting water through. If your spout drips/flows while the shower is selected, your diverter stem is the issue for that problem.
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Aug 31, 2018 22:11
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SpartanIvy posted:You'll need a shower wrench set. They're basically giant sockets that will let you unscrew those stems. I got the stems, took everything apart, was all proud of myself, opened the new package of 3 knobs and a spout to put on and......they didn't fit. FML. At least I got some experience and cleaned the hell out of them.
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Sep 1, 2018 00:37
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Medullah posted:I got the stems, took everything apart, was all proud of myself, opened the new package of 3 knobs and a spout to put on and......they didn't fit. FML. At least I got some experience and cleaned the hell out of them. If your spout drips while both the hot and cold are shut off, then you need to replace the seat washers. You didn't need to get an entire stem kit. Just replace those washers on your existing stems, and probably the packing washers as well.
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Sep 1, 2018 01:26
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kid sinister posted:If your spout drips while both the hot and cold are shut off, then you need to replace the seat washers. You didn't need to get an entire stem kit. Just replace those washers on your existing stems, and probably the packing washers as well. They're at least 18 years old and I'm looking to still the house, I figured it was worth some money to replace them anyway.
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Sep 1, 2018 02:26
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Medullah posted:They're at least 18 years old and I'm looking to still the house, I figured it was worth some money to replace them anyway. Rubber doesn't last, but brass does.
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Sep 1, 2018 03:02
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