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kid sinister posted:Rubber doesn't last, but brass does. The crazy thing is the whole reason I wanted to replace everything was because of a slow drip...I realized a few hours after I put everything back together all cleaned up the drip was gone.
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Sep 1, 2018 03:12
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So, I mentioned a while ago my weird problems with leaves/mud/small animal bones/black slime vomitting up from my shower drain. We got a plumber in, he pulled out a massive tree root and we thought that was the end of it. In the last week or so things started backing up again, so we got a different plumber in and— apparently the outdoor drainage system is an awful type they haven't made since the 70s. It was apparently primarily made out of terracotta and parts of it had totally collapsed. I'm not a plumbing expert and I'm reporting third-hand from the person who was there to talk to the plumber but it kinda scans to me: there's been this weird terracotta u-bend thing poking out of the dirt outside my bedroom window for as long as I can remember. Every time it rained, the thing was flooding with mud. We've just hit spring, and it has rained almost every day for a week. Apparently some small animals had tried to nest in there, and it ended poorly for them. I'm not sure whether the tree root was holding everything together or whether it's a total coincidence, but they've replaced it and the landlord has agreed to foot the bill. Is this the conclusion to "holy poo poo literal black slime filled with bones and waterlogged skin is spewing onto my bedroom carpet"? Fingers loving crossed.
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Sep 3, 2018 11:22
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So I have a 20 year old gas water heater that probably needs to be replaced sooner than later. I'm looking at this last world of water heaters though and have no idea where to start. Do I want to just get another tank? Do I go tankless? Do I want to go with hybrid pump water heater and forget about gas?
Shadowhand00 fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Sep 9, 2018 |
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Sep 9, 2018 19:57
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Shadowhand00 posted:So I have a 20 year old gas water heater that probably needs to be replaced sooner than later. I'm looking at this last world of water heaters though and have no idea where to start. Do I want to just get another tank? Do I go tankless? Do I want to go with hybrid pump water heater and forget about gas? Have you looked at condensing gas tank water heaters? They are crazy efficient. What does your usage look like? How many people taking daily showers, number of bathrooms?
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Sep 9, 2018 21:05
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Electric hybrid tank heaters (a.k.a. heat pump) are the most efficient way to get hot water, though they aren't as fast as the gas condensing. If you size the tank properly and don't take long-rear end showers, it shouldn't be an issue. The 50 gal hybrid I just installed in my house is $110 yearly according to the energy sticker. The comparable electric is $419/yr, regular gas $293/yr, and condensing gas $200/yr. The basic electric and gas are about half the price ($600) of the hybrid ($1200) and condensing gas ($1200). If you are already using gas, I'd probably go with the condensing , especially if you don't have the required 240V/30A service run. By my math, though, the more efficient water heaters easily pay for themselves over even just the typical warranty period (10y.) You may want to check your local utility; mine had a $350 rebate for hybrid heaters that made an easy decision even more of a no-brainer. edit: The tankless heaters are less compelling than they used to be regarding efficiency. However, the infinite hot water may be worthwhile if you're a water hog. B-Nasty fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Sep 9, 2018 |
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Sep 9, 2018 22:40
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I think tankless appeal more to people who don't use hot water often.
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Sep 10, 2018 00:09
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Nitrox posted:I think tankless appeal more to people who don't use hot water often. Yes this is what I've found, though people who switch sing its praises. I've done the math and I'm unconvinced... Especially since I'd be stuck with propane. Natural gas may be worth it, assuming rates stay where they are. I also have a hybrid heat pump electric, and I'm very happy with it. I've had it for going on 10 years, and liked it so much I took it with me when I moved. Besides the necessary electric circuit you need to run if you have gas, it also matters what climate you live in, whether the tank is installed in a climate controlled space, and you have to deal with the condensate. Not to mention the size of your house.... My previous house was 1000sf and on cold winter nights I'd have to manually shut down the heat pump because it was taxing the central heat too much. It's absolutely perfect in my current house at 2800sf and located on the opposite end from the bedrooms. It's hot and humid most of the year here, so for 9-10months out of the year it's doubly saving money, sucking heat and putting it into the tank, helping the central AC to run less.
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Sep 10, 2018 00:37
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I'm in the Bay Area so its temperate most of the year. I hadn't considered the necessary electric circuit needed to run with gas - both the heater and water heater are in the same closet. I haven't been able to find any condensed gas tanks that are also ultra low nox.
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Sep 10, 2018 01:12
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Hello. I have no plumbing knowledge whatsoever beyond being able to turn off the water main and various other shutoffs. The top tank on my toilet makes a hissing sound. Essentially, the sound is the same sound that occurs after flushing except it continues to make that sound even after the tank is full. The sound emanates from the thing on the left in the following image. I'm assuming it's being caused by the floaty stick (thing on the right in the image) not floating high enough in the water.  How do I fix this? Also, what are the proper names for the two things I mentioned? Thanks in advance. Other observations: If I pull up on the stick, the sound stops. The white ring part on top of the left thing is wet. Pushing down on this also causes the sound to stop. The stick is rusty in the middle and seems to be bending slightly.
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Sep 10, 2018 01:59
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You can just bend the float’s arm if it’s not closing the valve properly. For more closet (which it sounds like is what you want), bend the float arm down. For more filly, bend it up. Granted, if a seal is going bad, that probably won’t actually fix it, it’ll just make it fail to fully close a little sooner. Replacing the seals is pretty easy too, though. They make kits that have em all. Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Sep 10, 2018 |
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Sep 10, 2018 02:16
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With an arm like that, 9/10 chance that it'll break when you try to bend it. Put some oil on those two adjustment screws and, you know, adjust them. However, looking at the rest of it, the entire system is not long for this world. I'm surprised the flapper valve (red thing in bottom) is sealing at all. Are you renting? If renting, just make sure it breaks fully and call the landlord. If you're owning, then you owe it to yourself to figure out how to shut the water off (both the toilet valve and the house if you can) and replace the entire setup because it looks old and crusty and ready to shatter at the earliest convenience. This kit has all you need to re-do the entire toilet innards with a better setup.
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Sep 10, 2018 02:20
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I tried turning the screws and that didn't seem to do anything to remedy the problem. I'll see about getting one of those kits tomorrow. I assume the innards are all stock original from when the house was built back in 1996 so I'm always eager to replace anything before it breaks. Thanks again for the replies.
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Sep 10, 2018 03:03
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Brutakas posted:I tried turning the screws and that didn't seem to do anything to remedy the problem. It's a fill valve and ball cock. The hissing sound is more than likely the fill valve failing. The new style will not have a giant ball cock and arm attached to it, just a donut float.
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Sep 11, 2018 05:27
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Queen Combat posted:With an arm like that, 9/10 chance that it'll break when you try to bend it. Put some oil on those two adjustment screws and, you know, adjust them. Just want to say that I literally just replaced mine with this exact same kit and it was incredibly easy, and I have zero plumbing skills whatsoever. Only hard part was the plastic nut below the tank was nigh invulnerable so I ended up having to cut it out.
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Sep 11, 2018 23:51
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BubbaGrace posted:It's a fill valve and ball cock. The hissing sound is more than likely the fill valve failing. The new style will not have a giant ball cock and arm attached to it, just a donut float. If you're going to do it, I'd just replace the entire toilet. It's only a couple more steps, and modern toilets are way better then builder grade 1996 toilets..
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Sep 12, 2018 01:26
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devicenull posted:If you're going to do it, I'd just replace the entire toilet. It's only a couple more steps, and modern toilets are way better then builder grade 1996 toilets.. $9 and 20 min of work versus $100 and half a day of labor... Great advise for someone who just admitted to know noting about plumbing.
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Sep 12, 2018 07:21
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Getting ready for cold weather up here in the Northeast and I have been doing some work to my home's oil-burning furnace in preparation for the heating season. The furnace is a Burnham V7 series from the 1990s, forced hot water across three zones (formally four, the forth feeding a hot water storage tank that started leaking, which I deleted this summer). AFG burner and Honeywell R7284 electronic controller. I just cleaned out the heat exchanger plates and main burner chamber with wire brushes, and replaced the refractories, since part of the refractory was peeling away from the burner chamber pretty badly and the chamber had about 5-6" worth of cinders and buildup in it. It was pretty clear that it had never been cleaned since installation, and that got me thinking about other maintenance I should do, specifically desludging and treating the feedwater system. The feedwater is softened well water with no treatment, but according to the previous owner of the house the softener was added after the fact when they fracked wells in a development right next to my lot. I have drained and filled the system twice since I bought it due to work I've had to perform (replacement of a radiator and removal of the hot water storage tank). My question is, should I follow the maintenance tips outlined here: https://www.oatey.com/ASSETS/DOCUMENTS/ITEMS/EN/Oatey_BoilerMaintenance20170912_R1.pdf with regards to adding a corrosion inhibitor / antifreeze to the system after performing a descaling purge? Or am I tempting fate doing this to a 20-25 year old system, and will I be more likely to open up pinhole leaks somewhere by doing so?
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Sep 12, 2018 21:01
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I’m trying to pull this hose off my toilet. https://imgur.com/gallery/MPYcaqh I was able to loosen it slightly. But now, the thing it’s attached to, https://imgur.com/gallery/tTjV6ER is spinning with it. I can’t get enough leverage with my bare hands, because my grip is weak from years of
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Sep 22, 2018 17:41
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Dadliest Worrier posted:I’m trying to pull this hose off my toilet. I had the same problem as you did. The key is keeping the nut from moving by holding it with a set of channel locks, or I ended up buying a set of rubber coated pliers. Hold the part with the arrow with the channel locks and the hose should come right off. Now, the tricky part is, since it's plastic you can't squeeze too tightly.  In my case it went from "I need to replace the valve in the toilet" to "I need to replace the valve and the hose" to "gently caress it I'm replacing everything" and I just sawed off the plastic part right below the nut and it came right off. It was 1am and I was pissed off.
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Sep 22, 2018 21:41
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Haha, I literally just came home from buying a pair of PVC shears and a replacement valve assembly. gently caress this loving thing, I’m cutting it off.
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Sep 22, 2018 23:34
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Dadliest Worrier posted:Haha, I literally just came home from buying a pair of PVC shears and a replacement valve assembly. gently caress this loving thing, I’m cutting it off. My brother. I justified it with "Well, it'll all need changed eventually anyway".
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Sep 22, 2018 23:47
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My shower has been dripping, so I took the valve cartridge out. This rubber seal is damaged. And there should be a screw holding it into the cartridge body.  Oh there it is, way back in the valve.  So uh, not sure how to get this out of there. The hole is really small, and the screw isn't magnetic. It's not in a position where the water can blast it out. Should I leave it? Edit - I sucked it out with a vacuum! FogHelmut fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Sep 24, 2018 |
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Sep 24, 2018 21:39
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Also trying to change a shower valve cartridge. Retainer pin is out but cartridge will not budge. Any suggestions? Its been in there since about 2000. Moen faucet. Aside from the water clean up, would just turning on the water for a half second pop that poo poo out?
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Sep 24, 2018 23:24
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My trick was to get lever action on mine. Get some locking pliers and clamp that poo poo down on the valve close to the base. Then stick a crescent wrench under it so that each jaw is on part of the locked pliers, then stick a wood dowel or screwdriver handle between the crescent wrench and the wall. Make sure it's close to the valve to maximize leverage on the crescent wrench. Then use the crescent wrench to lever it out. You may need to use a hammer and gently tap it out a millimeter at a time like I did. Mine hadn't been removed since at least the 80s and had plumbers putty inside it so I think my experience was a worst case scenario. From what I've seen on YouTube, once you break the friction they usually come right out. E: this method will Chew up your valve stem.
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Sep 24, 2018 23:31
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wesleywillis posted:Also trying to change a shower valve cartridge. Retainer pin is out but cartridge will not budge. Any suggestions? Its been in there since about 2000. You said the magic word, Moen. The hardest cartridge in the business to remove, the Moen 1222/1225. They even make a special puller just for it. https://www.homedepot.com/p/DANCO-Cartridge-Puller-for-MOEN-86712/100560034
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Sep 25, 2018 03:44
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BubbaGrace posted:You said the magic word, Moen. The hardest cartridge in the business to remove, the Moen 1222/1225. They even make a special puller just for it. Muthafucka...... Well, it was my brother doing the actual removing. He said something about driving some self tapping screws in to each side of what was left of the cartridge, and it eventually came out.... I guess its fixed now. Thanks for the advice though goons.
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Sep 25, 2018 05:14
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I have what is probably a dumb question. I have a toilet that a few years ago ran and ran and ran so I bought the hardware and changed all the innards out. Easy peasy, no more problems. Two weeks ago, I had the flush handle go limp and stop working. The arm had snapped off that connected the handle to the chain & flapper. The local hardware store sells replacement parts so i bought the same part and as was broken and replaced it. Now when I flush, i get a flush but it only leaves a very low water level in the bowl and the next flush just fills the bowl too much. Then that will flush but it leaves behind only a little bit of water, and the cycle repeats. What the heck? I've even used the sprayer to 'prime' the bowl to the proper level and it still does it.
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Sep 27, 2018 18:56
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tactlessbastard posted:I have what is probably a dumb question. I have a toilet that a few years ago ran and ran and ran so I bought the hardware and changed all the innards out. Easy peasy, no more problems. Two weeks ago, I had the flush handle go limp and stop working. The arm had snapped off that connected the handle to the chain & flapper. The local hardware store sells replacement parts so i bought the same part and as was broken and replaced it. Now when I flush, i get a flush but it only leaves a very low water level in the bowl and the next flush just fills the bowl too much. Then that will flush but it leaves behind only a little bit of water, and the cycle repeats. What the heck? I've even used the sprayer to 'prime' the bowl to the proper level and it still does it. Did you connect the chain too tight, and the flapper isn't actually sealing? There should be a tiny amount of slack when it's not being pressed.
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Sep 28, 2018 01:56
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A while back it was recommended to replace my diverter stem to replace my slow dripin my faucet. I disassembled the tub and cleaned everything up, added some plumbers tape and the drip went away. Well, it's back - super slow, barely noticeable, but there. I'd like to replace the stem but not 100% sure how to figure out which one to order. Short of taking the thing apart and taking it into Home Depot, anyone have any ideas? Edit - It's a 3 knob system, hot/cold/shower toggle. Pictures -     
Medullah fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Sep 28, 2018 |
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Sep 28, 2018 21:10
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The washer on the plunger is bad. Change that before doing anything else to see if your problem is solved. If that doesn't fix it you will need new stems. That one is out of a Price Pfister. This looks to be the correct one. Take it with you just in case. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pfister..._-205383581-_-N
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Sep 28, 2018 22:01
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devicenull posted:Did you connect the chain too tight, and the flapper isn't actually sealing? There should be a tiny amount of slack when it's not being pressed. Tons of slack, flapper seals and seems to function just fine.
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Sep 29, 2018 01:49
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BubbaGrace posted:The washer on the plunger is bad. Change that before doing anything else to see if your problem is solved. If that doesn't fix it you will need new stems. That one is out of a Price Pfister. This looks to be the correct one. Take it with you just in case. Thanks, that ended up being exactly the right one. Changing the washer didn't work so I bought a new one and installed it. Forgot to tighten it before testing which led to a new valve rocketing across my bathtub which was amusing, but once tightened everything tested great. 
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Sep 29, 2018 19:23
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tactlessbastard posted:I have what is probably a dumb question. I have a toilet that a few years ago ran and ran and ran so I bought the hardware and changed all the innards out. Easy peasy, no more problems. Two weeks ago, I had the flush handle go limp and stop working. The arm had snapped off that connected the handle to the chain & flapper. The local hardware store sells replacement parts so i bought the same part and as was broken and replaced it. Now when I flush, i get a flush but it only leaves a very low water level in the bowl and the next flush just fills the bowl too much. Then that will flush but it leaves behind only a little bit of water, and the cycle repeats. What the heck? I've even used the sprayer to 'prime' the bowl to the proper level and it still does it. Video please.
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Sep 30, 2018 19:00
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My shower seems to drain well until I take a shower after my wife has taken a shower the night before. I normally just run some Draino gel in there and it works fine afterwards but is there a better way so I don’t have to do this every time she showers? Maybe I need to get something to clear out her hair from the trap?
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Oct 2, 2018 22:16
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Chemical cleaners can eventually damage pipe, so that's not a long-term solution.
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Oct 2, 2018 22:17
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Get a zip rod and clean that fucker out. Something like this, there are countless variations and any will do, and brace yourself for the nastiest hairball ever, especially if you ever jack off in the shower. https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-Drain-Cleaning-1-Pack/dp/B00OM31OOM
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Oct 2, 2018 23:07
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Bad Munki posted:and brace yourself for the nastiest hairball ever, especially if you ever jack off in the shower. I have long hair and uhhhh yeah, I can confirm this.
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Oct 3, 2018 11:39
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wesleywillis posted:I have long hair and uhhhh yeah, I can confirm this. Note: this problem scales with how many daughters you have.
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Oct 3, 2018 17:02
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kid sinister posted:Note: this problem scales with how many daughters you have. It gets nastier with the number of teenage sons you have.
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Oct 3, 2018 22:48
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Bad Munki posted:Get a zip rod and clean that fucker out. Something like this, there are countless variations and any will do, and brace yourself for the nastiest hairball ever, especially if you ever jack off in the shower. So I got one of these and tried it out. Some decent sized hair nuggets came out but nowhere what I expected. I ran the water and it seemed to not backup, so I’ll run this for awhile and will see what happens. The one thing I noticed was a bunch of hard, rock like things on the side of the pipe when I look down at it. Sorry for the poo poo picture. I’m guessing it’s calcium build up from hard water. I’ve read CLR can get rid of it? 
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Oct 9, 2018 00:56
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