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B-Nasty
May 25, 2005

Sharkbite (not a knockoff) is probably fine for their guarantee period (25 years) as long as you clean/deburr the pipe well to avoid nicking the internal o-ring. I probably wouldn't use them on any pipes that are subject to movement either.

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BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

Spring Heeled Jack posted:

What's your objection to the sharkbite adapters? Genuinely curious.

And yeah, will be using copper for the spout.

I'm just not a fan of an O-ring providing the only seal. This is the same reason I am hesitant about Press fittings. I also don't like you can rotate the pipe around even after it's been fitted. Push to fit are susceptible to leaking if the pipe gets moved or bumped since it's very possible to cause the pipe to offset inside the fitting breaking the seal. I personally would not use it with out leaving an access door behind the tub valve.

SpartanIvy
May 18, 2007
Hair Elf
I'm of the same thought. I've seen enough orings fail in other applications that it scares me about their longevity. Maybe they're fine, but I don't trust them.

Spring Heeled Jack
Feb 25, 2007

If you can read this you can read

BubbaGrace posted:

I'm just not a fan of an O-ring providing the only seal. This is the same reason I am hesitant about Press fittings. I also don't like you can rotate the pipe around even after it's been fitted. Push to fit are susceptible to leaking if the pipe gets moved or bumped since it's very possible to cause the pipe to offset inside the fitting breaking the seal. I personally would not use it with out leaving an access door behind the tub valve.

Fair enough, there is an access panel in place so that won't be an issue. Everything I've been reading/watching emphasizes clean & even pipe cuts and de-burring prior to using the push-to-fit connectors.

kid sinister
Nov 16, 2002

Spring Heeled Jack posted:

I'm going to be redoing my bathroom in the near future and I have some questions on the plumbing. I'm not planning on doing anything crazy, mostly re-working some existing pipes.

Everything is copper currently, and unfortunately the shower plumbing does not have localized shutoffs. I've been watching a bunch of youtube videos on adapting copper to pex and it seems pretty straightforward. The plan is to cut off existing copper > sharkbite shutoffs > pex > tub faucet.

Is there anything I should be aware of or watch out for with these sharkbite adapters, or with using pex in general? The most I've done in the past with plumbing is fixing the flusher on my toilet, so this will be new stuff for me.

Showers generally don't. The reason is that those valves need to be accessible. That usually means exposed, ugly shut offs or an access panel. Access panels in a bathroom kind of defeat the waterproof-ness of a bathroom.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

kid sinister posted:

Showers generally don't. The reason is that those valves need to be accessible. That usually means exposed, ugly shut offs or an access panel. Access panels in a bathroom kind of defeat the waterproof-ness of a bathroom.

I don't know where you work, but I'd say 90% of the shower valves I encounter in the wild do have shut offs on the risers. I would say the same for an access panel on the backside as well since they are almost always located opposite of a closet.

Jaypeeh
Feb 22, 2003

kid sinister posted:

Seconding don't use water you don't have the rights to.

That being said, there are pumps like that. Basically they have a cleat on top for a rope, a power cord, and a garden hose attachment. They're called "submersible utility pumps". My dad uses one to wash off his boat.

Also, somehow I bet your tap water is cheaper than the electricity for powering such a pump. I bet a rain barrel hooked up to your downspouts would be a better solution.

Thanks everyone who pitched in. While I think there’s at best a microscopic chance of anyone ever being close enough to my tiny creek to notice or care about a small pump, my desire for some free water is outweighed by the small risk/hassle. It was just one of those ideas I briefly had while sitting in my garage.

And good point on the power cost. Part of my motivation was to have de-chlorinated water for my veggies, but now thinking about it, I doubt that creek water is anywhere near clean considering all the neighbors I have upstream spraying pest and herbicides. I’ll stick with chlorine and prescription pill remnants for now.

Jaypeeh fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Apr 29, 2019

Spring Heeled Jack
Feb 25, 2007

If you can read this you can read
So I noticed my kitchen sink was gurgling a bit and decided to check out the plumping under the sink.

Does this look uhh correct? The thing to the right is from the disk washer which isn’t used.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

It's probably not vented, but there was a time when these types of vertical connections were normal. That being said, if your sink just recently started gurgling it's likely you are developing a blockage in the drain pipe to this sink. Even more likely the build up is right there inside that 90 degree elbow. As far as a recommendation, the first thing i would do is take that apart and run a snake through it. To correct the venting it honestly depends on where you live. The easy way would be replace that 90 with a tee and air admittance valve, but in some states these are not allowed.

Spring Heeled Jack
Feb 25, 2007

If you can read this you can read

BubbaGrace posted:

It's probably not vented, but there was a time when these types of vertical connections were normal. That being said, if your sink just recently started gurgling it's likely you are developing a blockage in the drain pipe to this sink. Even more likely the build up is right there inside that 90 degree elbow. As far as a recommendation, the first thing i would do is take that apart and run a snake through it. To correct the venting it honestly depends on where you live. The easy way would be replace that 90 with a tee and air admittance valve, but in some states these are not allowed.

Honestly it’s been like that since I moved in (about 2 months now). Part of the inspection had the sellers clear the kitchen drain as it used to actually back up but I have a receipt from the plumbers who said they blew out the line with air. I took off the p trap and it seemed fine, I can check out the elbow though.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

Spring Heeled Jack posted:

Honestly it’s been like that since I moved in (about 2 months now). Part of the inspection had the sellers clear the kitchen drain as it used to actually back up but I have a receipt from the plumbers who said they blew out the line with air. I took off the p trap and it seemed fine, I can check out the elbow though.

You mean the gurgle has been there since you moved in?

I've never heard of a plumber blowing out a drain with air. We use high pressure water (4000 PSI) on drains where grease and grime are excessive, but never just air as that would do nothing to wash it out. I would take that whole thing apart from the Fernco (rubber black band) at the base of the cabinet so you can check that elbow and see down inside the pipe below the cabinet. You will need a 5/16" nut driver/socket. Stick something you don't mind ruining down inside as a probe. When you pull it back if it's heavily coated in what looks like tar or oil then you need to have this drain cleaned.

If you do all of this and do not find anything like I said above, then we can discuss the venting. But let's start with the easiest and mostly likely.

BubbaGrace fucked around with this message at 01:40 on May 9, 2019

angryrobots
Mar 31, 2005

Shouldn't the dishwasher drain wye be above the horizontal waste pipe from the left sink? Also the drain hose should be looped up as high as possible.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

angryrobots posted:

Shouldn't the dishwasher drain wye be above the horizontal waste pipe from the left sink? Also the drain hose should be looped up as high as possible.

Yes and yes. The dishwasher wye is technically not correct, but also not really a big deal or the source of the issue so I let it be. Maybe OP has one of those 2 bowl kitchen sinks with different depths and their wasnt room for it above. Who knows lol. I didn't really pay attention to the discharge line because it also wasn't really relevant to his/her problem. But yea, that's a pretty lovely barometric loop.

kid sinister
Nov 16, 2002

angryrobots posted:

Shouldn't the dishwasher drain wye be above the horizontal waste pipe from the left sink? Also the drain hose should be looped up as high as possible.

Left or right. Hell, if there's a disposal out of the picture to the left, that would be the ideal spot to hook it up.

Also...

Wow, copper drains. I've only ever seen those one time in my grandparents' house.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

kid sinister posted:

Wow, copper drains. I've only ever seen those one time in my grandparents' house.

I run in to them from time to time in a 2 cities in our service area. It's a nightmare to have to make repairs to after so many years because it becomes way too soft and brittle. I love the scrap dollars though. Just cut out a 4" copper soil stack last week.

devicenull
May 30, 2007

Grimey Drawer

BubbaGrace posted:

I run in to them from time to time in a 2 cities in our service area. It's a nightmare to have to make repairs to after so many years because it becomes way too soft and brittle. I love the scrap dollars though. Just cut out a 4" copper soil stack last week.

Fuuuckkk... we have copper drains that date back to the 60s. All the connections from the fixtures have been replaced with plastic, but the main stack (and presumably everything within the slab) is all copper... Ugh, not looking forward to dealing with that at some point.

While I'm thinking of it, we have a 90% furnance that dumps condensate into the drain, do I need to do something with that to lower the pH? (so it doesn't eat away the copper)

Spring Heeled Jack
Feb 25, 2007

If you can read this you can read
Yeah like 90% of the plumbing in my house is copper, built in ~1920 or so I think.

So I unhooked the drain and ran one of those barbed drain hair cleaner things down the elbow and below it, and it came back clean, didn't seem to run into anything blockages or gunk. The elbow is empty as far as I can tell.

If it's possible the dish washer drain tap could be causing the issue, I can look into getting it moved above the sink drain pipe. But venting I am unsure about, I know there is a vent at least. No other drain in the house gurgles afaik.

Update: the sink backed up properly this time, with a very very slow drain. After that went down I used some draino and it seems to have relived the backup for now, although the gurgling remains.

So there is probably an obstruction, I’m kinda thinking grease since it’s the kitchen and the old people that lived here before seemed lazy as hell.

Is there some draino-type product that actually works at dissolving clogs or am I best getting one of those handheld drain auger tools and snaking it?

Spring Heeled Jack fucked around with this message at 01:03 on May 12, 2019

GWBBQ
Jan 2, 2005


Spring Heeled Jack posted:

Yeah like 90% of the plumbing in my house is copper, built in ~1920 or so I think.

So I unhooked the drain and ran one of those barbed drain hair cleaner things down the elbow and below it, and it came back clean, didn't seem to run into anything blockages or gunk. The elbow is empty as far as I can tell.

If it's possible the dish washer drain tap could be causing the issue, I can look into getting it moved above the sink drain pipe. But venting I am unsure about, I know there is a vent at least. No other drain in the house gurgles afaik.

Update: the sink backed up properly this time, with a very very slow drain. After that went down I used some draino and it seems to have relived the backup for now, although the gurgling remains.

So there is probably an obstruction, I’m kinda thinking grease since it’s the kitchen and the old people that lived here before seemed lazy as hell.

Is there some draino-type product that actually works at dissolving clogs or am I best getting one of those handheld drain auger tools and snaking it?
Drano foam.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

GWBBQ posted:

Drano foam.

Do not use drano, especially if you have copper drain lines. As a matter of fact, I recommend against chemicals in just about every instance. Just bite the bullet and have it cleared properly with a snake machine or mini hydro-jet.

Chillbro Baggins
Oct 8, 2004
Bad Angus! Bad!
Plumbing anecdote:

My mother asked me to replace the kitchen sink faucet. "Sure," I said. How hard can it be? I was expecting some hiccups, this ain't my first rodeo, but it's the sort of thing you do for aged parents. And how bad could it be, aside from the obvious annoyances of spending an hour in a filthy undersink cabinet on my back?

It only took six hours and three trips to the hardware store. I started at 11am, having put it off as long as I could.

First problem: the plastic nuts holding the thing on would not budge by hand power alone, which I was expecting. The little finger-tightening paddles broke off when I tried using pliers, and then more so when I resorted to the ol’ "hammer a screwdriver on any tangential hold you can get" trick, the hex nut portion (also plastic) in the middle rounded off the instant I put a socket wrench to it, and there’s nothing to grip other than those. So I said “gently caress it, it’s already dickered, I can’t make it more broken” and got the Dremel with a cutoff wheel and a big screwdriver and cut slots so I could break the fuckers off. And even that was much harder to do than it should have been, because of the limited space between the basin and the wall, couldn't get quite the right angle. Basically the only thing that went right in the whole mess was that the cutoff wheel didn't shatter into my face (of course, because of the cramped conditions, I had to be in the line of fire for a few of the cuts.)

I finally got the broken faucet assembly off, shouted "I won!" to my father, who had been offering words of encouragement*, and dropped the new one in with no problems.

*
:v: : "Fuckin' lovely Goddamn plastic..."
:corsair: : "Yeah, that's how I felt when I replaced it the first time."
Which was 2004, according to the printing on the side of the supply hoses, which looked like I felt at that point -- far older than our actual age. (More on the hoses later.)

When I reached to hook up the water lines and be done with it, I discovered that the hoses from the cutoff valves to the sink were six inches too short (but are the longest they sell in stores), so I had to go and find a way to extend them. What dumbass builds a house with the sink supply valves in the floor, instead of sticking out of the wall at around knee height, which is obviously the standard? Oh, right. Coincidentally, Dad was about the age I am now when he built the house.

With the help of a clerk at Home Depot, I got couplers and hoses to extend the faucet end of the existing hoses up to the faucet. Got home, opened the package, and found that he’d sold me 1/2″ compression fittings instead of standard pipe fittings (compression are measured by OD, regular pipe thread is measured ID -- the former will fit inside the latter)

Back to the store to return them and find the correct ones.

Finally got it all put together, and tested it. Hot water came out of the one with a blue dot. The way my father had plumbed it, the lines have to cross between floor and sink, not (as I expected) go straight up (the tap being replaced was a single-handle model, so I couldn't tell which was which -- though, in hindsight, I should have run the hot water, felt the hoses, and labeled them before starting.)

Swapped them easily at the extension connection (both nipples stayed on the same side of the joint! A miracle! Given events up to now, I was expecting one to stick to the top bit and the other to the bottom hose.) Tested it, got hot water, declared victory and started putting the under-sink cabinet stuff back in its home.


... and one of the old hoses sprung a leak where it went into the nut that attached to the valve.

I went to the Lowe's next door to the Homedy Po to get replacements for those, to avoid having to explain my plight to the cashier when she saw me for the third time in two hours.

I had it all buttoned up, tested, and had about half the bottles of cleaners and such put back in the cabinet when Mom got home at 4:45pm from a grueling day of watching my nephew (he’s 10) play in a baseball tournament.

B-Nasty
May 25, 2005

Chillbro Baggins posted:

limited space between the basin and the wall, couldn't get quite the right angle

This pretty much sums up every sink faucet install.

It always struck me as lovely, horrible design that the standard sink holes aren't large enough to accept a faucet with hoses (1/2" IPS nuts) already attached. Even the ones with the short copper lines and one being longer doesn't help. You still have to jam a basin wrench up there. The other day I was half an inch from having a black eye or goose egg on my forehead when I on my back reaching up in there with an adjustable wrench to oppose the basin wrench and I dropped it.

Chillbro Baggins
Oct 8, 2004
Bad Angus! Bad!

B-Nasty posted:

It always struck me as lovely, horrible design that the standard sink holes aren't large enough to accept a faucet with hoses (1/2" IPS nuts) already attached.
Really? The one I worked on had holes plenty big enough to make up the hoses and thread them in so the only thing you'd have to do lying on the floor was connect it to the shutoffs, in a new install. It's just that everything except the size of the holes went horribly wrong for me.

Otherwise, I agree. Before I tore into it, I was already thinking of a better design: Quarter-turn fasteners, like on an aircraft maintenance panel or IKEA furniture, around the underside of the basin, with coiled supply hoses. Just pop the Dzus fasteners, undo the drain connections, then you could pull it up, flip it over and work on it right-side-up (er .. from your perspective. It would be upside-down rather than you. You know what I mean.) with around 320 degrees freed up to swing a wrench, or get the big-boy death wheel in to cut poo poo off instead of the Dremel and screwdriver. Sure, you'd have to replace the caulk between the lip of the sink and the countertop (or have a sort of o-ring substitute for the caulk), but it'd be worth it.

Chillbro Baggins fucked around with this message at 03:13 on May 13, 2019

Diabetes Forecast
Aug 13, 2008

Droopy Only
So my folks' broke the side-sprayer for the kitchen sink, and it's gonna require the entire hose replaced due to the plastic bit on the hose snapping entirely off.
The problem, though, is that this is NOT a universal connector under the sink for this hose.



Frankly, i'm not sure what this connector is exactly. This is an old Peerless faucet, so that narrows things some. Normally I'd just take this off and cap it, take it to the hardware store to look. Without knowing what it is though, the faucet will be unusable until I find the part, which could take AWHILE given some of the things in the house are from the 70s. anybody got an idea what size connector this is, or where I could get a hose or converter part for it?

Diabetes Forecast fucked around with this message at 01:22 on May 14, 2019

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

Probably better off replacing the whole thing imo. Depending on your budget you can get a new faucet with pull out sprayer anywhere from $30 for home depot cheapo to $100 for a reasonable Delta/Moen. Depending on the brand of your original you may be SOL on finding a replacement Sprayer for that, especially something of that age. It's really not worth it to repair this.

EDIT: Peerless does not make a replacement for that model any longer.

https://www.peerlessfaucet.com/sear...uages.values=en

This would be a good choice:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-Classic-2-Handle-Standard-Kitchen-Faucet-with-Side-Sprayer-and-Blade-Lever-in-Chrome-2400LF/202057358

BubbaGrace fucked around with this message at 02:12 on May 14, 2019

Zero VGS
Aug 16, 2002
ASK ME ABOUT HOW HUMAN LIVES THAT MADE VIDEO GAME CONTROLLERS ARE WORTH MORE
Lipstick Apathy
My natty gas water boiler tank just sprung a leak (one month outside the 12 year warranty, impressive how reliable the self-destruct timers are). My dad who seems to know about this stuff suggests that the sediment at the bottom of tank (visible in bucket as I drained tank with hose) probably damaged the gaskets and stuff, and I thinks I should just chuck it and get a new boiler.

A replacement tank at Home Depot seems to cost $750, and Massachusetts gives a $100 rebate for those.

However, Massachusetts also offers a $700 rebate for Tankless natural gas water heaters that are over a UEF of .87, and I'm finding some models such as this one for $700: http://www.reliancewaterheaters.com/products/tankless/ts-140-gih-tankless-water-heater-condensing-indoor-120000-btu-natural-gas

My current boiler is mounted to a masonry chimney, like this:

So, should I:

a) Just buy the normal boiler at Home Depot for $650 after rebate at Home Depot and have a plumber swap it out

b) Buy the tankless for free after rebate, and presumably pay a lot more to have my old boiler converted? From what I'm reading online, the tankless water heaters cannot be vented into the chimney (I'm seeing different reasons, some say too acidic, some say too much heat thus fire hazard) so an additional insulating pipe probably needs to be installed in the chimney, and possibly the natural gas service might need to be upsized

c) gamble some money on having the existing boiler repaired?

The other pros of the tankless is that is might save me some money on my natural gas bill due to better efficiency, and I would appreciate the modest increase to the livable space in my basement (considering finishing the basement later on).

What do y'all think, am I walking into a nightmare by considering a switch to tankless, or can I break even in my scenario?

edit: Apparently the tankless water heater I linked is "condensing", and this means the exhaust air is much cooler and can be sent through a drain? I have a washing machine drain right next to my boiler. Sounds like it would make the whole production much easier?

Zero VGS fucked around with this message at 08:15 on May 14, 2019

B-Nasty
May 25, 2005

Zero VGS posted:

edit: Apparently the tankless water heater I linked is "condensing", and this means the exhaust air is much cooler and can be sent through a drain? I have a washing machine drain right next to my boiler. Sounds like it would make the whole production much easier?

The exhaust air doesn't actually go through a drain, but it is cool enough that it can use a separate run of PVC pipe as a chimney out the side of your house. In fact, as you mentioned, PVC is recommended because of the corrosive nature of the exhaust gases eating away other materials.

If it were me, I don't think I'd bother with a tankless unit. Without seeing your setup, you may be opening up a whole can of worms with having to drill a new exhaust, up-size the gas line, run electric, etc. The tank water heaters are pretty much trouble free for their lifetime, while the tankless generally have annoying issues and maintenance requirements. Don't fix what isn't broken.

PremiumSupport
Aug 17, 2015

B-Nasty posted:

The exhaust air doesn't actually go through a drain, but it is cool enough that it can use a separate run of PVC pipe as a chimney out the side of your house. In fact, as you mentioned, PVC is recommended because of the corrosive nature of the exhaust gases eating away other materials.

If it were me, I don't think I'd bother with a tankless unit. Without seeing your setup, you may be opening up a whole can of worms with having to drill a new exhaust, up-size the gas line, run electric, etc. The tank water heaters are pretty much trouble free for their lifetime, while the tankless generally have annoying issues and maintenance requirements. Don't fix what isn't broken.

I love my tankless, but anyone considering on needs to factor in more cost than just buying the unit. The replacement tanked water heater can just be dropped into the existing space. The tankless is going to require modification to the space that really should be done by qualified installers: Tankless in general use A LOT of fuel to get the heating job done quickly, so you have to have a professional come in to look at your gas supply and determine if it needs to be upgraded. They also in general require 2 rather large PVC vent runs to the exterior of your house, one to supply fresh air for combustion and one to vent the exhaust gasses.

On the upside, maintenance on mine hasn't been much of an issue, just flush the system every couple of years. And even though it uses a large amount of fuel, the cost to operate it is pennies a day.

Zero VGS
Aug 16, 2002
ASK ME ABOUT HOW HUMAN LIVES THAT MADE VIDEO GAME CONTROLLERS ARE WORTH MORE
Lipstick Apathy
Yeah the more I'm looking at it, the more it seems I'm in a good spot to switch to tankless. I can have the exhaust run 6 feet along the ceiling to the basement wall, just like the dryer vent is already. There's a 120 and 240 outlet right there. I can use the washer drain as a condensate/flushing drain (seems I can't actually pipe the exhaust down that though. Gas pipe is like a full inch diameter which apparently is sufficient. I'm having a plumber come by tomorrow to tell be what's up.

Only thing that's a bit whack is the plumber says they won't warranty the tankless if I don't buy it directly from them. Not sure if that means a Rinnai that I buy from an authorized reseller online will have the warranty voided or not (if I don't have the installer's blessing) or if they're just being passive-aggressive at me for not giving them as large a margin.

edit: Rinnai told me plumber is full of poo poo, my warranty is fine buying it online and having any licensed plumber install it

Zero VGS fucked around with this message at 18:37 on May 14, 2019

B-Nasty
May 25, 2005

Zero VGS posted:

they're just being passive-aggressive at me for not giving them as large a margin.

That's what is at the heart of the issue.

You would still have Rinnai's warranty if you bought it yourself and had a licensed plumber install it, but you're at the mercy of Rinnai if something goes wrong. If you need to install a replacement part they send you, for example, that's pretty much on you. The plumber isn't going to deal with all the headaches of contacting the manufacturer and fixing the unit if you take away his sweet materials markup.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

Zero VGS posted:

Yeah the more I'm looking at it, the more it seems I'm in a good spot to switch to tankless. I can have the exhaust run 6 feet along the ceiling to the basement wall, just like the dryer vent is already. There's a 120 and 240 outlet right there. I can use the washer drain as a condensate/flushing drain (seems I can't actually pipe the exhaust down that though. Gas pipe is like a full inch diameter which apparently is sufficient. I'm having a plumber come by tomorrow to tell be what's up.

Only thing that's a bit whack is the plumber says they won't warranty the tankless if I don't buy it directly from them. Not sure if that means a Rinnai that I buy from an authorized reseller online will have the warranty voided or not (if I don't have the installer's blessing) or if they're just being passive-aggressive at me for not giving them as large a margin.

edit: Rinnai told me plumber is full of poo poo, my warranty is fine buying it online and having any licensed plumber install it

He is thinking of Navien, and their warranty policy. The Warranty is void if purchased anywhere but an authorized supplier AND by a licensed contractor. Navien are real sticklers about these terms, especially buying them online. Nobody is authorized to sell them online.

That being said, Navien are far superior to Rinnai in durability and have the best customer service in the business. I personally wouldn't put a Rinnai in my house, but thats your call.

BubbaGrace fucked around with this message at 00:01 on May 15, 2019

Zero VGS
Aug 16, 2002
ASK ME ABOUT HOW HUMAN LIVES THAT MADE VIDEO GAME CONTROLLERS ARE WORTH MORE
Lipstick Apathy

BubbaGrace posted:

I personally wouldn't put a Rinnai in my house, but thats your call.

Mind expanding on that? All I saw is that they're the most popular tankless brand; reviews are mostly positive on Build.com/HomeDepot/Amazon and seem genuine. On top of that, they're made in Glorious Nippon. My Zojirushi instant hot water dispenser for Coffee/Tea is a made-in-Japan appliance and while not exactly the same magnitude of water heating the thing has been flawless for years.

edit: like you say Rinnai durability is not so hot; is that usually from not doing maintenance or do they just fall apart?

Zero VGS fucked around with this message at 01:34 on May 15, 2019

Bogatyr
Jul 20, 2009
I replaced my water heater today. All in all it went pretty smoothly which is unusual for me and plumbing. I just want to gripe into the void though. Water heaters should have some handles about 1/3rd of the way from the bottom, at least some sort of temporary grabby straps you can remove. Picking up that smooth cylinder by yourself to get it up on your 18 inch or so high platform is a lot harder than it should be.

Thanks for reading, plumbing thread.

The Gardenator
May 4, 2007


Yams Fan

Bogatyr posted:

I replaced my water heater today.

I once threw away a mostly empty water heater by dragging it using the broken pipe at the top. Then, it rotated while being dragged and sliced up my hand because I don't need no stinking gloves.

Bogatyr
Jul 20, 2009

The Gardenator posted:

I once threw away a mostly empty water heater by dragging it using the broken pipe at the top. Then, it rotated while being dragged and sliced up my hand because I don't need no stinking gloves.

I deserved to draw blood and I usually find a way. Somehow I didn't.

My last go round with this water heater several months ago was replacing the leaking supply lines. The shut off valve pretty much disintegrated in my hand, so I had to solder on a new one. I started a fire in the wall, luckily a bottle of Spray and wash that was nearby was an adequate fire extinguisher.

SpartanIvy
May 18, 2007
Hair Elf
I just had my <1 year old water heater swapped out after some weird issues causing it to not work properly. I really hate dealing with water heaters at this point.

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

Zero VGS posted:

Mind expanding on that? All I saw is that they're the most popular tankless brand; reviews are mostly positive on Build.com/HomeDepot/Amazon and seem genuine. On top of that, they're made in Glorious Nippon. My Zojirushi instant hot water dispenser for Coffee/Tea is a made-in-Japan appliance and while not exactly the same magnitude of water heating the thing has been flawless for years.

edit: like you say Rinnai durability is not so hot; is that usually from not doing maintenance or do they just fall apart?

Sorry I didn't notice this post. Just a personal preference. I've seen more Rinnai fail than Navien. I also prefer dealing with Navien tech support as opposed to Rinnai. Don't get me wrong I don't think Rinnai is a bad brand. Id put them ahead of Noritz and others for sure. Just if I was gonna spend a couple grand I would go with the best, which is Navien.

That being said, No matter which choice you make, please have a certified (by the manufacturer of the brand) professional install yours. Tankless units are very sensitive to improper installation. Most of the issues I have ran into with any brand is improper install or not doing scheduled maintenance.

tactlessbastard
Feb 4, 2001

Godspeed, post
Fun Shoe
It's just a heater with a pipe running through it how hard could it be???


Actually, what kind of issues do you see pop up from amateur installation?

BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

Improper venting, undersized gas lines, non-full port gas cocks, metal piping for condensate discharge or lack of service like getting it flushed and descaled at regular intervals depending on water quality.

EDIT: For licensed guys, Navien's training course is free and usually offered through your local supplier. No Im not some salesman, just think it worth it to take them. In the end your company will be listed on their website as a service specialist for no cost. This equals free leads. You also get a direct line to support with little hold time. I still have a few classes left to finish but it been worth it.

BubbaGrace fucked around with this message at 19:20 on May 19, 2019

wesleywillis
Dec 30, 2016

SUCK A MALE CAMEL'S DICK WITH MIRACLE WHIP!!

BubbaGrace posted:

Improper venting, undersized gas lines, non-full port gas cocks, metal piping for condensate discharge or lack of service like getting it flushed and descaled at regular intervals depending on water quality.

EDIT: For licensed guys, Navien's training course is free and usually offered through your local supplier. No Im not some salesman, just think it worth it to take them. In the end your company will be listed on their website as a service specialist for no cost. This equals free leads. You also get a direct line to support with little hold time. I still have a few classes left to finish but it been worth it.

I always read your posts in Todd's voice and expect you to threaten to kick the rear end of anyone who doesn't take your advice.

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BubbaGrace
Jul 14, 2006

wesleywillis posted:

I always read your posts in Todd's voice and expect you to threaten to kick the rear end of anyone who doesn't take your advice.

I always show up to my customers houses in a clapped out Plymouth Duster and the sleeves cut off my shirt.

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