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Motronic posted:This is the part I'm talking about that doesn't sound right at all. We bought a house with a lot of questionable decisions from a previous owner. Not sure how much of this is their doing or the builder’s. Some relevant notes: -There are 3 shutoff valves under the sink: one cold with a metal quarter turn valve, and 2 hot with the plastic FlowTite valves with integral hoses. One of these is for the sink, the other for the dishwasher. -The hoses on the FlowTite valves are crimped on to the plastic valve body. Who came up with this plan, I do not know. -The hot water tap for the sink doesn’t even have the right type of hose, as another poster noted it actually appears to be a toilet hose with a brass adapter to get a 3/8” compression fitting for the sink. -I didn’t even touch the dishwasher valve and it somehow started leaking, along with the valve for the sink. Quality parts, there. -No clue if the FlowTite valve and hose combo is correct for the dishwasher, or if there’s another adapter and threaded hose connection somewhere behind the dishwasher. I’ll post some pics if I get a chance tonight. I got the faucet set up the way I want it with a hot water tap, but between the leaking valves, crappy dishwasher, loud disposal, and an undermount sink that’s falling off, I’m about to call in a contractor to just redo the whole shebang.
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# ? Oct 26, 2021 22:16 |
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# ? May 27, 2024 02:07 |
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smax posted:I’ll post some pics if I get a chance tonight. I got the faucet set up the way I want it with a hot water tap, but between the leaking valves, crappy dishwasher, loud disposal, and an undermount sink that’s falling off, I’m about to call in a contractor to just redo the whole shebang. Please do post pictures. And that all sounds like a nightmare. I think you have the right idea: replace it all. At least that will be planned/on your schedule and not after you wake up to find a couple inches of water on your floor. I've seen a lot of lovely work, but I've never seen those valves being used anywhere other than lovely rental housing toilets. I guess I should keep a more open mind on the depths of which POs will cheap out and do things wrong.
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# ? Oct 26, 2021 22:59 |
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Motronic posted:I've seen a lot of lovely work, but I've never seen those valves being used anywhere other than lovely rental housing toilets. I guess I should keep a more open mind on the depths of which POs will cheap out and do things wrong. Thread-relevant example of the PO being an idiot: The quarter turn valve with a 3/8” compression fitting had a 12” long 3/8” comp to 1/2” FIP hose hooked to it, with a brass 1/2” MIP to 3/8” compression adapter… that the 3/8” compression fitting from the sink was connected to. The line from the sink was plenty long, they just added a length of hose and an adapter for no reason. I guess they saw the hoses coming off the other 2 valves and thought the lines from the sink wouldn’t work on the valve? Who knows. I’ve posted some of their other stupid (and sometimes way more dangerous) things in some other threads here. Edit to add pics of valves: Overall view under the sink, you can see all 3 shut off valves here. Dishwasher valve, note the crimped on hose that goes into the abyss. Sink hot water valve, same crimped on hose, just shorter. See the first pic for the adapter where the sink hose ties in. smax fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Oct 27, 2021 |
# ? Oct 27, 2021 00:41 |
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I have this shutoff ball valve that leads to my anti-siphon sprinkler valve outside. It is leaking about 1 drip a minute or so. Is there anyway to service the valve in place and fix the issue or is the only solution to replace the valve ( which will require opening up the wall which is why I’m hoping there’s another way. The valve was there when we moved in so it’s at least 15 years old.
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# ? Oct 31, 2021 02:51 |
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Which part is leaking? The freeze valve outside? Those are likely rebuildable
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# ? Nov 2, 2021 19:09 |
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Nitrox posted:Which part is leaking? The freeze valve outside? Those are likely rebuildable It’s not leaking externally - the valve just doesn’t shut off 100% so there’s a very small amount of water dripping out of the blow out port outside. The inside valve needs to close completely or the pipe will freeze. My guess is the ball or the housing has a small amount of corrosion and looking at how they are constructed I’m guessing the only repair is to replace it.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 03:23 |
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fankey posted:It’s not leaking externally - the valve just doesn’t shut off 100% so there’s a very small amount of water dripping out of the blow out port outside. The inside valve needs to close completely or the pipe will freeze. My guess is the ball or the housing has a small amount of corrosion and looking at how they are constructed I’m guessing the only repair is to replace it. Ball valves are not serviceable, so you'd be looking at replacement. Before you go that route, I'd try turning it on and off a few times with the outside spigot open. Maybe you'll dislodge some stuff and let it work.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 03:39 |
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So, I think I may have hired an incompetent contractor.. He was working on a bath remodel and did the tub drain in the beginning, but it leaked, and he put off fixing it until all the tile and vanity got installed (yes, I'm furious..). We still have the ceiling opened up so there's access there, but it's not as nice as having the wall opened behind the tub which is now covered by the vanity. After a few leaks on the ABS, I finally convinced him to replace it all instead of continuing to apply more cement(!). I guess this is why people hold back the majority of funds, which I absolutely did in this case. I made it clear he isn't getting paid (over half of what this job costs) until this thing passes a leak test. It looks like we have one more leak on the overflow pipe by the shoe(?). It's right in the center of this photo: This is presumably something easy to fix right? My understanding is he can either 1) Tighten the collar and pray or 2) Unscrew the collar, fix up the slip joint gasket and tighten it up again? With my luck he'll probably try to throw putty and silicone all over the place, which I absolutely won't allow him to do.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 04:38 |
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Sorry to hear about your indifferent or incompetent contractor. Could you indicate exactly where the leak is coming from? It's hard to tell from the photo alone
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 05:12 |
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Sure, the arrow points to a water droplet, and the box is the joint that's leaking: It's essentially a slip joint gasket that's leaking right? I've read it's fairly common and easy to fix, just might require a few tries, but need some guidance/confirmation.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 05:19 |
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It is an easy fix. This should be a rubber gasket, sometimes they get damaged and don't seal very well. But a new gasket costs pennies and is available where all plumbing supplies are sold. But I'm a little confused about the transition from brass to abs. That bare thread should be tightened with the same ring and gasket.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 19:27 |
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Sounds good, thanks! That ABS transition confused me but the drain did not include a brass ring for that. It terminates there and I guess it's up to the consumer/plumber to get the rest of the connections at the store.. At this point I just want the leak fixed and ignore everything else. The connections all seem tight and aren't leaking except for this one joint. It's been like pulling teeth with this contractor so I'll probably go with someone at a higher price point next time (FWIW this guy was absurdly cheap, but you get what you pay for in this case..).
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 21:13 |
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Bank posted:Sounds good, thanks! This is something that needs to be addressed before the ceiling is closed up, but you know that. Cheap or not, he owes you a leak-free connection. And hang on to his insurance information for future reference.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 21:36 |
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This might just be the picture, but the pipe being shiny at the slip joint makes me think maybe it's pulled out. Is all the piping new? Based on your other observations, my thought is maybe he cut too short and just sent it, or put an existing joint under stress with poor abs fitment.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 21:53 |
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TacoHavoc posted:This might just be the picture, but the pipe being shiny at the slip joint makes me think maybe it's pulled out. Is all the piping new? Based on your other observations, my thought is maybe he cut too short and just sent it, or put an existing joint under stress with poor abs fitment. It's all new. I think it might be the photo. I've tried pushing that pipe around after I already knew it was leaking and it doesn't move at all. I saw him put it together when the tub got put in, so I suspect he rushed/didn't double check and the gasket is not sealed up correctly. The collar doesn't move at all using my hands. This tub is on the second floor and he was gonna patch up the ceiling underneath, but I think I'm just gonna get an access panel installed instead, even if it looks kinda sketchy. It's right above my kitchen sink so it's kind of out of place, but I'd rather have that than a leaky ceiling. I'd feel better about the whole thing and I can inspect it every so often. If it leaks in the future I'll just call up an actual plumber to fix it, because this guy knows gently caress all about what he's doing. We had a double vanity installed and one of those drains was leaking too. I had to point it out to him and he fixed it, but he just doesn't give two shits about my place.
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 22:09 |
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I’m trying to relocate a washing machine from a basement utility room, into a cupboard under our stairs inside. The basement utility is outside and down steps, so my SO would prefer to have it inside. For the waste, I’m aware I need a standpipe/trap arrangement. As the new location is essentially in the middle of the house, I need to run the waste to one of the drains, which will be a reasonably long (5m or so) run. I’d like to run this in the basement beneath the floor, where I have good access. Can I sink the trap under the floor that the washer will be on (I.e into the basement)? The standpipe and drain hose should still be above the minimum recommended height, but it means I could have a p-type arrangement with the trap, exiting horizontally and then gently sloping towards the target drain. If the trap is above the floor I’d have to have an s-type arrangement to get to the basement anyway. It seems like this wouldn’t be allowed by US code, but I’m in the UK so that seems no problem. I can’t find anything in UK regs prohibiting this arrangement, but I’m just checking whether it actually makes sense and will work? I can’t see why it wouldn’t but maybe someone knows better than me! The 5m run is longer than the UK regulations suggest for 40 or 50mm waste pipe so I’m debating whether to add an air admittance valve or just have a self-sealing waste instead of a trap - any advice as to whether I might actually need to do that? The AAV seems like a bit of a waste of time when the standpipe is essentially ventilated anyway…
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# ? Nov 3, 2021 23:13 |
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Hmm our contractor didn't put silicone around our tub surround. Should I do that? I've read somewhere that it shouldn't be caulked to allow water to seep out, but more places say to caulk it or else you could get water behind it. There are two coats of Redgard applied and there's a lip on the tub that got nailed into the frames so my mind says it's ok..thoughts?
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# ? Nov 4, 2021 05:23 |
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Bank posted:Hmm our contractor didn't put silicone around our tub surround. Should I do that? I've read somewhere that it shouldn't be caulked to allow water to seep out, but more places say to caulk it or else you could get water behind it.
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# ? Nov 4, 2021 10:25 |
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I'm a bougie piece of poo poo considering black pipe for legs on a coffee table (48"L x 25"D). They sell kits on Amazon, but it looks like I also have the option of picking up individual pipes and flanges at Home Depot. Turns out that it's actually more expensive to buy pipes, flanges, and screws individually than it is to get the kit. Does that mean the kit's material quality is bad, or is it really that much savings? Any reason I should not get the kit? Also apparently these pipes come all greasy n stuff rustproofness i guess but id have to seal them Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 17:50 on Nov 4, 2021 |
# ? Nov 4, 2021 17:45 |
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Pollyanna posted:I'm a bougie piece of poo poo considering black pipe for legs on a coffee table (48"L x 25"D). They sell kits on Amazon, but it looks like I also have the option of picking up individual pipes and flanges at Home Depot. Turns out that it's actually more expensive to buy pipes, flanges, and screws individually than it is to get the kit. Does that mean the kit's material quality is bad, or is it really that much savings? Any reason I should not get the kit? I mean, it's always more expensive to buy things piecemeal. But also the kit is probably everything that didn't pass QC for selling as building hardware (bad threading, pitting, dimensions out of tolerance, etc.) The big advantage is that when you buy the stuff from HD, you get to see it and test-fit it before buying. If you're willing to throw the dice on Amazon crud, go for it. Expect cheap packaging and things to arrive with varying amounts of damage. And yes, everything iron/steel comes coated in varying amounts of some kind of oil/grease, either leftover from forming or slopped on for rustproofing. If you want to add some coating of your own for rustproofing, you'll need to fully clean it down to the bare surface beforehand, or whatever you coat it with won't stick.
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# ? Nov 5, 2021 08:01 |
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I've done some iron pipe furniture and shelving, and my word of advise would be to secure both ends, if possible. Also, in that table you linked, you'll be turning the base plates for height adjustment, so they may not end up so neat and square in the end. You can get round flanges to mitigate that. Rust oleum has many color options in oil. It's designed to go over bare metal, just hit pipes with a degreaser first. Good luck
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# ? Nov 5, 2021 15:00 |
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Nitrox posted:Rust oleum has many color options in oil. It's designed to go over bare metal, just hit pipes with a degreaser first. Good luck Just don't paint bare galvanized metal with anything oil based. It'll work great at first, but the alkyds in the paint will react with the zinc in the galvanization over time and a soap will form between the two making the paint fail.
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# ? Nov 5, 2021 16:53 |
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HolHorsejob posted:I mean, it's always more expensive to buy things piecemeal. But also the kit is probably everything that didn't pass QC for selling as building hardware (bad threading, pitting, dimensions out of tolerance, etc.) The big advantage is that when you buy the stuff from HD, you get to see it and test-fit it before buying. If you're willing to throw the dice on Amazon crud, go for it. Expect cheap packaging and things to arrive with varying amounts of damage. Good to know. Sounds like if I want to go for durability and a long life, piecemeal is more reliable in the end, and means I don't have to wait on a kit to come in. No problem, I can do that. quote:And yes, everything iron/steel comes coated in varying amounts of some kind of oil/grease, either leftover from forming or slopped on for rustproofing. If you want to add some coating of your own for rustproofing, you'll need to fully clean it down to the bare surface beforehand, or whatever you coat it with won't stick. I'm not planning on painting it, but preventing rust would be great. So just a degreaser and...IDK, Rust-Oleum? Take the grease off, dunk the pipes in anti-rust for a night? Nitrox posted:I've done some iron pipe furniture and shelving, and my word of advise would be to secure both ends, if possible. You mean like this? If so, those parts look pretty easy to just pick up at Home Depot. Shouldn't be difficult. Though I wonder if I should connect all four of them directly too... quote:Also, in that table you linked, you'll be turning the base plates for height adjustment, so they may not end up so neat and square in the end. You can get round flanges to mitigate that. Yeah, that's just an example. Round works too. quote:Rust oleum has many color options in oil. It's designed to go over bare metal, just hit pipes with a degreaser first. Good luck Not sure if I'm cool with painting, necessarily, since I only have my apartment to do this in (no garage and it's cold out) and I just took my ACs and fans down. Though maybe another time! Any non-paint anti-rust options? Final Blog Entry posted:Just don't paint bare galvanized metal with anything oil based. It'll work great at first, but the alkyds in the paint will react with the zinc in the galvanization over time and a soap will form between the two making the paint fail. I definitely know what that means. I think I got a plan, based on this video. Remove oil with either mineral spirits or plain-old dish soap + water, dry, then seal with something called Paste Finishing Wax, let the pipes chill for a few hours, then they should be good to go. That sound good? Edit: now that I have the pipes, it doesn’t seem like there’s any oil or gunk on them at all…very dry, though it still blackens my paper towels cause it’s fuckin iron. Maybe I’ll just rinse, dry, and go ahead and rustproof. Edit 2: alright, first dumb question. Are these pipes meant to screw in all the way into their joints? Cause I’ve got them pretty snug, but their threads are still showing. Took a look inside the joints and yeah, the inside threads are all used up. Is that normal or did I gently caress up? Edit 3: learning the first issue now! Not every pipe can fully engage all the threads in every joint. So the lengths, once everything is screwed in, are all slightly uneven. poo poo. Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 00:39 on Nov 7, 2021 |
# ? Nov 6, 2021 18:23 |
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Had our sewer line backup while wife was taking a shower in the upstairs bathroom and it spilled over the sink of the kitchen downstairs. We taken a few showers since and it seems like whatever clog has cleared since then because there’s zero sign of backup now. I stuck an endoscope in the clean out drain in the kitchen and the pipe is pretty junked up, walls are very thick with all kinds of crap. What’s the best method to clear this up? I have a 50 ft snake in the garage, should I just run that down the drain or is there something less invasive I can do?
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# ? Nov 8, 2021 01:45 |
Pollyanna posted:Good to know. Sounds like if I want to go for durability and a long life, piecemeal is more reliable in the end, and means I don't have to wait on a kit to come in. No problem, I can do that. They are tapered threads, so as you tighten them they will lock up into the taper. Get a pipe wrench and tighten them to the length you need.
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# ? Nov 8, 2021 01:58 |
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FCKGW posted:Had our sewer line backup while wife was taking a shower in the upstairs bathroom and it spilled over the sink of the kitchen downstairs. We taken a few showers since and it seems like whatever clog has cleared since then because there’s zero sign of backup now. Get the line jetted out.
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# ? Nov 8, 2021 03:00 |
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Our contractor put our toilet back on as part of the remodel but it rocks :\ I think it has to do with the tile that was set, as it's not perfectly level. I am pretty much done with him doing any more work in my place after our bathtub drain fiasco (which is still happening, and I still haven't paid him yet) so I'll probably go out and buy a new toilet seal and do it myself, and shim it this time. I did it once before -- the longest part was getting those closet bolts to cooperate, but otherwise it's like a 1 hour job. One thing that worries me is I called around and plumbers say it could take 2-4 hours. Is this just their way of justifying the cost, or will it actually take this long? I can see it taking 4 hours if the flange is hosed, but IIRC this one is in good enough shape. My plan was to check for leaks around the base for a few weeks, then cut the bolts and cap them, and run clear silicone along the base (except the back in case it leaks).
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# ? Nov 8, 2021 18:21 |
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Nobody's going to quote you the minimum amount of time required to do the repair. There was a saying about how the clock start when you get to work, not when a hammer strikes a nail. A rocking toilet can be caused by a whole slew of problems, including actual drain attachment issues. What you need to do is get a plumber to come in and correct all the issues caused by that other contractor. I'm sure there are more than plenty, and you may not have caught them all. Then take that invoice and deducted from the money you owe that clown. You're also now covered by the plumbers insurance, which I can assure you, is a lot more serious than some-guy-with-tools llc
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# ? Nov 9, 2021 13:55 |
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Nitrox posted:Nobody's going to quote you the minimum amount of time required to do the repair. There was a saying about how the clock start when you get to work, not when a hammer strikes a nail. Thanks for the advice -- I installed the toilet originally so I know the flange was fine. I went out to Home Depot and picked up some new bolts and plastic shims, and it took me about 1.5 hours all said and done (including picking up materials and cutting the bolts to size).The tile was pretty even and I think the tile texture caused the toilet to rock ever so slightly. I used 2 plastic shims on one side and it feels solid. No leaking yet, but will keep my fingers crossed on that. I figure worst case scenario I'm out a few bucks for some shims and bolts, and if I still have issues can pay a plumber to re-set the toilet. It does seem rather straightforward, but I can see how it could take a few hours if things aren't setup right.
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# ? Nov 9, 2021 19:43 |
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Yooper posted:They are tapered threads, so as you tighten them they will lock up into the taper. Get a pipe wrench and tighten them to the length you need. Consider wrapping the pipe in some tape before you toss a pipe wrench on it, since you want this to look good. You will *never* eliminate all the threads though, that's just the nature of the beast.
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# ? Nov 10, 2021 02:44 |
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I eliminate all the threads every night with my posting hahahaaaaa. Managed to get them all almost exactly the same height. Counting on the screw-nature of the flanges to make up for any unevenness.
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# ? Nov 10, 2021 04:44 |
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Previous owner of our house put in an upstairs half-bath, for which we are very grateful. Unfortunately they used a $70 buck Cato low-flow that's 1.28 gallons without any pressure assist. This is bad. It clogs like a mofo. It's a California house, so the replacement needs to also be 1.28. The last replacement toilet I installed in another house, a Glacier Bay dual-flush, is not legal now because it's 1.1/1.6. Does anybody have a 1.28 toilet that flushes reliably? Are there brands I should look at? Is Toto my only hope?
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# ? Nov 13, 2021 21:02 |
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Gerber Avalanche. I've had one for the last three years. Nothing clogs it. https://www.gerber-us.com/product/avalanche-1-28-gpf-12-rough-in-two-piece-elongated-ergoheight-toilet/ Sorry for the FB link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1351435934895161 PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 16:50 on Nov 14, 2021 |
# ? Nov 14, 2021 16:47 |
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Previous owner of our house put in an upstairs half-bath, for which we are very grateful. Unfortunately they used a $70 buck Cato low-flow that's 1.28 gallons without any pressure assist. This is bad. It clogs like a mofo. Hopefully other goons can chime in with cheaper alternative's, but on the higher end but we switched out for the toto Ultramax II and it is definitely an amazing flusher (almost seems too powerful and I initially worried the pipes couldn't handle it). It's more expensive for sure but was worth the price. PageMaster fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Nov 14, 2021 |
# ? Nov 14, 2021 17:30 |
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Does anyone know what's going on with the Uponor Aquapex red/blue tubes being discontinued in Oct? We just had our house repiped with it at the beginning of the year, and I was looking at it for some additional things if we add some fixtures and it's discontinued everywhere. Googling brings up a lawsuit filed against Uponor for their red/blue aquapex being prone to early cracking and failure related to the process used to paint the exterior, but I can't find any other info except from the agency filing the lawsuit asking for more people to contact them, so I'm not taking that as unbiased scripture. In the meantime, if I need anything it looks like I can still use their white tubing, but now I'm wondering if I just switched out one time bomb (polybutylene) for another.
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# ? Nov 14, 2021 17:42 |
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PageMaster posted:Does anyone know what's going on with the Uponor Aquapex red/blue tubes being discontinued in Oct? We just had our house repiped with it at the beginning of the year, and I was looking at it for some additional things if we add some fixtures and it's discontinued everywhere. Googling brings up a lawsuit filed against Uponor for their red/blue aquapex being prone to early cracking and failure related to the process used to paint the exterior, but I can't find any other info except from the agency filing the lawsuit asking for more people to contact them, so I'm not taking that as unbiased scripture. In the meantime, if I need anything it looks like I can still use their white tubing, but now I'm wondering if I just switched out one time bomb (polybutylene) for another. This is worrying to hear because my house was repiped with red/blue uponor a few years ago. I found a few reddit posts about it where people claim it was only a batch or few that had issues and some that claim it's actually a supply chain issue with the paint/oil components, and they switched to the colored lettering to work around it. Hopefully more news comes out and we can get an idea of the severity of the issue.
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# ? Nov 14, 2021 18:16 |
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SpartanIvy posted:This is worrying to hear because my house was repiped with red/blue uponor a few years ago. Yeah I saw those, too. The supply chain answers came from the uponor north America reddit account (at least the ones I saw), and was 4 years ago. I'm hoping it is just a batch and we lucked out since the stuff has been used for almost 5 years and I don't see a lot of news on it like PB, but I'm pretty bummed that we just did ours just 6 months before this and have our tiles and cabinets in the way now.
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# ? Nov 14, 2021 19:13 |
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PageMaster posted:Yeah I saw those, too. The supply chain answers came from the uponor north America reddit account (at least the ones I saw), and was 4 years ago. I'm hoping it is just a batch and we lucked out since the stuff has been used for almost 5 years and I don't see a lot of news on it like PB, but I'm pretty bummed that we just did ours just 6 months before this and have our tiles and cabinets in the way now. I found this thread which has some discussion. The OP affected had theirs installed in 2014. https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/cracks-forming-next-to-plastic-uponor-fittings.90520/
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# ? Nov 14, 2021 20:06 |
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SpartanIvy posted:I found this thread which has some discussion. The OP affected had theirs installed in 2014. Between that and another Reddit post complaining about his 5 PEX repairs in the last 10 years I'm definitely feeling pessimistic on this, now. Still keeping an eye on it but definitely hoping for a class action repipe payout like with PB back in the 90s if there really is a failure here.
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# ? Nov 14, 2021 21:16 |
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# ? May 27, 2024 02:07 |
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I recently closed on a house, and the washing machine hookup was in rough shape, so I pulled the drywall to replace it, and found that it's plumbed with polybutylene. I start checking around, and sure enough, polybutylene coming out of the slab in our HVAC closet as well. How hosed am I? It's a small house, on a slab. I'm assuming it's not run inside of any sort of conduit (it's wrapped in foam pipe insulation where it enters the slab), so replacement would involve tearing up the slab?
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# ? Nov 14, 2021 21:55 |