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So I need a little advice. Earlier I was cleaning the kitchen and glanced under the sink cabinet that's barely used. Saw some gross and went for a closer look, it seems the drain pipe has been leaking for god knows how long. We never noticed because it drains fine, so why look? Well, it's pretty bad and moldy, which I can totally deal with myself. But the leak seems to be at a joint in a copper pipe past the trap. I've never done pipe soldering, but I've done brazing before. How difficult is it to do, or would I be better off just calling a professional? It's pretty cramped, and I don't like the idea of trying to run a torch down there, I'd rather not light my kitchen on fire.   It's got a cool stalagmite though. Or is it a stalactite?
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Jan 7, 2022 22:58
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That's a job for a fernco coupling unless you're just itching to learn to solder copper. Cut pipe after leak, deburr pipe, stick fernco on wall pipe, shove j-bend from p trap into other fernco end, tighten the hose clamps, you're done!
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Jan 7, 2022 23:20
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This is the item you're looking for, https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fernco-1-1-2-in-x-1-1-2-in-x-1-30-in-dia-x-2-in-L-Drain-Trap-Connector-Coupling-PVC-Fitting/1000075343 You can also cover up that whole in the drywall with one of these. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keeney-Floor-and-Ceiling-Plate-1-1-2-CH/1002893066
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Jan 8, 2022 01:32
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Enos Shenk posted:
I still remember the silly mnemonic from a kid's science book I read when I was like 8: "tite is on the top, and mite is on the bottom." Now you'll crush that Jeopardy question when it comes up.
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Jan 8, 2022 04:04
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B-Nasty posted:I still remember the silly mnemonic from a kid's science book I read when I was like 8: "tite is on the top, and mite is on the bottom." Now you'll crush that Jeopardy question when it comes up. Easier one: stalaCtite (ceiling), stalaGmite (ground)
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Jan 8, 2022 07:07
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Messadiah posted:Easier one: stalaCtite (ceiling), stalaGmite (ground) Stalactites have to hold on tight (or they'll fall from the ceiling)
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Jan 8, 2022 14:53
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Stalagmites crawl on the ground
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Jan 8, 2022 17:25
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sharkytm posted:Stalactites have to hold on tight (or they'll fall from the ceiling) I heard this one, plus stalagmites MIGHT reach the ceiling one day
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Jan 8, 2022 19:27
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Anyone know anything about the appliance hoses with built in leak protection? They're cheap enough that I'm tempted to grab one, but a) I can't figure how they could possibly work on anything but a large leak (unless I misunderstand the tech) and b) I wonder if they don't occasionally/eventually 'nuisance trip' for lack of a better term.
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Jan 9, 2022 04:55
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Slugworth posted:Anyone know anything about the appliance hoses with built in leak protection? They're cheap enough that I'm tempted to grab one, but a) I can't figure how they could possibly work on anything but a large leak (unless I misunderstand the tech) and b) I wonder if they don't occasionally/eventually 'nuisance trip' for lack of a better term. Yes, you are correct on both. They're basically snake oil that can sometimes mess with high-demand appliances like washing machines. You're better off buying high-quality stainless mesh-reinforced rubber hoses from a supply house. For toilets, look for ones where the plastic toilet nut is glass fiber reinforced. You can usually tell by looking at them in person. edit: and replace all those hoses on a 10-year cycle, max.
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Jan 9, 2022 16:15
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B-Nasty posted:Yes, you are correct on both. They're basically snake oil that can sometimes mess with high-demand appliances like washing machines. And yeah, just bought a new house and I'm going through and replacing supply lines due to unknown ages and the fact that they are all clearly the cheapest garbage the po could find. I did flood restoration for years, so supply lines scare the poo poo out of me.
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Jan 10, 2022 02:44
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Slugworth posted:Cool, thanks for confirming. Are hoses from a supply house really different than the stainless ones from big box stores? I know fixtures are usually higher quality (metal vs plastic innards), but that's the first I've heard of sourcing hoses from supply houses. Not really, at least not that I've seen. The two big brands are Fluidmaster and Brasscraft, both of which are fine. I more just meant don't grab the cheapest one on the shelf at Walmart or some junk from Amazon.
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Jan 10, 2022 03:35
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Hi Plumbing Thread, Living in a condo originally made in 1956 and clogs seem to be a major concern. The clogs form fairly down the line, such that running a disposal or dishwasher will cause water to rise in the secondary sink. Drano and $20 drain snake were completely ineffective due to it being further down the line. Had a professional come in with a professional device and was able to fix the clog within 10 minutes. This was 7 weeks ago and the symptoms are starting to arise again. I'd prefer not to have to drop $100 and wait a few days each time it becomes a problem. Is there a professional device or close enough to the professional device that one can buy and learn to use to fix these problems? Pipes are 2" outer diameter, this would be clearing food waste primarily. Thanks.
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Jan 10, 2022 10:29
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Maxwells Demon posted:This was 7 weeks ago and the symptoms are starting to arise again. I'd prefer not to have to drop $100 and wait a few days each time it becomes a problem. Is there a professional device or close enough to the professional device that one can buy and learn to use to fix these problems? Pipes are 2" outer diameter, this would be clearing food waste primarily. This is your indication that what was done was not in fact a fix. I would suggest getting someone out who can tell you what is wrong and how to correct it so it doesn't happen again. This sounds like a flow problem, which could even mean that they didn't actually clear ALL of the blockages, just the closest one that is a symptom of your bigger problem.
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Jan 10, 2022 13:25
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There's another possible aspect to consider, especially on older plumbing: It simply may not be able to handle what it is being asked to handle. If you are trying to put a bunch of food down the garbage disposal every day and not flushing the lines with enough water, or putting a mix of coffee grounds, potato peels, and oil through it, no system that age is going to. It might not even be the specific drain that is showing problems: if there are a bunch of "flushable wipes" or the like clogging the system downstream of your kitchen sink, that will cause issues to everything upstream. Eventually one of the times the clog gets cleared you might find it further down the pipes in a place that is much, much more expensive to clear.
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Jan 10, 2022 23:04
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One of our toilets randomly triggers a partial refill sometimes. It's rare enough that it's hard to pick out a pattern, like it's a couple times a day. But it's not a consistent duration of time after the last flush. It might be 10 pm or 2 am, with the last time that particular toilet was used being 8 pm, and suddenly psshhhhhhh until the tank is filled, as if it had lost some water slowly and reached the refill level. Just now it did it again after having done it an hour ago already, but other times it will go all day with no such events. So what is my most likely culprit? Flapper? Float valve? It all looks visibly fine to me and I've replaced a few, but I'm certainly no expert.
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Jan 11, 2022 07:18
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alnilam posted:One of our toilets randomly triggers a partial refill sometimes. It's rare enough that it's hard to pick out a pattern, like it's a couple times a day. But it's not a consistent duration of time after the last flush. It might be 10 pm or 2 am, with the last time that particular toilet was used being 8 pm, and suddenly psshhhhhhh until the tank is filled, as if it had lost some water slowly and reached the refill level. Just now it did it again after having done it an hour ago already, but other times it will go all day with no such events. If I had to guess - which I am doing, just guessing that is - I'd figure that the flapper is starting to go and is sometimes not seating correctly. It probably takes a bit before the water gets low enough that the float falls far enough to trigger. Edit: float also might be sticking slightly, holding it up for awhile before it gives and falls down to the water level. Any idea how old the flapper is? Were it my toilet and I was cheap/lazy, I'd probably drain the tank (shut the water off and flush the toilet) and see about wiping the flapper/flapper seal ring with some vinegar to see if maybe a tiny bit of mineral deposit is causing an inconsistent seal. That'd also be a good time to see how pliable the flapper still is; if it's hard as a rock, maybe it's time to replace. If it still feels good, then maybe a quick wipe-down will get you another few years. Also I'm a huge dumbass and an actual plumber might roll in 5 minutes from now to say that there's never saving those things and it's $5, just replace it.
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Jan 11, 2022 07:24
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alnilam posted:One of our toilets randomly triggers a partial refill sometimes. It's rare enough that it's hard to pick out a pattern, like it's a couple times a day. But it's not a consistent duration of time after the last flush. It might be 10 pm or 2 am, with the last time that particular toilet was used being 8 pm, and suddenly psshhhhhhh until the tank is filled, as if it had lost some water slowly and reached the refill level. Just now it did it again after having done it an hour ago already, but other times it will go all day with no such events. I had this exact issue. I picked up a whole tank rebuild kit for $15 or whatever at Lowe's, but only needed to replace the flapper. Works fine, no more partial refills.
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Jan 11, 2022 15:31
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Thanks folks, the flapper seems in okay shape with no obvious mineral gunk, but it's cheap enough that I'll replace it and hope it stops waking me up in the middle of the night.
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Jan 11, 2022 19:50
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alnilam posted:Thanks folks, the flapper seems in okay shape with no obvious mineral gunk, but it's cheap enough that I'll replace it and hope it stops waking me up in the middle of the night. That's why I got the whole kit, it was definitely under $20, and if it wasn't the flapper I had the other parts already. 
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Jan 11, 2022 21:12
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Hello plumbing thread! I have a water softener I'd like to install. The house at one point prior to my ownership had one but I have no idea how long it has been. There is an ancient bypass that was left on the pipes along with three completely seized valves. I have no prior plumbing experience so I'm looking for opinions on how difficult this would be to do. I believe everything below the red line just needs chopped off so the in and out pipes can be connected to the bypass unit of the new water softener. Is the job really that simple?
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Jan 17, 2022 16:56
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Love the close proximity of the power panel & receptacle. It is, providing: - you can absolutely cut off the water supply; - you are confident about soldering copper or - installation of sharkbite fittings. Once you have the new valves installed there, the rest of the installation should go smoothly if you take your time, read the directions, & rehearse. Note: I am biased towards soldering copper, primarily because it's a proven technology, and I'm working on my house or family/friends. I understand fully why contractors have gone to sharkbites & PEX: much, much faster, no flame (i.e. cheaper & easier-to-acquire permits & huge liability insurance savings), and less access damage. I just hope it doesn't go the way of polybutyl. So far, though, so good.
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Jan 17, 2022 17:37
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PainterofCrap posted:Love the close proximity of the power panel & receptacle. It is a spicy setup that's for sure. I do have easy access to my main water shut off, and the valve even works! For my skill/comfort level it would have to be sharkbite fittings. If those aren't really suitable for this type of project then I'll have to have a plumber do the job. One other item on my list is removing a broken saddle valve on the hard water line that was previously used to supply the hvac humidifier. I believe there are pass through sharkbite connectors that would work for this while i'm at it if I proceed. 
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Jan 17, 2022 17:52
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I wouldn't think twice about using sharkbites there if that's the route you want to go with. This isn't an in-the-walls installation and you can inspect it every time you service your water softener to see if it's leaking. (It won't) I'd solder it but that's mostly because I have the tools and solder fittings are so much cheaper than sharkbites.
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Jan 17, 2022 18:15
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Tremors posted:Hello plumbing thread! I have a water softener I'd like to install. The house at one point prior to my ownership had one but I have no idea how long it has been. There is an ancient bypass that was left on the pipes along with three completely seized valves. I have no prior plumbing experience so I'm looking for opinions on how difficult this would be to do. I believe everything below the red line just needs chopped off so the in and out pipes can be connected to the bypass unit of the new water softener. Is the job really that simple? Edit: nevermind, they apparently used red and blue for some reason: https://www.allthingswater.com/help-guides/bypass-videos devicenull fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Jan 17, 2022 |
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Jan 17, 2022 19:29
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With the encouragement of PainterofCrap and IOwnCalculus I took a step outside of my comfort zone and decided to try my hand at my first ever plumbing work. First a trip to LowesDepot! My spoils:  Had to test the waters and see how the pipe cutter worked next:  Good god what have I done to my house, I'll never shower again:  ...maybe I will shower again? (trash bag to help keep me alive to clean up any floods and not become an electrocuted corpse for my husband to find when he returns from his work trip:  Victory!  Now to neurotically check on it every hour until I get comfortable with the fact that it's not leaking and I didn't destroy my house. Thanks thread!
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Jan 18, 2022 00:59
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Nice work! Nice 'n' clean. Now, get rid of that saddle valve. It'll go a lot easier if there's a bit of play in that line. There rarely is, though...
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Jan 18, 2022 05:03
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Tremors posted:With the encouragement of PainterofCrap and IOwnCalculus I took a step outside of my comfort zone and decided to try my hand at my first ever plumbing work. First a trip to LowesDepot! Wait, are you telling me 1 trip to lowesdepot and you went from planning to complete? No floods? First timer?
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Jan 19, 2022 23:16
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Please go back and buy several oddball fittings you don't need but you never know maybe you will. Just trust me.
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Jan 19, 2022 23:17
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Tremors posted:With the encouragement of PainterofCrap and IOwnCalculus I took a step outside of my comfort zone and decided to try my hand at my first ever plumbing work. First a trip to LowesDepot! I see bonding clamps in the first photo, but not installed, did you end up not needing them?
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Jan 20, 2022 01:54
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H110Hawk posted:Wait, are you telling me 1 trip to lowesdepot and you went from planning to complete? No floods? First timer? I'm as surprised as you are. devicenull posted:I see bonding clamps in the first photo, but not installed, did you end up not needing them? I did, I was just too excited to get them on when I took that picture.  Edit: It's still not flooding the basement!
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Jan 20, 2022 02:03
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Tremors posted:I'm as surprised as you are. I will pray for you. Good job! Looks pro.
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Jan 20, 2022 03:44
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Anyone have a tankless that they like?
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Jan 20, 2022 03:47
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freeasinbeer posted:Anyone have a tankless that they like? Choose something from Navien and you'll likely be fine. But you need to figure out if that's the common thing where you live. You want the common one, so that people know how to work on them and have parts stocked on their trucks.
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Jan 20, 2022 14:23
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Happy with our Rinnai, we’re coming up on a year with it installed. The first annual maintenance flush is free from the installers, but after that I already have a 5 gal bucket sitting there ready to go with hoses and an electric pump.
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Jan 20, 2022 14:32
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devmd01 posted:Happy with our Rinnai That's the other solid/big brand around here. Actually, I think that's the one I have. Pretty much all of them in this area are one or the other so parts and people who know how to work on them are ubiquitous. As with all tankless discussions: don't even bother if you're talking about electric.
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Jan 20, 2022 14:53
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Oh god. Remembering my sister's first house, a five-level partial split-level townhouse in SE Maryland. It had electric fan-forced heat. They kept the thermostat at 63F and the electric bill was still $450/month. In 1987. Top floor was 85; living room was 60.
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Jan 20, 2022 15:53
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Hello, plumbing experts. This is a picture of the drain under my current kitchen sink:  Tomorrow I am expecting to have installed a new quartz counter top with a new sink (not by me, by real professionals). The problem wit the new sink is that it will have the drains a bit further in than this one, closer to the back wall, so I'll have to come up with some creative ways to "move" that drain (well, I'll make a new one). Ideally, I'll cut above that test tee (I think that's what's called, the pipe with the square cap) and then somehow turn that thing around so that the it will end up matching below where the new sink holes will be. Any suggestions of what kind of fittings should I look for at Lowes or Home Depot? To, hopefully, have it done and working by tomorrow night without too many trips to the store? Of course, the best way to do it would be to cut that test tee completely and start fresh, from the straight pipe, but that's a bit much to ask from me, I believe. I looked online and there is no sane way to remove ABS pipes that were glued together years ago. What would be your approach if you'd face this dilemma?
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Jan 21, 2022 02:50
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First off, buy a couple of traps
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Jan 21, 2022 03:49
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PainterofCrap posted:First off, buy a couple of traps The trap is under the floor. I was surprised at first to not see one, but I've read about it and apparently in Ontario is perfectly ok and quite common for sinks in kitchen islands to have the trap under. The other pipe on the right coming out is most likely the other part of the U .
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Jan 21, 2022 03:52
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