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I have a really small tub drain that those crossbar tools don't fit despite it being a relatively new (~2015) bathtub. Is there a tool for those ~1" drains and they the PO would have used such a small size?
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Oct 13, 2023 16:34
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Blindeye posted:I have a really small tub drain that those crossbar tools don't fit despite it being a relatively new (~2015) bathtub. A pair of needle nose pliers turned by a pair of channel locks would probably work.
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Oct 13, 2023 18:28
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Motronic posted:I have never seen a leaking T&P valve that wasn't either installed on a system with no expansion tank or in the process of failing. OP has an expansion tank. There is no reason a T&P valve should ever be leaking. It is absolutely not a normal thing. All overpressure valves will drip from time to time, as pressure rises and falls. Obviously if there's an expansion tank, that will take most of the difference, but if pressure rises above the difference it can compensate for, and above the pressure that the valve is meant to release water at, then it will drip. It's not going to constantly leak, but yes, in pretty much any system around here, you're going to get some drips over the course of the day.
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Oct 13, 2023 21:14
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I have a 1 1/2" sink drain that I need to cap off at the wye for a couple days. What's the best way to do it? Should I get a slip joint tailpiece and glue a pvc cap on, or is the threading just NPT that I can just stick a threaded cap on?
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Oct 14, 2023 20:47
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Shifty Pony posted:I have a 1 1/2" sink drain that I need to cap off at the wye for a couple days. What's the best way to do it? Cap off for what purpose? If it's just to keep the smell down, use a plastic bag and a rubber band. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Oct 14, 2023 |
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Oct 14, 2023 22:22
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The county building inspector will be standing right in front of it check out some work on an electrical panel, I want it to be right.
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Oct 14, 2023 22:24
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Shifty Pony posted:The county building inspector will be standing right in front of it check out some work on an electrical panel, I want it to be right. ...electric panels aren't allowed in bathrooms. Is this a bathroom? Because that's like an automatic fail.
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Oct 14, 2023 22:26
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That's the drain of a utility sink in the mudroom. I'm going to move the sink a bit so it won't be anywhere close to the working space of the panel, but I don't have time to have it buttoned up before when the electrical work needs done so I'm just going to temporarily remove it entirely.
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Oct 14, 2023 23:28
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Assuming you want to be able to re-use that connection and you really do mean "a few days" I'd just go for an expandable rubber plug.
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Oct 15, 2023 02:39
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Shifty Pony posted:That's the drain of a utility sink in the mudroom. You're supposed to have a minimum of 30 inches of empty space always, directly in front of the electrical panel. Does the sink need to go? kid sinister fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Oct 15, 2023 |
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Oct 15, 2023 02:47
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It currently intrudes on one side of the working space in front of the panel so it needs to be either turned 90° and put back to the wall it was originally on before Gary hired Dingus LLC to put it where it is now, or I need to move it between the washer and dryer (which might warrant replacing it with a thinner sink). That second option is why I don't want to more permanently cap the wye until I know what the connection would look like. Either way I want it gone soon and I want the drain line to be able to handle the washer.
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Oct 15, 2023 03:09
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Shifty Pony posted:That's the drain of a utility sink in the mudroom. In 1996 I installed a Pittsburgh toilet in my basement, less than 2' from the panel. In 2005, as part of my garage build, I was required to replace the panel. I stacked boxes all over & around the toilet, & the staging it sat on & taped it together, then threw a bunch of dusty crap on that. Electric code guy never noticed.
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Oct 15, 2023 03:35
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PainterofCrap posted:In 1996 I installed a Pittsburgh toilet in my basement, less than 2' from the panel. The electrician said that there's one county inspector who has a bit of a reputation for noticing and being a pain in the rear end on the rest of the project when they want something that is technically grandfathered in changed. We're installing a generator, transfer switch, adding kitchen circuits, and reworking the gas supply in a 1950-1960 house so there's a lot of places that inspector could make our lives harder. Also I mean, I get why. The sink really shouldn't be there and the plumbing company shouldn't have relocated it there. That said in a roundabout way the sink being there is actually kind of ensuring that the panel is accessible since you can't pile poo poo in front of the panel and still use the sink. After a lot of digging it looks like slip joint nuts adhere to NPT standards for thread pitch and size so I should be able to just slap a standard cap on there then move on to performing dark rituals to ensure that the CPVC and sharkbite supply line arrangement doesn't turn this into a much larger project. I'm really glad Gary left behind all the invoices and such from the contractors he hired to do work so that I can avoid ever hiring them.
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Oct 15, 2023 12:03
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In my toolbox, I have a solid cap that would replace that slip knot. Don't remember where I got it from, definitely not home Depot. It would be perfect for you, but if you don't have time, stretch some plastic over the threads and use an existing slip nut to keep it down. The service plugs are usually sized to the pipe, and if you're not cutting existing pvc, would not help you much. Edit: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Everflo...AkaAkGqEALw_wcB
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Oct 15, 2023 15:16
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So my kid just got a minor burn from the sink. Didn't blister, but was red for a few hours. I turned the water heater down, but doing dishes is now slightly more irritating. I want hot water to wash my problems away. I think I want to install a thermostatic mixing valve on the 'kids bathroom'. This will let me set a max temp for that sink but let the waterheater be set back to scald, right? I see some crap on amazon, but I'll likely go to a real local plumbing store if I buy anything. Hopefully I can find one with the standard (3/8ths?) sink fitting and can just slap it under the sink. Is this a good idea?
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Oct 21, 2023 03:59
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horse_ebookmarklet posted:So my kid just got a minor burn from the sink. Didn't blister, but was red for a few hours. It's... an idea. You'd basically be training your kid that their sink is safe, so they wouldn't be careful around the other ones. What temperature is the water coming out of your taps?
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Oct 21, 2023 04:01
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So I turned it down till I measured 120F which is the lowest the internet says I should set it to. I didn't measure it originally, it was set to "A", which the scale goes "LOW, HOT, A, B, C, VERY HOT". Very sensible scale, to be certain. As far as training him, he still says 120F its too hot, so I got that going for me, which is nice. But I hadn't considered that. Hm.
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Oct 21, 2023 04:09
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My gas fired hot water heater is in a small closet inside one of my bedrooms. I currently use it as my office and have CO alarm in the room, but I'm looking at options to make this less dangerous. I don't believe relocating is an option. There is a utility closet with my breaker panel and the furnace, but the room isn't conditioned itself and I'd be concerned about freezing. I'm also not sure about space, but it might fit a tankless unit. I see code would allow for a direct vent unit if the closet were upgraded to a gasketed door. The current unit is a traditional vent, I'd have to get HOA approval to install the PVC vents. I'm thinking my best options would be electric conversion. Is a hybrid a good option for this case? I'm concerned that it would be too loud and cold if this were used as a bedroom again.
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Oct 21, 2023 15:57
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I want to finally get around to installing a cold-water expansion tank in my home. It's a 1969 build, most of the plumbing I THINK is still original (other than the water heater)? 1/2 copper all around. It's a single story ranch, one bath, so I probably don't need a very large one? I have noticed once or twice a few drips from the hot water tank pressure relief pipe, which I've read MAY be a result of pressure fluctuations and could be mediated with an expansion tank? I also get some pipes moving/shaking when taps are turned off/on (mostly the washing machine. ) I don't know it's officially "water hammer" or just regular old "knocking/banging", but I'm hoping an expansion tank could also help with that? I would put it basically right as the cold water enters the home, just past the whole-house shut off valve, right? It looks like they all tend to connect via 3/4 MIP fitting...I'm guessing there probably isn't a Tee fitting that is 1/2 copper on the "pass through" section and 3/4" female MIP on the Tee? So I'd probably just get a regular 1/2 tee, and then on the bottom of that Tee use a 1/2 copper to 3/4 Female MIP adapter?
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Oct 24, 2023 17:30
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DrBouvenstein posted:I want to finally get around to installing a cold-water expansion tank in my home. It's a 1969 build, most of the plumbing I THINK is still original (other than the water heater)? 1/2 copper all around. Do you have an expansion tank on the outlet side of the water heater? Do you know what pressure your water is at normally and then what your hot water pressure is after a full water heater refresh/heating cycle before opening any taps? These are things I'd want to know before I went trying to solve for your issues, because you very well may need a PRV, not an expansion tank.
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Oct 24, 2023 17:50
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Motronic posted:Do you have an expansion tank on the outlet side of the water heater? Do you know what pressure your water is at normally and then what your hot water pressure is after a full water heater refresh/heating cycle before opening any taps? I currently have NO expansion tank at all, not on hot or cold water sides of the tank. I do not know what my pressures are, other than I am city supplied water, and they just relatively recently replaced both my meter/regulator (not even sure if the meter typically has a regulator, or if that's done at the street-side) and I wouldn't say my pressure is particularly more or less than any other place I've lived, so probably in the normal 50-60 PSI range?
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Oct 24, 2023 18:44
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Guy Axlerod posted:My gas fired hot water heater is in a small closet inside one of my bedrooms. I currently use it as my office and have CO alarm in the room, but I'm looking at options to make this less dangerous. Put the CO detector in the closet with the heater then buy a high end one for your room that outputs numerical CO measurements. If the flue ever clogs the one in the closet will go off the next time it fires (well, assuming that you have high co levels in your exhaust - they should be pretty low to begin with) and the one in your room will be able to tell you what's actually going on and alarm at a much lower (actually safe) threshold. Note the one in closet will need to be carefully placed, high but not too high, and it might go apeshit regardless in which case skip it and use the nice one in the room.
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Oct 29, 2023 18:42
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What do you pros think of the new Heat Pump hot-water heaters? My HVAC company talked me into one when I ripped out my old oil boiler, and I like it. Has it's own condensate pump, helps keep the humidity down in the summer time. As far I as I can tell, the only downsides are the price, and it kind of sounds like there is an air condition running in your basement... because there is.
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Oct 30, 2023 18:16
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Had a fun weekend. Girlfriend asked if I could install new shower fixtures that she picked up a while ago, complained that it was hard to dial in the temp on her old Delta knob valve and had pretty low pressure on the hot line. Opened up the wall and it's all galvy. Had a dialectric fitting in place to transition to copper and brass on the old valve, so I thought I'd upgrade those.  Yeah... it's bad. I busted that big rusty cyst off and hope that would help a bit, but I know that this is only kicking the can down the road and is going to have to be addressed later, but not in one weekend, not when there's only one bath in the house.  But I got the new valve soldered in, and I feel a bit more comfortable with my soldering. I hated to hit the plastic pieces in the dialetric fittings, but with the street elbows, I couldn't get them around that angle to save them the heat, thankfully the important bit was undisturbed.  Used Tape and Thread Sealant to make sure all the threaded bits weren't going to give me a headache.  Cleaned up the mess when I was done with a convenient cover (I'll drywall later).  The tub spout was not sealing properly and was made out of loving plastic (loving Delta) and there's a replacement waiting for me next time I'm over there.  Water pressure is still questionable, but at least it doesn't get cold when you flush the toilet. Can't wait to replumb the whole house  .
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Oct 31, 2023 06:18
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Illuminado posted:Had a fun weekend. Girlfriend asked if I could install new shower fixtures that she picked up a while ago, complained that it was hard to dial in the temp on her old Delta knob valve and had pretty low pressure on the hot line. I mean yeah, the fittings are bad but, uh, isn't that entire... back area... filled with black mold? That looks like black mold or at least some incipient rot. Which isn't really a surprise considering how unsealed that hole looks. jfc. it must be pouring water in every time someone takes a shower.
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Oct 31, 2023 11:32
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Illuminado posted:Had a fun weekend. Girlfriend asked if I could install new shower fixtures that she picked up a while ago, complained that it was hard to dial in the temp on her old Delta knob valve and had pretty low pressure on the hot line. Kind of surprised that this fitting is not leaking, as that seal bead is definitely bent. Not surprised the pressure's poor. You can only remove what you can see. And I'd hit the back of that drywall with Lysol at least or a mild bleach solution (10:1 water:bleach). That is mold, but not atypical for the location, which tends to leak over the years.
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Oct 31, 2023 13:46
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Radiators are pipes and water so I feel like that goes in here. This here’s a sketch of the hot side of my hot water radiators. The actual plumbing is nowhere near this clean mind you, there’s a lot of crossing over and whatnot.  My ultimate goal is to replumb the whole system with Pex and a manifold, but since that will involve tearing up quite a lot of wall to get at the pipe runs and all, I’m wondering if replacing what I can reach in the basement would be a decent first step. My thinking is that would at least get me the manifold so I can make sure flow through the radiators is actually correct; as it is I think the system is fairly poorly balanced.
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Oct 31, 2023 14:38
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PainterofCrap posted:And I'd hit the back of that drywall with Lysol at least or a mild bleach solution (10:1 water:bleach). That is mold, but not atypical for the location, which tends to leak over the years. I'm going to disagree that it's "not atypical." By which I mean, yeah, it'd be expected from a solution like this, but properly made and installed, it'd be rigged up in such a way that any water that goes around the fixture and into the wall can only go out again, and any leaks from the fixture will go out of the wall and into the bathroom.  You'd have something like the blue box on the left there inside the wall, built in such a way that it doesn't actually break the waterproofing on the walls, which instead seals nicely up around the sides of it. The whole idea of just having the water installation hovering ominously inside a wall space is wild. the yeti posted:My ultimate goal is to replumb the whole system with Pex and a manifold, but since that will involve tearing up quite a lot of wall to get at the pipe runs and all, I’m wondering if replacing what I can reach in the basement would be a decent first step. I think you'd be happier and have a much easier time just doing the whole thing at once. The more small stages you do it in, the more repeat work you'll have, and the more annoying each piece of work will be since you have to work with existing things and can't just do a full teardown and open up a bunch of space to work with. Obviously if any single items are troublemakers and/or defective, replacing them individually would be helpful if they're easily reached, but for any actual replumbing the pipework: bite the sour apple and get it all done in one go. PurpleXVI fucked around with this message at 15:25 on Oct 31, 2023 |
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Oct 31, 2023 15:23
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PainterofCrap posted:
That's just the texture of the barrier paper, which is now a bit singed, but those shadows are probably just an effect of my camera and bad lighting. This is the same spot and looks entirely different with the flash on.  The barrier has black speckling when it's new. 
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Oct 31, 2023 16:57
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That's an incredibly terrible default texture for anyone worried about mold. 
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Oct 31, 2023 17:01
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Illuminado posted:
Wow. It looked too uniform to be mold, but the location is right for it to form due to (at least) regular humidity spikes. It reminds me of a loss I did in the 1990s for what was apparently some type of high-efficiency prototype energy-saver house built in the mid-1970s. The ceiling fixtures were all 12V DC; it had some kind of heating element/insulated wire matrix buried in the drywall - the house was electrically-heated through the walls (have fun hanging photos, cutting holes for receptacles, etc)...and the public adjuster was wigging out at the heavy mat of black mold on the back-side of the kitchen exterior wall. It wasn't mold; it was some kind of felt backing. Never seen it before or since.
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Oct 31, 2023 20:49
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I appreciate y'all looking out. I def don't want to have to contend with mold in addition to replumbing the whole house  .I had a similar vapor barrier material I used before in another project so I didn't think twice. I'm going to be installing the tub spout later today, hopefully have everything all done then.
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Oct 31, 2023 21:56
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I have a house with adjoining bathrooms, and the toilets are back-to-back. When one flushes, the bowl of the other drains. Several plumbing forums suggest that this is a vent issue of some kind. The current occupant had a plumber look at it and it is apparently an issue with the pipe routing, not a blockage. Is this something worth fixing, or just a quirk? For instance, will a clog in one toilet back up into the other?
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Oct 31, 2023 22:01
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So funny story here.... I have the same problem, started after buying new toilets. I couldn't find any clogs in the vents and after a while it was bugging me, so I rented a plumbing camera, went down the vent and flushed the toilets, it appears they used a double straight tee.... So one toilet throws water and wtvr else up the drain of the other toilet causing suction when it drains. So my options were to dig under the slab, and replace it with a Y, or get the worst flushing toilets I can find, or live with it. Take a guess which one I am doing.
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Nov 1, 2023 00:10
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The users of our toilets are the folks for whom poop knives were invented. I'm happy to live with it, so long as that minor backflow issue won't cause organic issue to issue forth in the other room. But it sounds like that's not a problem?
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Nov 1, 2023 00:58
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The toilets I'm looking at all the install docs call out that you have to use a larger wye thing not a sanitary t or something. It's much taller between the left/right inputs. Toto toilets on Lowes.com show it.
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Nov 1, 2023 01:13
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All finished, and now with a working tub spout! 
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Nov 1, 2023 01:54
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Illuminado posted:All finished, and now with a working tub spout! Nice! Looks good.
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Nov 1, 2023 03:53
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Illuminado posted:All finished, and now with a working tub spout! Good job by you!
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Nov 1, 2023 04:57
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PurpleXVI posted:I think you'd be happier and have a much easier time just doing the whole thing at once. The more small stages you do it in, the more repeat work you'll have, and the more annoying each piece of work will be since you have to work with existing things and can't just do a full teardown and open up a bunch of space to work with. Obviously if any single items are troublemakers and/or defective, replacing them individually would be helpful if they're easily reached, but for any actual replumbing the pipework: bite the sour apple and get it all done in one go. I trust your judgement, it just seemed counterintuitive to me comparing tearing up walls on two floors to redoing a bunch of accessible piping in an unfinished basement, hence the question. I def don’t have a good idea of the gotchas that might be involved though. 
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Nov 1, 2023 14:03
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