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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Oops I meant above the tile then you should need one. I had to install the toilet twice. First time there wasn't a good seal and I could smell sewer gas. Had to pull the toilet and through a second ring on. It squished down and all was good, except I had to go to the bathroom the whole time I was doing this.
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Jan 3, 2011 16:36
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Glad the toilet worked out for ya. That sucks you had to set it twice though.
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Jan 4, 2011 15:04
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What really sucked is that I couldn't just set the right side toilet bolt in since the concrete under the ride side of flange lip is missing. The second time I set it I lost the bolt through the concrete floor. I had to tape a string around the bolt, set the bolt, pull the string through the bolt hole in the toilet while it was being set, and pack the bolt and hole with plumbers putty so when I let go of the string I wouldn't lose another bolt.
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Jan 4, 2011 16:41
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InferiorWang posted:What really sucked is that I couldn't just set the right side toilet bolt in since the concrete under the ride side of flange lip is missing. The second time I set it I lost the bolt through the concrete floor. I had to tape a string around the bolt, set the bolt, pull the string through the bolt hole in the toilet while it was being set, and pack the bolt and hole with plumbers putty so when I let go of the string I wouldn't lose another bolt. Wow you made that more difficult. You realize if you anchor the toilet bolt with a nut and washer to the flange. Then snug them up. You can set the toilet down on the flange with the bolts sticking through and just snug up the nuts and you are done. Takes like 15 minutes.
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Jan 5, 2011 04:46
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I was talking to a plumber neighbor of mine last night about the whole thing and he said the same exact thing you just said. I really did make it more of a pain in the rear end than I needed to. welp!
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Jan 5, 2011 14:39
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InferiorWang posted:I was talking to a plumber neighbor of mine last night about the whole thing and he said the same exact thing you just said. I really did make it more of a pain in the rear end than I needed to. welp! Its fine, now you know for next time.
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Jan 5, 2011 15:14
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This is a great thread. Thanks! I'm about to buy a house that needs some love and I'm going to be using this a lot I think. So for my first question, can/should a drain line be run through unused HVAC ductwork? The situation is that this house is on a slab and it has all of the HVAC ductwork in the slab. Currently there is a forced air heating unit which we are going to be replacing with a modern heat pump and ductwork in the attic. The removal of the forced air unit would free up space in a small room that would be perfect for a laundry room. The catch though is that we would have to saw through about 20 ft of slab in order to run a drain line for the washer. I was thinking that since the ductwork in the slab will no longer be used that we might be able to use that as a channel to at least get us someplace close to the main waste line without sawing through half the house.
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Jan 5, 2011 15:21
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:You're going to have to pull the cartridge. It could be bad or just have something clogging it. Sorry for the long response back but the cartridge was bad. Thanks for the verification before I dug into it!
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Jan 5, 2011 23:52
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oschesar posted:This is a great thread. Thanks! I'm about to buy a house that needs some love and I'm going to be using this a lot I think. So for my first question, can/should a drain line be run through unused HVAC ductwork? Sadly no you can't do that. Even though it would make it easy. Drain lines have to be graded at 1/4 inch per foot. Running it in a duct where you cant bed it in soft soil thats firmly packed around the pipe. You'd have no way of guaranteeing that the pipe would be graded properly. knowonecanknow posted:Sorry for the long response back but the cartridge was bad. Thanks for the verification before I dug into it! Glad it worked out for you.
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Jan 6, 2011 02:57
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Sadly no you can't do that. Even though it would make it easy.
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Jan 6, 2011 20:38
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Hopefully the plumbing crowd knows about this- how safe is it to use caulking around a vent? Specifically one that's right above a bed? My acrylic latex caulking has a pretty gnarly-sounding warning about fumes, but does that only apply when it's curing? And how likely is it that caulking can melt if it's used around a vent cover?
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Jan 8, 2011 06:03
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melon cat posted:Hopefully the plumbing crowd knows about this- how safe is it to use caulking around a vent? Specifically one that's right above a bed? My acrylic latex caulking has a pretty gnarly-sounding warning about fumes, but does that only apply when it's curing? And how likely is it that caulking can melt if it's used around a vent cover? What type of vent is it. double wall B vent, single wall 26 ga metal?
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Jan 8, 2011 18:02
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:What type of vent is it. double wall B vent, single wall 26 ga metal?
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Jan 8, 2011 18:57
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melon cat posted:No idea. Just fixing up a vent register. Someone recommended PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive at the supplier I went to- good stuff, or not? Oh its a register, not a vent that discharges exhaust from a gas burning appliance. Anything should do since you aren't arent going to have a duct hot enough to burn anything.
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Jan 9, 2011 02:35
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Is this the same issue you asked in your other thread? http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3379673 Caulking isn't your answer; you really need to get the right type register for your ducting. I wouldn't worry about the fumes from glue or caulk; once it's cured, no more fumes.
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Jan 9, 2011 03:31
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Our dishwasher currently has a hard copper line running to it. It starts out under the sink at a valve, and since the current dishwasher has the inlet at the front (original unit had it at the back), it's been extended with another section of copper tubing. Problem is, we had to pull the dishwasher recently. A rocket scientist had wired an outlet to the dishwasher's power cord and failed to connect any grounds, and the neutral wound up rubbing against something under the dishwasher. Result was a lovely tingle whenever it was running and eventually smoke/melted wire. When we pulled it out we found standing water under it, the copper tubing was leaking where it was joined. Also had a pinhole in the drain line. Fixed the wiring, reconnected the copper tubing (which was only finger tight to begin with), but it's still leaking - and when trying to get it hooked back up, I managed to kink it a bit. It still fills fine, but I'm pretty sure I'll wind up breaking the tube when I pull it back out again. Is there a code compliant way to replace this with something a bit more flexible? House was built in 1995, if it matters, in Texas. It also looks like the shutoff valve under the sink has been leaking where the copper tube connects to it (lime and calcium buildup around the fitting). At the orange box store I only saw hose kits for portable units.
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Jan 9, 2011 06:40
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some texas redneck posted:It still fills fine, but I'm pretty sure I'll wind up breaking the tube when I pull it back out again. Yes, go back to the orange box store and get: http://www.homedepot.com/Plumbing-P...catalogId=10053 I did this to mine when I had the same exact issue you do with the kinked copper line. Depending on the inlet connection to the dishwasher, you may have to get an adapter, or you may need an adapter for the outlet connection from the water pipe. Since you mentioned that the shut-off valve is leaking, replace that too. If you get a replacement shut-off valve, make sure that the valve and kit I linked above will fit together while you are at the store. It really sucks making another trip because you need a 50 cent adapter or something else small and dumb. Actually, take the copper line you are replacing with you so you can verify what you are replacing it with has the same size connections. As a side note, I now use braided hose for fridge water supplies too. Much easier than working with the flexible copper line.
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Jan 9, 2011 15:46
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grover posted:Is this the same issue you asked in your other thread?
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Jan 9, 2011 23:18
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I managed to clean out the cold water tank - closed the feed line, eventually located the stupidly positioned drain point, drained the entire tank out into a tupperware dish because it was too drat low, bailed the last few inches of water/gunge out into a bucket, cleaned the tank out with antibacterial bathroom cleaner (plastic tank, made sense to me) rinsed it all down & we're good to go. Bonus finds of the adventure: 1 slowly dissolving European Wasp Sliver of zinc flashing 1/2 dozen copper offcuts 4" steel nail All this in the old womans drinking water...
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Jan 9, 2011 23:21
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Water softener question, it's a Culligan Mark 100 and it's 14 years old. It seems to go through the forced regeneration cycle just fine but when it's idle the brine tank slowly fills up with water until it's overflowing. I've drained the brine tank, cleaned it, and refilled it. The 'pump', float, and hose going to the brine tank all seem to be doing what they should be doing. I'm thinking a valve or seal problem in the main bit of the unit where all the pipes tie in, but I figured I'd throw the question out here first. What's wrong with my softener?
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Jan 10, 2011 02:41
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Any recommendations for hot water pumps ? The faucet farthest from the water heater takes quite a while to get up to temperature and I have been looking at two remedies: https://www.wattspremier.com/products.php?product=Instant-Hot-Water-Recirculating-System http://www.gothotwater.com/D%27MAND/how.asp The automatic pump seems like a waste of energy since it basically keeps the cold water line heated. The D'mand system makes sense to me, except for the unjustified $400 price tag. Are there any alternatives I might be missing ?
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Jan 11, 2011 02:36
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Best way is running a hot recirc line all the way to the furthest fixture. Then Plumb that line with into the cold inlet of the water heater. Throw a pump and a check valve to keep it from back flowing. You can use any pump with a timer for this also.
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Jan 11, 2011 03:19
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Cross-posting from the fix-it-fast thread: Anyone have experience with Culligan water softeners? I think our softener has had it, and saw that Culligan has a rental option, which we might prefer. Otherwise, are there brands to recommend/stay away from? I'm comfortable with a DIY install too.
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Jan 11, 2011 13:24
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Richard Noggin posted:Cross-posting from the fix-it-fast thread: I don't have any experience with them sorry.
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Jan 11, 2011 19:46
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:Best way is running a hot recirc line all the way to the furthest fixture. Then Plumb that line with into the cold inlet of the water heater. Throw a pump and a check valve to keep it from back flowing. You can use any pump with a timer for this also. Thanks, but it's a slab foundation and tearing open the drywalls to run new pipes is not something I am planning to do.
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Jan 12, 2011 02:04
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Cross_ posted:Thanks, but it's a slab foundation and tearing open the drywalls to run new pipes is not something I am planning to do. If you are in a climate that isnt doenst get below freezing. Ive heard they run lines in the attic.
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Jan 12, 2011 07:57
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:If you are in a climate that isnt doenst get below freezing. Ive heard they run lines in the attic. I had the same concern about freezing temps and VERY cold showers, but the inspector's suggestion was a simple one: run the lines UNDER the insulation, which effectively places them at room temp. Or more to the point, run the insulation OVER the water lines. I ran the lines on the surface of the joists, and moved all the loose fill from under to over the pipes, using leftover scraps of fiberglass bat to support it. Ended up with a big R30 mound over the length of the run.
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Jan 12, 2011 11:53
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grover posted:I faced a similar issues- lines in the slab, but the inspector failed me for tapping off the easily accessible 1/2" lines extending from the slab into the wall adjacent to my addition and insisted I run 3/4" through the attic (not that I'll be washing my car while filling a pool and flushing the toilet while running the dishwasher and taking a shower, but the codes require that you be able to. *sigh*) He suggested you bring 3/4 because he didn't know your over all pressure. So he couldnt say running two fixtures on a 1/2 line is ok. And if you ran 3/4 you'd have to take it back to a place in the house where you had 3/4. Thus making you do it some what right. How cold does your area get grover?
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Jan 12, 2011 19:20
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:How cold does your area get grover?
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Jan 13, 2011 00:44
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grover posted:I'm in VA, so we get freezing temps every winter; occasionally in the single digits faranheit. I don't even know if I'd want to risk running a pipe in the attic then.
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Jan 13, 2011 02:40
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Rd Rash 1000cc posted:I don't even know if I'd want to risk running a pipe in the attic then. It doesn't work as well if you don't clean out the insulation below it; if there's R30 above and below, it will end up halfway between house and outside temps.
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Jan 13, 2011 03:48
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Can anyone give me some ideas for repairing this problem? The ball valve here has been leaking at the stem, and it must be replaced. However, it's extremely cramped in that space and I'm not sure of the best way to approach this; there's certainly not enough room for me to get a propane torch all the way around the T fitting, assuming propane would even be hot enough to break these solder joints. There are shutoffs on each end of the pipe (the shutoff on the right is not pictured), but the main shutoff is not accessible (this is an office building). What is the best way for me to approach this problem? Will a disposable baking sheet be an adequate heat shield if I need to get in there with a torch? Is there a better way I can tackle this?
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Jan 13, 2011 03:50
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Rd Rash will know better, but I'd think you are best off cutting outside the T, sweating a tee on to the replacement shutoff and putting 1" sweated pipe on the tee, then putting it in with couplers and sweating those to the original. Or just say gently caress it and use sharkbites. What is even going on there? Braided supply line, a couple shut offs, what looks to my inexperienced eye like a supply line feeding a drain (is that gas supply?)....
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Jan 13, 2011 03:57
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This is the cupboard in a dental lab. The ball valve feeds the suction system, and the flexible 3/8 coming out of the bottom is the same one you see looped around back. The red valve on the left feeds cold water to the developing tank, the braided supply line feeds hot water to the same tank. The copper line going into the drain is where the spit and blood from the suction goes (I'd really, really like to not have to disturb that). Except for the copper line going into the drain and the flexible line going from the ball valve to the back, these are all 1/2" pipe. Edit: The ball valve is used every day to shut water off to the suction system, and there may be vibration that travels from the suction back to the line. Taking this into consideration, are there any particular valves or fittings I should use or avoid? bokchoi fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Jan 13, 2011 |
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Jan 13, 2011 04:19
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If I am seeing the picture correctly. Its just the packing on the valve leaking. Just remove the handle and tighten the packing. And you should be good for awhile.
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Jan 13, 2011 05:28
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grover posted:That's the thing- if you put the insulation above the pipe (instead of the pipe above the insulation), then the pipe is within the heated boundary of the house, and is the same temperature as the room below it. It's quite an elegant solution, actually. I'd never trust it. I know it could work but I guess when its your only option. You do what you've got to do.
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Jan 13, 2011 05:33
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Toilet question- how do you increase the water level in the toilet bowl? I moved into an "eco-friendly" townhouse, and the toilet's one of those high-efficiency types. But there's a problem with this- it's water is so low that every time someone takes a dump there are almost always skidmarks. I've tinkered with every little thing I could find, and nothing seems to be changing. Here's a view of the tank: Click here for the full 640x480 image. Any ideas?
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Jan 16, 2011 04:32
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melon cat posted:Toilet question- how do you increase the water level in the toilet bowl? I moved into an "eco-friendly" townhouse, and the toilet's one of those high-efficiency types. But there's a problem with this- it's water is so low that every time someone takes a dump there are almost always skidmarks. I've tinkered with every little thing I could find, and nothing seems to be changing. Here's a view of the tank: The water line is less then an inch below the over flow tube. If you put anymore water in the tank it will just over go into the over flow tube and constantly make the toilet run. Only real option is putting in a new toilet.
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Jan 16, 2011 23:12
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I need some help with some plumbing issues, starting with the toilet leak from hell. We just moved into a house and knew that one of the toilets was wobbly. I didn't know that the taink had a slow leak causing it to refill periodically. I couldn't get the floor bolts tight so I yanked the toilet. The flange was broken, no problem, replaced it. Toilet mounted solid now. Replaced the flapper, still dribbling into the bowl. Ok, went ahead and replaced the whole flush valve assembly, fixed that problem. What's this water on the floor? There was now a leak at the fill line/fill valve coupling. Crap. Ran out and got a new supply line, seemed ok but still leaked slightly where the line runs through the coupling nut. Argh. Replaced the fill valve, no leaks! Come back an hour later, what's this water on the floor? Crap! There is the smallest drip coming from the fill valve. I can see water drops slowly forming on one wing of the coupling nut that secures the valve to the porcelain. I pulled it apart, cleaned the porcelain and reassembled it but I still have that tiny drip. What else is there to do? Everything not porcelain has been replaced. My other issue is with the washing machine. Towards the end of the final spin cycle I get this bit of sudsy overflow out of the drain, which has this weird kind of z-shaped extension tube for the drain hose. The overflow doesn't make a huge mess as it just drips onto the tile floor but I would like to get this fixed. Reading through this thread it seems likely that the drain piping is just too narrow. How would I fix that? I can get pics if a visual is needed.
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Jan 19, 2011 00:24
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vwman18 posted:I need some help with some plumbing issues, starting with the toilet leak from hell. We just moved into a house and knew that one of the toilets was wobbly. I didn't know that the taink had a slow leak causing it to refill periodically. I couldn't get the floor bolts tight so I yanked the toilet. The flange was broken, no problem, replaced it. Toilet mounted solid now. Replaced the flapper, still dribbling into the bowl. Ok, went ahead and replaced the whole flush valve assembly, fixed that problem. What's this water on the floor? There was now a leak at the fill line/fill valve coupling. Crap. Ran out and got a new supply line, seemed ok but still leaked slightly where the line runs through the coupling nut. Argh. Replaced the fill valve, no leaks! Come back an hour later, what's this water on the floor? Crap! There is the smallest drip coming from the fill valve. I can see water drops slowly forming on one wing of the coupling nut that secures the valve to the porcelain. I pulled it apart, cleaned the porcelain and reassembled it but I still have that tiny drip. What else is there to do? Everything not porcelain has been replaced. You can also put some dope on the face of the plastic threaded fitting that you attach the supply to. Sometimes that dope is just enough to make it seal. vwman18 posted:My other issue is with the washing machine. Towards the end of the final spin cycle I get this bit of sudsy overflow out of the drain, which has this weird kind of z-shaped extension tube for the drain hose. The overflow doesn't make a huge mess as it just drips onto the tile floor but I would like to get this fixed. Reading through this thread it seems likely that the drain piping is just too narrow. How would I fix that? I can get pics if a visual is needed. Ya a pic would be great. There could be a couple of reasons. The stand pipe may not be tall enough. The pipe size may be wrong . Or there may be a clog in the pipe.
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Jan 19, 2011 00:58
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