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We already have a electrical thread so I figured we might as well have a Plumbing thread. I'm a 4th year apprentice who will be testing for his commercial license in February. I've had residential and commercial experience. The purpose of this thread is to show DIY'ers how to fix simple problems within there house. I know there are a couple other plumbers on here so feel free to join in. If you post a picture of your issue it will make it easy for a plumber to suggest a way to fix it. Edit: Would a mod please fix my spelling error on "rolls" in my subject. edit2: Thanks AreYouIn for fixing the title. Update: Took my commercial plumbing test for Washington state on 0ct 7th 2010. Today I received the letter stating I passed. I am very excited to be a commercial journeyman. General plumbing rules to start with kid sinister posted:1. Don't bite your fingernails. A 6th one added Always know where the water shut off is before you start messing with the plumbing. 7. If you're using a torch to pull apart a joint or to hold a fitting that just won't stay put, use pliers to hold it and not your fingers. You will burn the poo poo out of them otherwise. 8. Always back up pipe when unscrewing something. Put a wrench held opposite to your wrench that is going to losen the fitting. If you have your wrenches at 9 o'clcok and 3 o'clock you won't apply the force correct and are more likely to mess somethingup. Have the wrenches between 7-8 and 4-5 and you will be fine. 9. If you are joining together 2 threaded parts and they don't have a ferrule or rubber washer on the inside, then use either teflon tape or pipe dope on the male threads first before twisting them together. For teflon tape, looking straight down the male fitting the tape will go on, give it 4 clockwise layers of tape. kid sinister posted:
Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 14:17 on Jul 22, 2018 |
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May 7, 2009 02:29
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jackyl posted:What's your opinion on sharkbite? I've done a decent amount of residential plumbing with finishing basements, etc, and just put in a water powered backup sump pump for my brother in law. Anyway, it had sharkbite fittings and they seemed nice, but I don't know... I choose sweat supply valves over compression every time, so maybe I'm psychologically deficient (well, every fitting, nut just supply valves, but I figured that made my point), but the sharkbite fittings just didn't seem right to me. Its not leaking now or anything, but I wonder about its long term efficacy. I think shark bites can be great. I wouldn't plumb a bathroom in one. But when dealing with service and you want to go from Cpvc to copper or Pex they can be great. I've seen then last for 2 years now as long as they're properly installed. Messadiah posted:My main plumbing stack shoots all the way up through the roof of the house as a stink pipe, yet there is an open Y-connector in the basement that the laundry machine drains into via a garden hose, why doesn't the laundry room smell like sewer? This is just a random thing I've wondered about from time to time. It depends. Are you on a gray water system/sewer? If so then it wouldn't smell of sewer because its a totally different system. A gray water system usually can receive discharge from all non solid waste fixtures. Washer, Lav's, floor drains , etc. They usually seperate sewer / gray water in certain city's depending on ordinances. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 03:10 on May 7, 2009 |
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May 7, 2009 03:05
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kid sinister posted:so be honest: how often do you bite your nails? I do all the time when not at work. But I usually do construction so it doesnt matter if i bite them or not.
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May 7, 2009 05:11
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Lovecrusher posted:Perfect, I'm sooo happy I found this thread. Sorry I've been away so i haven't be able to check back on this thread. A dishwasher should go into a air gap but since you're putting it into a drain directly there are other options but wouldn't pass an inspection. When running the drain for the DW hose run it into the same cabinet and then suppose part of the hose to the top side of the cabinet but underneath. The reason for running this high loop is if the sewer backs up u will notice it in the sink before it can go into the DW and ruin it. At this link you can see a picture of a dishwasher wye. http://www.plumbingsupply.com/disposerhose.html They do sell these at home depot. I would suggest figuring out a way to either go up to inch and a half drain to install the wye or figure something else out. Note: The dishwasher should go into a drain after the plumbing trap not before. If it doesnt go into a trap you will have a problem with sewer gas coming into your dishwasher
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May 25, 2009 19:48
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I gotta replace a dip tube on my own house. Would anyone want step by step instructions on how to replace a dip tube in a water heater? This would include pictures as i do it.
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May 25, 2009 21:11
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fishhooked posted:I have an older home with some pressure problems with the hot water on the second floor shower. I think it is probably older galvanized pipe that has some buildup in it. I am thinking it is just the hot supply line to the shower, as the sink hot water seem to be just fine. before you replace the hot line, have you checked the shower cartridge and made sure that there isnt nothing in the blocking the flow. Dip tubes are known to do this alot. They plug most angle stops and showers when they start going. The bad things about Vanguard Pex (the pex with the copper crimp rings) 1) You have to support it more often. (32 inches veritcle or horizontal is ideal in the uniform plumbing code. 2) You get a reduced flow if you use "1/2 vanguard pex" Due to the fact that the Inside diameter of the pipe is smaller then 1/2 copper. And the fittings them self slide into the pipe which restricts more flow. TlDR: Check your shower cartridge first, if there is no white flakes in it then it could be the hot line built up with calcium. Pex has some downfalls but is most likely your best option. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 17:43 on May 26, 2009 |
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May 26, 2009 17:38
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Also the only way to adapt to shark bites is with a Male or female thread by shark bite fitting. If you use a stiffener that comes with the shark bite, you can adapt it to pex too. But due to shark bite fittings being so expensive i wouldn't suggest using them. You only really want to use a shark bite if its your only option.
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May 26, 2009 17:41
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benitocereno posted:You just blew my freaking mind, sharkbites are genius. Maybe I can get some advice... let me explain with the aid of my amazing drawings. I'm currently in the process of doing a full remodel on my kitchen. I'm going to have someone help me with moving my 220 line for my stove, but unfortunately, that means I'm also moving my refrigerator (the stove is going in its place, and it's moving across the room). No this job isnt done best by a pro. You can easily do it yourself. You can use a shark bite too to adapt from copper to pex. A simple shark bite tee will do fine. Remember like i said in the last post. Put the white plastic stiffener in the pex pipe or it will most likely leak. I'm pretty sure home depot sells vanguard pex fittings and rings. If you're fine with just using shark bite double check all your fittings and make sure you dont have any leaks. To answer your next question about your crawl space i need to know some details. How cold do your winters get, is there open vents in the crawl to let in air. Or is it all sealed off and insulated? Old Galvy can be a bitch. I would suggest buying at least 1 pipe wrench to use on it. And watch out you can crush the pipe with the pipe wrench.
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May 26, 2009 18:18
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kid sinister posted:You're wanting to do this WAY too complicated. For a ~15' run to an ice maker, just buy the kits specifically made to hook up ice makers. Basically, they come with a valve that clamps onto your cold water copper pipe and punctures a small hole in the pipe. You then run tubing from that valve to your ice maker. As for your existing ice maker line, just close off that valve. Do not use a saddle on a half in copper line. You're asking for more issues then anything. I wouldn't trust a saddle fitting in a crawl space for anything but that is just my opinion.
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May 26, 2009 18:30
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benitocereno posted:Excellent, that's going to make moving the fridge so much easier. I live in central/north NC, so our winters aren't too fierce. Average coldest it gets is around 38, but overnight / in the morning we can hit the 20s, rarely under that. The crawlspace is a closed space, but it's not really insulated. My forced air (ground vents) run through it and they are all insulated, one of which empties into the kitchen. However, the kitchen is essentially in the middle of the house, so only one crawlspace wall is actually exposed the outside air. You can get insulation for it but i would suggest supporting the pipe closer to the floor and then put some standard r-34 insulation in that Joice . The good thing about pex it is more likely to expand and not tear open. I wouldn't suggest putting the pex on an outside wall if you can avoid it. It doesn't sound like you have to harsh of winters but its better safe then sorry. edit: beaten
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May 26, 2009 18:43
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grover posted:Yes, you can insulate PEX the same way you would insulate copper. PEX is not as vulnerable to breaking when pipes freeze as copper, as it will stretch without breaking. Repeated freeze/thaw cycles can still damage it, so don't go routing it through uninsulated walls in Minnesota, but you don't have to worry about it like you would copper pipes. The problem with insulating a cold line in a cold space.Is you're more likely to keep the heat out instead of keep it in. This is why i'd suggest insulation the joist and not the pipe itself.
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May 26, 2009 18:45
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benitocereno posted:Awesome, thanks for the help guys, looks like I have something to do this weekend. One last point of clarification- RdRash, you say to use a tee, but if I'm cutting the existing copper fridge line could I just attach the PEX with a straight coupling to the old line, right? Is there any reason to use a T over just adapting the old line? Ya i just suggested a T cause i thought the line fed something else too. A coupling will work fine though. And your only real options are home depot or lowes. Since you cant buy anything from a supply house. Make sure its Pex and color wont matter. The only reason its color coded is to prevent people from mixing up hot and cold water lines. It will have "pex " written on the side. Do not use Cpvc since they probably carry it also. Its ridged but its junk and you will be reusing it with in 10 years.
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May 26, 2009 19:04
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ZentraediElite posted:The upstairs toilet in my dad's house whines/whistles when you flush it. Is this something to worry about? About 15 years ago the toilet broke in the night and did a bunch of damage to the floor/ceiling of the room below it. I'd hate for this to happen again. It sounds like a clogged vent for the toilet. When its trying to get enough air to flow correctly which causes a vacuum in the vent stank. The debris is clogged just right that it whistles when flushing. Best way to fix this is go up on the roof and use a sewer snake and snake the vent into the drain line. edit: Also this house could be old enough that the they didn't do any vents or they just did one vent. With the drain lines potentially clogging up slowly it would still not let it breath. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 22:14 on May 26, 2009 |
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May 26, 2009 22:03
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grover posted:I think he meant the water supply, not the DWV. In that case it could just need a new ball cock if something is stuck in the old one. but to answer your question it should be fine if its just whistling. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 22:23 on May 26, 2009 |
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May 26, 2009 22:15
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ZentraediElite posted:I'm not quite sure. I will have to give a better listen next time I am there. You can always turn off the water at the angle stop and then flush it. The tank wont refil since the angle stop is off but you will be able to tell if its the drain making the noise.
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May 27, 2009 19:43
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Dainan posted:I'm buying a house that sat over winter, and the water lines were winterized. The main coming into the house is cut after the valve, and from what I'm told they probably put antifreeze into the lines. Are you sure they actually put antifreeze in the water lines and not the drain lines? A plumbing trap is only on the drainage. I would imagine they'd just drain all the water instead of putting antifreeze in a public water system. That would leave them so liable for public poisoning. I'd ask if they got the buyers insurance. So if anythings hosed up it will be covered.
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May 27, 2009 23:19
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grover posted:Antifreeze? Heh, don't they just, you know, drain the water out so it can't freeze? Not rocket science. Just run the water until it stops burping air bubbles.
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May 28, 2009 04:53
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fishhooked posted:Any tips on loosening up old galvanized fittings? I'm having a hell of a time trying to replace part of my hot supply line to the shower. i'd try a harbor freight pipe wrench and a cheater bar. You can also heat up the fitting to make it expand so its easier to loosen the pipe inside of it.
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May 28, 2009 14:51
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fishhooked posted:access space is limited so I cant get a cheater bar in. I'll try heating up the fitting and knocking the poo poo out of it. i've never actually replumbed a house that old. I have done some remodels where you just find odd stuff. Also re plumbing a pole building we found a bunch of dead rats in this wall. It was pretty odd.
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May 28, 2009 15:37
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kid sinister posted:If that pipe you're trying to loosen is also 100+ years old and rusty, you'll probably break off that rusty steel trying to get it out. That being said, I've found penetrating oil works better than WD40 in most cases. One thing you can try is to apply the oil, let is soak in for 5 minutes, then come back and hit it with a hammer a few times. If it isn't loose yet, reapply oil and repeat. No most likely he'll crush the pipe. Unless he grips the pipe with the rear teeth of the pipe wrench (so the opening of the pipe wrench is bigger then the pipe)
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May 31, 2009 11:00
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Ya half inch copper doesn't have to be support as often. I believe its 5ft for ridgid copper. You should be fine. and remember to ream your copper pipe to reduce the chance of added wear.
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Jun 1, 2009 17:10
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FidgetyRat posted:I'm pretty plumbing dumb. Its all about speed and price really. Pvc is cheaper then doing cast iron, galv or copper drain lines. On the West coast ABS is the standard. ABS/PVC are great because roots will not grow into them when there in the ground. One benefit to Cast Iron is sound reduction. Personally i like ABS alot more then Pvc. Since Pvc gets brittle in my experience.
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Jun 3, 2009 18:22
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LegoMan posted:I guess this is the right thread. Would a bad wax seal on a toilet cause a slow leak (constant emptying/filling of rear tank)? I recently replaced the wax seal as we have a leak from the toilet in the garage (long story) and about 2 months later I got a slow tank leak that got slowly worst. I just replaced the tank bolts / flapper valve today and it seems to have slowed it quite a bit but I just heard the tank fill again and the only thing I can think of that could be fishy is the wax seal (it was my first replacement and the seal had been sitting in the garage for months). Remember a toilet shouldn't ever rock. That includes the tank. If the tank rocks or wiggles that could be where your leak is. If the bowl rocks it could not be bolted down all the way. The floor could be level also. Or the flange (the drain where the wax ring goes on the floor) could not be screwed down proper. The water level in the tank should be about one inch below the over flow. Its simple to adjust the float to make the water level the right height.
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Jun 3, 2009 18:35
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Dobermaniac posted:Yay for leaky stuff! I found a leak under my kitchen sink. Could I just take the fitting off and put some teflon tape where the thread is? Is there any thing else I need to look at while taking the pipe off? Thanks Teflon tape won't seal it. I'd go to the hardware store and either get a new plastic gasket that fits over the pipe and in the nut . Or replace the whole piece. I imagine either the gasket wore out or wasnt installed correctly. I'd take it apart and inspect the pipe and the nut. Make sure nothing is cross threaded.
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Jun 4, 2009 05:34
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There is so many things that can be taken into consideration. Is the buliding main not sized properly( its probably a half inch pipe going into the house). What type of piping is installed (galvy most likely). Everyone could have low pressure around the neighborhood. To repipe the whole house could be a pain in the rear end. You will be opening up alot of walls. Unless you have a crawlspace.
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Jun 4, 2009 17:54
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BorderPatrol posted:I know there's alot of variables in the house for sure, considering it's age. I'd get a pressure gauge to screw onto your hose bib to see how much PSI you have actually. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...=THDStoreFinder They have ones that acutally addapt right to a hose bib so you can check it right there with out any adapter pieces. I'd honestly get a licencd professional in there if you're not to handy. I can type of a guide to show you how to replumb a house but its alot of work and wouldnt be cheap. Can you find the main combing into the house to see how big the pipe is coming into the house. edit: ideal pressure is around 65. Min pressure that's approved by the UPC is 15 psi. If its above 100 psi you should get a Pressure reducing Valve. Turd Herder fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Jun 4, 2009 |
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Jun 4, 2009 19:34
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Does anyone have a problem with a shortness of hot water? If so i can give write up a guide with pics on how to change a dip tube on a water heater.
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Jun 4, 2009 19:48
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BorderPatrol posted:The show head is fairly new, but I'll hit it with some CLR (does that stuff work?) and see if the situation improves. Any cheap store bought white vinegar will do the same. Clr will do the same but store as vinegar but will only cost more.
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Jun 6, 2009 16:06
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Bush Ant posted:plumbing question Well it looks like you could easily fix it but i agree with your liability issue. If there is any doubt that your joints wont joints wont hold. I'd get a licensed plumber in there who is bonded and insured.
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Jun 6, 2009 16:08
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binkmeister posted:
The only other thing i coudl suggest is digging up the head and then every couple feet dig a hole to the pipe and check it out. Keep doing it untill you find the wettest spot. Are you sure its your sprinkler system and now the main going into your house?
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Jun 7, 2009 01:14
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Carbon Copy posted:My toilet is running fairly constantly, making lots of noise and wasting water and I want it to stop. I have replaced the flapper, and changed the ball cock to a fancy, water saving "anti-siphon toilet tank fill valve". How should I trouble shoot this effectively so that I can eliminate the problem. Did you adjust the ball cock to adjust the water lever?
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Jun 8, 2009 08:34
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Tad SG posted:I'd be interested in this. I actually may replace the dip tube on a goons water heater in a new house. The parts are like $5 and it only takes about an hour. If i do it on his house i'll take pics with a how to guide.
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Jun 11, 2009 07:12
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PulsarD posted:So fr this week, Rd Rash has replaced all of the drain crap under my sink, as well as fixing the 16 foot copper supply line in the fridge cubby. Yes I'll be doing the dip tube at his house. And the we'll be using Wirsbo(uponor) piping in his house later.
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Jun 11, 2009 07:48
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Here is me doing some plumbing at a forum members house. Here is his kitchen sink before hand. It was all corrugated pipe under the kitchen sink.  Anyone guess whats wrong with the dishwasher going into the disposal in this picture? It needs to go to an air gap first Note: There wasn't a picture of the finished job. Here is a picture of the refrigeration water line. Its run in 1/4 OD copper. Down stairs there is a 1/4 saddle valve that is in poor shape and wouldn't close all the way. As you can see there is a 5 ft copper line for the refer water line.  Note: I had to open the saddle valve with pliers. When doing so the packing nut started to leak. I had to tighten the packing nut and is holding. Here is a picture of the valve.  Here is me putting the 1/4 stem valve on the 1/4 OD copper pipe.  Home depot didn't have a 1/4 2 hole strap to use to support the pipe so we used zip ties into the wall. It works for now, once he re does the basement I'll put an ice maker box in the wall and run the branch line correctly. 
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Jun 12, 2009 00:13
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grover posted:...which is conveniently provided by the inlet being above the garbage dispsal grinder. This is normal and legal, there's nothing wrong with it. No it's not. Show me the code where it says its legal. Its connected and since its so far down near the trap if the sewer backs up it will most likely back up into the dish washer.
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Jun 12, 2009 02:43
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grover posted:What are you talking about? The air gap has nothing to do with sewers backing up. In fact, unless you're in a flood zone, there's no provision whatsoever for that in a home; P-traps don't do anything for that, either. Air gaps are required for dishwashers and washing machines to vent properly and prevent the P-trap from siphoning out. That's it. Disposal or tailpiece, both provide this air gap. I follow the UPC. The Air gap will help prevent if the sewer backs up from going into the dish washer because one its a the rim of the sink (highest part of the ficture). Just because you're not in a flood level doesn't mean a sewer cant back up. If someone flushes something stupid and it clogs a drain line, it could back up into the lowest fixture. Now usually that's the shower would be the lowest but if the kitchen sink is for some reason it will back up there. It will go into your DW and gently caress it up.
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Jun 12, 2009 03:08
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I don't have a scanner and my digital camera is with a friend. This is a pic from a iphone. Here is the code section from the 2003 UPC (the UPC edition idaho uses) They haven't excepted the 2006 code book yet.
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Jun 12, 2009 03:32
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grover posted:OK, I apologize, UPC does require it. IPC and IRC, however, do not. I've never seen an air gap on the drain line of a dishwasher, but I've always lived in IBC states- all they do is loop it up under the counter. I know idaho and washington both use the UPC. Washington uses the 2006 book, while idaho still uses the 2003 book. I am not sure what other states use the Uniform Plumbing code.
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Jun 12, 2009 17:29
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Humbaba posted:
You don't need a 3rd trap. And really i would have used a different drainage fitting instead of that T. I'd take out the 3rd trap and it should drain fine. Even though it may get some back flow towards the other sink through that T.
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Jun 12, 2009 17:34
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Super Delegate posted:I have a shower that is leaking into my basement. The water is dripping from a hole (for an electrical wire!) in the basement. I tried creating a better seal for the shower drain, and while it was being fixed I realized that the bathtub in the same bathroom was also leaking into the same spot. It looks like the leak is coming from the drainage pipe. In your case you may want to call a professional to have look at the problem. The p trap doesn't look like he'd really be an issue. And if you can't find exactly where the leaks coming from you should bring in the professional.
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Jun 14, 2009 18:51
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