Plumbing: i will hide my sins with silicone sealant

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grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Rd Rash 1000cc posted:

You can search for the books online. Usually labor and industries (this is for WA state) can tell you where to get the books at. I'd try to find .PDF of the books. I know ive found a 2003 UPC PDF recently.

All the NFPA books are available free for viewing online on their website, but can't be saved or printed. IBC/IPC is for fee, only, and I've yet to find a pirated copy of an ICC code online.

Library would be the best place to look for casual interest or specific code questions, but if someone wants to go pro, I'd highly recommend sucking it up and buying a hardcopy.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2010 07:48

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 14:49

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Beer4TheBeerGod posted:

Unfortunately the closet doesn't have a drain and the heat pump will supposedly create a lot of condensation. What would be the best way to address this issue? I was thinking I could relocate the water heater closer to the utility sink, run a drain line under the closet and patch in to the line for the utility sink, or run a condensate pump.

The heat pump will be running as a heater, not an air conditioner; the condensate will be at the outside unit. And yeah, it will produce a lot of condensate, so be prepared for a persistent puddle if you don't have good drainage under/around it.

# ¿ May 4, 2010 10:48

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Furncos (brand name for rubber fittings with pipe clamp bands & used ubiquitously for all similar fittings) are a code-approved and permanant way to connect pipes of different materials. They're not structural, though; you need to properly support the pipes. Shouldn't be any issues for you; should be fine for your sink for the short-term.

# ¿ May 21, 2010 13:17

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

mr.belowaverage posted:

None of the fitting are leaking at the pex connection, just the threads. What am I doing wrong?

You're not supposed to use teflon tape on compression fittings, only NPT threads.

# ¿ May 24, 2010 21:56

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

wormil posted:

I would also like to tear out the copper and replace it with PEX. The tubing is $25/100' which seems reasonable but once I buy tools and fittings I'm not sure it would be cost competitive with ABS. Any guidance? I suppose the copper is still fine but it will probably be a long time (hopefully) before it's all exposed like this again. Is there a rule of thumb for estimating PEX?

PEX is cheap and easy. It's so cheap and so easy that you'll find you end up second-guessing yourself the first few times you use it because, hey, it can't be that simple, can it? But it is. The catch is that the crimp tools are stupid expensive. Rent or borrow them if you can. If you can't, buy one used on ebay, and then resell it for what you paid. (Works well with a lot of specialty tools, actually...)

The hand crimpers need a lot of room to work, so plan ahead when you set up your pipe.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2010 03:21

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

I like turtles posted:

Crossposting from general question thread:
I just bought a standalone upright freezer on Craigslist for $50. I would love, LOVE to have an ice maker, but this is an old model without the appropriate holes or existing kit.

Is it possible to take any old ice maker kit and install it? Is there somewhere it is generally safe to drill an appropriate hole, without breaching to cooling system somehow?

Anywhere there isn't a coil is safe to drill. EG, pretty much anywhere on the unit. Be careful about running water lines into the freezer, though, or water may freeze in the pipes as they enter.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2010 16:32

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Trident posted:

Under my bathroom sink, down in the basement ceiling, there is a 90 degree turn where the pipe comes down from the drain and turns to run across the ceiling. There seems to be a SOLID (like concrete - I have literally beat on it with a hammer and long chisel) clog right in this 90 degree turn. It's been like this since we bought the place, but we have just been making due with waterless hand sanitizer. The pipes are old iron or whatever. What are my options?

You mean you can see the clog, and beat it directly with a chisel? I suppose snaking it is out... Since it's accessible, you could cut it off and replace it.

# ¿ Jul 7, 2010 22:02

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

dwoloz posted:

edit: duh, it's probably just a partition and not a load bearing wall

Also, it looks to be center-bored, not notched. Since it's insulated with receptacles on both sides, I'm going to guess it's a garage wall.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2010 10:53

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Secret_Squirrel posted:

1) Is there such a thing as a gate valve wrench? There is a gate valve on the incoming copper supply line in my house, which is the only place to completely stop all the water flow if a pipe should burst.

My gate valve functions correctly, but my neighbors wouldn't budge when they had a leak, and it obviously caused a lot of problems, so I want to find the right wrench and have it on hand in case of emergency.

Common slang for this is a "street key" and yes, you can get one at your local big box. It looks like rebar welded into a T with a flange on the bottom. You can use a channel locks or something in a pinch, too. (The valve knob looks like an Θ, with the - bit raised._

Also, modern PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) is the way to go now. It looks like the old leaky stuff, but it's not, it's fixed & better and used extensively in new construction because not only is the material far cheaper than copper, but it's far easier to install, too. It's even led to completely different design techniques like manifolds and home-runs from every device to the main entry because it's so cheap.

Does your homeowner's insurance policy would cover a catastrophic leak? You'd going to be tearing up walls all over the place, it's a very expensive thing to do, even if you DIY it all. (The plumbing itself is easy, you could probably re-plumb your entire house in 2 days)

grover fucked around with this message at 15:03 on Aug 28, 2010

# ¿ Aug 28, 2010 15:00

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

We had a similar problem a couple pages ago; it was diagnosed as a failed mixing valve.

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3131944&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=11#post373168982

Mthrboard posted:

I'm having an issue with my water heater, and I have a theory on how to fix it, but I want to run it by you guys here first to see if there are any potential pitfalls with it. My problem is, the cold taps in my kitchen sink and utility room sink run extremely hot for the first few seconds after I turn them on. The reason for this is that I have a thermostatic mixing valve on the hot output of my water heater, and it's bleeding hot water back through the cold input. The pipes coming out of the water heater get so hot that I can't touch them. Anyway, what I want to do to fix this is install a heat trap on the cold water input to the mixing valve. I already have traps on the main cold input to the water heater, as well as the hot output (between the heater and the mixing valve). I'm not an expert at these mixing valves, so I want to make sure I won't damage it by installing a heat trap on the cold input. Here's what the plumbing on the heater looked like:

I added the heat traps after I took this picture, in place of the brass nipple on the hot output, and between the valve and the vacuum breaker on the cold input. If I add a third trap to the top of that mixing valve, will it cause any problems? I suppose I'll just do it anyway and see what happens.

# ¿ Aug 30, 2010 23:46

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

stubblyhead posted:

I cycled it a few times last night and it didn't leak at all, and my wife says it seems ok so far today. It seems to be bolted down tight, but it also seemed like it was before I unbolted it last night. How tight should I go with the nuts? I've read a few places that tightening unevenly or over-tightening can crack the basin, which I really don't want to do.

Any rocking will open up gaps. It's not just tightening; you also need to shim it. If it's super-tight but still rocks, that's a recipe for cracked porcelain.

# ¿ Sep 22, 2010 01:21

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Rd Rash 1000cc posted:

It's fine if you over grade it. It won't cause any issue with the flow.

Also I'd suggest getting one of these graduated levels that show grade. You can put it right on the pipe and it will tell if its 1/8, 1/4/,3/8, or 1/2.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xim/R-100081706/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

You need to mind the slope for vents, though. You can only drop the width of the pipe.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2010 16:39

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Rd Rash 1000cc posted:

I am unsure of what you mean here. Could you elaborate ?

The code limitations for the length of horizontal run before hitting the vent stack are based on 1/8" or 1/4" as appropriate. If you go steeper without moving the vent, you run the risk of the pipe not venting properly and siphoning out the P-trap (or S-trap).

# ¿ Oct 13, 2010 02:39

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

porkfriedrice posted:

I am considering the purchase of a home with a cesspool. What do I need to know about this system before making any decisions about buying this house? I have read some things online that say they may be bad. Any opinions/knowledge about cesspools?

Cesspools are just gray water; they're not very common anymore. I'm not sure if they're still legal; my grandparents house was the only one I've ever seen. Despite being just soapy water, it still always stank.

# ¿ Nov 20, 2010 03:17

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

porkfriedrice posted:

From what I've read, you're right, they aren't legal anymore. I think in this case the house dates from the 1940s and the cesspool was grandfathered in. It's more than gray water though, right? This is the only sewage system there, so the poop has to go somewhere.

Anybody here own a house with a cesspool and have any tips for maintenance, what not or what to put down the drain?

So this isn't a graywater cellpool, but essentially the septic system holding tank? Is it a completely enclosed concrete tank, or is it open? (Septic systems are perfectly legal, btw, if done properly.)

Septic system rules would apply: no chlorine or draino, as harsh chemicals kill the bacteria that breaks down the waste. Garbage disposals are bad, too, as food waste breaks down too slowly. If you have one, use it sparingly for foods that can't reasonably be disposed of any other way.

# ¿ Nov 20, 2010 11:22

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Kung Fu Jesus posted:

So I need help finding the leak in my toilet.

First, I noticed the bowl would seem to lose about half an inch of water every so often when I looked. And anything in the bowl(piss, toilet paper) would seem to settle partially into the hole, rather that sitting like my other toilet. I would also occasionally hear my toilet run for 3-4 seconds. And my water bill just seems high for one guy.

I put some dye in the tank but saw no leakage into the bowl. I turned the water off and after a few hours, the tank, but not bowl, would be empty. I replaced the flapper but the same thing still happens. There's actually still about 2 inches of water in the tank, above the flapper, and the bowl water is down about an inch. I can't see any leakage outside of the toilet. There's nothing on the floor. Any ideas? I really dread the idea of a leak somewhere along the pipe down in the ground somewhere.

Sounds like siphoning, which is indicative of a vent problem. Does it happen when the washing machine is draining or you flush another toilet or anything like that?

# ¿ Nov 23, 2010 00:07

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Unparagoned posted:

I have a thermostatic shower. In the summer it's perfect, temperature range is from too cold to too hot. But in the winter it only becomes just warm enough.
I have a normal mixer shower upstairs and that is fine in the winter. So I know that the supply of hot water is hot and at a pressure great enough so the thermostatic shower should be able to supply hot water. It's just that it doesn't.

I've tried opening up the temperature control side but it seemed like I couldn't change anything to increase the max temperature side. I think that maybe even at the hottest setting it is just letting in too much cold water. How do I fix this?

Can I completely open it up and change a setting. Or can I get some small low profile device to restrict the cold water supply? Or do I just need to buy a new shower?

There is most likely an anti-scald nanny device in your shower preventing it from adjusting to full-hot. If you take off the handle, is should be pretty obvious (is a plastic slip-on fitting in the ones I've seen that simply blocks the handle from turning to full hot.)

Also, gently caress this style of heating. I had it in my first apartment and it SUCKS rear end! It should be illegal, seriously.

grover fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Dec 11, 2010

# ¿ Dec 11, 2010 18:11

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Rd Rash 1000cc posted:

If don't correctly , radiant heating can be very efficient. But most of the time its the cheapest bidder who doesn't know what he's doing.

Radiant heating? You misunderstand; I'm raging about using the hot water heater to heat the apartment. loving stupid. (Mine routed the hot water through a coil in the air handler it shared with AC system vice just having a heat pump which would have made much more sense.) I quite literally had to turn the heat off every time I took a shower in the winter, or I'd get surprise cold showers that I couldn't adjust for, lest I get a surprise scalding shower.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2010 23:03

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Unparagoned posted:

That's the first thing I did, and I couldn't adjust it more. Also in the summer it can get very hot.

Can you remove the adjustment ring altogether?

# ¿ Dec 12, 2010 18:49

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Kali11324 posted:

I have two showers in my house that need fixing up.
First, how big of a deal is it to go from this:

To this:

It's possible to DIY, but it's not going to be an easy DIY job if you haven't done plumbing before. First, you're going to need full access to the other side of that wall. Is there an access hole? If not, your job will start with knocking a giant hole in it. If you cut it cleanly, you can reinstall a nice looking cover overtop of it.

Raising the head is fortunately much easier. Just buy a hand shower head (the kind with a hose), and mount the holder as high as you'd like. Installation is trivial compared to the other work here.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2010 20:55

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

The water level in the tank is usually pretty high, by design; it should drain out from there into the field. If the water table is high (water puddling on the ground), hydraulic pressure will force the water backwards through the field and prevent your septic system from working. You may need it occassionally cleaned and drained of it's full of solids (they *should* decompose naturally and flow out with the effluent, but poo poo happens - pun intended!) Draining it for being full of water is only a futile and temporary measure and gets expensive rather quickly.

If the tank is full of water, drain lines from the house will flow very slowly, and solids will clog it in a hurry.

If you're in the city, connect to city sewer. IT'S WORTH IT!

grover fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Dec 23, 2010

# ¿ Dec 23, 2010 21:41

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

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.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2011 03:31

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

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 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*)

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.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2011 11:53

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Rd Rash 1000cc posted:

How cold does your area get grover?

I'm in VA, so we get freezing temps every winter; occasionally in the single digits faranheit.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2011 00:44

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Rd Rash 1000cc posted:

I don't even know if I'd want to risk running a pipe in the attic then.

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.

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.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2011 03:48

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

iForge posted:

I have never seen a water meter outside, nor have I seen a water pipe set up like that. Are you sure that isn't the gas meter and a gas line you are looking at? Water meter should be inside where it cannot freeze. Refer to my pic for a general idea.

All the water meters are outside the homes in my neighborhood, in underground boxes with the street key.

Good point about the freeze risk, though. It's not normal for water pipes to enter a home above the frost line.

# ¿ Mar 16, 2011 10:53

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

tadashi posted:

The water in my bath tubs is yellow. I didn't notice this for the first several months I lived in this house because I never tried to take a bath. The water seems to be clear when it comes out of the faucet but, when it collects in the tub, it is definitely a yellow tint. We don't use the tubs a lot and we do leave time for the water to run before putting the stopper in the tub to collect water.

I am pretty sure I have PVC pipes that were put in when this house was renovated in 2003. I live in Atlanta and am using city water. We don't notice it in the tap that comes from other faucets in the house. Is it possible that this is just due to water sitting around in certain pipes and picking up minerals?

Could be, but it should wash out with use. Are you sure it isn't just the color of the tub tinting it?

# ¿ Apr 27, 2011 00:01

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Hillridge posted:

I'm moving into an industrial space whose only plumbing is this:

I'd like to relocate the big shop sink, and add a toilet, bathroom sink, kitchen sink, and possibly a shower stall to the sewage line there. Am I going to need to add in a vent stack along with all that stuff? I've done plumbing before, but always on places that already had complete systems and I was just adding one or two things. I may end up getting a real plumber to do this, but I'd like to know what all will be involved.

Thanks

Yeah, you're going to need a vent. It looks like the pipe in the floor is large enough to support a toilet, which is good news, though. A vent is quite easy to add in an industrial space if you don't care what it looks like. (A bit harder if you feel the need to hide it in a wall, but that's not really related to the plumbing.)

# ¿ Apr 29, 2011 16:07

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Hillridge posted:

Here's the outside, could I bring it out the wood part above the door, then point it straight up?

(Landlord is fixing those death steps before we move in)

That should be fine. I can't recall exactly how far the end of the pipe has to be from openings in a commercial building, but that's just a matter of how far up you go after you penetrate the wall.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2011 18:23

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

pseudonordic posted:

I've got a leaking toilet that I plan to take apart over Christmas break to find the leak. I'm not getting in over my head am I?

People often worry about working on toilets, but they're actually not bad at all. If you take the toilet base off the flange, you'll need a new wax ring; they're really cheap, so picking up one of each size in advance may save you a trip to the big box (you can return the others later) if you needed a thicker or thinner one. Make sure to shim the bowl when you're done, or you risk it rocking and cracking later.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2011 23:15

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 14:49

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

quaint bucket posted:

I never shimmed the bowl when I'm setting it down on the wax and tightening the bolts on the bottom and never had an adverse effect after multiple toilet pulls/replacement.

Am I just lucky or did you mean when I'm sitting on the throne much later?

You don't shim when you're setting it on the wax, you shim it afterwards, to take up for the unevenness of the floor (which is very rarely perfectly even). If it sits perfectly flat, you're fine. But if there is a gap under a portion of the bowl, you need to shim it, lest the bowl rock. If it rocks, one of two things happens: 1) a gap opens in the wax ring and leaks when you flush or 2) the stress on the bolts cracks the porcelain.

# ¿ Nov 30, 2011 03:03

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Plumbing: i will hide my sins with silicone sealant

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