Plumbing: i will hide my sins with silicone sealant

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PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Jork Juggler posted:

I am having difficulty installing a dishwasher in this interesting little kitchen from 1926. I already changed the 5'x3' dining nook into more cabinet space and left a spot for a dishwasher, as shown...

The tricky part, though, is the plumbing under the sink. I cannot find a tailpiece with dishwasher hookup in any store or online that can fit in the space I have available. Below is the under-sink arrangement, which is a bit crowded for vertical space to say the least. The distance from the top end of the tailpiece to the bottom end of the dishwasher hookup must be less than 1.75" to clear the trap. Is it possible to put in a deeper trap, or would I be asking for a dishwasher full of nasty trap water? I am going to loop the drain hose up under the counter, of course.

I would consider straightening this run out,

and installing a 1.5/1.5/1.5 wye or "T" in it with the wye angled slightly upwards. Put a female threaded reducer in it, 3/4" FIP to barb (it's a brass fitting) and run rubber hose instead of the plastic one the dishwasher manufacturer supplies you with.

This is how I did mine...I had it hooked into the garbage disposal, but the hose took up a lot of space, so I ran it through the floor & into the basement:

# ¿ Aug 17, 2011 00:59

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 14:56

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Nah; there's enough of a loop there to act as a water trap. Looks flatter than it actually is in the photos. I was going to put a standard trap unit at the T if it ever developed issues. It's been four years without a problem.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2011 01:08

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Rd Rash 1000cc posted:

Maybe its how the picture is but I just see it running through the floor and no attempt at a trap. Also if you hook it up with out an air gap and that sewer backs up. It will go right into your dish washer.

If the sewer backs up, it's be blasting out of my basement toilet first. It's teed into a 2" line that drops into a 2.5" line. Yes, it's not code. The line (prior to the tee installation) has been like that since 1992 without a problem. If and when it becomes one, I'll trap it.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Aug 18, 2011

# ¿ Aug 18, 2011 15:18

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

You are correct, it's unconventional, and easily correctable should a problem develop. As noted though, the sink drain run there is intentionally oversized, since I run a garbage disposal. the only choke point is the trap off of the garbage disposal at 1.5". Beyond that, it's 2" and on up.

If I ever sell the house, I'll re-do it do the next guy doesn't have to deal with it. For now, however, it serves my purposes. I had clogs before, when it teed into the garbage disposal. Now that it's past the trap and dumping into a larger line - none.

(edit) also I did not make clear - that dishwasher drain hose is looped up next to the machine, topping off above the plane of the bottom of the sink.

Which brings up a question to ask a pro - why are (clothes) washing machine drain standpipes required by code to sit so high? I get at least a half-dozen losses a year for flooding, associated with timer failures that leave the water running into the machine. Since the top of the standpipe is higher than the lip of the washing machine bucket, the buckets overflow. Why wouldn't the pipe top sit at least an inch or so below thw bucket lip? That way, when this happens, the water will dump down the standpipe drain.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 15:37 on Aug 18, 2011

# ¿ Aug 18, 2011 15:28

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

dwoloz posted:

Hi folks
Hopefully someone has an idea of what to do in this situation

This is a bathroom I'm remodeling. The previous owners were clowns who must have hacked apart the cast iron toilet flange and then stuck a piece of 3" plastic dangling down 4" cast iron :no:

So, what's my best option here to make this right? Is it feasible to cut off the cast iron pipe before the hub then use a coupler and continue with ABS? Not much room in there (in between the butchered joist)

They do make a rubber transition that would permit installing 4" PVC into that bell. I've had one installed in my house since 1998. Big box hardware sells them, as well as plumbing supply shops.

You would have to clean out the inside of the bell first. If you can't, then using a cast cutter & snapping off the bell would be your best option.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 16:59 on May 1, 2012

# ¿ May 1, 2012 16:56

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

that rubber collar does not look good.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2015 05:52

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

1) No.

2) Yes.

2a) Replace the flange bolts as well.

2b) If you're having the shittiest of luck, and the floor flange is cracked, you should be able to purchase a new, bolt-on flange repair kit from the same place as the new flange bolts + wax ring.

Clean the hell out of the mating faces: the flange, and particularly, the underside of the toilet. Until it squeaks.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Mar 10, 2015

# ¿ Mar 10, 2015 01:51

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

hooah posted:

Sorry, no I mean the thing on the... nipple? I'm not sure if the right term, but the part that's supposed to grab the part of the faucet that turns, and is itself locked onto by the handle.

Dip the hex screw in threadlocker?

http://www.all-spec.com/products/24225.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwgeuuBRCiwpD0hP3Cg4kBEiQAHflm1l_KhZG8JX7oC5StS-4H3tMLWxpz1l0MGVtuS3AKGlkaAnyd8P8HAQ

# ¿ Aug 25, 2015 02:23

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Motronic posted:

I've had it with my double sink drain piping in the kitchen. It just started leaking again, after I had "fixed" it for all of 18 months with the regular suspect lovely plastic kit from the hardware store. Seemed good enough so I left it.

I need real parts, not "schedule lol" pvc.

Can one of the plumbers suggest what I should be ordering or if Home Depot/Lowes has something worth a poo poo. I'm looking for a quality new "everything" from the tail pieces down and I'm not afraid to spend money on something that will last, but don't know what that might be at this point unless I use one of my contractor friends names to get into a proper plumbing supply place. And even then I don't know what to ask for. Should I be going with metal or are there PVC alternatives that aren't a mess of lovely screw on slip joints with lovely seals made for Joe Homeowner who doesn't know how to glue pvc?

Edit: sorry, 1 1/2" "end outlet" style (I think that's what it's called ..... waste pipe under the right side sink). No disposal. No dishwasher hookup required.

My experience with big box is that their metal drain plumbing is, in fact, paper-thin crap. You should be able to walk into any plumbing supply house and get heavier-gauge copper or brass / cast bronze fittings in any size...at least, that has been my experience in PA and NJ.

Hell, in NJ, they sold me an entire HVAC system. I did have to ask around. But for plumbing? Or electrical? I've never been refused service or a sale because I wasn't licensed.

kid sinister posted:

Yikes, an S trap.

Well, I can tell you that the reason your parts are leaking is because that end outlet tee is installed upside down. With it flipped like that, it will act as a second trap for the sink on the left. Flip that tee, get yourself a new sink tailpiece, a 6 inch one looks like it would work, cut it to fit and replace that top drain on the right side.

Also, check all the nuts and slip washers to see if any are cracked from overtightening.

Isn't the slip joint over the tailpiece going through the floor on upside-down? Shouldn't that run coming up through the floor have a 180 bend in it & be male-threaded on the end?

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 06:08 on Dec 8, 2015

# ¿ Dec 8, 2015 06:01

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Motronic posted:

Also, I bet you were sold a Goodman. Amirite? Amirite?

Yes, the handyman's friend. Has run flawlessly for six years, even though I installed it myself*.

...so it'll die soon, and I'll have Y O U to blame!

_{*except the AC charging part, which cost twelve cases of Bud + materials for my (licensed) neighbor to do}

# ¿ Dec 9, 2015 07:48

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Motronic posted:

They have a bad rep because they are often installed by plumbers. I've had one in my barn for 6 years now. It's improperly installed in an unconditioned space. When it's under 15 I have to jam a lightbulb in it for 10 minutes each morning to get it thawed enough for the draft detection to work. And it's still trucking for both heat and AC.

It's middle of the road quality with good parts availability from basically the only company who will sell something outside of their cartel (dealer network) which is probably why the pro houses hate them so much. I'd buy one again.

Hmmm. Enjoyed the house one so much I bought the smallest high-efficiency downdraft unit they make to heat my garage...installed it in the walk-up loft (an unconditioned space) and it has not failed to work through five somewhat brutal winters...that I am aware of. Yet.

Then again, I cut a hole in the loft floor & just dropped it on there, with no ducting or nothin' so maybe it's getting enough ambient heat from below to keep it happy. Stay tuned.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2015 04:48

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Motronic posted:

Correct. Max exposure is 1/3, minimum 1/4 as measured from the taint.

You need an overall measurement first.

Talk about 'starting at the bottom'

# ¿ Dec 26, 2015 23:03

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

OSU_Matthew posted:

I'm planning on replacing the terribly inefficient electric water heater in my house with a natural gas model, and was wondering if anyone has any general brand recommendations for water heaters, or experience they'd be willing to share.

I was looking at a 38 gallon/12 year Rheem unit if anyone has any advice before I dive into this. There used to be a gas water heater before the previous owners replaced it with the current electric one, so it should be a pretty straightforward swap. There's plenty of draft in the basement (120 year old house) and the existing exhaust vent looks to be adequate for a natural draft heater. There's only two of us here, so 40 gallons ought to be plenty sufficient for us.
Thanks in advance!

I did the same last March. My electric bill was topping $300/month (part of that was having a 21-YO living at home, but the electric rate here in south Jersey is horrendous).

Replaced it with a high-efficiency 40-gal natural gas Rheem, slightly different model... XG40T06PV40U0. It was $980 less the $500 rebate (which you only get for high-efficiency power vents, at least in NJ) put it roughly $100 more than the cheapest gas unit. I could not use a regular vented since I removed my chimney years ago. Saw an immediate $130/month drop in my power bill. Not including the rebate, the unit paid for itself by the end of August.

It was a tight fit under my stairs; I should have selected the short unit.
The vent fan is pretty loud. Which isn't saying much, since I was used to dead silence.

Other than that, it 's been flawless.

I'm not sure where in Ohio you are, but Vectren is offering a $300 rebate on high-efficiency water heaters: https://www.vectren.com/Save_Energy/Residential_Rebates_&_Incentives/Residential_Rebates.jsp

VV I scored this one at Home Depot. So far, so good. VV

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 06:05 on Jan 5, 2016

# ¿ Jan 4, 2016 17:21

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Start by posting a picture.

If you are able to remove one of the valves, do so and take it to a hardware store. Most hardware stores can identify the make from the setup/design of the valve assembly.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2016 03:28

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Totally TWISTED posted:

tl;dr how do I insulate this pipe, preferably with a year round material so I don't have to re-do this every winter, and related to that, should I be able to pour boiling water down the pipe to try and un-clog it or should I take a different approach?

Boiling water for the moment.

Run heat tape down the inside of the pipe.

Next year, have fun moving the run inside, or install like 8" PVC with nothing but 45s and straights so it increases your odds.

Comedy option: install a small computer fan in your laundry room that blows (hopefully heated) room air down the pipe run 24/7 & hope it defeates Mother Nature.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2016 04:32

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Nitrox posted:

I for annoyed with a pop up drain accumulating hair and gunk and replaced it with a strainer-type. See picture.

With the pop up drain, water drained effortlessly. The new setup is giving me some weird bullshit. For the first 15 seconds, the water drains like it supposed to. Then it starts to back up. If I turn the water off, it'll drain a but, then stop. The water will stay in the sink until I force it to move, which can be accomplished just by stirring it. Then it drains out quickly. Note, that if I flick the faucet back on, the rush of water will stir the puddle and it will also drain at a normal pace. My morning routine is pretty much "water on, water off, water on, water off, done". It's ridiculously annoying.

Does anyone know why? All plumbing in the cabinet has been disassembled and cleaned out.

Yes.

I have exactly the same drain that I installed in an IKEA sink for exactly the same reason.

The problem is that these don't have any vent holes to break vacuum. You probably noticed when you took the old drain/tailpiece out that the waste/overflow drains into the area between the sink basin and the underside of the spud (the bulge under the sink basin) where you spin on the rubbber bushing & nut to tighten down the tee, and that your original pop-up tailpiece had holes in it to permit overflow water to drain into the tailpiece.

You will further notice that these strainer tees do not have these holes.

I mitigated this problem by taking a 1/2" drill bit & drilling a hole in the side of the tee about 1/4" below the drain.

If you can make it bigger, do so. Just make sure the hole is within the confines of the spud. Mine still occassionally backs up at first, but then realizes the error of its ways and drains itself out. Were I less lazy I'd pull the thing out & drill another hole in it.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 14:10 on Feb 13, 2016

# ¿ Feb 13, 2016 14:02

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

XmasGiftFromWife posted:

But then what would I buy on the other six trips to the hardware store?

Caulk.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2016 05:23

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Zhentar posted:

That's a must, not a can.

Not in my neighborhood (Gloucester County, NJ)...when I replaced my breaker panel, which was grounded to my 3/4" copper water main, code inspector said I had to have two grounding rods, 8'-long, buried at least 6'-apart, and with lines run to the panel in parallel, not series.

I told him I thought that this was major overkill, since the soil is sandy & damp. Not to mention, the existing ground.

Wouldn't sign me off until I did it.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2016 04:07

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

I argued until I was blue in the face.

House was built in 1930.

I was well-motivated to pound those loving rods in.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2016 04:14

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Yeah, you may have to just cringe & get your hand in there & yank whatever loose from the threshers.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2016 14:51

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

there wolf posted:

Exclusive photo of kid sinister's spouse.

It's a hole in my sink full of spinning knives. There is nothing that will ever convince me that the moment my hand goes down Maxim Overdrive won't kick in and reduce my digits to a fine slurry.

drat, the Shrike.
Now I have to dig those out & re-read them.

# ¿ Sep 10, 2016 01:51

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

BeastOfExmoor posted:

Ok plumbing thread, I've got myself an issue and I'm trying to figure out if I can resolve it myself with help from someone more experienced.
...

Is this kind of leak something that could be the result of a bad toilet gasket or likely something worse? The toilet above has always looked a bit off level since we moved in 6m ago, but I've never seen even a drop of water leak from around that area so I didn't think much of it until this issue came to my attention.

Tolet seal leaks (technically "closet flange leaks") rarely show on the floor/at the toilet. They run down & drip below. Sounds like you need a new wax seal...and be prepared for a possible surprise with your floor flange or subfloor around & under the flange, if the toilet's not sitting level.

Protip for removing wax seal: Use a disposable paint scraper & put your hand in a plastic grocery bag, pull off what you can, scrape off the rest, and, when done, pull the bag off inside-out to catch it all.

VVV I have trouble with the nitrile gloves ripping. Hard to get them in a size large enough. VV

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Mar 11, 2017

# ¿ Mar 11, 2017 05:35

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

BeastOfExmoor posted:

Ding ding ding. Pulled the toilet out and things look bit wonky. I've never installed a wax seal, but..this didn't look right. I didn't even notice the there was a thin part with a hole in it until I pulled it out of the garbage to take this photo.

The floor underneath the toilet at least felt pretty solid, which was definitely a concern. The flange, however, is indeed damaged. Rusted out for sure on one side and not looking too hot on the other side. Looking at the first youtube video on replacing flanges makes me think this above my comfort level. I see several products carried by my local Home Depot that have good ratings and preport to be flange repair products.
...

The flange repair products are supposed to work well if you have enough original flange to make a good connection.

Looking at that seal, I warrant that it came cleanly off the floor, and possibly cleanly off of the underside of the toilet as well. This indicates that it was not making a good seal at either the top or the bottom.

It may be worth your while to put a flange repair unit on and a new wax seal (and new bolts) & button it up, especially if the subfloor's still tight (a new toilet would be fine if the old one's giving you fits).

However, to avoid your predecessor's error, clean the hell out of the mating surfaces & wipe them down with alcohol, especially the underside of the toilet. You want them pristine and free of grease or dust (dust being the primary culprit on a new toilet)

edit:

That is a piece of the original protective plastic cover over the wax that is supposed to be peeled completely off before installing the ring. Right there is a leak source.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Mar 12, 2017

# ¿ Mar 12, 2017 18:16

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Gothmog1065 posted:

It is outside, in a room with a 1.5" gap a the bottom of the sliding door that rarely closes all the way and a window that doesn't close right. Enough air or should I install an exhaust vent. Nobody is ever in this room with the door closed. Normally I'm in there long enough to swap the clothes and the door stays open. Am I still going to die a horrible death? Because it's happening either way until I can get another unit.

You're going to die a sweet and dreamless death, along with everyone else in your house. Don't gently caress around with CO.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 01:56 on Mar 17, 2017

# ¿ Mar 17, 2017 01:41

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Tyson Tomko posted:

Thanks for the super quick reply and please forgive my ignorance lol. I've done a lot of random plumbing stuff but this stuff in particular is all new to me but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. Here are some pics to show what I'm talking about.

The "manhole" thing and what I assume is the drain have sat under a desk in my garage since I've owned the place and I've never touched them. Please forgive the nastiness of it all, there's poo poo and dust everywhere that the flash only makes look worse.

Manhole/clean out:

Cover removed showing standing water:

Is this the drain I'd need to work on?

Like I said I'm willing to do anything and get my hands dirty but if I'm in over my head I'm not afraid to call in the pros.

Uh, no, that's a french drain crock, designed to catch groundwater in your basement. If that starts filling up (which it may do after a lot of precipitation events) you should have a sump pump installed to carry that water away from your house or, if code permits it, into your sewer circuit.

Speaking of which, that is not the sewer circuit. Your problem has nothing to do with your french drain, which is a completely different, and closed, system.

Your toilet (and, hopefully, all of you other house plumbing) drains into your sewer circuit. What you have is a blockage, full or partial, of the sewer line, past your toilet but before it hits the municipal system out in the street. This line could be:

- blocked by crap, "feminine hygiene products," a Barbie doll, etc;
- a broken, collapsed or dislocated spot/section;
- infested & blocked by tree roots, or
- has settled, swayback-style, so that you have a low spot that inhibits good drainage.

As previously noted, that basement toilet is the lowest spot on your soil circuit, which is why it's the fountain of crap when the washer drains.

Why is it intermittent? You'll know when the line is cleaned out or checked with a sewer camera.

If you have a septic system, then boy howdy I have some bad news for you if your soil line is clear out to the leach field.

You will need to pull the toilet, unless you have an actual cleanout somewhere downstream of it (which is what your second photo appears to be; I am guessing that that cleanout is not near, or at least not in line, with the sump pump crock in the first photo) and either:

a) rent a power auger from somewhere and get cracking; or
b) hire a drain cleaning service who can do a) and then also run a camera if/when they hit something solid downstream and tell you why you have a random poo poo fountain.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 01:25 on Apr 9, 2017

# ¿ Apr 9, 2017 01:14

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Squashy Nipples posted:

I love my brand new Rheem water heater... but now it keeps shutting off.

Seven flashes, three second pause: "System in Lockout/Presence of Flammable Vapors detected"
Unit is in an open, mostly furnished basement with good ventilation, and NO source of fumes.

First time I called the 800 number, I was told the reset: turn unit off and then on, and then turn the temp dial all the off, then all the way on, 7 times.
After a lengthy discussion, the tech tells me that the problem is THE loving CAT BOX, which is kept about 10 feet away. Apparently cat litter dust is a hydrocarbon?

It first happened after about 3-weeks of flawless operation. Then it happened once, and then a week later, twice in one day, and then again last night, so it's getting worse. They told me to move the cat box, but my house is small, and there really isn't any other good place for it.

Options:
1. Maybe I could wrap some cheesecloth or an old sheet over the intake grids at the base of the heater, to keep the dust out?

2. Can I just disable the sensor? There is no source of hydrocarbons nearby, except for the natural gas that feeds the water heater.

I'm going to call in again, but I thought you guys might have an opinion.

I have 6 (yes, six) cat boxes on a platform less than two feet from my Rheem high-efficiency unit, which I installed myself two years ago. Never had a problem, and there's clumping cat litter dust everywhere, including the top of the water heater, which I have to wipe down periodically.

Voting leak or bad sensor. Or change your box more than once a month :v:

I have gone too long between changes & the ammonia smell is almost enough to bring tears to your eyes. Water heater gave no fucks.

# ¿ May 5, 2017 22:11

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Mr. Powers posted:

... I wanted to know if there was anything kind of like a beer tap that I could use for drinking water. There is a small section of counter that I could install the "faucet" on, but it would hopefully just be an on/off with no drain to worry about. If there isn't anything, I'd probably just leave it connected to the fridge for some future where we have an ice/water dispensing fridge.

Try a tap-mounted system: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009CEKY6

# ¿ Jul 21, 2017 04:35

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Motronic posted:

Please tell me about these. My bev line is probably too short, so I get way too much foam to start, then everything is fine (with kegs at storage pressure). I found calculators/charts to add way too many feet of bev line to drop this pressure from the keg to the tap to make it not foam. I'd rather not have a bunch of coiled up bev line or.....as I have now, a pint glass to draw off 1/2 pint of mostly foam and then pour a proper beer.

Are these things my solution? Because for $60 this sounds like a deal.

I am about to buy one of these. My neighbor's kegerator (ours, really) has had this exact same bullshit foaming issue for many & many a year, We've tried everything (except adding miles of line).

If this solves it, we will raise a proper-headed pint to you both.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2017 22:21

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

good jovi posted:

aha. I didn't realize that the frost-proof ones actually had the valve inside the house. Sounds like I should probably just replace the sillcock and deal with having to crouch under the deck to access it.

Well, do that, and then rig a (heavy rubber) hose or PVC line from it out to another sillcock mounted out where you can reach it. Come the cold weather, disconnect the extension & open the remote sillcock to let it air out. Store the connector hose inside for the season. That way, you only have to crawl under there twice a year, and you preserve the frost-free feature.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2017 03:17

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

hey girl you up posted:

Duh.

It hadn't even crossed my mind that it was a trap, because there's nothing to trap in this setup. The drain is nowhere near airtight on the other end; it flows horizontally out of the side of hill like a gutter over the sump (which I've been considering trying to figure out how to turn into a rain garden, but that's not a this year project).

Seems like nothing of value will be lost. I'll drill some perforations into the underside of the lid, and if that's not enough, then I'll grab the cold chisel. I'll keep the center part undrilled for now, the trap will still do an adequate job of catching small bits of debris that way, and that's never been the source of flow problems.

I think the idea is that solid matter will tend to get dropped into the perimeter trough, leaving the liquids to drain over the edge. Sorta like a septic holding tank.

Was there ever a butcher shop at this property?

# ¿ Aug 21, 2017 00:21

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Nifty posted:

I have two washing machines sharing one drain line. I want to install a separate drain, and therefore I believe a second p trap. My initial plan was to cut out some of the existing vertical drain (which connects to a stack), and simply install a second branch drain.

But, is that bad to have two separate tees and p traps on one vertical stack? Air bubbles and stuff? Do I need to remove the existing branch, then install a double sanitary tee?

IMHO that 1.25"-1.5" ID galvanized drain line, even if brand-new & clean as a whistle. is not of sufficient size to handle two machines draining at once. The "simplest" solution is to install another drain standpipe elsewhere on the lateral.

Based on your photo, that would be a real bitch.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2017 18:54

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

kid sinister posted:

Just for the record, what's on the other side of that wall?

One would hope that there's some kind of access...

# ¿ Oct 25, 2017 01:36

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

DustyNuts posted:

...

It looks like my dude didn't bother connecting the vent to the water heater.

I don't know much of anything, but I'm pretty certain that my tank needs atmospheric venting, and that this is an unfinished job? This plumber has 5 stars on Yelp, Angie's List and the BBB... What do you guys think?

Have you, by any chance, noticed a sudden increase in the vermin population in your home?

# ¿ Nov 14, 2017 02:38

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

DustyNuts posted:

I sent those same photos to the plumber, he said that the wind must have blown the vent pipe enough to cause this to happen. He'll be here tomorrow, I guess I'll mention all of that.

Lying sack 'o' poo poo.

He works like a Philadelphia roofer: figures no one will ever go up there to see/check his work. The worst part is that hooking up the vent there is a bit of a tight job, but not difficult. He would have had to go get the proper reducer - it's a bit of an odd duck for a water heater flue . My guess is that he didn't have one on hand, and couldn't be bothered to make the trip.

When he shows up, ask for a copy of the permit.

If he pulls the wind story, ask him to produce the reducer & bits that got 'blown off.'

When they are installed (eventually), he should lock them in with a couple of self-tapping sheetmetal screws anyway.

If he wants to try & charge you for this 'repair," remind him of your photo. It may not budge the needle on Angie's List much, but the township would be thrilled to see that.

(edit)

Looking at your photos again...is that rust on top of the water heater? How long ago was it installed? There shouldn't be rust on it...if it's a brand-new unit.

if it is new, and there was water leaking in from the flue pipe...I'd check your vent from the roof side to be sure it's weather-protected. I see no sign that the pipe jack is leaking where it goes through the roof, or anything...but if rainwater can make its way in, you need to deal with that.

It could also be cumulative moisture from mild humidity from the flue venting.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Nov 14, 2017

# ¿ Nov 14, 2017 15:06

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Seven Round Things posted:

Do the bulbs used in residential UV water purifiers emit visible light when on? Or only invisible UV?

My friend's house had a UV purifier...IIRC it was six 8' flourescent tubes arranged around a glass tube. The apparatus did emit a bluish light.

e: his system was installed around 1991. A brief search shows that UV purification systems are entirely enclosed now.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Dec 2, 2017

# ¿ Dec 2, 2017 03:20

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

BubbaGrace posted:

I have no words. Just lol...

Let's see what's on the truck dot jaypeg.

# ¿ Dec 16, 2017 00:23

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

shovelbum posted:

How do real plumbers deal with an animal in a crawlspace? I had to enter my <18" crawlspace today (wow that sucks) and I saw a cat or a possum running around. Luckily the pipe I was looking for (on the other side of a duct that I probably would've had to dig under to get under, and which had the animal living under it too) thawed without bursting and the issue is academic now, but I am curious. I am an engineer on merchant ships for a living and I am accordingly always in kind of crisis mode when dealing with machinery faults and I have noticed that this is definitely not usually productive and my first impulse was "birdshot" which is obviously the worst answer.

My neighbor dealt with his possum problem by running them through with a spear (which was found at a repossessed home he was rehabbing for his employer. It was probably a ren-faire prop, but he spent a few evenings sharpening it with a stone. He never expected to use it, just wanted to see if the lovely steel blade could hold an edge). He tried everything to get them out: loud noises, lights, poking at them with a telescoping paint pole, even vinegar water in a sprayer - but then they got nasty & started going for him. They were dumber than a bag of hammers; we could not get them to run out of the opening we left for them.

The squirrel in the attic was cornered & bludgeoned with a 2X4.

Obviously, these are extreme cases. Most plumbers would probably tell you to call animal control, then call them back after the dust settles.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2018 04:39

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Let me see if I follow:

You're getting rocks in your (presumably indoor) shower drain line? And you're pulling lithic objects out of the drain? And leaves?

This is inside a house? With a roof & walls & appropriate weather coverings?

# ¿ Feb 13, 2018 04:15

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

metallicaeg posted:

Toilet question:

For a few weeks now it seems I've been needing to flush twice to actually get the bowl to empty. First attempt kinda takes out half the contents but the other half just sits and spins. After the tank fills attempt number 2 fully empties.

It doesn't overflow on the first flush, and the water level in the bowl doesn't even rise noticeably at all.
On the second flush, it's swift and normal, which seems to indicate I don't have a clog.

I don't get what could be making the first flush nearly useless with a second one a minute later acting normal.

I have a Koehler Cimmaron, which was advertised as this awesome water-saver that could flush 24-golf balls or something. It blows goats in the flushing dept. It behaves like a dual flush but actually is not...although the only way to get solids to flush reliably is to hold the handle down.

After four years it got gradually worse until it took several flushes to take everything out & then a full bowl-brush out was required. It was doing the same thing: behaving as though the drain line was clogged, which it wasn�t (I replaced the stack myself with 4� PVC seven years ago)

The last thing I tried in desperation was to shut off the supply and fill the tank with the hottest water (tub �>bucket �> tank) and flush. After doing this 6-8 times in rapid succession, including holding the valve body open (it doesn�t have a flapper) and blasting bucket-fuls straight down the tank opening, a ton of solid crap came blowing out of the under-rim channel. It improved flushing substantially, enough to put off replacing it with a pressure-flush unit for awhile.

PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Mar 17, 2018

# ¿ Mar 17, 2018 14:19

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 14:56

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Motronic posted:

Do you have hard water? Because this sounds like the kind of thing that happened before I got a water softener.

No...actually, soft water, and the crap that came out had the consistency of jell-o...like there were enormous colonies of bacteria festering in the bowl channel.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2018 03:37

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

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