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Take a hammer in each hand and cymbal the damned thing. No need to pay a plumber.
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May 24, 2018 02:47
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Frohike999 posted:A couple years ago I needed to replace mine and I'm glad someone recommended a simple Fleck at the time. There were options out there going closer to $2k installed that had computers that would measure water usage and adjust how often it ran to save salt, and that all sounded good, but I had a new Fleck installed for $550 and it just works. There was a $20 upgrade option for an electronic display but I decided to keep it simple. The basic operations of a water softener haven't changed and you don't necessarily have to have a bunch of tech stuff thrown on top of it. This guy gets it. If only they could remember how to design & build cars this way.
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Jun 19, 2018 02:33
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DrBouvenstein posted:Yesterday, I noticed some corrosion on my water heater's mixing valve. Looks like somebod had flux on their hands when they assembled that pipe. I've seen it before, when they actually leak...plumbers are grabbing & installing copper sections, get acid on them, and 25-years later, it eats through the copper. Or guys who forget to shine their joints. Sand it off with emery paper. It'll be fine, then
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Aug 1, 2018 00:14
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It is highly unlikely that any vehicle damaged a water line buried below the frost line (>3-feet). A full cement mixer or tank may be able to compress soil sufficiently to crack clay or orangeburg (or really rotted cast-iron) waste line if it’s closer to the surface than it should be. The last water line I dealt with that was damaged by a vehicle resulted from it running over the jacket (a vertical section of 4” PVC that was sticking a little too far above grade) for the shutoff valve - which shoved the entire jacket & valve down far enough to crack the line. A properly-equipped plumber can locate a break using sound-sensing equipment. Some plumbers want the job of replacing the line for more  . Sometimes it’s cheaper since the whole dog & pony show has to be dragged out for excavation. See if there is an American Leak Detection franchise in your area; they, or companies like them do a good job of pinpointing leaks.
PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 13:53 on Aug 24, 2018 |
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Aug 24, 2018 13:46
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Yeah, that's a soil/drain line.
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Oct 12, 2018 00:27
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Yeah, if it's a high-speed hammering, almost a loud, punctuated groaning, I'd look at the valving in the tub. It sounds like you also have an unsecured/unstrapped supply line to the tub on a fairly long run. Tying it down will quiet it some, and confine it to a single *bang* when the tub is shut off, but it won't solve the problem
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Oct 19, 2018 08:01
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You'll need to drain the system down to floor level...which drainns down every radiator on that level (and evey floor above you). Once you replace the valve, then you have to recharge each radiator on that level (and above) by opening the feed valve on the boiler, then burping (bleeding air out of) each radiator in turn. Don't forget to shut off the feed valve when you're done. VVV so they don't rust? VVV PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 02:26 on Oct 29, 2018 |
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Oct 27, 2018 15:37
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You might want to mix up some 10:1 bleach solution in a spray bottle and hit the back of your drywall to arrest that mold (or give it a good load of Lysol spray).
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Nov 8, 2018 05:17
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effika posted:Are there non-bendy plastic toilet seats? We need a new toilet seat and need to sit on the lid (the cat has a ritual in the bathroom and for this we must be sitting). I was going to get a wooden one but all the ones I found on Amazon say either the hinges broke or the seat itself cracked. I've had a plastic slow-close seat for years; I'm a huge fat-body, and have had no problems, Doesn't flex at all. Got it at Home Depot.
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Dec 12, 2018 05:01
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Americans or is it really hard to find non-bendy seats that won't break somehow?
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Slugworth posted:Yeah, any of the cheaper ones with "chrome" hinges fall apart instantly. Stick with the white plastic hinges and you're good. This. I bought a BEMIS easy-clean slow-close with the lockable nylon hinges (1/4-twist on each hinge removes the entire unit for cleaning) and have had no problems in five years.
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Dec 13, 2018 14:23
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True, you can get about six inches, but I'm guessing that the tailpiece centerline is a good 4"-6" off the wall, so now in addition to that, there's the lateral distance to cover. I also dislike using an elbow on a lateral that way, but under the circumstances and lacking an alternative, use one with the widest arc (a long-sweep 90, or as noted by BubbaGrace, a 45) to get you close. If possible, try to cheat in a little bit of drop between the trap and the wall. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Dec 22, 2018 |
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Dec 22, 2018 16:49
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angryrobots posted:That's all a lot of people have, and use. They do make a tool so you don't have to reach down in there. I would find where it enters the building, and add a shut off at a more convenient location. My neighbor & his buddy welded one up out of rebar & some bracketing they had lying around. I've used it, and it's awesome. The only shutoff I own is just inside the basement foundation wall. I changed it from a (leaking) gate to a ball valve. The curb shutoff was the township's responsibility, all right. I called them out, claiming I had a leak at the main (or under the front yard); they were able to free up the valve, but it took them over an hour of effort. I waited about a week to change out my shutoff. Street valve was sooth as silk.
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Jan 23, 2019 03:16
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mcgreenvegtables posted:I have a weird frozen pipe mystery in my newly purchased 1864 house in New England. Was away this weekend and turned the thermostat down and it ended up getting into the single digits. When I got home I noticed both the sink (hot and cold) and the toilet in a second floor bathroom didn't work... You should have a soil vent stack that runs from the roof down to the basement. Soil stack runs are notoriously breezy & cold as hell especially in older structures. I imagine you have risers (supply lines) sharing this chase with your soil pipe.
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Jan 23, 2019 04:17
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BubbaGrace posted:Someone didn't properly wipe down the joints after soldering. Lazy bastards. Yup. Shine your pipework, dammit. I see this in claims. Pipe up in a ceiling or deep in a wall is leaking, and it's a complete mystery since it's not in a stress or other leak area, and the leak itself isn't on the joint, proper. I'm not sure if the plumbers who troubleshoot such jobs before I get there claim puzzlement out of genuine ignorance, or professional embarrassment (hint: unless they're over 55, it's usually the former). The crazy ones are when it's in the middle of a run, nowhere near a joint. Lost count of the number of times I've explained that flux just gets on hands and then is transferred to the pipe as it's handled, then spends the next 30-years eating away. On the other hand, sometimes it's defective copper pipe, or some weird groundwater chemistry that just eats the pipes; those are fun, because the house will spring leaks everywhere. Levitt homes, which were built with radiant heat in the slab, used an incredibly thick-walled copper pipe for the heating circuit. That meant that it took fifty years for the lime in the concrete to eat through it, though, rather than thirty. Those were messy.
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Jan 26, 2019 01:43
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That second link triggered a virus alert. Can you post a photo?
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Jan 29, 2019 03:25
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I'm sticking with my Wet-Vac.
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Feb 25, 2019 06:08
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That floor drain, most likely, is not connected to anything either - probably terminates out in the yard somewhere, in a buried French drain.
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Mar 15, 2019 16:56
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SpartanIvy posted:Yeah I'm split over whether it's a coincidence or not. It seems too perfectly timed to not be related somehow though. While the sediment trap looks like poo poo it is actually slightly above code. Not only is there the required 3" leg below the tee, there's a 7" rise before it, which I would think would stop any sediment from even getting to the trap, but who knows. It looks lovely because they used the original 70 year old pipe to put it together. Everything else is new and shiny except for these old rear end pieces of pipe with huge claw marks in them because of sloppy work. Aha! I have one of these Rheem fuckers! I installed it four years ago. My only beef was the incredibly loud flue blower. Then, about a year ago, it would just up & quit. I cleaned the ignitor - worked about 4-months & quit. Replaced the ignitor: about 5-months & quit. Then I started paying attention to the ignition sequence; I found there wasn't a damned thing wrong with the ignitor; the gas ring wouldn't light. Eventually, traced it to the flammable vapor sensor (that little white thing under the burner opening). The contact faces were covered in some kind of black crap (I have a damp basement - probably corrosion). I bodged it for awhile until I got a new sensor - there's a fix on YT...you clean all of the crud off, then rub graphite (a pencil will do) over the contact faces. That'll buy you a couple weeks. It quit once, subsequently...not sure if the one neighborhood-wide power failure did it (it shouldn't have) or if I had the water temp set too high (the settings are weird on it - it was scalding hot on "medium"); if the tank water temp is too high, the thing shuts itself down. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 10:59 on Apr 14, 2019 |
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Apr 14, 2019 10:53
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SpartanIvy posted:What flashing code was yours returning? Mine returns 6-3, which is "System in Lockout/Flame Lost" or some variant of that based on which code guide you look at. It's supposed to indicate a combustion air supply restriction (not the case), a pilot tube restriction, a carbon build-up on the pilots electrode, a pilot igniter being damaged (not the case), or a gas supply problem. I got a four-flash, which translates to a "TCO system lockout," whatever the hell that is. Got a 6-3 once. It went away. I have to hand it to you, you laid there staring in that window far longer than I did. After the vent fan lit up, and watching the ignitor brrrp brrp brrp for a solid minute, then nada, I did a lot of online search-praying, because it was looking like I'd be replacing the gas control valve, which is pushing $400. What's weird is, there's actually a code for a flammable sensor lockout (7-blinks); never saw it, but I've had only one fail-start since replacing the sensor, and that was cured by a sequential restart (and maybe turning the thermostat down a bit). PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 01:27 on Apr 15, 2019 |
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Apr 15, 2019 01:23
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actionjackson posted:Will do. What's wrong with undermounts? That's why god created plumber's putty and clear silicone caulk.
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Apr 18, 2019 12:38
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The underside of the toilet will be fun. Especially scraping off all of the old wax. The floor will look lovely, but it all cleans up nice. My trick for removing wax is to put my hand in a plastic grocery bag and use a disposable paint scraper to remove as much as possible. When you've got everything you can, just strip the bag off of your lower arm & everything will be contained inside the bag. If the closet flange is in good condition, use an oversized wax seal. Make all of the mating surfaces are as clean as you can get them.
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Jul 17, 2019 03:52
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Spring Heeled Jack posted:Piggybacking off of this, aside from trawling through online reviews, does anyone here have an opinion on the best brands/models of toilet out there currently? The last one I bought was some American Standard that could chug a bucket of golfballs and never clogged, so I'm leaning towards that but just wanted to cover my bases. Seconding; I have a Kohler Cimarron that can barely flush piss. Have to hold the handle all the way, and even then it's horrible. Have to clean it constantly. e: spent two hours: - cleaning each individual bowl drain hole & the main siphon (hole that faces the drain); - dumped about five gallons of scalding-hot water down the bowl; - replaced the fill tube (small tube that's supposed to add water to the bowl whilst the tank is filling); - checked the tank level and made sure the wacky pipe/valve is lifting as high as possible when the handle is pushed. Still barely flushes. It's got one week to prove itself, them it's gone. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Jul 18, 2019 |
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Jul 17, 2019 15:31
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Motronic posted:Also: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-Gel-Toilet-Water-Solidifier-For/3695260  I keep forgetting about this stuff. I use a 1-gal wet-vac to clear it out, then stuff paper towels in it. Granted, this is after a thorough cleaning & at least five flushes. BubbaGrace posted:I'm partial to the Gerber Avalanche. That toilet looks awesome. Too bad I have to get a round bowl. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Jul 18, 2019 |
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Jul 18, 2019 02:10
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SpartanIvy posted:Why do you have to get a round bowl? Tiny-rear end bathroom BubbaGrace posted:The Avalanche comes in both round and elongated Good goddamn, so they do! It's either going to be one of these, or a Toto Drake II. Probably the Gerber; it lists at least $100 less - but we'll see what the local distributor says tomorrow. I am so done with the current throne. Thank you! PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Jul 19, 2019 |
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Jul 19, 2019 05:15
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Jaded Burnout posted:Oh thanks for the reminder, I need to buy more. Then one day you find 70-rolls in the bottom of your tool bag.
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Sep 4, 2019 03:08
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Jaded Burnout posted:This is me with masking tape for sure. Me, going through cabinet while working on car, looking for a 10mm socket: "Where'd all this loving electrical tape come from?" Me: wiring poo poo in the dark in my sister's house, getting ready to up-end the electrics bag: "now, I loving know I saw ten rolls of tape somewhere..."
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Sep 5, 2019 02:56
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Motronic posted:Sunday at 7 PM is the only truly correct time to ensure you need parts and need them badly enough that you can't even turn the water to your house back on. Stop doxxing me SHOW YOURSELF. I WILL NOT LOG OFF
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Sep 13, 2019 02:10
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They're professionals (I hope). If so, this kind of thing happens. Call them and tell them that it's stilll leaking, and to please come out & fix it, pronto.
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Oct 7, 2019 02:48
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SurgicalOntologist posted:Last night water exploded out of our toilet. I didn't see it but it had enough force to get halfway up the nearby walls. What the hell is going on? That sounds like a backup of the municipal sewer line. It's about the only way you'd get a violent discharge like that from your toilet, and, in buildings susceptible to them, does happen during a heavy rain which overwhelms the municipal sewer system (many have their storm runoff systems tied in). If it hit you, chances are it hit your neighbors as well. The lower in your house you go, the more violent the discharge. Any opening in your sewer circuit can see one - usually it starts at the lowest-level toilet (largest aperature) and works its way back up your soil line to hit the lowest sinks, the washing-machine drain standpipe, etc. It reeks, too, because it's everyone's commingled raw sewage. If you own the home - see if you have a water backup endorsement attached to your homeowner's insurance . If you have one, clean--up should be covered up to a limit (usually $5000 to $10,000) Whether you own or rent, a backflow preventer should be installed as far down the line (ahead of and fixtures) as possible. This is a large check valve. This house needs one. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 13:13 on Oct 23, 2019 |
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Oct 23, 2019 13:08
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Jaded Burnout posted:All my rainwater drainage for my house shares a sewer with the house's blackwater drainage. This is normal in my locale and is how the house was built. They do this in the city of Philadelphia as well. They deal with it by installing a combined-system rain leader - it's a combination outside drain & buried soil line - which goes from outside the house at grade, through the foundation wall, and ties in tight with the soil line inside the house. In most cases. there is a trap in the middle. Since this entire concern is 4" pipe, it's a rather large trap. Evaporation is not an issue unless there's a severe drought.
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Oct 25, 2019 13:42
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SurgicalOntologist posted:I never answered, but thanks. That was my thought although it didn't reek - I think it was clean water. I've been meaning to ask about it but our doorman is on vacation at the moment. We live in a foreign country (Spain) with somewhat of a language barrier so these things are difficult, or at least slow. We rent, on the 4th floor of a 10-story building. Is it possible that it backflowed enough to reach one toilet on the 4th floor but not enough to reach any of our other fixtures? Maybe all the other lines already have a backflow preventer. Probably there's not much more that can be said until we ask around, but I at least wanted to provide that context. There had to be a major clog on your floor (the 4th) for that violent a backup to occur. If it happened at street level, the consequences would be increasingly dire, from “Ghostbusters” on the third floor, to “Biblical” at the street.
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Oct 28, 2019 19:29
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Faustian Bargain posted:Well this sucks. Just test fit my garbage disposal under a new deeper sink and I hadn’t realized it would make the disposal output lower than the drain in the wall. I’m too far along to move the drain, so is my only option getting rid of the disposal? What's that lower (plugged) hole in the wall for?
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Oct 31, 2019 14:35
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Faustian Bargain posted:It’s just access to the same drain line, but I don’t want to rip up the wall to bring the drain down. Is there any reason you can't tie the trap into that lower one, and bung the upper one?
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Oct 31, 2019 15:37
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Faustian Bargain posted:I don't know. I'm going to talk to my wife and see if she wants to have no disposal or call in the pros. I don't want to tear up the wall for this. Maybe I'm missing something...but if the lower pipe will work - then you don't have to tear up anything. You can remove the bung/cap, thread in a piece of PVC & tie the trap to it. It should lower the trap enough to use the disposal unit you have there. Then, cap off the upper one.
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Oct 31, 2019 22:42
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Tim Raines IRL posted:If I ever decide to get out of my career I am loving going to tradeschool for plumbing, because it's just insanity around here: I have a few basic things I need done, and the time estimates I've gotten so far (from people who even return calls) range from "4 weeks" to "next march". If you own you own home: Go ahead and try fixing it yourself. Trade school (can be fabulous, and fabulously expensive in the US) formalizes the process and teaches you how to do everytrhing right in an orderly process. 1) leave yourself plenty of time 2) Shut off the water supply first 3) have buckets/trays/bath towels on hand 4) Talk to people you know/the forums/Use YouTube. Don't be afraid to make mistakes or screw things up. Everything is repairable. When we bought our house in 1992, I knew very little about plumbing, electric, etc. However, we sunk every dime we had into getting the place, so I was poor, desperate & willing. I have never hired a plumber or electrician. I have made tons of mistakes - I've had to go back & re-do some really cringe-y poo poo. BUT I was willing (read: desperate), had friends (some with actual useful knowledge) and, above all was not afraid (though it took my wife a few years to get on board, especially with electrical work).
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Nov 4, 2019 15:28
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Based on the limited information provided: Look for a water shutoff somewhere that's off
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Nov 10, 2019 02:53
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It's a bit hard for me to tell from that photo (the photo is fine, just bad luck) but it looks like the brass tailpiece going in to the trap is of a somewhat smaller diameter than the trap. Typically, PVC traps come with more than one wedge spacer - the hard(er), bevelled ring that slips over the tailpiece - and it looks like the wrong (i.e. larger inside diameter) one was used there, leaving a gap that'll leak. The proper spacer should be a snug fit on the tailpiece; then, there is a rubber ring that goes on after it, then the trap is slid on & the threaded ring (which was slid on first) is screwed down hand-tight. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Nov 14, 2019 |
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Nov 14, 2019 22:30
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Bird in a Blender posted:Question for anyone that has experience servicing water heaters. Without knowing more detail about make, model, age, etc. my last experience with a pilot-lit water heater was that the temp control valve had to be rotated to the "light" or "pilot" position, which aligns a small cutout in the knob with a detent on the valve box; then, push the knob in & hold it, count to three, then start hitting the ignitor until the pilot lights; hold the knob in for an additional ten-count to be sure the thermocouple is thoroughly heated, then you can let the knob out & set it to the desired water temperature. If you let the knob go too early, the pilot will go out. In such case, repeat & hold it a bit longer.
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Nov 15, 2019 15:12
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Bird in a Blender posted:I did that, hold the pilot button down, hit the lighter, I just never get any flame ever. I can smell a little bit of gas after I do it, so I'm pretty sure I'm getting gas into the water heater, I'm just not getting a spark to light it. Sounds like your ignition piezo has left the building. It’s a cheap repair - are you willing/able?
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Nov 15, 2019 16:25
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Drain it down a bit & replace it. Ain't worth the flood risk.
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Nov 16, 2019 02:22
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