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Plumbing in the Home/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| new well pump, no water | 2/6/2012 | Bob Tabor |
| Q: I just replaced a deep well pump. I primed the pump and the motor shut off at 50 psi. I reattached ... A: Ok, it's an AVC. I would plug the hole in the pump instead of connecting the tubing. If that fixes ... | ||
| new well pump, no water | 2/6/2012 | Bob Tabor |
| Q: I just replaced a deep well pump. I primed the pump and the motor shut off at 50 psi. I reattached ... A: Tell me more about this "air check valve". There really is no such thing, so we have to figure out ... | ||
| Pipe Leakage | 2/5/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: I would like to now ,if it is possible to have a slow leak in a pressurized water pipe ? I know ... A: To answer your first question, Yes, it is possible. It could be a seepage type leak rather than a ... | ||
| gas hot water heater shutting off | 2/4/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: Lately my gas hot water heater has been turning off, I've since found out that this is happening to ... A: Ray., Yes I have. The times I have encountered this it has been due to fluctuations with the ... | ||
| Watts 9D-M3 backflow preventer valve replacement | 2/4/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: I have a watts 9D-M3 backflow preventer valve on the city water supply pipe into my oil burner ... A: David, The water supply to your boiler is for filling and maintaining the system. If you shut it ... | ||
| Repair old steel water pipe 3/4 | 2/3/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: To Jay Nicholas: Our very old steel pipe that comes to our house from a water meter is cracked and ... A: Yes it does come in various dimensions. If you want, you could also use coventional garden hose. ... | ||
| Water well on hillside & use for Koi fish pond | 2/2/2012 | Bob Tabor |
| Q: we live on a hillside,facing north, so it does not get dry even in dry summer in California. q1. Is ... A: A1. Not necessarily, but since I am not from California, I wouldn't be the one to ask, I would ask ... | ||
| Our very old steel water pipe cracked | 2/2/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: Our very old steel water pipe cracked To Dana Bostick: Our very old steel water pipe 3/4" that ... A: Depending on the length of the split, a standard 2-bolt repair clamp might do the job. Try to clean ... | ||
| Repair old steel water pipe 3/4" cracked | 2/2/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: To Jay Nicholas: Our very old steel pipe that comes to our house from a water meter is cracked and ... A: Makoto, The repair clamp you are referring to is made to patch holes not cracks. If you have access ... | ||
| water softner resin | 2/1/2012 | Bob Tabor |
| Q: I am getting resin beads in my kitchen faucet just about everyday. I have to clean my faucet nozzle ... A: How do you know they are softener resin beads? Do you have a carbon filter too? How old are the ... | ||
| Cold water overflow | 1/31/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: I have a water heater tank downstairs on the bottom level of a 3 story townhouse. The tank has a ... A: I can think of no reason for this. There should not be an "overflow" line. The TPRV drain will ... | ||
| Faucet -Variable Water Flow | 1/31/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: I have a Kohler Revival kitchen faucet unit (separate faucets for hot and cold water). Frequently ... A: Bill, The o-rings and seals are swelling up from the temperature change. I see this a lot as faucets ... | ||
| Sewage odour in Kitchen | 1/30/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: hope you are well. I know that you have asked for system info but I'm not sure what info you will ... A: Remodeling can be tricky. When plumbing is originally installed, none of the wall finishes like ... | ||
| Circulator pump | 1/29/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: We have a Grundfos Circulator attached to our hot water heater - we also have a radiant floor ... A: Ray, Wow... I would need a a lot of date to calculate the cost. But to simplify things The cost of ... | ||
| stinky drain | 1/24/2012 | derrick jackson |
| Q: my kitchen drain (both sides) smells real bad. i do not have a garbage dispoal or dishwasher. i need ... A: For the drain to smell, it means rotten food is laying close to your drain openings. Try sanitizind ... | ||
| stinky kitchen | 1/24/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: my kitchen drain (both sides) smells real bad. i do not have a garbage dispoal or dishwasher. i need ... A: There are a couple of things that might cause this problem. 1. A build up of debris lining the ... | ||
| Bathroom sink | 1/23/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: Dana, I have question regarding my sink and vanity that I just replaced this past weekend. It ... A: The piece of piping between the sink drain fitting, called the pop-up assembly, is called a ... | ||
| root killer | 1/23/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: .i was wondering if the root killer i see at the store really works or if its just a money maker. ... A: James, There is a product on the market that I use called "root destroyer" I get it from the ... | ||
| Plumbing Toilet Shut Off Valve | 1/22/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: I have a push button type shut off valve on my toilet water supply (push off-pull on or vice versa). ... A: Okay, I see the issue now. These are push on style fittings similar to "shark-bite" fittings used on ... | ||
| Pressure Tank | 1/21/2012 | Bob Tabor |
| Q: I have a problem with cut off in my system. When the system is fully charged I have good even ... A: You should get a new gauge to be sure your seeing the correct pressure. Gauges don't last very ... | ||
| Banging pipes | 1/21/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: Before I moved into my home I had a new furnace installed to replace a very old one. When the ... A: Martino, I am a bit confused. A furnace moves warm air and has ducts. A boiler moves hot water or ... | ||
| Sewage ejection pump vent | 1/20/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: Recently a plumber installed a studor valve on the vent stack of our basement bathroom. The vent ... A: The Studor vent should be fine. The purpose of a vent is to allow air in to the system which the ... | ||
| Sudden drop of water pressure kitchen sink | 1/19/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: What would cause a sudden loss of water pressure in our kitchen sink, both hot and cold water? The ... A: The sprayer works by means of a diverter that is built into the faucet body. It reroutes the water ... | ||
| Kitchen Sink Drain Sluggish | 1/18/2012 | derrick jackson |
| Q: Derrick: I'm sure that this is an easy one for you. My kitchen sink drain does not flow smoothly. ... A: If your going to tackle this on your own, I suggest that you utilize the right tools. If you di not ... | ||
| baseboard heating issue | 1/17/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: ..I have a laundry room area that a cast iron baseboard heating unit was installed in....it has ... A: Tim, It all depends on how the system was piped. You will have to trace the supply and return pipes ... | ||
| plugged shower drain | 1/17/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: Dana Daughter has stopped up shower drain. Upstairs of two story house with full basement. House ... A: Tub/shower drains are a bit tricky to clear due to their design. One does not snake them through the ... | ||
| Air in Hot Water heater lines | 1/17/2012 | derrick jackson |
| Q: I installed a new Electric HW heater in the basement of our house. the basement is a very small HW ... A: This is something that would require a visual inspection, not adding up. Did you have this problem ... | ||
| hot water heater and brown water | 1/16/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: Nicholas, My daughter tells me that she suddenly began to notice brown or discolored water in her ... A: Mike, It hard for me to diagnose what the cause is without knowing all the facts. Usually brown ... | ||
| Plumbing Toilet Shut Off Valve | 1/16/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: I have a push button type shut off valve on my toilet water supply (push off-pull on or vice versa). ... A: You need to determine what the piping system is made of in your house. If its copper (likely if the ... | ||
| Water pump | 1/16/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: I am in the "beautiful" country of afghanistan. Our site water with a lage take and pump. The bottom ... A: This looks like a pressure booster system. They are designed to take available water pressure and ... | ||
| water pressure | 1/15/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: Are there Federal or State laws controlling the flow of water thru faucets --- I know there is a law ... A: This is a local or State regulation, not Federal. Yes, in most places, water conservation measures ... | ||
| sludge pump float switch | 1/12/2012 | Bob Tabor |
| Q: Our sludge pump will not kick on automatically. We have to manually hit the reset and then it works ... A: The reset switch your describing is like an overload protector. If it sees too many amps being ... | ||
| sludge pump float switch | 1/12/2012 | Bob Tabor |
| Q: Our sludge pump will not kick on automatically. We have to manually hit the reset and then it works ... A: I'm not sure what reset you are pushing. This is a submersible pump isn't it? The float simply ... | ||
| hot water tank | 1/11/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: I've noticed that when the hot water tank goes on, sometimes it shuts back off fairly quickly (5 ... A: They run on a thermostat that senses the temperature of the water inside the tank. Every time you ... | ||
| Gas leaking? | 1/11/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: Is it normal to be able to stand over your water heater's control (gas valve?) and smell gas? When I ... A: JJ, The internal seals are probably letting a little gas seep out. In the old days the valves had a ... | ||
| Manufactured home shutoff valve under sink stopped | 1/10/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: Dana - I have a manufactured home and wanted to update my bathroom sink fixture, which btw had a ... A: Do the same testing at other fixtures to determine if it is a system problem or just at that ... | ||
| Gas leaking? | 1/10/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: Is it normal to be able to stand over your water heater's control (gas valve?) and smell gas? When I ... A: JJ, No it is not normal to smell gas. You have a leak. Call your local supplier or a good plumber ... | ||
| hot water heat | 1/10/2012 | Jay Nicholas |
| Q: I am debating removing a 30 inch cast iron radiator and installing a 36 in baseboard with a double ... A: Kim, Cast iron radiation is designed to operate with water temps in the 130 degree range. Fin tube ... | ||
| bath faucet wont shut off | 1/9/2012 | Dana Bostick |
| Q: in giving my youngest a bath last night, I noticed I still heard the water running after I turned ... A: Plumbing repairs, while not that hard can be a challenge for someone not familiar with them. Over ... | ||
| Electric Hot Water --not staying hot | 1/9/2012 | Cortez (cort) Cate |
| Q: I have a whirlpool 40gal. electric water heater, 2 yrs old. Model# E2F40RD045. Two days ago my ... A: Electric heaters do not all work the same way; most will have the top element on to heat the water ... | ||
Plumbing in the Home
Answers by Expert:
Dana Bostick
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Pretty much any residential plumbing questions. For "item specific" details such as a specific model of fixture, I will need to research and there may not be any useful information available.
Experience
Retired Licensed General Contractor with Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical sub-licenses. Active Certified InterNachi Home Inspector and Infrared Thermographer
Organizations
InterNachi
Publications
SearchWarp, Article Alley, www.DIYHomeInspection.blogspot.com, ActiveRain.com "Rain Maker",
Education/Credentials
30 years in the trades, Licensed General Contractor, Certified Infrared Thermographer
Awards and Honors
InterNachi Certified Property Inspector, Listed FHA Fee Inspector, HUD Mobile Home Inspector
Past/Present Clients
Home buyers, sellers and owners, Investors, Commercial roofing companies (infrared roof scans for moisture intrusion)
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