| Subject | Date Asked |
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| Water heater | 11/24/2009 |
Q: My son has an electric water heater. On the cold water inlet, there is a 1/2 inch copper pipe with ...
A: It may just be a way to drain the cold lines ahead of the heater for some reason. Not a standardly ...
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| Air Admittance valve problem | 11/24/2009 |
Q: The kitchen sink in mobile home took two days to drain. Tried standard drain opener gel. No better. ...
A: It's not likely that you damaged it with the snake. It is not in the path when you clear the line. ...
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| Is a maserating toilet my solution | 11/23/2009 |
Q: I live in Florida and I recently purchased a home built in the early 60s. The previous owner added ...
A: Macerating toilets are designed for basements so they do not drain down. I doubt you have the fall ...
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| Toilet Water Connecter Line | 11/23/2009 |
Q: When installing a new toilet at the corner in the powder room, my contractor put the water connector ...
A: Yes, it looks like crap but it is not against the code. He is just a cut corners type of guy I ...
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| toilet flapper | 11/23/2009 |
Q: I would like to know how often do I have to change a flapper because I've already changed it twice ...
A: You may have a high level of chlorine in your water. This will deteriorate the rubber parts ...
|
| Removing old bathtub caulk | 11/23/2009 |
Q: I would like to remove old caulk from my bathtub but I am having a difficult time with it. What is ...
A: I'm afraid that I don't have any magic trick. It just needs to be dug out by hand. It's doing what ...
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| removing a jacuzzi bath tub and reusing in another bathroom | 11/22/2009 |
Q: We would like to remove a corner jacuzzi bath tub and relocate it. Is this possible if the tub was ...
A: It can be done but I don't envy you the job! The mortar bed is needed to support the tub, especially ...
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| Air in water system | 11/22/2009 |
Q: I have been at this this house for 20 years; I have a submergible pump with a bladder tank that was ...
A: Well systems are not my forte but air in the water is usually from cavitation. The pump impeller may ...
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| Push-button toilets | 11/21/2009 |
Q: I am living in the Philippines and had two toilets installed in June of this year. They are the ...
A: I've seen these several times here in the states. They are supposed to save water by having a "half ...
|
| Ceiling leaking from bathroom into dining room | 11/21/2009 |
Q: So we bought a brand new townhome in june. Brand new, never used everything up to code, blah blah. ...
A: If this was an overflow from a clogged toilet, you are on your own as far as the builders warranty ...
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| Replacing Toilet Flange | 11/21/2009 |
Q: We are trying to replace a toilet flange in the basement (concrete). We are wanting to change the ...
A: Sounds like they used a glue on fixed flange. Not a lot you can do about that without breaking the ...
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| clogged toilet/auger question | 11/20/2009 |
Q: I have a clogged toilet that I was able to clear last week with a borrowed auger. It is clogged ...
A: Yep, we call those "white rats" in the plumbing trade. LOL you should see some of the stuff I've ...
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| leak repair | 11/20/2009 |
Q: In the crawlspace of my house where the drain pipe goes out to the septic there is cast iron pipe ...
A: Hub and spigot Cast Iron has lead and oakum joints. Tarred rope called oakum is pounded into the ...
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| water tank leak | 11/20/2009 |
Q: I have a duron censible state water heater. There are two spots on the top of the water heater where ...
A: The nipples into the tank are probably starting to corrode and leak. Replacing them is a fairly ...
|
| sound proofing existing water pipes | 11/20/2009 |
Q: I am writing with a question in regards to my salon/spa business. I am in a new commercial building ...
A: Soundproofing is a tricky project. It somewhat depends on how the pipes are attached to the ...
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| Low Flow Aerator for a Grohe faucet? | 11/19/2009 |
Q: I have a Grohe Eurosmart faucet (part #32709) with a 2.2 gpm aerator. The flow rate really ...
A: I'm not having any luck either. Try contacting Grohe directly here Phone: +1 800 44 GROHE. Maybe ...
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| Water heater flames / soot | 11/19/2009 |
Q: What can you tell me about this? causes? remedies? It is an AO Smith 75gal propane (supposed to be ...
A: This is a sign of improper combustion. It is either not jetted for propane, has a restriction of ...
|
| Kitchen faucet | 11/19/2009 |
Q: I have a Whitehaus model 32169 faucet. It has been installed for approximately 2.5 years. Recently ...
A: I can find little information that is useful on this faucet. It appears to be a typical single ...
|
| Fixing a toilet mount | 11/18/2009 |
Q: The toilet in my master bath is loose on the floor. I've already had to pull it twice and replace ...
A: Yes, those $2.00 wax rings do add up! LOL There are rings that can be retrofit to the existing ...
|
| What to use for PEX connections | 11/18/2009 |
Q: I am in the process of finishing a basement and will include a bathroom. My home is ~18 years old ...
A: Nothing wrong with DIY manifold. Sweating pipe is a good skill to have. Yes, the crimp fittings are ...
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| Problem with water feed on toilet | 11/18/2009 |
Q: In my guest bathroom, we noticed a high-pitched hum, almost a singing sound. I noticed the water in ...
A: You have two different problems here. The noise is coming from the fill valve inside the tank. it ...
|
| Toilet Bowl water level | 11/18/2009 |
Q: I just noticed a problem with a toilet I installed about 5 months ago. The water level in the bowl ...
A: Sounds like there is a partial clog. It is interfering with the vent and the line is creating a ...
|
| noise in pipes | 11/17/2009 |
Q: I have a terrible moaning in pipes anytime the water hot or cold is turned on or used exam: ...
A: This can be from a couple of things. Since it both hot and cold, and happens from many fixtures, it ...
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| Water Heater Flow Is Reversed | 11/17/2009 |
Q: Dana, My water temperature at all taps and showers is only getting up to luke warm, at best. I ...
A: Two things; the dip tube inside the water heater has fallen off. It is a plastic tube that directs ...
|
| Kitchen PVC Pipes Loosening | 11/16/2009 |
Q: Our house was built in 2005, all the pipes under the kitchen sink are pvc. The pipe connected to the ...
A: These are called 'slip joints' and the plastic ones are hard to get tight enough without breaking ...
|
| Poor Water Pressure | 11/16/2009 |
Q: Here is my problem. I recently noticed that the water pressure in our home is very poor, yet all our ...
A: You have a flow rate problem not a pressure problem. You can have the same pressure from a 1 inch ...
|
| overflow valve for dishwasher | 11/16/2009 |
Q: We have a 2002 GE Profile dishwasher that has worked fine until a couple of days back when the ...
A: That is not an "overflow" it is an "air gap" fitting to provide a physical separation between the DW ...
|
| outside shower wall moist | 11/16/2009 |
Q: we are suspecting a leak from my shower because I noticed wall beside shower is moist and paint has ...
A: There are several ways that water can get into the walls around a shower. The piping in the wall ...
|
| Low Flow in Moen Cartridge Faucet | 11/15/2009 |
Q: In my bathtub, I have independent hot and cold Moen faucets. These are the cartridge type faucets, ...
A: There is not a lot to go wrong here. I can't think of anything specific about these faucets. Moen ...
|
| Shower Mixing Valve Replacement Water will not Shut Off | 11/15/2009 |
Q: I am really hoping you can help me. My Kohler shower mixing valve stem broke the other day, so I ...
A: This can be very frustrating. I understand. Are you replacing the entire valve in the wall or just ...
|
| How to get rid of major toilet clogging | 11/15/2009 |
Q: Besides toxic/poisonous chemicals and before we use a snake, what will dissolve a major toilet clog? ...
A: There can be a number of reasons that a toilet clogs frequently. 1. Older toilets tend to get limed ...
|
| Kohler faucet removal | 11/14/2009 |
Q: Hey, there: I have a Kohler faucet in which I want to replace a diverter. To do so, the faucet must ...
A: Try adding a wrap of something between the strap and the faucet body that will grip both. Rubber? ...
|
| Leak | 11/14/2009 |
Q: I have a leak from the pipe coming from the wall to my toilrt .It leaks before the shut-off valve. ...
A: Sounds like you have some corroded piping that needs replacing. That's the only fix that I know of. ...
|
| sump pump | 11/13/2009 |
Q: I was cleaning the impeller of my Wayne 1/2 hp sump pump and the oil all leaked out.was wondering ...
A: From what I can find, this does not appear to be a user serviceable pump. Since it is a submersible ...
|
| Hot Water | 11/13/2009 |
Q: I have very hot water available at all of my sinks in my house, however frequently we find that the ...
A: There a couple of things that come to mind: 1. old galvanized pipes starting to clog up. The hot ...
|
| misconnection of hot and cold water | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I'm wrking as mech engg. In my site, am facing a serious problem. Here i'm getting hot water in both ...
A: That's a bit inconvenient to say the least! There are a number of possibilities. With single handle ...
|
| Lukewarm H20 after gas fireplace install | 11/12/2009 |
Q: Our fireplace was set up for gas but we didn't use it the past 5 years. We investigated inserts or ...
A: When gas pipe sizing is done, we use a table of standard demands. It may be that the new gas logs ...
|
| Lukewarm H20 after gas fireplace install | 11/12/2009 |
Q: Our fireplace was set up for gas but we didn't use it the past 5 years. We investigated inserts or ...
A: There are a couple of things that may have caused this. Did you use a licensed plumber or installer? ...
|
| house repipe | 11/12/2009 |
Q: how should I choose the pipe size to a four bathroom house?
A: This is a bit of a skill. Not a simple question. Various calculations are required to determine the ...
|
| cavco mobile home 1983plumbing | 11/11/2009 |
Q: I re-sighted my home off grid, needed a pump to get the water in, plumber installed pump, switched ...
A: That's a bummer. All normal plumbing systems are designed to handle well in excess of 60 PSI so I ...
|
| Proper hook up of toilet drainline into septic tank. | 11/11/2009 |
Q: I am wanting to hook a toilet into an existing septic tank. Just need to know what size pipe, elbow ...
A: I'm a little unclear about what you want. Is this an existing waste system with plumbing connected ...
|
| shower hot water fades | 11/11/2009 |
Q: We just moved into a 52 year old house with a 40 gal. gas hot water heater. Scenario: You step ...
A: There are a couple of things that can cause this. 1. As the valves heats up, parts expand a bit and ...
|
| Mobile Home sewer odor | 11/10/2009 |
Q: 1)My son and his wife live in a single unit mobile home with one bathroom. The unit was brand new ...
A: Here are a few possibilities: That "opening next to the faucet where soap seeps out" is called an ...
|
| Kitchen sink hot water | 11/10/2009 |
Q: Brand new home built in May 2009. Electric hot water heater is located about 25 feet away. Water ...
A: The "standard" I follow says that you should have hot water at any fixture in a minute or less. if ...
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| shower faucet | 11/9/2009 |
Q: I'm not able to get the screw out. I've tried several sizes of Allen wrenches, but with no luck. ...
A: The instructions I found do not mention the size of the Allen wrench needed. If you can't get one to ...
|
| drainage system | 11/9/2009 |
Q: Both toilets won't drain and they both gurgle when when somebody is taking a shower or the washing ...
A: I'm thinking you should not see water. If the pipes are properly sloped, they should drain ...
|
| Shut-off valve | 11/8/2009 |
Q: My shut-off valve to the toilet does not work. When it is turned off, it starts to leak so I think ...
A: You have PEX or some other type of plastic piping. These valves are crimped on using a compression ...
|
| bathroom drain installation | 11/8/2009 |
Q: We gutted and are remodeling the bathroom. Hubby is putting a floor drain outside the whirlpool in ...
A: There are several types of drains. Please send me a picture of the one you are using so I can see ...
|
| Kitchen Sink not draining | 11/7/2009 |
Q: Our normally-reliable kitchen sink (w/ an insinkerator disposal) stopped draining today after ...
A: The problem is probably in the "baffle Tee" where the drains from each side come together ahead of ...
|
| eurostream bath/shower faucet | 11/7/2009 |
Q: hubby would like to know how to adjust the hot & cold water on a single handle balance control ...
A: I'm not finding any information on this. Everything points to a steam cleaning system, not a bath ...
|
| plumbing | 11/7/2009 |
Q:
A: If you mean the turn off valve, called a "stop", it is probably leaking around the stem that comes ...
|
| Leaky Kitchen Faucet | 11/6/2009 |
Q: When I turn off the hot water the handle will not stop and the water keeps running. I have to pull ...
A: Sounds like you need a new cartridge for the faucet. You do not need to replace the whole faucet. I ...
|
| stubbed basement bathroom | 11/6/2009 |
Q: my basement is unfinished, but they did stub in for a bathroom in one corner. My question is, why ...
A: No, not a problem. Every home on a slab foundation has this condition. As I said, the tub will ...
|
| stubbed basement bathroom | 11/6/2009 |
Q: my basement is unfinished, but they did stub in for a bathroom in one corner. My question is, why ...
A: This area might be what is called a "box out" and it is used for the tub drain. The end of the tub ...
|
| toilet flange/leaking around flange on subflooring | 11/6/2009 |
Q: i am having what appears to be a small leak around the toilet flange with wet moist subflooring ...
A: Yep, you're on the right track with the double ring. When I have experienced this problem, I use one ...
|
| WATER HEATER PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE | 11/5/2009 |
Q: I WANT TO REPLACE HOT WATER TANK IN MY MOM'S HOUSE. HAD LOWES SEND A INSTALLER TO GIVE ME QUOTE. HE ...
A: The valve is a "Watts 210 Gas safety valve" The valve costs about $200 by itself, but $675 is a bit ...
|
| low water pressure | 11/5/2009 |
Q: I live in the country and have a well that is about 700 feet away from my house. The well house has, ...
A: There are two factors to consider with water flow. Pressure, and flow rate in gallons per minute. ...
|
| draining/water heater | 11/4/2009 |
Q: I figured that as long as I had the jet much less the regular auger here to see about clearing out ...
A: Hey Nathan, Tub drains are cleaned by snaking down through the overflow after removing the stopper ...
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| plugged pvc bathroom sink | 11/4/2009 |
Q: I have a 1970 Detroit mobile home. I put some things down the bathroom sink drain that I should not ...
A: Nathan, What the heck did you drop down there? It sounds like something hard that has gotten ...
|
| Hot water heaters | 11/4/2009 |
Q: Purchased a Whirlpool hot water heater in June 2004. About 6 months later had to replace the thermo ...
A: Bummer deal! I would stay on Whirlpool's butt big time while looking for another brand. Contact the ...
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| sewer smell and gurgling drains | 11/3/2009 |
Q: I have a sewer smell outside the house and occasionally in the bathroom, also gurgling sounds coming ...
A: You're on the right track. There is a vent somewhere that is not working properly. When this ...
|
| Plumbing | 11/3/2009 |
Q: Dana. While my washing machine was draining forcefully,my commode bubbled forcefully.What could be ...
A: Either the washer drain or the toilet is not vented properly or their vents are restricted or ...
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| moving shower drain | 11/3/2009 |
Q: Remolding a bathroom on a slab. I understand moving the toilet is a major deal. How about a shower. ...
A: Moving any plumbing waste under a slab is a big deal. You will need to break the slab, re-work the ...
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| plugged pvc bathroom sink | 11/3/2009 |
Q: I have a 1970 Detroit mobile home. I put some things down the bathroom sink drain that I should not ...
A: Bad boy, go to your room. LOL Snaking through the trap is tough. What is happening is that you are ...
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| cast iron plumbing | 11/2/2009 |
Q: I live in Houston, TX. I am a first time home buyer and have found a home that I really like. The ...
A: I highly recommend the sewer scope. It's the only way to see the condition of the underground ...
|
| Water softener resin beads in cold water supply | 11/1/2009 |
Q: Last night while our family was brushing teeth and getting ready for bed, we heard one of the ...
A: That's a bummer! I have seen it happen a few times. Cleaning out the beads can be a big problem. ...
|
| double sink problem | 11/1/2009 |
Q: I have a double sink and when I drain one it backs up in the other sink. Only one sink has a trap ...
A: Nope, you can't do that. Only one trap is allowed per drain line. The draining water is taking the ...
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| double shower | 11/1/2009 |
Q: Dana: I have a shower where I installed a regular shower head as well as a hand held one. The valve ...
A: There are valves, called diverter valves, that will do this but they need to be installed inside the ...
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| sewer vent problem? | 11/1/2009 |
Q: Our one toilet is draining slow and it used to flush great- when we remodeled our laundry room we ...
A: Sort of sounds like the Studor vent is messing up to me. They do tend to have problems now and ...
|
| shower mount | 11/1/2009 |
Q: I am replacing a hand held shower head. My old shower head was mounted on a standard wall arm. A ...
A: You can buy chromed pipe nipples and many lengths. Maybe that would serve your purposes. you will ...
|
| Tankless water heaters, sand and grit | 10/31/2009 |
Q: Dana, I have the same issue as Angie (1/9/2009) with grit and sand coming from my tankless hot ...
A: I would have your water tested for mineral content. It's probably pretty high. The rapid heating ...
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| Drain Clogged | 10/31/2009 |
Q: In my attempt to unclogged the bathroom sink, I used Drano. After using drano, the water drained ...
A: Drain cleaning products are pretty harsh. The chemicals are very aggressive and can damage the ...
|
| Toilet size | 10/31/2009 |
Q: We have a very small bathroom which we redid when we bought the house 20 years ago. Shortly after ...
A: There actually is a size for toilets. It's called the "rough in" size. They come in 10", 12" and ...
|
| Shower bodie/Head | 10/31/2009 |
Q: I installed a grohe shower bodie W/tub outlet. When I turn water on water sort of pours from shower ...
A: Using PEX should make no difference on the supply inlets but..... See here: ...
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| Bathroom Remodel | 10/30/2009 |
Q: I'm about to remodel my master bath. I cut a section out of the flooring to see what the plumbing ...
A: Quite a project you are contemplating. First, if you build a "hot mop" shower pan, it can be any ...
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| drainfield on different property | 10/30/2009 |
Q: My husband and I are househunting. There is a house that we're interested in that has a septic ...
A: I don't know how they do it in your area but around here that would be a huge problem. Is this ...
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| Shower bodie/Head | 10/30/2009 |
Q: I installed a grohe shower bodie W/tub outlet. When I turn water on water sort of pours from shower ...
A: Grohe probably said no PEX on the tub spout due to lack of support for the spout. People tend to ...
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| Replacement shower door catch won't catch | 10/30/2009 |
Q: H-E-L-P. I'm a handyman hobbyist, have a fully equipped workshop, and can fix most things inside ...
A: Frustrating isn't it? Have you tried adjusting the hinge side? If you kick the hinges out a bit to ...
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| Jennaire Downdraft Range | 10/30/2009 |
Q: Does this have to be vented to the outside? We have a microwave above with a vent that vents back ...
A: You could but since the microwave vents back to the kitchen, you would end up with effectively no ...
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| pex repipe | 10/29/2009 |
Q: I have an older house with galvanized plumbing. I am planning to replace it with pex. All of the ...
A: I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bond the old pipes to the existing main or the metal waste system just ...
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| converting a washing machine to attach to sink | 10/28/2009 |
Q: I've just been given a washing machine, which I would really like to be able to use, but don't have ...
A: It can be done with a little ingenuity. Washers have two water feeds, Hot & Cold. Since you do not ...
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| pex repipe | 10/28/2009 |
Q: I have an older house with galvanized plumbing. I am planning to replace it with pex. All of the ...
A: There are a number of ways electrical systems are grounded. Sometimes it is not visible. Look for ...
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| Washing Machine Drain Clogged. | 10/28/2009 |
Q: I would like to ask, why when the washer drain doesn't Drain, I live in a Ranch house, and the ...
A: It would seem that the drain is clogged and needs snaking OR since it is in the basement, is there ...
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| Cleanout plug | 10/27/2009 |
Q: Our 22-year-old track home has a PVC cleanout plug behind the washing machine in the garage, which ...
A: Now that weird! Looks like someone cheated. There is a clean-out required in both places if they are ...
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| water & sewage comimg out of pipe in side of house | 10/27/2009 |
Q: we just moved into a very old house and the water was not going down the drains well so we put ...
A: I think you have some serious problems here. This is a big health issue that should not go ...
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| slow flow... | 10/26/2009 |
Q: recently, our faucets are producing low-flow streams of water and if one faucet is running, the ...
A: The problems with the water softeners that I have seen are with the bypass valve being too small (a ...
|
| Is there an alternative to copper lines for an icemaker? | 10/26/2009 |
Q: I have an island sink in my kitchen and a house with cement floors. In order to run a line to my ice ...
A: Absolutely! Ice makers are typically installed with polyethylene plastic tubing feeding them. Ice ...
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| Laundry Pump/Pit | 10/26/2009 |
Q: I hope you can help me. I had a sealed laundry pit installed with a pump installed this past spring. ...
A: I suspect that this is a lot more than "pipe sweating" going on. Given that it happens most when it ...
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| plumbing repair | 10/26/2009 |
Q: I just baught a condo/townhouse (quadruplex) that was recently flipped by the seller. I just found ...
A: Note: I'm NOT a lawyer, I don't even play one on TV! I have been the President of an HOA a couple of ...
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| shower/tub faucet handler snapped off | 10/26/2009 |
Q: My tub/shower faucet handle broke off while the water was running. I can not get the handle back on ...
A: That's too bad. Most tub/showers do not have separate shut off valves like sinks or toilets ...
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| washer and sink | 10/25/2009 |
Q: .this house was built over 20 years ago. when the sink and washer empty, they empty out through the ...
A: it is common, due to location of the fixtures, to tie the kitchen sink and the laundry drains ...
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| Vacuum breaker on outside hose bibb | 10/25/2009 |
Q: I have a freeze proof bibb coming out of my house to my back yard and it has a short vacuum breaker ...
A: Yes, they design them this way on purpose. You are not supposed to remove the vacuum breaker. They ...
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| Watts water pressure regulator | 10/25/2009 |
Q: I have a water pressure regulator question. First I need to say that I have an engineering with a ...
A: The industry and code standard is 80 PSI in the house so it's probably not a big issue if you do ...
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| Bosch Tankless Water Heater High Pitched Squeal | 10/24/2009 |
Q: I have a Bosch 2400 E LP tankless water heater and it wouldn't work the other morning. I followed ...
A: Was there an error code? It appears that they self diagnose to some extent. I'm not veryfamiliar ...
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| Freezing water supply lines | 10/24/2009 |
Q: Because of the very unusual heavy freeze we had last winter,a 2" PVC Sch 40 line broke that supplies ...
A: I would recommend PEX pipe. PEX is cross-linked polyethylene. PEX 's flexibility and strength at ...
|
| Refrigerator ice maker | 10/23/2009 |
Q: I notice an orange-colored residue after the ice cubes from my Hotpoint ice maker melt. Do I need to ...
A: It probably wouldn't hurt to clean the system. Do you have a carbon filter on the line? That might ...
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| toilet runs when other water on | 10/23/2009 |
Q: i put in a new toilet, but now everytime i use another water source, the toilet runs (e.g., turn on ...
A: A toilet is not a very complex system unless it's one of the pressure assisted units with a pressure ...
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| toilet runs when other water on | 10/23/2009 |
Q: i put in a new toilet, but now everytime i use another water source, the toilet runs (e.g., turn on ...
A: Keep the door closed! Sorry, old joke. This is quite strange. Sounds like it might be related to ...
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| Hot Water To Shower | 10/23/2009 |
Q: Here's my issue.. I have a single faucet shower, and i get no hot water. I do, however get hot ...
A: A couple of things come to mind. The internal cartridge is shot or has gotten clogged with debris ...
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| leak in kitchen sink | 10/22/2009 |
Q: ok i found a major leak after running the garbage disposal the other day. now when i run water it ...
A: That gasket is usually a pretty thick rubber one. If the disposer body is badly corroded, even that ...
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| drippy shower head | 10/22/2009 |
Q: I have an early 80s single knob shower valve which continues to drip from the shower head after ...
A: Isn't that frustrating? I'm a little unclear, did you replace the shower valve? That's a pretty big ...
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| clawfoot tub shower | 10/22/2009 |
Q: I have a clawfoot tub with hot and cold faucets (no model name on unit) with diverter to showerhead. ...
A: A faucet is a faucet is a faucet. The stem and washer/seat set up is no different no matter the ...
|
| sewage smell | 10/21/2009 |
Q: We are having a horrible problem with sewage smell coming into one of our rooms that is located next ...
A: The grinder pump sump canister is supposed to be sealed and have a vent pipe going to the exterior. ...
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| remove & replace shower drain from pre-formed floor | 10/21/2009 |
Q: I have a fiberglass shower sitting on a concrete foundation. The drain flange broke and now I'm ...
A: I've not used either the Davke or the Wingtight but both look like viable solutions. The Wingtight ...
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| toilet repair | 10/21/2009 |
Q: I am trying to repair an older toilet. When I flush, I have to hold the flush handle down or the ...
A: Assuming the flapper is not deteriorated, the easiest way it to attach a small chunk of Styrofoam ...
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| bathroom vessel sink overflow drain problem | 10/21/2009 |
Q: vessel sink overflow not draining into Pegasus overflow drain, water runs to the exterior of drain ...
A: It's either miss-matched,(not the correct drain for that sink) miss-installed or defective. These ...
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| Moaning Pipes | 10/21/2009 |
Q: I have a 4 year old house. Whenever a faucet or shower is turned off (or a toilet finishes filling), ...
A: This is probably caused by a small pressure surge in the system when you turn off the water or a ...
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| Kitchen Faucet Vibration | 10/20/2009 |
Q: I just bought an old mobile home and had to install a new kitchen faucet, single-lever with separate ...
A: The faucet is acting too positively and stopping the water flow too suddenly. This is creating a bit ...
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| Hot water recirculation system | 10/20/2009 |
Q: I just moved into a house that has a Taco timer and pump recirculation systems. It looks like the ...
A: That is a possibility. It could also be a broken "dip tube" inside the heater. This is a plastic ...
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| Hot water recirculation system | 10/20/2009 |
Q: I just moved into a house that has a Taco timer and pump recirculation systems. It looks like the ...
A: Water piping, especially copper, is a very good conductor/radiator of heat. If all the hot lines ...
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| water heater problem | 10/20/2009 |
Q: I live in a one rm apt. that is part of a 4-plex. At least 2-3 times a week I have little or no hot ...
A: I agree, your power bill should not be that high. How is the landlord apportioning the electric or ...
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| odor in bathroom | 10/19/2009 |
Q: I wrote you a question back in Feb. regarding our new church hall bathrooms and you answered my ...
A: Yes, the weather can have an effect on plumbing systems. The lower atmospheric pressures during a ...
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| water heater problem | 10/19/2009 |
Q: I live in a one rm apt. that is part of a 4-plex. At least 2-3 times a week I have little or no hot ...
A: This all depends on how the are piped together. If they are in parallel,(all the hots and all the ...
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| plumbing question | 10/19/2009 |
Q: when i flush upstairs toilet (close coupled), i get a very loud noise, which seems to be coming from ...
A: The "trapped air" thing is a problem in old steam heating systems, not water piping. Actually, ...
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| toilet flushing noise | 10/19/2009 |
Q: I recently replaced the wax seal under my toilet. Since then, when I flush the commode I hear a ...
A: Did you change anything else in the toilet, like the fill valve (ball cock)? This noiseis usually ...
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| Smelly drains | 10/18/2009 |
Q: We have a home on a concrete slab about 7 miles inland in NC. We have public water and sewer and the ...
A: This could be a venting problem. Every drain is supposed to have a trap to provide a water seal to ...
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| Moving washer and dryer | 10/18/2009 |
Q: We want to move our washer and dryer from our very small mud room located on the main floor to the ...
A: I think you are going to a lot of trouble for a "just in case in 10-15 years" situation. You are ...
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| plumbing | 10/18/2009 |
Q: Our double bowl kitchen sink will not drain unless you plundge it. I don't think it's clogged ...
A: No, a baffle tee probably will not help. They are primarily found when there is a disposer in one ...
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| plumbing | 10/17/2009 |
Q: Our double bowl kitchen sink will not drain unless you plundge it. I don't think it's clogged ...
A: This sort of sounds like a venting problem although it might not be. The waste piping under most ...
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| Basement Drains | 10/17/2009 |
Q: I have floor drains in 3 corners of my basement, the fourth corner has my sump pump...I am ...
A: All the floor drains probably feed the sump pump pit. Covering over two of them is going to reduce ...
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| bathtub drain pipe | 10/17/2009 |
Q: Dropped a shampoo bottle LID down the bath tub drain. Therefore, the bathtub will not drain. Will ...
A: It might. It is probably caught on the stopper mechanism where the drain shoe from the bottom of the ...
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| plumbing | 10/17/2009 |
Q: how to run a hot water line from my house to garage? its not attched to house its about 20ft.
A: This project depends on a lot of things. Location of the water heater in relationship to the ...
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| drain system | 10/17/2009 |
Q: We live in an older 2 story home every once un awhile the toilet in the downstairs bathroom Burps ...
A: Yes, this sounds like a "plugged stink pipe" also called a plumbing vent. When you drain water down ...
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| water running | 10/16/2009 |
Q: We can hear water running in our bedroom wall which is next to a bathroom. The meter is moving ...
A: Time for some detective work. Start by turning off the shut off valves to the toilets (most likely ...
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| Flushed something metal in the toilet | 10/16/2009 |
Q: I accidentally flush a bathtub stopper (metal thing that you screw in the bathtub drain for baths) ...
A: oops! It should not be a problem. The toilet drain lines are the largest in the system, 3 inch or ...
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| Grout Leak | 10/16/2009 |
Q: Dana: This is the question I asked Anthony, who is now on vacation and his answer is below. My ...
A: Without being too harsh, the job was not done correctly in the first place. Attempting a band aid ...
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| water spigot leak | 10/16/2009 |
Q: the water spigot in my kitchen is leaking from the hole on the spigot under the switch to turn it on ...
A: These are pretty "universal" parts. The counter top spigot can easily be replaced. These are ...
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| Extra Natural Gas Shut Off Vavle | 10/16/2009 |
Q: I'm having a plumbing contractor install a gas fire pit in my new patio in 2 weeks. The gas line ...
A: I'm not aware of this restriction. I would think that it might be unsafe to create a situation where ...
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| Hanging pvc from foam | 10/15/2009 |
Q: I have to attach about 60 feet of a PVC condensate drain along existing vertically sprayed on foam ...
A: Very carefully! Actually, I would contact a local spray foam installer and ask them what to use. ...
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| moen leaking kitchen faucet | 10/15/2009 |
Q: It is a Moen single handle single hole kitchen faucet. After searching on the Moen site, it looks ...
A: First of all, the faucet should have been sealed to the counter top so it could not leak through. ...
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| shower not hot enough | 10/15/2009 |
Q: price pfister one handle knob in shower & water temp too cold
A: Not a lot of information here. I'm going to take a shot; your shower valve may be one of the ...
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| Ice maker | 10/14/2009 |
Q: Dana, Thank you for helping. I want to hook up the ice maker in our new fridge. The old one had a ...
A: If you know how to sweat copper correctly, this is fairly easy. Here is a link to a video if you ...
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| Slow dripping sound from attic. | 10/14/2009 |
Q: I Live in Texas my home was built in 1982 Single story. My problem is I hear a constant drip, drip ...
A: I guess your house is haunted! LOL The noise could quite possibly be condensation driping back down ...
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| water pipe "bang" | 10/13/2009 |
Q: When I first turn on one of my faucets or flush the toilet, I hear a "one time" bang within a couple ...
A: It's possible that the tank is malfunctioning. These have diaphragms in them and it may have burst. ...
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| Flushmate back flushing | 10/13/2009 |
Q: Dana. I have a Gerber Sloan Flushmate series 503 toilet that's only about 1-2 years old. Model # ...
A: I'm not at all familiar with these units. I did find some information on this site: ...
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| project | 10/13/2009 |
Q: which uses more water a bath or a shower
A: There are several variables involved so there is no one answer. How big is the tub? How full do ...
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| natural gas pool water heater | 10/13/2009 |
Q: i have a small above ground pool that fits nice in our small yard.the problem is the water is always ...
A: Gas lines are done with coated black pipe. It's called "Fletcher coat or X-True Coat, either green ...
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| water at home is not cold | 10/12/2009 |
Q: all the sinks in my house spill out warm water there are no cold water. We think it has something to ...
A: Now there's a mystery! LOL Two things come to mind; A malfunctioning recirculation system ...
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| stinky kitchen drain | 10/12/2009 |
Q: My house is on a slab and 55 years old. The kitchen drains stink real bad. I do not have a garbage ...
A: Whatever the smell is coming from, it should be from the drain piping that is located BEFORE the ...
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| DWV line location | 10/12/2009 |
Q: Dana, Good day! I know that DWV line (pvc) can pass through the foundation of a monolithic slab, ...
A: Although the codes may not apply in your case, it would be best to follow them anyway. They are ...
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| hot/cold water | 10/12/2009 |
Q: While someone is taking a shower the cold water from all of the other faucets in the house is ...
A: This sounds like you have a single handle shower valve. When they start to wear and need ...
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| help | 10/11/2009 |
Q: I live in a building and in the building next the water pump in enclose in a room with a ...
A: That's a tough problem. Yes, ventilation of the pump for cooling might be a problem. Soundproofing ...
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| PVC Cap in Iron Pipe | 10/11/2009 |
Q: Yesterday I had a drainage issue which resulted in an emergency plumbing call. The main septic line ...
A: It's possible that the threads were damaged when the cap was removed. They might be salvageable by ...
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| Toilet replacement | 10/11/2009 |
Q: Good evening Dana, I have just purchased a 1950’s house in Houston, Texas. I want to replace a old ...
A: The "pressure flush" part is only happening inside the toilet. It is a way to get the best flush ...
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| Leaking bathtub | 10/11/2009 |
Q: Recently my shower/bathtub is causing a leak into my bedroom. I live in 1 story house that was built ...
A: Given the age of the house, the pipes are probably steel. The leak is likely NOT the drain pipes. On ...
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| Running Toilet w/New Guts | 10/10/2009 |
Q: I have an American Standard Plebe toilet. No idea how old it is - it was here when we bought the ...
A: There is no reason you can't add some washers to the bolts under the bowl rim between the nuts and ...
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| Running Toilet w/New Guts | 10/10/2009 |
Q: I have an American Standard Plebe toilet. No idea how old it is - it was here when we bought the ...
A: Lots going on with this toilet! There are several possibilities for the flapper: 1. The water coming ...
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| Leaking bathtub | 10/10/2009 |
Q: Recently my shower/bathtub is causing a leak into my bedroom. I live in 1 story house that was built ...
A: You did not mention if this house is on a slab or raised crawl space foundation. Also, is this a ...
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| Water Heater | 10/9/2009 |
Q: Last week I had a new water heater installed. After the plumber left water was continually released ...
A: The TPRV is rated at 150 PSI and 210 degrees. If you are not getting anything out when you open it, ...
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| Water Heater | 10/9/2009 |
Q: Last week I had a new water heater installed. After the plumber left water was continually ...
A: You should most definitely have the pressure regulator installed. The pressure in the house should ...
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| shower valve not braced | 10/8/2009 |
Q: I bought a Symmons shower valve (s-4002) to be installed in my shower before a retiling job. The GC ...
A: Bummer! It is the plumber's job to properly secure his work. Did you get permits for this work. ...
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| Backup garbage disposal waste | 10/7/2009 |
Q: I live in a two bedroom apartment. When I use my garbage disposal the liquid waste backs up into my ...
A: The dishwasher is incorrectly installed. It is both a health code and plumbing code violation. It ...
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| Hot Water Heater | 10/7/2009 |
Q: The drain valve seems to be so clogged with sediment, I was wondering what to do to remove the water ...
A: Yep, if you take your finger off the end of the straw, the water will come out. Opening a hot faucet ...
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| Hot Water Heater | 10/7/2009 |
Q: The drain valve seems to be so clogged with sediment, I was wondering what to do to remove the water ...
A: That does happen. The valves they put on water heaters have small openings. Therein lies the ...
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| Shower mixing valve | 10/7/2009 |
Q: After a very hot shower or a series of multiple showers the water will not turn off. If you push the ...
A: It's very unlikely that you would ever need to replace the entire valve. Without knowing the make, ...
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| Installing a shower stall drain | 10/6/2009 |
Q: I am building a shower stall and will be installing a shower stall drain supplied by 'Oatey' ...
A: Pea gravel is just small gravel about the size of a pea. What they are trying to accomplish it to ...
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| Shower leak from upstairs washroom | 10/6/2009 |
Q: Recently we noticed water leak from the upstairs shower. The water dripped from the ceiling and I ...
A: yes, trapped water is no joke. If the area got saturated, the ceiling should be opened and all ...
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| venting | 10/6/2009 |
Q: I recently inspected a house that when the toilet flushed the kitchen sink that has an air ...
A: Well, it certainly is not a conventional way to do it but it should work. I would suspect the AAV. ...
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| Plumbing Smells | 10/6/2009 |
Q: I live in a 3 year old home and have lived there all 3 years. Recently the Laundry Room (first ...
A: Strange things happening at your place. Not sure what it could be if not the traps gone dry. ...
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| toilet that won't scour flush | 10/6/2009 |
Q: have toilet that doesn't flush -just spins water for a min or so - has no vent or drain problem- ...
A: Toilets are pretty simple. Things that could be wrong: Limed up rim jets, faulty flush valve, ...
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| installing plumbing in a dirt floor | 10/5/2009 |
Q: a friend of mine bought a very old adobe house that originally had a dirt floor. Sometime in the ...
A: While not the ideal scene, it also not a problem. All the plumbing is buried under a conventional ...
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| Shower mixing valve | 10/5/2009 |
Q: After a very hot shower or a series of multiple showers the water will not turn off. If you push the ...
A: Sounds like a Moen valve. If it is, you can replace the cartridge for about $20. The friction of the ...
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| Proper Bathroom Faucet Placement | 10/5/2009 |
Q: We purchased a Brizo wall mount lavatory faucet, Trevi is the style name. The sink we would like to ...
A: There really isn't a "standard" height. It can be what ever is most convenient or comfortable for ...
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| Disposer Operation | 10/5/2009 |
Q: Does it matter if you run hot water or cold water when using the home disposer?
A: It's actually better to use cold. It keeps the grease in suspension better so it gets flushed down ...
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| AquaSource bathroom faucet and drain pain | 10/5/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased a couple of new AquaSource faucets for my bathroom sinks to replace the old ...
A: I know what you mean. I'm totally disgusted with the crap plastic parts they put out now. But at $29 ...
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| water heater, expansion tank & water pressure regulator valve | 10/4/2009 |
Q: I live in a condo which is about 22 years old. Recently our condo assn. told us that we should have ...
A: Yes, it is a totally separate device and it is usually not actually attached to the heater. It is ...
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| gas lines | 10/4/2009 |
Q: my tenant calls me and says that the gas company is jackhammering the front concrete porch and ...
A: Oops! It's hard to say on the regulators, they would need to be tested. I suppose once everything is ...
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| Toilet Drain | 10/4/2009 |
Q: what is the exact drop a 4" toilet drain must be angled at when running it? This is under concrete ...
A: Not sure in Canada but here; 3 inch and under must slope at 1/4 inch per foot. 4 inch and above can ...
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| gas lines | 10/4/2009 |
Q: my tenant calls me and says that the gas company is jackhammering the front concrete porch and ...
A: I'm afraid I don't have good news for you. An old gas system will never hold a test. It may not leak ...
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| water heater, expansion tank & water pressure regulator valve | 10/3/2009 |
Q: I live in a condo which is about 22 years old. Recently our condo assn. told us that we should have ...
A: That would be news to me and I work in the industry. Never heard of such a thing. I suppose it's ...
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| up stair bathroom water pressure in of two falsest | 10/3/2009 |
Q: I have low water pressure in one of my falsest in my up stair master bathroom. This started when I ...
A: Seems to be a "local" problem to that faucet. Try removing the aerator on the end of the spout and ...
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| water heater, expansion tank & water pressure regulator valve | 10/3/2009 |
Q: I live in a condo which is about 22 years old. Recently our condo assn. told us that we should have ...
A: The plumber is probably right. A pressure regulator, obviously, regulates the pressure. The ...
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| noise when watersoftner cycles | 10/3/2009 |
Q: When our watersoftner cycles it causes a pinging noise in our toilet. It is loud enough to wake us ...
A: Off the top of my head, I can't say what it might be in the softener that is doing this. There are ...
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| moen faucet | 10/2/2009 |
Q: my bathtub moen faucet cannot shut off. if you turn the knob to the shut off position water still ...
A: I'm not recognizing this faucet by your description. Try contacting Moen directly at their 800 ...
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| Pulsating sound in kitchen faucet | 10/2/2009 |
Q: I have an on again off again pulsating sound from my new faucet I just installed with a new ...
A: This may be a pressure problem. If the pressure in the house is over 80 PSI, the sprayer diverter ...
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| Washing Machine Adapter/Convertor | 10/2/2009 |
Q: Is there a kit to adapt a full size washer to use a kitchen faucet, i.e. part to connect hot and ...
A: There are faucet adapters that will accept a hose thread. But they only accept one hose. You would ...
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| water hammer | 10/2/2009 |
Q: we have water hammer when the water is not being used. you can see the flexible lines for the ice ...
A: A problem like this can sometimes be hard to pin down. Have you checked your water pressure inside ...
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| Repairing ceiling damage from water leak | 10/1/2009 |
Q: We moved into our 1970's townhouse about a year ago. Within a couple of months, we noticed some ...
A: You are right to be worried about mold. Continuous wetting over time of an area that cannot easily ...
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| Kitchen faucet water pressure | 10/1/2009 |
Q: I am renting a 100 year old house and the water pressure in the kitchen sink suddenly got much ...
A: Your landlord is not thinking straight. LOL Putting something down the drain WILL NOT fix a water ...
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| Hot water in toilet | 9/30/2009 |
Q: Our toilet fills with boiling hot water but for 3 years after it was installed, it worked fine. We ...
A: Contact the manufacturer of the shower valve. Some can be reversed within the valve without ...
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| Hot water in toilet | 9/30/2009 |
Q: Our toilet fills with boiling hot water but for 3 years after it was installed, it worked fine. We ...
A: I suppose it could be nice on those cold mornings! LOL The only thing I can think of is a that a ...
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| vent for kitchen sink | 9/30/2009 |
Q: I am remodeling the kitchen in our log home. I have just discovered that the last person who ...
A: The correct size for a kitchen sink vent is 1-1/2 inch. But consider this: Look into an AAV (air ...
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| Any way to increase low water volume from municipality? | 9/29/2009 |
Q: Is there any way to increase a low water volume problem from municipal water supply. Pressure is ...
A: This is mainly a pipe sizing problem. The flow rate in GPM is determined by the size and condition ...
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| Tankless hot water heater | 9/29/2009 |
Q: we have a paloma/rheem tankless, 7.4 gpm from Home Depot, and it seems to take a very long time to ...
A: As for the cleaning, yes, maintenance is required. Read the installation manual. The time it takes ...
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| Tankless water heater ignores shower | 9/29/2009 |
Q: We have a tankless water heater and one shower (no tub) with a Moen Monitor valve and fixture, but a ...
A: It sounds like a flow problem with the tankless system. These systems use a flow switch that senses ...
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| kitchen faucet | 9/28/2009 |
Q: can you tell me what this is. A hose from the dishwasher and the garbage disposer attaches to it ...
A: It is called an "air gap" fitting and it is required to provide a physical separation of the ...
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| Replacing Sprayer with Faucet | 9/28/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased a portable dishwasher. It leaked under the sink on the first go 'round, but I'm ...
A: The first thing it to determine where the leak is coming from. Is this a counter top unit? Or, a ...
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| Cast Iron to ABS sewer system | 9/28/2009 |
Q: I have a 4" cast iron horizontal sewer pipe entering into my crawl space with 2ea 4" castiron hubs ...
A: The cast iron can be cut with a angle grinder with a carborundum grit blade. That is about the only ...
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| tankless heater, dedicated gas line | 9/27/2009 |
Q: It sounds like "having a dedicated gas line" for a tankless water heater means that the natural gas ...
A: I have run into this problem myself. The issue is, the new line must be sized properly for the ...
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| Shower & Tub Problem | 9/27/2009 |
Q: The house is built in the 50's. I replaced the shower with a new one. The water comes out of the tub ...
A: Unless you have repiped the house, (you didn't mention) the pipes are still the original galvanized ...
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| pressure balance valve | 9/27/2009 |
Q: We have a problem with hot water pressure....If you want to take a cold shower you are fine but as ...
A: Unless you have done some recent remodeling or have a newer house, it is not likely that you have a ...
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| Moen faucet low pressure | 9/27/2009 |
Q: I have a Moen kitchen faucet Model 7560 and after 1 year the pressure is very low. I cleaned the 2 ...
A: Yes, in older piping systems, debris can clog up a cartridge and reduce the flow. To get it out, try ...
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| Hot and cold shower faucets | 9/27/2009 |
Q: We want to modernize our master bathroom with new brushed nickel fixtures. No problems with our ...
A: The only real way to go is to know the manufacturer and then contact them or search the Net using ...
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| bath plumbing | 9/26/2009 |
Q: I'm trying to plumb a bathroom sink. Coming out of the floor is 2" pvc. The drain for the sink is 1 ...
A: One of the most feared phrases a professionals hears is "You can do it, we can help". (Home Depot's ...
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| moving a washer & dryer | 9/26/2009 |
Q: Our existing washer & dryer hookup is in the middle of our kitchen, sharing / backing onto the ...
A: There are a number of issues at play here. Depending on the distance involved, it may be difficult ...
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| kitchen faucet takes its time turning off | 9/26/2009 |
Q: I have a two handle kitchen faucet that does not turn off immediately. It takes about 6 seconds. ...
A: Very strange! There is very little space between the seat of the shut off valve and the spout for ...
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| Pipe size verses flow rate | 9/26/2009 |
Q: I have a 55 gallon drum. I have 80 PSI. I have a 3/4" copper pipe and a 1/2" copper pipe. I have a ...
A: LOL, civilians! Gurrr! Most places in the country require flow restriction in all fixtures to save ...
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| Main water line install | 9/26/2009 |
Q: Looking for best way to hook up main waterline to run 230' up a 45 degree hill to my shop and house. ...
A: You probably will not have the 120 PSI up the hill. There will be "head" loss as well as friction ...
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| Question | 9/25/2009 |
Q: After I lit my water heater, and turned the temp dial from the low setting to the one I wanted, I ...
A: This is called "roll out" and it is a dangerous condition that needs to be corrected. It is usually ...
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| Blow torch hissing from pipes | 9/24/2009 |
Q: For the past 3 days there is now a loud hissing sound in my downstairs area coming through its ...
A: Very odd! Maybe it's haunted? LOL I would check the thermostat on the heater to see if it is set ...
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| low water pressure | 9/24/2009 |
Q: I have an issue in my 2 bathroom very old house. When I'm in the shower and the toilet is flushed ...
A: Pipe sizing seems to be a mystery for many. It's not rocket science though. You most likely do ...
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| toilet repair | 9/23/2009 |
Q: There is no water flowing into my toilet from the valve in the wall at the back of the toilet. When ...
A: It could be a bad fill valve in the toilet tank. It's called a "ball cock". If you turn off the ...
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| residential sewage lift station | 9/23/2009 |
Q: I own a duplex that has a sewage lift station. I had some issues with it overfilling recently and ...
A: The check valve is called a "backwater valve" and it is supposed to prevent city sewage from backing ...
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| mobile home plumbing | 9/22/2009 |
Q: My question is: As my washer pumps the water out of the washer into my drain it makes my toilet ...
A: This is usually a sign of poor or partially blocked venting of the fixture. Running water down a ...
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| Main drain clog damage control | 9/22/2009 |
Q: I'm going to have a professional out tomorrow, but wondered if you might give me quick answer for my ...
A: I would leave the cap off for now. If the line is collapsed and will not drain, the sewage will back ...
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| check valve knocking | 9/22/2009 |
Q: No matter where the cold water is being shut off in the house (interior or exterior), there comes ...
A: These little noises can be very annoying. I would consider changing the swing check to a spring ...
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| Loud noise from water heater | 9/21/2009 |
Q: Lately, I've been hearing a loud noise coming from the water heater occasionally. It sounds like a ...
A: Water heaters can make some noise as they heat up and cool down due to expansion and contraction. ...
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| Bad dip tube | 9/21/2009 |
Q: After living with this for years I have finally done enough research to determine I have a bid dip ...
A: Okay, we are getting into an area of a crap shoot here. At 12 years old, your water heater is ...
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| Bad dip tube | 9/21/2009 |
Q: After living with this for years I have finally done enough research to determine I have a bid dip ...
A: The reason I said it is not hard is that many jobs like this are done by homeowners themselves. If ...
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| Bad dip tube | 9/20/2009 |
Q: After living with this for years I have finally done enough research to determine I have a bid dip ...
A: The industry average for water heater life is 8-12 years. Your is on the long side of that and ...
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| 3 knob shower facuet system | 9/20/2009 |
Q: but I do not know if I can remove the facuets to clean out any debris that may have gotten lodged in ...
A: Yes, absolutely the water must be turned off to the home. Tubs and showers do not have individual ...
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| 3 knob shower system - water doesn't divert to shower head | 9/20/2009 |
Q: We have a 3-knob LDR shower/tub faucet (washerless) purchased from Aubuchon hardware. When the ...
A: LDR faucets are distributed by: LDR Industries, Inc. 600 N. Kilbourn Ave., Chicago IL 60624 ...
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| toilet and shower not draining | 9/19/2009 |
Q: I have two bathrooms- one upstairs, one down. Upstairs is fine, but the downstairs bathroom is ...
A: Plumbing systems can be a mystery to someone that does not understand them. In your situation, the ...
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| noise and thump under floor | 9/19/2009 |
Q: what is thr loud bang noise sounds like from outside wall of bathroom and felt thump at same time on ...
A: Frankly, I have no idea! If it is not happening when the plumbing system is being used, it's hard to ...
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| plumbing vent coming out of side of house | 9/19/2009 |
Q: I purchased an older home to rent out. The wastewater vent on one side of the house that serves the ...
A: I have used them to "blow" lines. They come in various sizes. Some are rubber and some are made out ...
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| plumbing vent coming out of side of house | 9/19/2009 |
Q: I purchased an older home to rent out. The wastewater vent on one side of the house that serves the ...
A: I have a couple of thoughts on this issue. If the line you describe is coming out below the sink, ...
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| water pressure | 9/18/2009 |
Q: i have really poor water pressure coming out of all taps in my house especially if a try to run 2 ...
A: The pressure in most well systems is controlled by the pressure tank. By adjusting the air pressure ...
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| Noise | 9/18/2009 |
Q: we replaced the moen cartridge for our shower on and off tap,and now we get a noise like when there ...
A: It must be the Canadian water! LOL It's odd that this should start after working on the shower. i ...
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| No hot water from one faucet | 9/17/2009 |
Q: Our kitchen faucet is 8 months old. It's the type with a flexible pot-filler hose/nozzle and a ...
A: Construction debris is not uncommon to find in piping systems if the lines were not properly flushed ...
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| humming pipe | 9/17/2009 |
Q: I changed out my hosebib & vacuum breaker at the back of my house, and now I get an intermittent ...
A: Yes, it sounds like it's the vacuum breaker. Although they are typically required by local codes, ...
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| humming pipe | 9/17/2009 |
Q: I changed out my hosebib & vacuum breaker at the back of my house, and now I get an intermittent ...
A: Does this happen when you are using the hose bib? It can happen when the water is running very ...
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| moen tub/shower | 9/16/2009 |
Q: Why does a Moen tub/shower kit leak out of the shower when you want to run a bath only?
A: It probably needs a new cartridge and/or diverter. The diverter is leaking past and allowing the ...
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| No hot water from one faucet | 9/16/2009 |
Q: Our kitchen faucet is 8 months old. It's the type with a flexible pot-filler hose/nozzle and a ...
A: Demand (or tankless) heaters operate via a flow sensing switch. If there is no flow, the heater ...
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| Service Line Leak | 9/15/2009 |
Q: My current service line is blue plastic pipe of the last 1970 in Bellevue WA. I am able to put a ...
A: Lots of questions here. Plastic piping for water has its advantages if you live in freezing areas ...
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| clogged incoming water | 9/14/2009 |
Q: I have friend that is on well water. We have fixed several water problems but keep coming up with ...
A: It sounds like you need to install a whole house filter on the line where the water enters the house ...
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| water leak with upstairs shower | 9/14/2009 |
Q: Our home is about 70yrs old but the people we bought the house from added a new bathroom upstairs ...
A: Since this only happens when the water is actually on for a long period of time, it is likely that ...
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| clogged kitchen sink | 9/14/2009 |
Q: our kitchen sink (dual sink with disposal) has been clogged on and off for about a couple of weeks. ...
A: Kitchen sinks can be a bear. At 50 feet, you are probably well into the main drain already. A ...
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| Kitchen faucet is loose | 9/13/2009 |
Q: I have a relatively new (it was installed about a year ago) ball faucet (I think) with a single ...
A: These type of faucets are usually held down by a slotted circular bracket and nut/washer set up ...
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| drain cleaners | 9/13/2009 |
Q: What is the best product to use to keep drains flowing and reduce clogs? Thank you for your ...
A: I'm not really in favor of chemical drain cleaners. Environmental issues aside, most contain lye in ...
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| shower water temp. | 9/12/2009 |
Q: briefly,the kitchen has it, both bathroom sink has it, but, both showers hsve zero warm/hot water.I ...
A: There are several possible causes for this. 1. Badly corroded and blocked galvanized pipes ...
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| broken pipe under house | 9/11/2009 |
Q: We just had a plumber out to look at our washer drain that was backing up. He determined by running ...
A: Bummer! Not fun to have to break the slab. Is the washer on an outside wall? possibly the line ...
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| water coming out from the base when turned on | 9/11/2009 |
Q: I have a 4" 2 handle Price Pfister lavatory faucet. Originally, it was dripping. So, I took out the ...
A: the faucets are made pretty cheaply these days and it does not take much to damage them. It is ...
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| toilet flushing problem | 9/11/2009 |
Q: Six months ago I used a plunger to clear my toilet bowl. It cleared and worked as it should.A few ...
A: It sounds like the problem is farther down the main line than just the toilets trap arm. Waste ...
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| lead bend | 9/11/2009 |
Q: i have lead bend in toilet, needs to be replace, how do i go about it, i have idea, but not sure, ...
A: 1. Pull the toilet. 2. Remove any screws holding the closet ring to the floor. 3. Cut out the lead ...
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| Bathtub Stopper Removal | 9/10/2009 |
Q: My apartment bathtub stopper works as follows - rotate it less than one turn and it drops into the ...
A: These are a bit tricky. Since they are designed to spin, it difficult to take them out completely. ...
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| Wet vent drain | 9/9/2009 |
Q: What the maximum allowed height you can wet vent for a sink. I'm currently looking at installing a ...
A: Oops, can't do that. A wet vent can only serve fixtures on the SAME floor. the correct way to do ...
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| Kitchen sink drain | 9/9/2009 |
Q: We bought our house with the current kitchen sink. I don't think I need to be very specific about ...
A: The correct term for the sink drain body is "3 inch basket strainer". There are also stainless ...
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| Rusty water in bathroom only | 9/8/2009 |
Q: We bought our house about 7 months ago and the water in the bathroom did not begin turning ...
A: This usually comes from having steel piping in the system somewhere. If the piping system is still ...
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| potential tub leak - apt. below | 9/8/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you could tell me how my tub might be causing a serious leak to not the floor ...
A: When you operate the diverter, it creates a certain amount of back pressure in a normally open pipe. ...
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| kitchen faucet | 9/8/2009 |
Q: I have a Delta two handle kitchen faucet that is 11 years old. The faucet was leaking from the ...
A: It is not hard to miss-install the cartridge assembly on a Delta. They are "keyed" so it is not ...
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| potential tub leak - apt. below | 9/7/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you could tell me how my tub might be causing a serious leak to not the floor ...
A: Neither of those things by themselves would cause leaking unless there were something faulty in the ...
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| how to remove a rusted drain | 9/7/2009 |
Q: how can i remove a rusty drain in a steel bathtub i want to install a new popup drain stop i tired ...
A: These can be a bear. Not as simple as it may seem. The drain top (in the tub) screws into the "drain ...
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| Hairline crack in Toilet Tank | 9/7/2009 |
Q: I have found a small hairline crack in the tank of the toilet (from the outside). It appears to ...
A: Yes, it can be sealed. The inside of the tanks are not glazed so silicone or the like will bond. ...
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| water heater valve | 9/5/2009 |
Q: There is a cvc pipe that runs from the water heater valve to the outside of our house. There is hot ...
A: The valve could be easily changed. They are not expensive. They tend to get limed up and leak. That ...
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| natural gas pipes | 9/4/2009 |
Q: I have replaced our gas service line with PE and the ends have a metal (do not know what type of ...
A: I used to own a house in Camarillo back in the early 70's, nice area. The bury depth for plastic ...
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| Ceiling Leak | 9/4/2009 |
Q: When my daughter turns on the water to her upstairs bathtub, water drips from downstairs ceiling and ...
A: It is possible that there is a leak behind the valve handle but not that likely. The water system ...
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| Ceiling Leak | 9/4/2009 |
Q: When my daughter turns on the water to her upstairs bathtub, water drips from downstairs ceiling and ...
A: It sounds like the tub drain may be leaking. The ceiling under it should be opened for two reasons. ...
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| natural gas pipes | 9/4/2009 |
Q: I have replaced our gas service line with PE and the ends have a metal (do not know what type of ...
A: No dielectric needed for this connection. The union should be a minimum of 6 inches above grade. the ...
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| bathroom sink clogged | 9/4/2009 |
Q: I recently had the pipes of my bathroom sink snaked out professionally and had the exterior pipes ...
A: This usually indicates that the pipes that are buried underground have failed and what you see is ...
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| Fish Smell out of bathroom drains | 9/3/2009 |
Q: We just finished an addition on our home. We have 4 new baths. 2 are on the second floor. One of ...
A: Tell your husband to stop cleaning his catch in the master bath! LOL He says the system is vented ...
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| Knob will not go down | 9/2/2009 |
Q: In a 1 yr old high-rise condo the knob that you push down on the water knozzle will not go down. It ...
A: At one year old, this should not be happening. Check with the management, it may still be under a ...
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| loud noise in bathroom | 9/2/2009 |
Q: Theres a loud noise in one of my bathrooms that I figured must be coming from water pipes, it sounds ...
A: This is probably expansion that happens when the water is re-heated after use in the water heater. ...
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| toilet | 9/2/2009 |
Q: My toilet has been leaking but only unto the plaster ceiling below. I had a plumber out he checked ...
A: Eileen, To determine the source of the leak, you may need to open the ceiling below for a good look. ...
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| toilet | 9/1/2009 |
Q: My toilet has been leaking but only unto the plaster ceiling below. I had a plumber out he checked ...
A: There seems to be two different problems here. The toilet tank leaking down is due to a faulty ...
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| What's behind exterior water spout | 9/1/2009 |
Q: I live in Orange County, CA in an 8 year old house. I'm mounting an outdoor hose roller on stucco. ...
A: It could be a metal safety strap OVER the pipe to prevent you making holes in it. It's a required ...
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| Whistling from all faucets/toilets,etc | 9/1/2009 |
Q: All of my fixtures, faucets, showers, baths, toilets are whistling when they are turned off. They ...
A: This is pretty odd. Water is a great transmitter of sound and the noise could be coming from one ...
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| Water Damage - Insurance | 8/31/2009 |
Q: We recently bought our house. We found a water in our carpet last week. We sucked up what we could ...
A: Bummer! Responsibility for crappy work is hard to prove. No, it is not standard practice to use ...
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| pressure relief valve recomendation | 8/30/2009 |
Q: Please specify the type of pressure relief valve that should be used for the following application. ...
A: From a plumbing standpoint, unless you are running some huge pressures (+300#) in the line for some ...
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| leak behind tile | 8/30/2009 |
Q: I have a bathtub upstairs. It has been leaking and was fixed. Now when a shower is taken upstairs ...
A: Maybe the plumber just though he fixed the leak. What did they fix? Water behind the tile is not ...
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| Faulty Hose bib | 8/29/2009 |
Q: it is leaking like crazy i initially added a "add-on" valve which temporarily stopped the leak. but ...
A: I think you are pretty much out of luck here. If it is deteriorated to the point that parts are no ...
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| Sink vent redirecting | 8/29/2009 |
Q: I am adding a window above the sink in my bedroom. When I removed the soffit, I discovered the 1" ...
A: The sink vent should be a minimum of 1-1/2 inch pipe, that's the code. You can "break" it over to ...
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| Mystery Water Appearing | 8/29/2009 |
Q: I have noticed a puddle of water appearing at more than a week apart. The water appears in closet in ...
A: Very strange! Is there a temperature/pressure relief valve on the water heater? There absolutely ...
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| water leak | 8/28/2009 |
Q: When I put my shower on there's a water leak on the other back side of the shower.I have another ...
A: It's possible that some part of the valve is leaking in the wall. I would strip off all external ...
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| garbage disposal | 8/28/2009 |
Q: can you pour rubbing alcohol down the disposal?
A: Rubbing alcohol is diluted and not all that strong. That should not be a problem for a city sewer as ...
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| two sinks in master bath won't work at the same time and cold seems tepid | 8/28/2009 |
Q: We have double sinks in the master bath and when one is turned on the other will not turn on or if ...
A: This has the symptoms of someone installing two sinks where there used to be only one and splitting ...
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| water line | 8/27/2009 |
Q: I want to run a water line from my house down to my garden approximately 200ft and use a frost proof ...
A: Like many, you have a definition "disconnect" between water pressure and water flow rate. They are ...
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| Hot Water Screeching | 8/27/2009 |
Q: I just moved in to an apartment complex which has 2 buildings, each with 3 floors and 12 apartments ...
A: This may be related to a defect in the valve. Try removing the shower head and running the water. ...
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| mechanical trip waster jammed | 8/26/2009 |
Q: My tub closing and opening mechanism is jammed - this happened before and there was a disconnect. ...
A: Some of these mechanisms are pretty weak and easily damaged. The standard brass setup consists of ...
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| Foul smell from all faucets & toilets | 8/25/2009 |
Q: For the last two weeks, we have noticed a foul smell coming from our faucets and even our toilets ...
A: Since you mentioned that your household is the only one suffering this issue, it would seem that it ...
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| smelly bathroom | 8/24/2009 |
Q: I've noticed a smell that comes and goes in our spare bathroom. We had a plumber unclogging another ...
A: All waste drains have a trap in them to maintain a "water seal" that prevents sewer gasses from ...
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| plastic toy has clogged tub drain | 8/24/2009 |
Q: I do beleive that my daughter let a small plastic figurine go down our bathtub drain. My husband ...
A: It is unlikely that you could generate enough air flow to move it with a typical home air ...
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| Faucet in kitchen | 8/23/2009 |
Q: The faucet in the kitchen will not turn off. Any ideas?
A: LOL, nothing like providing lots of information for me to work with. Obviously, there is something ...
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| washer backing up into stationary tub | 8/23/2009 |
Q: Just had main sewer snaked and cleaned out because it was backing up with raw sewage...that floor ...
A: There is a blockage somewhere downstream of that washer tub or it would not be backing up. You ...
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| plastic toy has clogged tub drain | 8/23/2009 |
Q: I do beleive that my daughter let a small plastic figurine go down our bathtub drain. My husband ...
A: Yep, kids can be fun. Anything that would dissolve the toy would likely damage the drain lines as ...
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| washing machine | 8/22/2009 |
Q: Until recently my washing machine when draining has worked, but now when water is being drained, in ...
A: I think its time to have the drain lines cleaned professionally. This is something that needs to be ...
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| Restoring water pressure | 8/21/2009 |
Q: How can I restore my water pressure? I recently renovated a 1/2 bath which included replacing old ...
A: These are all classic symptoms of old, corroded galvanized steel pipes reaching the end of their ...
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| Hot water heater problem-Water coming out from a pipe: | 8/21/2009 |
Q: Hot water heater problem-Water coming out from a pipe: Out hot water heater has a problem: there is ...
A: Oh My God! Just kidding. This is the pressure relief valve drain and it is venting off excess ...
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| pex tubing | 8/21/2009 |
Q: We have noticed a bright greenish tinge in certain parts of our newly installed (one year ago) pex ...
A: Strange happenings at your place! It would seem that unless that particular line is exposed to ...
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| Toilet float adjustment | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I have a new type toilet that has two buttons on the top of the tank cover. the water level is too ...
A: I would love to help you but I have a couple of problems with your question. 1. In order to research ...
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| Toilet | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I just asked another "expert" that my toilet was clogged and I tried a plunger and Drain-O and it ...
A: I understand. Sorry, no good news here either. If plunging it does not work, it needs to be snaked ...
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| Laundry room washer hook up | 8/20/2009 |
Q: I had a plumber install a wall unit in my laundry room with hot and cold faucets. Previously my ...
A: Yep, the plumber messed up. Not a big deal, just swap the hoses so the washer is not "confused" ...
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| Increasing water pressureMy home in france | 8/19/2009 |
Q: My home in France is supplied with water from a well .The well is approximately 24 ft above the ...
A: A pump system alone will not work very well. It will not last long running all the time. The ...
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| Downdraft vent installation | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I read an answer you posted about installing a down draft vent into an existing slab. That person ...
A: That's tough! Consider going after his completion bond if it was something included in the original ...
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| shower back plate | 8/19/2009 |
Q: My son just bought a house and while my wife was cleaning one of the showers she noticed the brass ...
A: This is one of those thing where you will need to get creative if you don't want to open the back ...
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| moving a plumbing vent | 8/18/2009 |
Q: we would like to move a sink drainage vent that serves 2 adjacent bathroom sinks in our master bath ...
A: This can be done but there are "technical issues" involved. 1. The vent may not have any changes ...
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| Backed up sink | 8/18/2009 |
Q: both my sinks and dishwasher are backed up. I have a double sink in my kitchen and when I run water ...
A: Kitchen sinks can be a pain. They are very prone to stoppages due the the amount of grease and food ...
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| Humming Shower | 8/17/2009 |
Q: "Hi, We recently moved into a house (built in 1985) and there is a humming noise behind the shower ...
A: Maybe it forgot the words! LOL I'm not clear, is the sound happening even if the water is not ...
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| washing machine pipe | 8/17/2009 |
Q: Whenever I run my washing machine (second floor), I hear the water in the wall downstairs during the ...
A: It certainly sounds like something is leaking or overflowing. It should not be allowed to continue ...
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| Dishwasher: Well Water- Pressure | 8/17/2009 |
Q: Does well water pressure effect dishwasher results? We moved to our country home, and have noticed ...
A: It might be that the well water is very hard in your area. This can cause a residue of minerals to ...
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| saniplus pumping problem | 8/16/2009 |
Q: I have a saniplus system for about 4 years. Over the last 24 hours when I flush my toilet the motor ...
A: Sounds like it's starting to have problems. Possibly something caught in the impeller. Not really ...
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| black stuff in pipes | 8/16/2009 |
Q: I have been setting up a mobile home that was moved to our property this year. When I finally got ...
A: Strange things happening! Never experienced this before. Certain chemicals like chlorine can ...
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| joining hot and cold faucets | 8/15/2009 |
Q: We have a sink in our garage that has a hot and a cold faucet. I am looking for an easy way to ...
A: I have seen Y adapters made from garden hose but I cannot find one in a quick search. I bet you ...
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| vibrating pipes | 8/14/2009 |
Q: I tried your suggestion to turn off ballcock's to toilets. It didn't work. I also tried all ...
A: Sometimes this can be maddening to find. Yes, outside hose faucets can cause it but only when ...
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| pipes | 8/13/2009 |
Q: How do i replace old pipes? Should I get a contractor or plumper? Water has been leaking when i ...
A: Unless you are very good at plumbing, it would be best to call in a specialist at repiping. Once ...
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| Sink overflow | 8/12/2009 |
Q: Upstairs bathroom sink left running by child, water pouring out light fixture over DOWNstairs ...
A: If it does not stay wet from more overflow, it should dry out on its own. Just monitor the ...
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| Pipes are all clogged? | 8/12/2009 |
Q: Beginning Thursday (today is Tuesday) I began having problems with draining. That Thursday when I ...
A: Yep, it's the trees. If you look at it logically, the stoppage or restriction is out past the clean ...
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| plumbing inspector | 8/11/2009 |
Q: I have been in the plumbing line of work for 39 years .was a plumbing inspector for 9.5 years .have ...
A: Man, I feel for you buddy. Been in the same boat for a while now myself. I have resumes posted on ...
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| Plumbing System Not Vented? | 8/10/2009 |
Q: My wife and I bought out current home 6 years ago. Outside of the occasional clog, we've never had ...
A: Ideally, each fixture should be vented separately. They could all be tied back together in the attic ...
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| Moen kitchen sink fixture | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I have a 3 piece MOEN kitchen fixture mounted on a standard 3-hole sink which has about 9" between ...
A: Lacking a model number, I can't give you details on how it comes apart. There are several models ...
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| what causes a gas water heater to tap or knock | 8/9/2009 |
Q: what causes a gaswater heater to tap or knock. It is working fine but there is this tapping sound ...
A: The industry standard life span for water heaters is 10-12 years. Yours should be good for a while ...
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| Plumbing System Not Vented? | 8/9/2009 |
Q: My wife and I bought out current home 6 years ago. Outside of the occasional clog, we've never had ...
A: It seems odd that the system is un-vented. That is totally against any code or good practice that I ...
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| what causes a gas water heater to tap or knock | 8/9/2009 |
Q: what causes a gaswater heater to tap or knock. It is working fine but there is this tapping sound ...
A: There are a couple of things that cause this. One it the normal expansion and contraction of any ...
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| Kitchen and Laundry plumbing | 8/8/2009 |
Q: Our home has the kitchen and laundry using the same waste water pipes and we have developed a ...
A: It is not uncommon to have both the kitchen and laundry on the same lateral. Unfortunately, these ...
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| Water Problems in a Mobile Home | 8/8/2009 |
Q: I'm having water problems in my mobile home. I'm not sure of the root of the cause but I'll list ...
A: Although well system are not my best subject, there might be something amiss with the pressure tank ...
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| Leaky Faucet | 8/7/2009 |
Q: My shower has a hot and cold water faucet. When you turn on the hot water, the cold water faucet ...
A: There are no moving parts inside the actual valve body in a two handle setup, just open water ...
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| Water Problems in a Mobile Home | 8/7/2009 |
Q: I'm having water problems in my mobile home. I'm not sure of the root of the cause but I'll list ...
A: What you can do is dependent on what the piping is made of. Many mobile homes are plumbed in ...
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| kitchen sprayer wont come out | 8/6/2009 |
Q: I want to swap out the kitchen sink sprayer with a soap dispenser. My problem is I don't see any ...
A: The black plastic thing IS the nut that holds the flange in place. The flange is only a trimmed hole ...
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| single shower valve | 8/6/2009 |
Q: The handle sticks when you pull it out to turn on and push it in to turn off. It is extremely hard ...
A: It's a bit hard to tell you what to do without knowing the brand. It sounds like it might be a ...
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| Plumbing | 8/5/2009 |
Q: How do you recommend one checks to see if a hose bib is soldered or threaded without tearing into ...
A: It's a visual thing and it takes experience. You have to have seen and worked with the various types ...
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| leaking spicket pipe | 8/4/2009 |
Q: i have a small leak in copper pipe that an outdoor spicket is attach to. the pipe was previously ...
A: Copper pipe is soldiered, not welded. Much lower temperatures involved. It's called "sweating". ...
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| overflow valve | 8/4/2009 |
Q: When my dishwasher runs, at certain cycles water will pour out of the overflow valve. The ...
A: First of all, it's NOT an overflow, it is an "air gap" to prevent back flow of contaminated water ...
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| Water Pressure | 8/3/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased a home that has a well/pump system of some sort. Last week the water pressure ...
A: Wells/pumping system are not really my area. If there are many of these type systems in your area, ...
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| new house | 8/3/2009 |
Q: We recently built a new house in NC. Less than 1 year. We have a problem with grit/sand in the ...
A: Well, obviously, it's being teleported into your pipes by evil aliens! LOL There is a simple ...
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| Sewer Smell | 8/3/2009 |
Q: We smell sewer gas from the bathroom sink. We have city sewer system. The bathroom sink P trap is ...
A: Seems a bit odd to have the trap so far away from the sink. This may be an issue as it could be ...
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| Pump turns off | 8/2/2009 |
Q: When I turn on the water and let it run for a while any where in the house, the water turns off. I ...
A: Pumps and wells are not my strong suit but It would seem that there may be a problem with the ...
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| Toilet Draining | 8/2/2009 |
Q: Our toilet (1 of 4 in the house) just stopped draining. Tried plunger, an air blaster, and it still ...
A: There is a special snake for use on toilets with a special bend and plastic protector to keep from ...
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| glacier bay faucet | 8/2/2009 |
Q: I have a pull down single handle faucet - I cannot get cold water to come out in a steady stream ...
A: These faucets are basically Home Depot's knock off version of a Delta faucet. Under the handle ...
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| air gap code | 8/1/2009 |
Q: Do I need to install an air gap for a new dishwasher in the city of Los Angeles? We have a permit ...
A: It depends. Some of the new dishwasher units have it built in. If it is, be prepared to show the ...
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| replacing a well pump | 8/1/2009 |
Q: Recently I noticed that our well pump was turning on in the middle of the night. I checked the ...
A: Well systems are not a specialty of mine since we rarely see one out here in the civilized part of ...
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| toilet | 8/1/2009 |
Q: i recently had me bathroom completely remodeled but now when i flush my toilet it drains the water ...
A: Call the plumbers back. They cheated and/or vented the toilets incorrectly and one is trying to ...
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| Rattling noise | 8/1/2009 |
Q: My half bath is near the kitchen. When the 1/2 bath toilet tank fills up, and the water stops ...
A: This is somewhat normal and is caused by some loose piping. The toilet is one of the devices that ...
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| Plugged Drain | 7/31/2009 |
Q: I have a washing machine in my basement and a wash tub beside it. When the washer drains, it goes ...
A: The drain is clogged and needs to be properly snaked with a power auger. laundry drains and kitchen ...
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| kitchen sink gurgles when toilet is flused | 7/31/2009 |
Q: .. Have a question for you. We have an old house, 1925, we live down in Bradenton, Florida. the ...
A: The Studor vent should be okay if it is working. It may not be. If you have had overflows, it is a ...
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| kitchen sink gurgles when toilet is flused | 7/30/2009 |
Q: .. Have a question for you. We have an old house, 1925, we live down in Bradenton, Florida. the ...
A: There is a problem with the venting in your plumbing system somewhere. it is blocked. The reason ...
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| leaking ceiling | 7/30/2009 |
Q: I live in an older duplex house with copper piping. We live upstairs and we have a tenant down ...
A: It sounds like the "shoe" portion of the waste and overflow is leaking when the tub is holding ...
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| toilet riser | 7/29/2009 |
Q: i would like to know how do i replace the hose from the wall to the toilet and how much will it cost ...
A: This is a pretty common and readily available part at any hardware or plumbing supply. The exact ...
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| Root Intrusion | 7/29/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased a home with a beautiful matured silver maple approximately 10ft from the house. ...
A: The pipes under the house that the inspector could see may have been metal and plastic. The main ...
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| water problems | 7/28/2009 |
Q: My toilet is not filling up and the water coming out of all the faucets in the house is a ...
A: Sounds like you have some serious water quality issues. I would call in a well/water specialist to ...
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| Loud Toilet When Flushing | 7/27/2009 |
Q: Our toilets are making VERY LOUD noises (in the tank) after flushing / when refilling. It's getting ...
A: I would start by taking the lid off the tank and watching what is happening when you flush. Caution, ...
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| Toliet not flushing at all | 7/27/2009 |
Q: Recently one of my toilets stopped flushing. If I hold the handle down, it doesn't do anything. If I ...
A: I'm a bit unclear about what you are telling me. Does the tank have water in it when you remove the ...
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| water pressure regulator | 7/27/2009 |
Q: Last week we started having intermittent low pressure in the house. If a toilet gets flushed there ...
A: You should be able to get an inexpensive pressure gauge that fits on a hose faucet from Home Depot ...
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| water pressure regulator | 7/26/2009 |
Q: Last week we started having intermittent low pressure in the house. If a toilet gets flushed there ...
A: The water company is only responsible for the system up to the meter at the street, everything else ...
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| bathroom sink drain leak | 7/25/2009 |
Q: I have a brand new Kohler sink and faucet assembly. I cannot get the drain that came with the ...
A: I agree, the crap they put out today is awful. A good name like Kohler gives you a plastic pop-up ...
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| Grohe Europlus II shower handle removal | 7/25/2009 |
Q: Grohe Europlus II product No. 35 233 000 After taking out the set screw underneath the handle, how ...
A: From the parts diagram, it looks like it should just lift off but it is not very clear. Grohe does ...
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| Double sinks in a bathroom | 7/24/2009 |
Q: I'd like to replace my single sink in our bathroom with a double sink using the existing drain and ...
A: It can be done using the existing drain line. To be code compliant, it needs to be plumbed like you ...
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| leak | 7/23/2009 |
Q: We noticed water seeping through the ceiling on the first floor of our (concrete)home (under a full ...
A: Leaks usually do not "fix" themselves. A non-pressure leak like a drain leak can sometimes seal over ...
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| main drains | 7/22/2009 |
Q: how many feet are main drains usually.what length of a snake is recommended
A: This is sort of like "how deep is the ocean?" The main drain is as long as it needs to be to reach ...
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| splitting water intake between faucet and std. hose fitting | 7/22/2009 |
Q: I have large dogs and bathe them in garage. Washroom adjacent to garage with sink I have been using ...
A: I too have large dogs, four of them, two of which are "show dogs" (Otterhounds) and AKC Champions so ...
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| Pipe making a | 7/22/2009 |
Q: After flushing the toilet there is a loud banging noise coming from the pipe
A: This is called "water hammer" and it is caused when water moving through the pipes is suddenly ...
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| Restrictor valve | 7/22/2009 |
Q: I had a had valve to reduce my water main water line pressure down from 105 PSI to 65 psi. Do I ...
A: If the regulator allows for back pressure you should be ok. Many regulators have a check valve which ...
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| new vessel sink drain | 7/21/2009 |
Q: Not sure where to start so will start at the wall. 1 1/4 chrome pipe comes out of the wall. Can I ...
A: If you pull off the panel/patch on the back wall you will probably find that that 1-1/4 pipe has a ...
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| Loud toilet or pipes all the time | 7/20/2009 |
Q: We have a groaning noise coming from our water pipes or a toilet 24 hours a day - if they are not ...
A: Two things come to mind; excess pressure in the system and/or failing toilet fill valves. The excess ...
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| lowering household water pressure | 7/19/2009 |
Q: The pressure regulator in our house does not appear to be working since I measure the household ...
A: First, turning the screw clockwise raises the pressure I believe. At least Watts thinks so. ...
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| running water lines | 7/19/2009 |
Q: We ran aout 400 feet of water line. when we turned the water back on we now have almost no water ...
A: You are actually dealing with two factors here. Pressure, which is the static measurement of the ...
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| Copper kitchen faucet pipe sprung a leak | 7/18/2009 |
Q: The crinkled type copper pipe for my cold water under my kitchen sink sprung a leak and I see where ...
A: It might be able to be repaired but unless you are skilled at soldiering copper pipe yourself, the ...
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| Hot Water Tank leaking | 7/18/2009 |
Q: My hot water tank is leakingfrom the valve at the bottom where you can attatch a hose or something ...
A: The valve itself can be replaced. If it is a regular faucet looking valve, you can unscrew it and ...
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| Outdoor Faucet Pressure | 7/17/2009 |
Q: This question involves my outdoor faucet. And yes, I do have a well. LOL It seems as if my ...
A: I think he's blowing smoke you know where. Restricting the flow will not improve things. As soon as ...
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| New drain pipe | 7/17/2009 |
Q: I have a laundry tub that i want to replace the Drain pipe but it goes into a lead drain in the ...
A: Very Carefully! LOL This is very "old school" stuff. There are very few lead pipes left still in ...
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| shower drain | 7/17/2009 |
Q: i droppped a cloth into the shower drain accidentally when the lid to the drain slid over. what ...
A: I suspect you will soon find out! It depends on several things; the condition of the piping, the ...
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| Leaky Lavatory Sink Bowl | 7/16/2009 |
Q: My lavatory sink started to leak. It is an oval sink that has some sort of mounting plate underneath ...
A: I have never run across one like this. I guess the only thing to do is to take it apart to see if ...
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| Double lav in master bath | 7/15/2009 |
Q: Dana, I've been asking you a few questions lately regarding the plumbing in my master bath. I have ...
A: LOL, now you are back to the wet venting problem if you do that. The san-t from the lowest fixture ...
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| Double lav in master bath | 7/15/2009 |
Q: Dana, I've been asking you a few questions lately regarding the plumbing in my master bath. I have ...
A: Depending on the layout of the lav cabinet, you could consider plumbing the two lavs like a double ...
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| Shower venting question | 7/14/2009 |
Q: I am moving fixtures in a 2nd floor bath and am trying to preserve as much of the drain, waste and ...
A: The problem is the "horizontal" part. That's what makes it a flat vent system. Tying vents together ...
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| water heater noise | 7/14/2009 |
Q: When I turn on a hot water tap, my 5 year old gas water heater has begun making quite a loud "tone". ...
A: I'm pretty good at this but there are limits.LOL I'm afraid that without being there to hear the ...
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| Shower venting question | 7/14/2009 |
Q: I am moving fixtures in a 2nd floor bath and am trying to preserve as much of the drain, waste and ...
A: Drain/waste/vent system are pretty complex to explain. You are proposing a "flat plumbed" system. ...
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| Tankless Hot Water Heater | 7/14/2009 |
Q: I just got a Takagi K1S Propane tankless hot water heater installed and for a couple days it worked ...
A: For any problems with this installation, I would call the person that installed it. They are ...
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| repiping and rewiring | 7/13/2009 |
Q: My family and I just purchased a home built in the late 1930s in the San Gabriel Valley and would ...
A: Congratulations on you new home. The best source for pricing is going to be the people who will ...
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| Noisy kitchen faucet | 7/13/2009 |
Q: Every time I turn on my kitchen faucet it sounds like there is air trapped in it. The loud ...
A: Yes, it is entirely possible that they are related. There is a device called a diverter that ...
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| Moving Washer and Dryer to Utility Closet | 7/13/2009 |
Q: I'd like to move my current washer and dryer location. The room I want to move it to is a utility ...
A: Actually, wet venting is ONLY allowed with fixtures on the same floor level. Your proposed ...
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| Moving Washer and Dryer to Utility Closet | 7/13/2009 |
Q: I'd like to move my current washer and dryer location. The room I want to move it to is a utility ...
A: This is probably possible but there are a few issues. Plumbing drain systems are called "DWV" as in ...
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| Noisy kitchen faucet | 7/13/2009 |
Q: Every time I turn on my kitchen faucet it sounds like there is air trapped in it. The loud ...
A: I cannot think of any reason that the faucet would be doing that under "normal circumstances. The ...
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| Outside water faucet | 7/12/2009 |
Q: I have a condo that I rent out. The pipe inside the house that goes to the outside water faucet ...
A: I think we are talking about the same thing here. A vacuum breaker is the same thing as an ...
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| Outside water faucet | 7/12/2009 |
Q: I have a condo that I rent out. The pipe inside the house that goes to the outside water faucet ...
A: Whew! This is a very convoluted question but I think I got it. LOL Not sure what you mean by ...
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| replacing | 7/12/2009 |
Q: I may need to have my home pipe (main line) repaired this week. My home is about 40 years old and ...
A: Without seeing the actual situation, it's hard to say. I can say this; there are ways to do this ...
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| drain under shower pan | 7/11/2009 |
Q: I have removed the old pan and walls of my old shower. I am planning on retiling the shower. My ...
A: What you are looking at is the top of the concrete pan. Under that is a liner of either plastic or ...
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| Water heater rumble | 7/11/2009 |
Q: I have a new...6 month old..AO Smith ProMax 40 gal gas water heater, with expansion tank on the cold ...
A: I would check with A. O. Smith. 6 months is a bit soon for this to happen under normal ...
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| Changed faucet, now hot/cold are switched | 7/11/2009 |
Q: One of my faucets went bad and I had to replace it. I couldn't find a matching faucet (it is in a 2 ...
A: Somehow the piping got switched during construction. It happens. You should be able to just swap ...
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| hot water governor? | 7/10/2009 |
Q: It's a Pegasus, estate set, classic collection. The maximum hto we can get is not hot enough for me. ...
A: This is an "anti-scald" valve. It should have an adjustment in the handle area somewhere. Look at ...
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| Toilet handheld douche | 7/10/2009 |
Q: I installed a handheld shower in the toilet, the plastic ones they sell at Home Depot, but before a ...
A: That's pretty much the idea although the back flow devices are more than just a check valve. They ...
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| Toilet handheld douche | 7/10/2009 |
Q: I installed a handheld shower in the toilet, the plastic ones they sell at Home Depot, but before a ...
A: Okay, time for a little history lesson. Back at the turn of the century, many illnesses were cause ...
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| Toilet handheld douche | 7/10/2009 |
Q: I installed a handheld shower in the toilet, the plastic ones they sell at Home Depot, but before a ...
A: Home Depot stuff is not the highest quality, I'm not surprised it started leaking. Here's one that ...
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| Noise in the pipes | 7/9/2009 |
Q: Recently, when we flush one of our upstairs toilets (we have two and the other does not make any ...
A: The picture was too small to make out any detail but it looks like a typical Fluid Master fill ...
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| fiberglass shower stall crack | 7/9/2009 |
Q: Dana: I have a hairline crack in my shower (the kind where the sides are tile, the door is glass, ...
A: Here are a couple of links that might be helpful: ...
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| fiberglass shower stall crack | 7/9/2009 |
Q: Dana: I have a hairline crack in my shower (the kind where the sides are tile, the door is glass, ...
A: Yes, fiberglass can be repaired and refinished just like a boat or car body. The trick to using ...
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| Leaky outside facuet | 7/9/2009 |
Q: I have a cutoff valve located on the outside of my home used for watering. The valve leaks so I ...
A: These are called "Frost Free" hose bibs and are designed to drain out when the water is shut off ...
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| replacing water valve | 7/9/2009 |
Q: I need to have a water valve replaced. The home depot expert says I can desolder to remove the old ...
A: So what you have is probably called a gate valve. I think it would be almost impossible to find ...
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| air in plumbing line | 7/8/2009 |
Q: I have a kitchen faucet with a diverter for a sprayer that has been completely replaced 2 times and ...
A: "Air in the pipes" is a bit of an old wives tale. It can happen in a closed hot water heating ...
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| water heater leak/high water pressure? | 7/7/2009 |
Q: Our 7month-old rheem 80gal water heater has a slow leak from the bottom apparently. The pressure ...
A: Water heaters are rated to stand at least 300 PSI and should not leak. 85-90 is a bit high for ...
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| fittings | 7/7/2009 |
Q: I have recently installed some copper fittings and due to the ancient plumbing in my house, I had to ...
A: I'm not a fan of Teflon tape although I have used it occasionally. Pipe threads are tapered and I ...
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| Shower head dripping intermittently | 7/6/2009 |
Q: I posted this question last week and received your answer. I verified that we do have an expansion ...
A: Okay, it's for sure now, your shower is haunted! LOL This is pretty strange. With the shut off ...
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| Howling Pipes in Upstairs Bathroom | 7/6/2009 |
Q: I have a very annoying problem that I hope you can solve for me. I live in a 12 year old 2 story ...
A: That's a good one, "she likes it". LOL This situation is usually caused by failing washers and/or ...
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| The Bigger the Bowel | 7/6/2009 |
Q: My top floor Venice apartment is in a building that was constructed in the late 1920s. I know little ...
A: (from a fellow SoCal resident, NoHo) The water level in a toilet bowl is physically determined by ...
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| Spout leaks heavily when shower runs! | 7/5/2009 |
Q: I am having a problem with my single valve shower from Pegasus. It is a single valve shower with ...
A: You may know that Pegasus valves are a product available in Home Depot and Lowes. They are versions ...
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| modification to a china sink | 7/4/2009 |
Q: I have recently purchased a Kohler 3 hole china sink. In addition to the facet I would like to add ...
A: Oops! I hate when that happens! While not easy, it can be done. A company called "Relton" makes ...
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| water heater pressure relief valve | 7/3/2009 |
Q: I turned the temperature on my water heater up past the mid- point about 3/4 of the way to "hot." ...
A: The slight leakage is the valve doing what it is supposed to do, relieve excess pressure. The water ...
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| Shower head dripping intermittently | 7/2/2009 |
Q: I have a showerhead that will start dripping on its own for no 'apparent' reason. The dripping will ...
A: First, all the parts to repair or rebuild the shower valve are accessible from the front, no need to ...
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| Ways to eliminate delay in getting hot water from tankless water heater | 7/2/2009 |
Q: I have a tankless whole-house system. One shower is about 60' away and the water takes probably a ...
A: This issue is one that has come up in my trade from time to time. A tankless system is great but ...
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| Installing a toilet | 7/2/2009 |
Q: We added an addition on to our house which included a bathroom. I am getting ready to install the ...
A: This is a cap or plug the plumber installs to keep construction debris out of the line and to keep ...
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| noise drain | 7/1/2009 |
Q: In my basement i can hear a constant drip of water going into the drain. The drain is covered so I ...
A: This might be a feed line for a humidifier unit on your furnace. It only needs to be on during the ...
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| venting for a planned basement toilet | 7/1/2009 |
Q: I realize that I will have to run a 4" drain (and in my case tie into the main drain running below ...
A: LOL, welcome to my world! Try reading the electrical codes sometimes. that's a real snoozer! I ...
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| Backflow Prevention Devices | 7/1/2009 |
Q: In order to prevent backflow into the public water supply, I recently purchased a Hose Connection ...
A: It will work fine. If there is pressure on the downstream side, the internal diaphragm will not ...
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| hot water electric heater | 7/1/2009 |
Q: I have an older Jackson 50 gallon electric hot water heater. It suddenly started making a relatively ...
A: Water heaters as a rule last about 10 years on average. The soft water helps to mitigate the ...
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| venting for a planned basement toilet | 7/1/2009 |
Q: I realize that I will have to run a 4" drain (and in my case tie into the main drain running below ...
A: Ultimately, this depends on what Code is in force and being followed in your area. Check with the LA ...
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| additional question about toilet | 6/30/2009 |
Q: Okay, I think the flapper is closing too soon. It doesn't seem damaged, it just seems very heavy ...
A: Flappers are pretty standard for this type of system. Corky is a common brand. Very easy to change ...
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| water saver toilet | 6/30/2009 |
Q: I have a water saver toilet. It takes about 5 flushes to get even the tiniest piece of paper to go ...
A: Take the lid off the tank and then flush the toilet normally. Watch the flapper. It should lift up ...
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| vent in bathroom | 6/30/2009 |
Q: can you vent bathroom steam from shower into the attic without problems or will the hot stean from ...
A: In a word, NO! Moisture is a big problem in confined spaces. It creates condensation and leads to ...
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| water saver toilet | 6/29/2009 |
Q: I have a water saver toilet. It takes about 5 flushes to get even the tiniest piece of paper to go ...
A: It's obvious that this toilet is NOT working as intended. The length of the flush is usually set by ...
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| tapping noise from water meter | 6/29/2009 |
Q: I live in Boston in a home that was renovated over the past year and completely fitted with new ...
A: This is a tough one! I would need to be there to track it down. It could be a faulty pressure ...
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| replacing water valve | 6/29/2009 |
Q: I need to have a water valve replaced. The home depot expert says I can desolder to remove the old ...
A: Yes, copper pipe comes in three grades; M, L and K. The difference is wall thickness, not outside ...
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| water saver toilet | 6/29/2009 |
Q: I have a water saver toilet. It takes about 5 flushes to get even the tiniest piece of paper to go ...
A: Unless you have one of the very first units from 10-15 years ago, I find it hard to believe that it ...
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| toilet bowl syphoning | 6/27/2009 |
Q: I need help I have two toilets in the house. They are located generally back to back in the 2 ...
A: This usually indicates a venting problem. Either there is no vent for the toilets or it is connected ...
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| increasing water line size | 6/27/2009 |
Q: Would I lose pressure if I came off my 3/4" water line with 1" pipe? (using pvc) I don't want to ...
A: You can't ignore physics. Given the very long run of your water main, I'll surprised you have any ...
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| no hot water after gas pressure test | 6/26/2009 |
Q: i had a new tankless water heater installed and today they did a gas pressure test for the city ...
A: Sorry to hear you are having problems with this. This is something that the plumber should have ...
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| water pump | 6/26/2009 |
Q: my water pump just blew, my daughter was in the shower and all water shut off. i am worried about my ...
A: No problem here, the tank does NOT empty. The hot water system is a "closed" system. The tank does ...
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| toilet problems | 6/26/2009 |
Q: My toilet is running I guess? the water in the bowl will slowly drain down, then the toilet will ...
A: The bowl should not drain by itself. Nor should it refill itself unless the flapper is leaking. ...
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| loss of water pressure | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I have a Glacier Bay 3-Handle Pressure Balance Tub and Shower Faucet. Other than the fact that it ...
A: To the best of my knowledge (and I've been dong this for 25 years)there is no such a thing as a ...
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| Kitchen sink and Diswasher rough in | 6/25/2009 |
Q: Dana, I have my cpvc pipe stubbed out for my kitchen sink and cabinets were installed today. I am ...
A: I strongly recommend individual shut off for each item. Separate hot and cold for the sink, a ...
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| Low Water Pressure in Home | 6/24/2009 |
Q: The water pressure in my home is very low and has been so for a long time. The city came out and ...
A: Low flow/pressure could be caused by many things. A whole house filter is not common unless you put ...
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| connect PVC to unthreaded galvanized pipe | 6/24/2009 |
Q: I am replacing the galvanized water pipe in my home(over 60 years old) with PVC. I do not want to go ...
A: For ten years, I ran 8 3-man crews doing just this type of work. In my experience, if gal is leaking ...
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| connect PVC to unthreaded galvanized pipe | 6/24/2009 |
Q: I am replacing the galvanized water pipe in my home(over 60 years old) with PVC. I do not want to go ...
A: Hah, so you just cut them off? Oops! What is left? Down pointing gal stubs? Not a lot to work with ...
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| connect PVC to unthreaded galvanized pipe | 6/24/2009 |
Q: I am replacing the galvanized water pipe in my home(over 60 years old) with PVC. I do not want to go ...
A: Although I don't recommend this course of action since the old pipes in the walls are still 60 years ...
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| gurgling sounds in toilet after flushing. | 6/24/2009 |
Q: I am from Mumbai India. I have created 2 toilets in my apartment,which originally had 1 toilet ...
A: Obviously, I know nothing about the plumbing codes, if any, in India. I can only address basic ...
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| Proximity of gas and electrical | 6/23/2009 |
Q: Not sure if you have gas experience or not, but I'll give it a shot. The previous owner of my house ...
A: Check with the local utility companies for a definite an answer. The 2006 IRC is not that ...
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| frozen/stuck cutoff valve | 6/23/2009 |
Q: I recently bought a condominium and inherited a frozen cut-off valve under one of my sinks. I just ...
A: Ya,aren't condos fun? Many of the old shut off valves have plastic stems and you can't force them ...
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| mixit tub faucet | 6/22/2009 |
Q: I'm not sure that i have bad mixit stem but i cannot get the cold water from any position of the ...
A: Possibly a bad or worn stem or damaged handle that is not engaging the temperature regulating ...
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| Water and Sewer for new lot | 6/21/2009 |
Q: I am looking to put a house on an un-serviced lot. The town sold the lot to me for a dollar in ...
A: Looks like no one is stepping up on your question. I'll give it a shot. With 8 feet of fall, you ...
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| proper venting | 6/20/2009 |
Q: My question regards proper venting by code in a residence. I have done quite a bit of plumbing but ...
A: Without being able to see the setup they called you on, it's almost impossible to tell you what to ...
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| proper venting | 6/20/2009 |
Q: My question regards proper venting by code in a residence. I have done quite a bit of plumbing but ...
A: Not sure where it went wrong since I cannot see it.I'm a little unclear about what you are referring ...
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| I think I have piece of metal stuck in S-curve of bathtub causing slow drain | 6/20/2009 |
Q: The overflow drain linkage (steel apparently) was about 20 years old and finally the long rod ...
A: The assembly will need to be taken apart in any case. If you are going to the trouble to get to it ...
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| I think I have piece of metal stuck in S-curve of bathtub causing slow drain | 6/20/2009 |
Q: The overflow drain linkage (steel apparently) was about 20 years old and finally the long rod ...
A: The drain part is called a "trip lever waste" and it has linkage that lifts a small cylinder up and ...
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| expansion tank on hot water heater | 6/19/2009 |
Q: If the pressure is set too high in the expansion tank can it damage tank or hot water heater? Per ...
A: It may have come that way from the factory and the installer didn't bother to check it or they set ...
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| leak in slab | 6/18/2009 |
Q: In the front foyer of our home (marble tile floors) we have determined we have a leak. We have ...
A: First, it is unlikely that it is a drainage related leak. These tend to go down rather than surface. ...
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| hot water tank | 6/18/2009 |
Q: Should the expansion tank connected to a hot water heater make noise? I had a new hot water tank ...
A: Something is not right. There should not be any leaking going on. I have never heard an expansion ...
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| Dribbling hose bibb | 6/17/2009 |
Q: Dana, I have a hose bibb in my garage. I hook a hose to it to water plants, etc. When I turn off ...
A: It's called a vacuum breaker and it is required on any faucet that has hose threads on it to prevent ...
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| water heaters | 6/17/2009 |
Q: I currently have a 32 gallon oil fired hot water heater that needs replacement. I also have gas ...
A: The actual brand names vary across the country. The usual difference is length of warranty. They ...
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| Leaky shower | 6/16/2009 |
Q: I have a Price Pfister single handle shower. It's been leaky for a while; a few drips every minute. ...
A: It doesn't take much to get a little drip. It could be defective or poor quality o-rings, a very ...
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| Leaky shower | 6/16/2009 |
Q: I have a Price Pfister single handle shower. It's been leaky for a while; a few drips every minute. ...
A: So are you asking if you should replace the cartridge body as well? It would seem that would be the ...
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| Replacing toilet that had no closet flange | 6/15/2009 |
Q: I just purchased a home built in the 1950, and an upstairs bath was in need of a new toilet(bowl ...
A: There are cast iron closet rings called "insta-set" rings with a rubber gasket that can be clamped ...
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| Shower too hot, no cold water | 6/15/2009 |
Q: It says "Delta Scald Guard" on it. We recently had a plumber here to fix a drip and he replaced ...
A: These type of faucets usually have a setting that is adjustable to prevent getting too hot of water ...
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| new kitchen faucet very loud | 6/14/2009 |
Q: .. I just replaced my kitchen sink and faucet and bought a beautiful very contemporary faucet on ...
A: Faucets (actually most things) made in China and purchased out of regular supply channels (eBay) are ...
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| WellMate WM6 | 6/14/2009 |
Q: WellMate WM6 Water was rushing out of the release valve opposite the pressure gauge. Gauge reads ...
A: Not really my area. Sounds like the gauge is toast though. Relief valves do get weak and fail over ...
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| water heater noise | 6/14/2009 |
Q: Why so sudden - it just started banging 10 days ago - no warning. This is a 6 yr old AO Smith tank ...
A: Yes, I remember. I'm stumped as to why it would rumble with use of cold water. It should not effect ...
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| connecting a drain pipe | 6/13/2009 |
Q: I found a cast iron drain pipe with a screw in type plug behind a wall. I would like to install a ...
A: That fitting is a clean out to access the line for snaking. You could probably mock up some sort of ...
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| a "humming" sound from my water regulator | 6/13/2009 |
Q: In the recent past, I had some minor issues with my sprinkler system. While I've narrowed that issue ...
A: The regulator has a diaphragm system to regulate the pressure. There may be some debris on/in one ...
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| Kitchen Faucet - hot water pressure decreases | 6/13/2009 |
Q: I have a Mohen pullout kitchen faucet with a lever. It has been in use for 2 years. when I swing ...
A: Actually, mine does the same thing! The left side should be the hot. The water heater and pipes ...
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| Hot Water Tank | 6/13/2009 |
Q: At my old house I use to drain my water heater once a year using these guidelines: ...
A: LOL, Okay, now that's weird. The hot water system is a "closed system" so water will only come out ...
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| water heaters | 6/12/2009 |
Q: I currently have a 32 gallon oil fired hot water heater that needs replacement. I also have gas ...
A: Being on the left coast, I have absolutely zero exposure to oil fired systems so I can't help you ...
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| clogged pipes | 6/12/2009 |
Q: i installed a toilet before mothers day,now im finding water on the floor around toilet base,when i ...
A: Actually a new question but no matter. Yes, there is supposed to be a clean out within 2 feet of ...
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| new gas water heater | 6/11/2009 |
Q: Had our gas water heater replaced 2 months ago and after having the setting pretty low and still ...
A: I'm sorry, you did ask that the first time. It's possible but not very likely in only 2-3 months.. ...
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| Condo Upstairs Plumbing Leak Affecting Lower Unit | 6/11/2009 |
Q: I own a condo in Aliso Viejo, CA with a restroom directly above my neighbor's garage. Apparently the ...
A: I'm not a lawyer. I don't even play one on TV. LOL So this is only my opinion. I have been an HOA ...
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| toilet leak | 6/11/2009 |
Q: i installed a toilet before mothers day,now im finding water on the floor around toilet base,when i ...
A: I suspect that the tank-to-bowl connection or the connection at the supply to the fill valve is ...
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| new gas water heater | 6/11/2009 |
Q: Had our gas water heater replaced 2 months ago and after having the setting pretty low and still ...
A: Possibly usage patterns have changed. Unconsciously, family members may be using a little more hot ...
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| warm water, not hot | 6/10/2009 |
Q: Today when I showered, I noticed the water was only warm even when I turn it all the way to the ...
A: Since this is a new home, it probably has an "anti-scald" valve installed that limits the maximum ...
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| Water pipe noise | 6/10/2009 |
Q: After a shower upstairs in 1 bathroom but not the other -when I turm the kitchen sink or bathroom ...
A: A couple of things could be happening. 1. The sediment build up is one big chunk now so it won't ...
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| No water in toilet bowl | 6/10/2009 |
Q: My daughter has toilet in her home that won’t hold water in the bowl; not even a small puddle at ...
A: There is a restriction or partial clog in the line draining this toilet and it may not be venting ...
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| traps | 6/10/2009 |
Q: what's the difference between a p-trap and a s-trap?
A: The way you hold your lips when you say it! LOL just kidding. The purpose of a trap is to maintain ...
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| Plumbing issue - no water pressure | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I'm considering buying a house built in 1954. During the inspection, it became clear that water ...
A: First, the Inspector is probably right. If the house still has galvanized pipes, ther're toast by ...
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| Water pipe noise | 6/9/2009 |
Q: After a shower upstairs in 1 bathroom but not the other -when I turm the kitchen sink or bathroom ...
A: First, well done for actually doing what most do not do and servicing the heater. If it is not the ...
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| Water pipe noise | 6/9/2009 |
Q: After a shower upstairs in 1 bathroom but not the other -when I turm the kitchen sink or bathroom ...
A: This sounds like the water heater is making noise. When you draw off hot water, cold water replaces ...
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| Plumbing leak and standing water | 6/9/2009 |
Q: we recently discovered we had a plumbing leak from our kitchen sink that has been dumping water ...
A: You should be able to rent some kind of pump from the local tool rental yard. Also, you could call ...
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| Bradford White water heater | 6/8/2009 |
Q: We have a Bradford White model # M250S6DS2, 50 gal., which has suddenly stopped working...has 2 ...
A: Yes, each element can be tested while still in the tank. YOU MUST SHUT THE POWER TO THE WATER HEATER ...
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| strange problem with toilets | 6/8/2009 |
Q: We have two toilets in a single story home. Both were working fine this morning and I was home ...
A: That's the only reason that I know of that would cause this. It's like putting your finger over the ...
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| strange problem with toilets | 6/8/2009 |
Q: We have two toilets in a single story home. Both were working fine this morning and I was home ...
A: This is typically caused by a venting problem. When something drains, it needs a vent on that drain ...
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| toilet flushes infrequently | 6/7/2009 |
Q: Newly installed (professionally) Am. Std. Cadet III toilet will flush only every 2nd or 3rd time. ...
A: Occasionally, a bad casting gets through the line that has some restriction in the trap way. This ...
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| Running Toilet | 6/6/2009 |
Q: I consider myself a pretty good handyman plumber but find myself stumped. I have an American ...
A: I bet it is! This sounds like the leaking flapper issue but you have changed it. Is the chain ...
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| getting dome off single-handle peerless faucet | 6/5/2009 |
Q: U helped me with the Moen in my bathroom yesterday. Today I need help with the kitchen faucet. It's ...
A: The dome part should just unscrew. The plastic ring is an adjustment ring to apply tension to the ...
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| retaining clip on moen single handle tub | 6/3/2009 |
Q: Shouldn't it be in that slotted area? thanks so much for any help you can provide.
A: Yep, seems to be missing. I'm surprised the cart hasn't blown out by now. Don't stand in front of it ...
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| Rockwell Shower Faucet | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I've got a '79 home with a Rockwell shower unit. I don't see any identifying marks on the unit, ...
A: It appears that Rockwell is/was somehow connected to Sterling Manufacturing. I found some things at ...
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| Leaks in Main Drain | 5/31/2009 |
Q: My main drain is cast iron with the exception of a portion that was replaced with PVC before I ...
A: Often the pipe, from 2 feet past the foundation onward, is a different material, typically clay ...
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| Leaks in Main Drain | 5/31/2009 |
Q: My main drain is cast iron with the exception of a portion that was replaced with PVC before I ...
A: Sounds like you have several issues going on at the same time here. Rusted out cast iron piping, ...
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| New dishwasher connection to existing disposal | 5/31/2009 |
Q: I want to hook up my new dishwasher to the dishwasher drain on the existing garbage disposal. The ...
A: Yes it can. If you have small enough hands, you can probably shove you hand down and grab it with ...
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| Plumbing drains | 5/30/2009 |
Q: I have a 3" stack going up through my basement to the main floor where it services toilets, sinks, ...
A: Is this the main drain for the fixtures above? If so, your idea would constitute a "wet vent" ...
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| sewer methane pipe | 5/29/2009 |
Q: I just re-did the old galvanized plumbing myself in my older home, as well as the waste water lines. ...
A: That's a bit of a big Oops! There is more to plumbing than just throwing in some pipes. The venting ...
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| Knocking sound | 5/29/2009 |
Q: We have a 1994 built house. There are pipes behind our master bedroom wall which makes an irritating ...
A: <grin> Good detective work Meena! Now this is getting interesting! Not sure I have a fix for this ...
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| slow flush basement toilet | 5/28/2009 |
Q: I just finished my basement bathroom. The builder had put in the rough in for the house. I put in a ...
A: I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time visualizing what you are describing. Slow flush usually equals ...
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| Knocking sound | 5/28/2009 |
Q: We have a 1994 built house. There are pipes behind our master bedroom wall which makes an irritating ...
A: At least it's a "soft" knocking! Could be worse. I know it's annoying. Pipes will expand and ...
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| Individual to Stackable Washer/Dryer | 5/28/2009 |
Q: I'm considering changing from standalone washer and dryer units to a stackable to save space, ...
A: You don't necessarily need to move the plumbing. You could just use longer supply and drain hoses. ...
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| galvanized water supply line | 5/28/2009 |
Q: i want to hookup my ice maker for the fridge but we have galvanized pipe. is there a way way to do ...
A: Sure there is. There are kits that contain a "saddle valve" that can be installed on a galvanized ...
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| washing machine drain overflow | 5/27/2009 |
Q: My home was built about 1969, I bought it 5 years ago. I have used the same washer for 5 years here ...
A: Hmmmm, tough one! The only thing that comes to mind is a possible vent problem or a restriction in ...
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| Plumbing T&P valve to existing stub-out | 5/27/2009 |
Q: I replaced my dead water heater recently. The T&P valve was plumbed with gray plastic tube (no ...
A: The current standard most everywhere is: the discharge must be piped to a "safe" location. (usually ...
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| slow flush basement toilet | 5/27/2009 |
Q: I just finished my basement bathroom. The builder had put in the rough in for the house. I put in a ...
A: At this point, lacking any support or documentation from the builder or his plumber, you are on your ...
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| slow flush basement toilet | 5/27/2009 |
Q: I just finished my basement bathroom. The builder had put in the rough in for the house. I put in a ...
A: My thoughts are possible construction debris that is allowing the clear water to pass but is causing ...
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| gas heater | 5/27/2009 |
Q: not working which is problematic as winter is here. The ignition system is fairly straight forward- ...
A: Don't know if you got an answer yet but the problem is the thermocouple is bad. When the ...
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| House smells when it rains | 5/27/2009 |
Q: We just bought 'This Old House' - 1930s or something. The previous owners said they took care of ...
A: You're asking me? Heck, I live in a desert! Rain? What's that? LOL The short answer it to handle ...
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| Plumbing... | 5/26/2009 |
Q: I'm putting a bathroom in my upstairs and have several questions pertaining to waste and venting. I ...
A: <grin> Not looking for much here are you? LOL Basically, you are asking me to teach you the plumbing ...
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| noisy pipes | 5/26/2009 |
Q: When the lawn sprinklers go on, the pipes(i think) get very noisy. I can tell when the sprinklers ...
A: Due to the, shall we say, "less than the best quality" of construction and workers in the past ten ...
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| how to hookup a washing machine | 5/26/2009 |
Q: how do i hoo up a washing machine to my kitchen sink
A: Washing machines have two water supplies, one hot and one cold. The kitchen sink has a spout in ...
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| pressure | 5/26/2009 |
Q: well is set at appx 25/45 and still not enough umph to turn a sprinkler for the lawn. Irratic really ...
A: 25-45 PSI is below the normal standard for "functional flow" established by the plumbing industry. ...
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| Lose hot water at other faucets when tub is running | 5/25/2009 |
Q: We recently remodeled our house and replumbed the entire house and replaced the water heater with a ...
A: Yes, most definitely a "strategy" to repiping the house. It's called correct pipe sizing. Water ...
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| upstairs drains all drain very slow | 5/25/2009 |
Q: We live in a two story 2000 home. We have a septic tank and use a community well for our water. We ...
A: Yes, time to have the drains mechanically cleaned. If you are at all handy, I would take the pop-up ...
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| No hot water | 5/25/2009 |
Q: We recently turned on our whirlpool jetted tub and we have no hot water. Cold comes out great but ...
A: My first call would be that the water piping in this house is probably galvanized steel and it has ...
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| toilet ballcock leakage | 5/24/2009 |
Q: .. After I flush my toilet and the tank settles down, the ballcock valve, a plastic type secured ...
A: The main suggestion is SHUT OFF THE WATER! LOL I would take the old fill valve (ball cock) apart to ...
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| toilet ballcock leakage | 5/24/2009 |
Q: .. After I flush my toilet and the tank settles down, the ballcock valve, a plastic type secured ...
A: This is a pretty simple fix. Yes, you can probably find a repair kit somewhere but it would be ...
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| Where is water coming into the house? | 5/24/2009 |
Q: Would you please tell me how I might determine where water service comes into my house? The meter ...
A: That would not be very conclusive. Water is an excellent conductor of sound and it would be hard to ...
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| Where is water coming into the house? | 5/24/2009 |
Q: Would you please tell me how I might determine where water service comes into my house? The meter ...
A: Oh Boy! Tricky one. Since you say that most of the pipes are in the attic, you are in luck. ...
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| Bathtub faucet | 5/22/2009 |
Q: Just recently I started having trouble with the bathtub faucet - sometimes, not always, if I turn it ...
A: This is something a plumber is probably going to have to look in to. Not sure if there is a ...
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| water shutoff | 5/21/2009 |
Q: I needed to shut down the water supply to home to replace a valve under sink. One shut off is next ...
A: I don't blame you but I am not aware of any other way. Turn it off and watch it for a while to see ...
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| water shutoff | 5/21/2009 |
Q: I needed to shut down the water supply to home to replace a valve under sink. One shut off is next ...
A: If you live in cold country where it freezes it might be the type called a stop and drain valve. ...
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| WATER TO OUTSIDE SILCOCK | 5/21/2009 |
Q: I am having trouble with outside silcocks. I run my hoses to my pool and they work fine for 20 ...
A: It is quite possible that it is. These are usually diaphragm or "bladder" tanks with a rubber ...
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| WATER TO OUTSIDE SILCOCK | 5/21/2009 |
Q: I am having trouble with outside silcocks. I run my hoses to my pool and they work fine for 20 ...
A: Well systems are not a specialty of mine but it seem that the extended run time of the hose ...
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| Shower Head _ Plastic Drain Pipes | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I recently installed a new sink and a drainage system in my kitchen. The drainage pipes are made of ...
A: Frustrating isn't it? Been there, done that. Some times the savings gained by using less ...
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| plumbing a laundry | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I just bought a condo - end unit and want to turn my third, small bedroom into a laundry. I have a ...
A: This is a bit tricky since you mentioned there is a slab on the first floor. Not something you would ...
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| negative grading at foundation | 5/19/2009 |
Q: Anthony, We have a block house on a slab. Normally there are no water issues, but with heavy rains ...
A: The grading standard is typically a 2% slope (1/4 inch per foot) away from the foundation for at ...
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| Tankless Water Heater Noise | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I have a Noritz 0631 tankless water heater installed in my home and recently added an air injection ...
A: I think the first thing I would do is contact Noritz. These system are very complex and highly ...
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| Groaning or Howling Pipes | 5/18/2009 |
Q: About 3-5 seconds after I turn a faucet off or flush a toilet I hear a very loud groaning sound from ...
A: I think your house is probably haunted! LOL, just kidding. Moving water (inside pipes) has a lot of ...
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| Shower Stall | 5/18/2009 |
Q: I have a shower stall set in the corner of my bathroom. 2 sides are ceramic tile and two sides are ...
A: If this is an older glass door / surround, you may not be able to find an exact replacement. ...
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| Solution to incorrect pipe pitch causing clogs | 5/18/2009 |
Q: The PO of my house relocated a bathroom from the back of my Master BR to the front. This added an ...
A: From your description, it may not be a problem with the new work if the stoppages are occurring ...
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| shower panel replacing shower head | 5/18/2009 |
Q: I have a regular shower head and faucet to turn it on. if i want to get a nice shower panel with ...
A: Some of these units are designed to be connected to the existing shower arm sticking out of the wall ...
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| Leaking outside Hose-Bibb Faucett | 5/17/2009 |
Q: These 2-hose bibbs are original 1984 vintage , they are sweated directly to the copper line , I have ...
A: They could probably be rebuilt. New washers and bonnet packing should handle it unless the seat is ...
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| toilet bowl water shakes | 5/17/2009 |
Q: I have three bathrooms,one downstairs & 2 upstairs in a split level home. We went from a septic ...
A: It certainly sounds like you have a venting problem. Movement of the water in the toilets, which are ...
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| toilet bowl water shakes | 5/17/2009 |
Q: I have three bathrooms,one downstairs & 2 upstairs in a split level home. We went from a septic ...
A: 1. The "breather pipe" is the plumbing vent. It probably had the steel wool in it to keep insects ...
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| Groaning Pipes | 5/16/2009 |
Q: Dana, and thanks for being available. I have a long standing problem that has perplexed several ...
A: The clue is that when you shut off the water to the irrigation system the noise stops. So something ...
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| pressure loss in sink | 5/15/2009 |
Q: I have a problem with the kitchen sink/spray. The sink has a lift and swivel lever for hot/cold ...
A: There is a diverter device built in to the feed to the sprayer under the sink or internally in the ...
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| sewerline running uphill and backing up | 5/15/2009 |
Q: I have bought a 7 year old house. The inspector found no major things wrong. Now that we have moved ...
A: That's a bummer! Flush harder? LOL, just kidding. It really depends on a few things. Where exactly ...
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| No water pressure | 5/15/2009 |
Q: After my new faucet was installed I have no water pressure at all. Someone took off the old handle ...
A: Okay, that's a problem! Possibly old, clogged galvanized steel pipes or clogged shut off valves due ...
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| No water pressure | 5/15/2009 |
Q: After my new faucet was installed I have no water pressure at all. Someone took off the old handle ...
A: That's frustrating! Most new faucets come with a "flow restrictor" installed in the aerator on the ...
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| toilet issue | 5/14/2009 |
Q: It starts to flush, but the pressure stops about half-way through and the water and debris just ...
A: there may be a problem in the venting system somewhere. Without proper venting (Like your finger ...
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| toilet issue | 5/14/2009 |
Q: It starts to flush, but the pressure stops about half-way through and the water and debris just ...
A: Most likely with that old of a toilet there is a considerable build up of hard water scale in the ...
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| water pressure reduction valve | 5/12/2009 |
Q: The water pressure reduction valve in my home makes a noise when the toilet is flushed or clothes ...
A: It sounds like the diaphragm is getting weak and may be chattering a bit. Watts makes a kit to ...
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| water to my washer | 5/11/2009 |
Q: I just moved into my home about 2 months ago. And the cold water to my washer has gone from normal ...
A: I guess the first question to answer is are the water pipes the older galvanized steel type? If so, ...
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| cross flow in a shower pressure balance unit | 5/10/2009 |
Q: I have an american standard pressure balancer (model M952100-0070A) in my shower, when I shut off my ...
A: I only see thermostatic valves on the A/S site and nothing with that part number. They seem to go by ...
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| single handle shower faucet | 5/8/2009 |
Q: The single handle shower installed reversely. So when you turn the water to hot, it is actually ...
A: This is actually against code for safety reasons. Many single handle system have the ability to ...
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| Basement Drain? | 5/6/2009 |
Q: I'm buying a house and the basement floor drain isn't draining. I'm wondering if fixing the floor ...
A: The old drain pipe is probably collapsed and unusable. Installing a sump is probably the way to go ...
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| eurostream roman tub faucet | 5/6/2009 |
Q: I have a new tub faucet (see subject) The diverter to the shower head on the spout does not stay ...
A: The house pressure is a bit on the low side. A certain "back pressure" is required to keep the ...
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| Basement Drain? | 5/5/2009 |
Q: I'm buying a house and the basement floor drain isn't draining. I'm wondering if fixing the floor ...
A: Basement drains can be a problem. If the existing drain is not working, maybe it can be snaked out ...
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| Waste piping for toilet | 5/5/2009 |
Q: If I'm trying to tie in the 4" waste piping from a toilet to the 4" main drain line, what is the ...
A: That is not a simple question. It depends on the orientation of the lines. Horizontal to ...
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| Under sink garbage disposal | 5/5/2009 |
Q: Hope you will have a suggestion on how to handle the problem I am having with water not going ...
A: This is a pretty common situation, mine does the same thing! LOL The disposer gets a lot of crap ...
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| ruptuered line to Grohe faucet | 5/5/2009 |
Q: I am an expert here too and know the time you spend helping others...thanks... My problem is that I ...
A: This is a bit odd. This sounds like a conventional counter top mounted faucet setup and should have ...
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| Moen tub/Shower Faucet Stuck open | 5/4/2009 |
Q: My folks lake home tub/shower faucet was left open this winter when they shut off the water. This ...
A: The valve can be serviced from the front. Moen cartridges can seize up and get stuck. There is a ...
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| changing bathroom vanity faucets | 5/4/2009 |
Q: how do I change a delta vanity faucet to a moen
A: Faucets are standardized. The spread is the same on all the brands for a "4 inch center set" type ...
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| septic | 5/4/2009 |
Q: what is the easiest way to locate septic lines?
A: They are usually located right under where the grass grows greenest! LOL Years ago, Erma Bombeck ...
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| cleanout plug | 5/4/2009 |
Q: I just moved into this house I am having a issue with all of the plumbing. I can't find the clean ...
A: The main line clean out is supposed to be located within 2 feet of the exterior wall, on the outside ...
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| Recirculating Pump | 5/3/2009 |
Q: We have a recirculating pump connected to our propane hot water heater (75 gal) to be able to have ...
A: Recirculating systems can be tricky if not installed correctly. ALL the hot water piping that is ...
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| Back Holding on a Sillcock | 5/3/2009 |
Q: Dana, I'm trying to remove a threaded burst frost-free sillcock from the outside of the house but ...
A: Yeah, clearance issues are a bitch under the house. "Been there, done that" There are pipe ...
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| Water not hot enough | 5/3/2009 |
Q: We installed a single handle shower Pegasus classic collection 9200. It has one of those pressure ...
A: How about turning the water heater up? They are adjustable by a dial on the front of the gas valve ...
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| Back Holding on a Sillcock | 5/3/2009 |
Q: Dana, I'm trying to remove a threaded burst frost-free sillcock from the outside of the house but ...
A: Hmmmm, that's a tough one Dan, Can you access the connection point under the house? You may be able ...
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| Moen cartridge repair for bat tub | 5/2/2009 |
Q: I replaced the cartridge and finally got the hot water coming out the correct side, but the hot ...
A: You got me stumped. Unless there is something wrong with the actual cartridge, I cannot think of ...
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| Re-locating water filter | 5/2/2009 |
Q: A friend of mine has an older home that uses well water. The water goes through a filter before ...
A: None at all other than leak considerations. If freezing is an issue it should be placed inside the ...
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| Willow tree and septic line | 5/2/2009 |
Q: I have a weeping willow tree in my yard which is directly in line with my septic system drain line. ...
A: While tree roots will damage the older type vitrified clay pipe sewer lines, ABS & PVC are pretty ...
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| Moen cartridge repair for bat tub | 5/2/2009 |
Q: I replaced the cartridge and finally got the hot water coming out the correct side, but the hot ...
A: The only thing I can think of is that the cartridge is messed up somehow. Maybe one of the O-rings ...
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| kitchen sink vent | 4/30/2009 |
Q: remodeling a kitchen where the old exterior wall that has the kitchen sink on it is now an island. ...
A: I hate it when those wall don't stand still! LOL There is a setup called an "Island Vent" that ...
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| Pipe size for whirlpool Tub connection | 4/30/2009 |
Q: I am working with a plumber who is going to install an 80 gallon tub. I have a very good faucet with ...
A: In my opinion, this plumber is not very knowledgeable or concerned with the usability of this tub in ...
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| Shower valve lets cold water flow into hot water pipe | 4/30/2009 |
Q: I have two showers back-to-back so I don't know which one is the problem. After draining my water ...
A: Single handle valves, especially back-to-back units can exhibit this problem when one of the ...
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| Shower valve lets cold water flow into hot water pipe | 4/30/2009 |
Q: I have two showers back-to-back so I don't know which one is the problem. After draining my water ...
A: There could be several reasons for this. 1. The valves are "pressure balancing" type and are doing ...
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| Leaking Shower Head | 4/30/2009 |
Q: This one stumps me. The shower head has a steady drip, 1x every 5 seconds or so. I removed both Hot ...
A: If this is an older shower with two handle valves, the washers and seats may need replacing. You ...
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| Shower and not hot water | 4/29/2009 |
Q: My shower has no hot water coming out, but strong and plenty of cold water works great. All other ...
A: I have no idea what your plumber is talking about. Maybe a new valve? There are things you may be ...
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| Vessel sink and faucet | 4/29/2009 |
Q: Renovation work. New vanity in total with marble deck. Deck mounted single handle faucet and vessel ...
A: No tricks here. If you have already pulled the toilet and replaced the wax ring, it's pure guesswork ...
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| Reverse osmosis system - working? | 4/28/2009 |
Q: We have a TFC 2.5 gal Hydrotech system. We replaced the outer stainlness steel spiket (the little ...
A: Sounds like the first thing wrong is replacing the factory three-inlet faucet with a non-factory ...
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| Vessel sink and faucet | 4/28/2009 |
Q: Renovation work. New vanity in total with marble deck. Deck mounted single handle faucet and vessel ...
A: I suppose the only way to find out would be to mock up the actual installation with the supply ...
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| drain | 4/27/2009 |
Q: when i run water and garbage disposal water comes up my utility room floor drain instantly but when ...
A: I think it's time to run a snake through that drain line. There is some kind of restriction that is ...
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| Shower valve replacement | 4/27/2009 |
Q: My tub/shower temperature varies several degrees . I'd like to replace the whole thing with a ...
A: There are two types of anti-scald valves; the pressure balancing type that just compensate for a ...
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| plumbing in kitchen sink | 4/27/2009 |
Q: put my kitchen sink with disposal but now when I turn on the disposal it just pushes the water to ...
A: I think you missed something when hooking up the drain. It's called a "diverter tee" and it has a ...
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| shower drain | 4/27/2009 |
Q: Have you ever installed a trench drain in a shower? Would I have to have it made? Thanks for the ...
A: No, never done that. There are very specific designs for shower pans and drains right in the code. ...
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| sump pump | 4/26/2009 |
Q: I HAD A 1000 GALLON SEPTIC TANK PUT IN 2 YEARS AGO.I HAVE A COMPANY COMING OUT AND INSTALLING A SUMP ...
A: Hey Donald, What is the sump pump draining? I wouldn't want to pump a lot (100's of gallons)into ...
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| Galvanized pipe leading to main sewer line | 4/26/2009 |
Q: Aloha, I live in Honolulu, HI. My house was built 80 years ago. It was replumbed with copper a ...
A: I think there is some confusion here. There should NEVER be any kind of connection between the ...
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| Pressure control valves | 4/25/2009 |
Q: Ihave a PCV in my garage that I had replaced in 2002. My question...what is the average life of one? ...
A: Also called a pressure regulator, this part will last many years. It can be serviced and parts are ...
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| toto toilet fill problem | 4/25/2009 |
Q: When I flush the toto toilet, it will not fill. I can tap the top of the mechanism inside, and it ...
A: There are about 100 different models of toilet that Toto makes. There are several different fill ...
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| caulking | 4/25/2009 |
Q: Should there be caulking behing tub rocker assembly cover? ANSWER: Hello James, What the heck is a ...
A: Okay, I guessed correctly, that part is called a "trip lever waste and overflow" if you want to get ...
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| caulking | 4/24/2009 |
Q: Should there be caulking behing tub rocker assembly cover?
A: What the heck is a "tub rocker assembly"? Sounds like something you would find on a Chevy V-8, not ...
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| lack of water pressure | 4/24/2009 |
Q: What would cause the water pressure in our water pipes all over the house to be so low that only one ...
A: LOL, very likely! I lived up at 5500 feet in the Sierras for 10 years. Made a lot of money thawing ...
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| The Faucet in the Shower leaks | 4/23/2009 |
Q: I Went and got a new one to replace the old Valve. Well. I doesn't stop turning? so I tighten the ...
A: Very strange behavior! Yes, some valves do not have a separate, replaceable seat. Poor design in ...
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| lack of water pressure | 4/23/2009 |
Q: What would cause the water pressure in our water pipes all over the house to be so low that only one ...
A: It's not the pressure that is bad although it could be. More likely it's the flow rate that is ...
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| cast iron to PVC | 4/22/2009 |
Q: I need to replace a section of an old cast iron pipe with a piece of PVC 4" pipe. I want to fit it ...
A: Mission Rubber makes a product called a "dual-tite" gasket that would work. ...
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| Bathtub hot water leak | 4/20/2009 |
Q: Ok so like 3 years ago out bathtub had a bad hot water leak so we just turned the knobs really ...
A: I bet that was a surprise! LOL The fix is to repair the faucet properly now. Both the hot and cold ...
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| Plumbing Clog in Drain Line | 4/19/2009 |
Q: I have a major clog in the drain line of a house. There are three (30 clean outs outside the house. ...
A: Obviously, the clog is somewhere between the clogged toilet and the clean outs that are clear. ...
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| washing machine drain | 4/19/2009 |
Q: I put in a new washingmachine sink and can not seal the pvc pipe to the drain keep having leaks ...
A: LOL! Gradually, more and more of this setup comes to light! I think some of the problem is ...
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| washing machine drain | 4/19/2009 |
Q: I put in a new washingmachine sink and can not seal the pvc pipe to the drain keep having leaks ...
A: Robert, I'm thoroughly confused now. First you say it's a sink. Now you say it's in the floor. Is ...
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| washing machine drain | 4/18/2009 |
Q: I put in a new washingmachine sink and can not seal the pvc pipe to the drain keep having leaks ...
A: A little short on information here. The sink should have a 2" laundry drain installed in the ...
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| how to remove spout | 4/18/2009 |
Q: i need to replace spout in my shower but it will not budge. I verified there is no screw underneath ...
A: Glad that worked. LOL Spouts can be tricky. You need to use a nipple that is the correct length to ...
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| how to remove spout | 4/18/2009 |
Q: i need to replace spout in my shower but it will not budge. I verified there is no screw underneath ...
A: Bigger wrench? LOL They are either screw-on or compression. Since there is no screw, it is not a ...
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| Deck drain and downspout materials | 4/18/2009 |
Q: For walkable waterproofed deck on a wood framed house, what kind of materials of drain and ...
A: I understand about the overall deck height. There are materials available in the anti-vibration and ...
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| Deck drain and downspout materials | 4/18/2009 |
Q: For walkable waterproofed deck on a wood framed house, what kind of materials of drain and ...
A: I would look at plastic, it will hold up to the salt conditions. Metals will not, no matter what ...
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| building drain line | 4/16/2009 |
Q: What is the minimum slope required for a drain line serving a kitchen including sink, dishwasher, ...
A: The typical standard calls for a minimum of a 2% slope, which is 1/4 inch per foot for pipe size 3 ...
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| bath room shower faucet inop. | 4/15/2009 |
Q: I have a older home with a 3 handle shower faucet I'm not of the make. The problem is that when the ...
A: You may end up opening the wall after all. I think the riser to the shower is plugged up with rust ...
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| Black mold in sewer pipe | 4/15/2009 |
Q: I have a hand basin pipe which connects to a toilet sewer pipe before connecting to the main sewer ...
A: I suspect that the bicarb is creating a lot of foam when it reacts with the acidic conditions in the ...
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| clogged toilet | 4/13/2009 |
Q: We jut had 2 new Kohler toilets installed (which Kohler indicated were reliable). About 75% of the ...
A: Even to properly snake the line all the way to /from the toilet, you would need to have them removed ...
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| clogged toilet | 4/13/2009 |
Q: We jut had 2 new Kohler toilets installed (which Kohler indicated were reliable). About 75% of the ...
A: Toilets do come out of the factory with defects in the casting that impair their function. You may ...
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| Bathtub hot water faucet leak | 4/12/2009 |
Q: Help. I am at wits end. I will try to sum this up. A few days ago, I was shutting off the hot ...
A: Sounds like the new stems were not an exact match. If the stems are not long enough, the handle will ...
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| faucet water flow | 4/10/2009 |
Q: I purchased my home when built in 1995. The faucet in the half bath has always had low water flow ...
A: It sounds like the problem is in the piping to that sink or the shut off for that faucet. Sometimes ...
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| Hot water tank heating elements | 4/10/2009 |
Q: Dana, would like to know if there is a simple way to test hot water tank heating elements. How ...
A: It is pretty simple. You will need a meter that measures amps, volts and ohms. It's called a ...
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| Gas Flex Length | 4/10/2009 |
Q: I would like to know if there are restriction in terms of maximum length of gas flex. I am planning ...
A: 36 inches is max length per code unless it feeding a range or clothes dryer. The shut off needs to ...
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| Mixit Tub/Shower Valve Doesn't Mix | 4/10/2009 |
Q: My house is 40 years old and I think this is original equipment. No problem turning the water on or ...
A: The cartridge should not be that hard to get out. Here is a link to a diagram of the valve; ...
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| Mixing Valve | 4/9/2009 |
Q: I live in 1927 house with original plumbing. The mixing valve in shower is only lukewarm while the ...
A: The most likely problem is blocked pipes due to age and build up of mineral deposits on the inside ...
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| Alternative Septic system | 4/9/2009 |
Q: This may be outside your area??? We have failed a perc test (2nd) on our rocky lot in southern AZ ...
A: Not an expert in this area but I did find some alternatives. ...
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| end of heat pipe is sweating | 4/9/2009 |
Q: I just bought a house and it has copper pipes along the floor for heat. In one room I found some ...
A: This "spigot-looking" thingy is probably an air vent to release any trapped air in the heating ...
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| Toilet Flushing | 4/8/2009 |
Q: We recently moved to a 4th floor (out of 8 floors) condo and have just installed new toilets. The ...
A: Eat Less? Just kidding! Those should work well and not have the problems you are mentioning. If ...
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| plumbing | 4/8/2009 |
Q: How do you remove a cast iron sewer clean out, that hasn't been loosened in ?
A: I've used a "rust buster" to soak them for a few hours and have had good luck applying heat from my ...
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| Toilet Flushing | 4/8/2009 |
Q: We recently moved to a 4th floor (out of 8 floors) condo and have just installed new toilets. The ...
A: I suspect they were not the best quality/brand toilets. Bargains are seldom bargains in the long ...
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| toilet installation (New) | 4/6/2009 |
Q: I've asked this question of two experts and received two different answers. Hope you can help. At ...
A: Per the UPC (Uniform Plumbing Code) section 408.6 and the IRC (International Residential Code) sec. ...
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| Slow water flow | 4/5/2009 |
Q: I live in a single bungalow build in "68" in western canada. All the 1/2" copper is original, the ...
A: Copper pipe is usually not subject to scale build-up. I've opened systems with 50 year old pipe and ...
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| Leach Lines | 4/4/2009 |
Q: How hard is it really to replace leach lines? Do you have to be certified? I have some puddling in ...
A: The leach lines are basically just pipes with holes in them and rarely need replacing. If the leach ...
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| water pressure | 4/4/2009 |
Q: I own an old Cape Cod style home built in the fifties (all copper pipes), I currently have little ...
A: I don't see any logical connection between the two systems. One is potable water and the other is ...
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| Installing a bottom mount sink | 4/3/2009 |
Q: Can someone please send me some instructions on how to install a bottom mount sink in the bathroom. ...
A: Okay! Now I have enough to think with. Thanks. For sealing, I would use an adhesive caulk. To ...
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| Cold shower from hot water side | 4/2/2009 |
Q: My shower has separate hot and cold knobs. If I turn on more than a dot of cold water, I get a ...
A: I'm so sorry! I think I had brain fade and forgot that you did say you had a two handle set up. The ...
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| Cold shower from hot water side | 4/2/2009 |
Q: My shower has separate hot and cold knobs. If I turn on more than a dot of cold water, I get a ...
A: If you have anti-scald valves, that could, indeed, be the problem. Possibly debris got into the ...
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| Intermittent residential high water pressure | 4/2/2009 |
Q: I live in a 1400 sq ft slab foundation home that was built in 1979. I placed a water pressure guage ...
A: Odd things going on here! I guess the thing I would do next is check with whomever supplies your ...
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| smell from around the kitchen sink | 4/1/2009 |
Q: We have an odor that comes from around the kitchen sink. The P traps seem to be working all right . ...
A: Kind of sounds like you might have a mold problem in that wall. Kitchen sinks and cabinets are the ...
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| Installing a bottom mount sink | 4/1/2009 |
Q: Can someone please send me some instructions on how to install a bottom mount sink in the bathroom. ...
A: The answer depends on what type of sink and what the counter top is made of. Not enough information ...
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| toilet | 3/31/2009 |
Q: if the sepiet tank is full or need cleaning will this cause the toilet not to flush properly ...
A: Shelia, Sounds like a problem with the toilet mechanism, not the drain lines. If this is an old ...
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| Diverter in Shower Stuck | 3/31/2009 |
Q: I have a shower body made by Jacuzzi, which includes a diverter to send water to its six body sprays ...
A: It looks like you have the Jacuzzi "Vectra" system. Very nice! I've never worked on one of these so ...
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| bath tub on slab floor | 3/31/2009 |
Q: This job is a bath tub on slab floor . . . currently the existing pipe of course is the over flow ...
A: This is a job that is usually done through an access panel cut into the wall behind the head end of ...
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| toilet | 3/31/2009 |
Q: if the sepiet tank is full or need cleaning will this cause the toilet not to flush properly
A: Yes, I suppose it would. Is this the only fixture that is acting up? It may just be a clog in that ...
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| New Main water line | 3/30/2009 |
Q: I have low water pressure in the house which I bought approx. 2 years ago. I was told by the sellers ...
A: Ahhh, added complications! LOL $4000 is outrageous! Maybe there is something I am missing. I'm ...
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| New Main water line | 3/30/2009 |
Q: I have low water pressure in the house which I bought approx. 2 years ago. I was told by the sellers ...
A: First, let's clear up one misunderstanding. You are probably not suffering from Low Pressure. The ...
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| dripping tub faucet | 3/30/2009 |
Q: I have a two handle tub/shower faucet. I have a leak coming out of the spout that I can't seem to ...
A: You missed a part! The part that teh washer seals against is called a "seat" and they wear out too. ...
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| dripping spout | 3/30/2009 |
Q: We have a tub spout that drips and would like to know how to repair it. The shower is one handle ...
A: No special tools needed. typical screwdrivers and adjustable wrench will do. How long the water is ...
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| dripping spout | 3/30/2009 |
Q: We have a tub spout that drips and would like to know how to repair it. The shower is one handle ...
A: It sounds like you need a new cartridge in the valve as well as a new spout. They are not expensive, ...
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| Pipes and drains in my basement floor | 3/29/2009 |
Q: I am curious about some pipes in my basement floor. One room has a 2 inch pipe capped and sticking ...
A: Quite a mystery you have there. About the only way to determine what these are and where they go is ...
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| Sulfur Smell out of the faucet | 3/29/2009 |
Q: I have a 4 B.R. / 2-1/2 bath colonial in the midwest (built 1984). The main upper bathroom ...
A: Don't think it's a venting problem. That would not effect the water coming out of the faucet. It is ...
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| leaky Moen cartridge shower fawcet | 3/29/2009 |
Q: I have two showers and they each have the single handle cartridge style faucets and they both have a ...
A: The first thing that comes to mind is; What is the pressure in the house? This could be caused by ...
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| 3rd floor bath | 3/28/2009 |
Q: I am looking to add a 3rd fl bath(Toilet+Sink), right above a second floor bath, I need help ...
A: This is a bit much for an inexperienced person to tackle. There are many issues that need to be ...
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| Bubble sound in toilet | 3/28/2009 |
Q: My upstairs toilet makes a "glug" type sound occasionally,but otherwise works fine.It sounds like a ...
A: This is typically caused by a restriction in the line somewhere that is causing the drain to vent ...
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| Hot water to fixtures | 3/27/2009 |
Q: When we want hot water from any of our tap fixtures, bathroom, kitchen or washhouse, we have to wait ...
A: They have hot water way down there? LOL I guess civilization is starting to spread. <grin> This is ...
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| Wall mounted sink | 3/26/2009 |
Q: I purchased a wall mounted sink on-line. When received, I found there were no instructions. I ...
A: Guess they are playing "CYA" in case it falls off! LOL I have mounted many wall mount sinks using ...
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| Reverse Osmosis for refrigerator | 3/26/2009 |
Q: I've hooked my RO system to my icemaker/water in past refrigerators with no problems. We're ...
A: All water using appliances are designed to work on the industry design standard of 40-80 PSI. There ...
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| Leak in wall behind refrigerator | 3/26/2009 |
Q: I have an ice/water dispenser fridge. A copper pipe comes out of the wall and attaches to a plastic ...
A: Turning off the water to the ice make will do nothing but stop the ice maker from making ice. The ...
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| p Trap Not Lining Up | 3/26/2009 |
Q: I changed my vanity top and the drain tail piece will no longer line up with the p trap entrance? ...
A: I've used 1-1/2 by 1-1/4 Fernco couplings many times with no code issues. The trap arm could be cut ...
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| STINKY SMELL COMING FROM SINK | 3/25/2009 |
Q: we have an upstairs sink which continually smells.the smell is coming from the overflow holes in the ...
A: I guess that would be pretty annoying! Obviously, something is growing in the overflow system of ...
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| low pressure in bathroom | 3/25/2009 |
Q: We have just bought this 10 yr old house. After we moved we noticed that water pressure in master ...
A: There are actually two things at work here. Pressure and flow rate. These are often confused. Low ...
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| 'Lime" build up in drains | 3/25/2009 |
Q: i have drains in tub and shower which accumulate calcium precipitates necessitating clean-outs ...
A: Simple white vinegar might do it. Calcium is a mineral that is a component of water to a greater or ...
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| suddenly irregular water pressure | 3/25/2009 |
Q: I live in a 3f house built in 1920. Mostly galvanized pipes. Just bought it last Nov. and have had ...
A: What you are experiencing is called water hammer. This loud and hard vibration is probably breaking ...
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| Shower plumbing | 3/25/2009 |
Q: We had a Pelican whole house water filter system put in about six months ago and have had no ...
A: Carbon filters will kick out some carbon now and then when they refill. Adding a particulate filter ...
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| Venting Bathroom Sink & Shower | 3/24/2009 |
Q: We are renovating our bathroom. We need to rip out all the walls. We want to install a one piece ...
A: Big project you have going. Without seeing all the particulars, I would run the toilet vents and ...
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| Delta 1400 / 1300 leaking | 3/24/2009 |
Q: My bathroom tub faucet is leaking . I removed the cartridge and replaced all of the o rings ...
A: Didn't they tell you about the self flushing feature of delta valves? LOL, just kidding. I know ...
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| Gralvanized Piping to copper piping | 3/24/2009 |
Q: I have 3/4 inch galvanized line coming into my house and just before it enters the house it "T"'s ...
A: There is really no reliable way to do this easily. There are compression couplers but they are only ...
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| cast iron drains | 3/24/2009 |
Q: Is there a way of repairing cast iron pipes that develop rust spots or should I replace with pvc ...
A: Unfortunately, the rust spots are basically cancer to the cast iron. The pipe has rusted through. ...
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| myers well bladder tank knock | 3/23/2009 |
Q: Greetings, I appreciate the opportunity you folks have provided for an average home owner guy to ...
A: My first though is that, being 60 below the storage tank, why do need a "booster system"? It would ...
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| Drainage | 3/23/2009 |
Q: 1)What is a Pluvia System? 2)How do we come up with penetration sleeve, size and position? 3)What ...
A: A little "thin' on information here! I think I can figure out what you want to know. 1. A Pluvia ...
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| Dryer Vent | 3/23/2009 |
Q: The dryer vent is connected to the floor and runs under the foundation of the house. Water gets ...
A: Is this foundation a slab? If so, the dryer should not be vented that way. Bad practice and I ...
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| Lack O Hot H2O, Orange Water, and a Water Softener | 3/22/2009 |
Q: Our house was built in 2001 - not old, we have been here now for just about a year and a half. We ...
A: Sounds like iron in the water. Now, it it the water heater rusting out or is it in the water to ...
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| toilet flushes liquid waste, but not solid | 3/22/2009 |
Q: Pretty much what the subject line states. If a person flushes urine, the toilet flushes OK, any ...
A: Sounds like there is a restriction in the line. It may be partially blocked from buildup or have ...
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| Reverse Osmosis for refrigerator | 3/22/2009 |
Q: I've hooked my RO system to my icemaker/water in past refrigerators with no problems. We're ...
A: I would defer to the manufacturer on the pressure recommendations. It's their equipment and they ...
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| Emergency Water Shut off Value Key | 3/22/2009 |
Q: I have a leaky sink ~ I want to turn off the H2O in this house built in 1941 so I can repair the ...
A: Seems odd that there is not one there at the house from the previous owner. These are hard to come ...
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| Copper to poly coupling? | 3/21/2009 |
Q: My 1" copper incoming residential water service is leaking between the meter and the house. I want ...
A: Trick task. I'm not finding any adapters for poly to iron pipe size. (brass is IPS) Why is the ...
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| Drianage Layout | 3/20/2009 |
Q: I am planning on cutting into the foundation in the kitchen to install a downdraft vent for the ...
A: Cutting slab for plumbing installation is a common practice for commercial work like restaurants. ...
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| Clean Out to be Capped | 3/19/2009 |
Q: I am building a new room onto my home. The cleanout to the main line lies in the new area. I only ...
A: I would dig it deeper and cut it back farther and cap it off. I would not be comfortable with any ...
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| Intalling a USA faucet in the UK | 3/19/2009 |
Q: I have bought a faucet in the USA from restoration hardware but want to install it in the UK. Will I ...
A: I'm afraid that I'm not at all that familiar with the UK system. I assume it is metric? Not still ...
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| plumbing material | 3/19/2009 |
Q: How can I tell if pipe is copper or galvanized? We moved into 1971 home in az and I think I see ...
A: Galvanized pipes are steel which contains iron, copper pipes are not. Just use a magnet, it won't ...
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| Sound of dripping water | 3/19/2009 |
Q: I noticed that after I turn both the hot and cold water on high in my bathroom sink I hear a ...
A: I would suspect a leaking drain pipe or fitting in the wall. If it were a water pipe, it would be ...
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| hot water heater | 3/18/2009 |
Q: I live in a one-story house and on occasion I hear the hot water heater boiling and popping, then ...
A: Is the heater only 2-1/2 years old? The plumber MAY be able to break up the debris enough to flush ...
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| hot water heater | 3/18/2009 |
Q: I live in a one-story house and on occasion I hear the hot water heater boiling and popping, then ...
A: That's annoying! Don't think it's going to blow. The noise is caused by built up scale and ...
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| scope of work agreement | 3/17/2009 |
Q: I am trying to find a "scope of work agreement" for plumbing and a few other trades. I am about to ...
A: I hope you have a very large bottle of aspirin. LOL This is not an easy thing to do if you are not ...
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| i need to know | 3/17/2009 |
Q: what is the normal length on the water supply from shower head to faucet handles and handles to ...
A: There really is no "set" distance per code. The shower head us usually between 60 & 72 inches from ...
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| shower faucet | 3/16/2009 |
Q: I have a condo unit where the association supplies the water water to each unit via a main boiler. ...
A: There may be a problem with the internals of the valve. Time to try a rebuild. The Deltas are ...
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| Toilet Bowl Water level drops. | 3/15/2009 |
Q: The water level in the toilet bowl drops after flushing in the master bathroom. It drops within 30 ...
A: Lots of things going on here. Not necessarily related but possibly. Much of this can be attributed ...
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| pilot light from hot water tank will not stay lit to light burner | 3/15/2009 |
Q: Does the thermal switch have anything to do with my problem?Also,can I check the thermal switch with ...
A: Yes, 750ma is the current the thermocouple should be producing when heated. Not sure what you mean ...
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| plumbing | 3/15/2009 |
Q: I have a delta tub faucet about 9 years old with two round knobs, one for cold and one for hot that ...
A: It all depends on how much of a Klutz you are. LOL Millions of homeowners do DIY stuff every day. ...
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| pilot light from hot water tank will not stay lit to light burner | 3/15/2009 |
Q: Does the thermal switch have anything to do with my problem?Also,can I check the thermal switch with ...
A: At this point, I would be contacting the manufacturer for warranty help. Something is not right. ...
|
| Hot water pressure | 3/14/2009 |
Q: The hot water in my only shower has decided to work on high pressure only all of a sudden. My ...
A: Take really fast showers? That is pretty strange behavior for sure. This "super high" pressure is a ...
|
| warm water dripping outside the house | 3/14/2009 |
Q: I never noticed it before, but just recently noticed it was dripping warm to hot water. I thought ...
A: This is probably the drain for the water heater's temperature/pressure relief valve.(called a TPRV) ...
|
| sewer smell in basement | 3/14/2009 |
Q: we moved into the basement two months ago and it was just renovated. The problem now, is that ...
A: Sorry you are having this problem. Sewer ejector pump systems are supposed to be vented to the ...
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| underground plumbing | 3/13/2009 |
Q: I am building a casita in my yard and need to know about a waste line, pipe size, depth of pipe, ...
A: Lot's going on here! Basically you want me to teach you how to be a plumber via email? LOL Here ...
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| bathroom faucet/shower | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I had changed our bathtub fixtures recently. My husband and I decided to start using this bathroom ...
A: Several possibilities here. 1. Then the tub/shower valve was changed, it was not installed with the ...
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| Toilet repair | 3/11/2009 |
Q: just yesterday my toilet began to act up. When I flush the toilet, the water doesnt fill to the ...
A: Is there a water flow issue in any other fixture? If so, you pipes may be on their last legs. If ...
|
| pesky float assembly | 3/11/2009 |
Q: I have a septic system that stays stuck in the "on" position.. because the float sometimes jammed ...
A: Is this is waste water septic system? This would take the discharge from toilets etc. These are ...
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| drain on lav sink is not standard to fit an american drain | 3/11/2009 |
Q: I bought a mother of pearl vessel lav sink directly from the Philippines, and I'm trying to figure ...
A: Sounds pretty! The problem is that it is non-standard for this country and not code compliant. ...
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| Troubleshooting | 3/11/2009 |
Q: 1) What is the quickest way to trace a blockage in a water supply system 2) What is the easiest way ...
A: Plumbing school homework? LOL 1. Turn on the faucet! got water? Just kidding. Blockages rarely ...
|
| Bathroom drains slow | 3/11/2009 |
Q: We have a 1980 home in Arizona, with 2 full baths. One bathroom sink & tub drains very slow - the ...
A: The bath with the slow drains is "before" the bath that is working or on a separate line from the ...
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| Bathroom Faucet | 3/10/2009 |
Q: I was recently getting ready for bed one night when my bathroom faucet stopped working. The water ...
A: LOL, sorry, the aerator is the little screen thing on the end of the spout It unscrews and may be ...
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| Bathroom Faucet | 3/10/2009 |
Q: I was recently getting ready for bed one night when my bathroom faucet stopped working. The water ...
A: Two things come to mind here. 1. the aerator is plugged up, restricting the flow. 2. you pipes are ...
|
| overflow problem | 3/10/2009 |
Q: i had my garbage disposal replaced yesterday. when i run my dishwasher, water comes flowing out of ...
A: The "overflow vent" is not an overflow. It is called an air gap, and it is what the dishwasher ...
|
| How to design plumbing of existing building | 3/10/2009 |
Q: 1) what information is needed when carrying out design on existing dwelling. 2) How do we mark ...
A: This is a little bit of "art" and a little bit of plumbing. Start with sketching a floor plan and ...
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| Trapped Air | 3/10/2009 |
Q: Dana, I have a vacation house which has well/septic and I experienced a flooding of the basement ...
A: I'm not an expert in these systems but here goes. My first though is that when any electrical ...
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| Undersink Reverse Osmosis sytem | 3/9/2009 |
Q: We had a RO system for 9 years. Never had a problem with it. All the sudden it was no longer ...
A: Very strange! Nothing comes to mind as a cause. This might require some forensic examination of ...
|
| Loud pipes | 3/9/2009 |
Q: After running hot water for a longer amount of time (shower, washing dishes), I can hear the pipes ...
A: This is being caused by the thermal expansion of the hot water piping. as it gets hot. As it ...
|
| water heater cooler in AM | 3/9/2009 |
Q: I have 7 yr old twin 40 gallon gas W/Hs 1. First shower in Am is only warm. 15 minutes later, the ...
A: In that case always take the second shower! LOL You know it's the second mouse that gets the cheese! ...
|
| Kitchen Sink repair - j pipe / p-trap, taile pipe | 3/9/2009 |
Q: My thanks in advance for any assistance/guidance/wisdom that you may be able to provide. I am in ...
A: Sorry, the picture is too dark to see anything clearly. For the stuck nut, try heating it with a ...
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| plumbing | 3/8/2009 |
Q: My bath tub faucet has been leaking a bit faster than a drip per second for the past couple months ...
A: This depends on how handy you are. It is totally possible to DIY this stuff, it's not rocket science ...
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| Kitchen faucets | 3/8/2009 |
Q: I have a single lever Delta faucet that doesn't turn off completely. When you turn the faucet off it ...
A: I would start by replacing the ball and washer/spring setup in the faucet. All faucets need ...
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| My kitchen faucet won't turn off unless the water is HOT! | 3/8/2009 |
Q: My kitchen faucet on the hot side has been very finicky as of late. First it only shut off when the ...
A: Sounds like this faucet is pretty worn out. Time to rebuild or replace it. My guess is that its ...
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| kitchen sink drains | 3/8/2009 |
Q: I had the plumbers come rough in a whole house (rental) for new plumbing. Under the kitchen sink, ...
A: Is this kitchen sink by chance in an island or peninsula and not against a wall? That would be the ...
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| noisy pipes | 3/8/2009 |
Q: I have noise, I assume water hammer, in my pipes. It doesn't occur when I shut the water off. When ...
A: Hmmmm, odd. I would start by checking the pressure in the house. Excess pressure can cause weird ...
|
| Hot water heaters | 3/7/2009 |
Q: I was reading in a book about the best hot water heaters are California builder model water heaters ...
A: It would be easier and cheaper to just put an insulation blanket on the heater rather than trying to ...
|
| Angle Stop Leaking | 3/6/2009 |
Q: The water supply piping in my upstairs bathroom is 1/2" cts CPVC. I glued male threaded connectors ...
A: Isn't that annoying? I hate when that happens! Teflon tape works fine, I use it all the time. Or ...
|
| Shower handle won't rotate to hot | 3/6/2009 |
Q: Our landlord recently hired a crew to fix numerous plumbing problems in our rental home. Among the ...
A: This is what is called an "anti-scald" type faucet. Most places mandate installation of these now ...
|
| outside spigot | 3/6/2009 |
Q: I went to use my outside spigot and nothing came out. I then noticed that there was water driping ...
A: once you get to where the faucet is connected, you should be able to tell if the piping is copper or ...
|
| outside spigot | 3/6/2009 |
Q: I went to use my outside spigot and nothing came out. I then noticed that there was water driping ...
A: From you description, this is a "frost free" hose faucet. they will freeze is not installed properly ...
|
| Hot Water Heater | 3/5/2009 |
Q: I recently installed a GE 38 gallon hot water heater in my house. We noticed that when you use hot ...
A: That's very strange! Maybe it's cold and needs a blanket? <grin> I have a few "educated guesses". ...
|
| Bathroom faucet | 3/5/2009 |
Q: My parents have fairly new American Standard two-handle faucets in their bathroom sinks. Both ...
A: The answer is called stem grease. No, really! LOL There is a type of waterproof grease that is used ...
|
| water coming back up my tub and sink | 3/4/2009 |
Q: when i flushed my toliet it filled up and wouldn't go down so i plunged it and than i had water ...
A: There appears to be a blockage somewhere past the bathroom on the main line. Could be the septic ...
|
| bad smell under sink cabinet | 3/4/2009 |
Q: I'm in the middle of kitchen remodeling. The contractor first cut off plumbing connections and vent ...
A: Sloppy plumber. He should have capped the waste lines off, not just left them open. As for the ...
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| losing water pressure in the shower | 3/3/2009 |
Q: When the shower is on, alot of water is still running from the tub faucet and it's causing a ...
A: Okay Jen, now I see where to go with this. The tub spout is called a "diverter" spout. Actually ...
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| macerating toilet | 3/3/2009 |
Q: I recently had concrete poured in my home, they forgot to place a waste line for my second bathroom ...
A: Yes, as long as it is connected AFTER the trap. Kitchen drain lines are the worst offender for ...
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| bathtub faucet with new stems | 3/2/2009 |
Q: We just purchased a house and upon moving in discovered a fairly large bathtub faucet hot water ...
A: I think maybe it's haunted! LOL What may be going on is that the wrong stems were installed. Or you ...
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| macerating toilet | 3/2/2009 |
Q: I recently had concrete poured in my home, they forgot to place a waste line for my second bathroom ...
A: Ouch! That's a problem. I, personally, would be asking some very hard questions of the plumber. ...
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| venting kitchen sink | 3/2/2009 |
Q: I am remodeling my kitchen and want to add a vent for the kitchen sink (It had none in the past). ...
A: Your diagram did not make the trip very well! LOL By your description, you do not have the concept ...
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| shower cartridge replacement | 3/2/2009 |
Q: I replaced our Moen shower cartridge and now I'm not getting any water out of the shower head. So I ...
A: Tough one Rich! Sounds like the internal diverter mechanism is malfunctioning. Not sure that this is ...
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| moen bathtub faucet | 3/1/2009 |
Q: My tub handle for the water control is not working anymore. It will turn on like before, but there ...
A: Not likely if froze long enough or hard enough there to cause a problem on the interior. There is ...
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| Kitchen faucet that leaks... | 3/1/2009 |
Q: My husband installed an AquaSource high-arc kitchen faucet and it is leaking around the base all ...
A: That is annoying! The AquaSource is an inexpensive faucet made for Home Depot and Lowe's by Delta ...
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| moen bathtub faucet | 3/1/2009 |
Q: My tub handle for the water control is not working anymore. It will turn on like before, but there ...
A: You're lucky you didn't get very wet! The "pin" is the cartridge retainer clip. If the cartridge ...
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| ball flapper | 3/1/2009 |
Q: The number in the back of my rather old American Standard toilet is 2281. When the ball flapper ...
A: The next step would be to get a kit from Fluidmaster that has a stick-on replacement seat for the ...
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| Shower repair | 2/28/2009 |
Q: I replaced the cartridges in my bathroom shower and now I can only get a small trickle of hot water ...
A: Obviously, something went wrong. Wrong cartridge or it got put in incorrectly. These usually have a ...
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| lack of pressure | 2/28/2009 |
Q: We have a 34year old house on a cement slab. The hot water has no pressure cold is good 50 psi . Hot ...
A: Sounds like it's time for a repipe. On a slab, they do them overhead through the attic and down the ...
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| Cast Iron Sewer Pipe in Cement Floor | 2/28/2009 |
Q: I am installing a new toilet in my downstairs bathroom. the floor is cement. The flange bolts have ...
A: Only only purpose of the flange to hole the toilet down to the floor. The bolts usually just slip ...
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| no water pressure in my faucet | 2/28/2009 |
Q: About 2 weeks ago i noticed that the bathroom faucet was leaking. we turned the hot water off ...
A: Many possibilities here. I suspect that your pipes may be old and starting to corrode shut. It ...
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| ball flapper | 2/28/2009 |
Q: The number in the back of my rather old American Standard toilet is 2281. When the ball flapper ...
A: Now that's annoying! I know that it's hard to find anything other than the big box, pre-packaged ...
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| Shower Valve Installation | 2/27/2009 |
Q: I'm in the process of remodeling my bathroom. I've removed the old tub/shower(cast iron tub & ...
A: There should have been a template to lay out the hole size and set the "rough-in depth of the valve. ...
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| bathtub faucet with new stems | 2/27/2009 |
Q: We just purchased a house and upon moving in discovered a fairly large bathtub faucet hot water ...
A: It depends where it is leaking. Out the spout or around the stems/handles? Often, it is good ...
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| sink plumbing | 2/27/2009 |
Q: My 7-yr-old lost a tooth last night and was washing it to take to show and tell today when she ...
A: This is just a different style of slip joint nut like the one you already loosened. It should ...
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| Venting | 2/27/2009 |
Q: Two questions: Whats the minimum distance between a roof vent and a window roughly on the same ...
A: The code says: Minimum 6" above roof line, 12" horizontal from a side wall, 2 ft above or 10 feet to ...
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| Permanently installing a portable dishwasher | 2/27/2009 |
Q: We bought a Maytag convertible dishwasher (MVC4650AWW) and are now ready to install under counter. ...
A: A "portable is just a built-in with a case around it. The case may or may not be removable. The ...
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| Follow-up to plumbing problem in our condo building | 2/26/2009 |
Q: I was not allowed to ask a follow up question (too many!) and had to start a new one. However, I ...
A: Glad you were able to find someone to get it fixed without tearing the building down! Without ...
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| Plumbing | 2/25/2009 |
Q: First off not sure if you can help me as I'm a Canadian resident but I'm going to give this a shot. ...
A: Oh Boy! Not that Canadian plumbing! All the water up there works so much differently, usually being ...
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| Delta Bathroom Faucet, two handle | 2/24/2009 |
Q: Trying to replace the spring and seal on the left side of the faucet. The spring will not fit into ...
A: There could be a difference between hot and cold side repair parts but I'm not aware of one. As I ...
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| Outdoor Faucet | 2/24/2009 |
Q: I bought my house nearly two years ago and just recently, while doing some spring gardening, I found ...
A: Difficult to say if this faucet is even hooked up anymore. I often find abandoned faucets in yards ...
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| Gas Hot Water Heater | 2/24/2009 |
Q: I live in an apartment (rented) with what appears to be a new (June 2008 mfg date) gas hot water ...
A: Don't get me in the middle of this! LOL I think you are closest to the right answer. This is a ...
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| Bathroom Sink Install Leaks | 2/24/2009 |
Q: I recently put in a new vanity top with built-in sink in my guest bathroom. The drain hole in the ...
A: The pvc pipes can be cut to length if needed. If you are talking about the piece that is part of the ...
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| Bathtub Drain Leak | 2/24/2009 |
Q: I just installed a fibreglass bathtub. While installing the drain I noticed a small pocket (1/2" sq) ...
A: Bummer! In retrospect, you should probably not gone forward when you discovered the defect. But ...
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| Options for fixing a leak in the pipe | 2/23/2009 |
Q: -- Our building, consisting of 9 condos, is experiencing a plumbing problem. One unit owner on ...
A: He is using a Rigid brand "SeeSnake" device. This is a workable solution and may resolve the problem ...
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| Options for fixing a leak in the pipe | 2/23/2009 |
Q: -- Our building, consisting of 9 condos, is experiencing a plumbing problem. One unit owner on ...
A: Unfortunate about the plans. It was a possibility. My thoughts are that, from your description, ...
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| Shower mixing valve is loose | 2/22/2009 |
Q: the shower mixing valve (it's a price pfister, model: unknown) was never mounted rigidly; it is only ...
A: This is a problem that I write up consistently on almost every inspection where there has been a ...
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| Options for fixing a leak in the pipe | 2/22/2009 |
Q: -- Our building, consisting of 9 condos, is experiencing a plumbing problem. One unit owner on ...
A: Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do without opening walls in this case. This problem is ...
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| water softener | 2/22/2009 |
Q: I have a concern about the new water softener I had installed yesterday. Should it be hooked up so ...
A: There should not be any "salt" in the water if it is working properly. It is designed to remove ...
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| plumbing | 2/22/2009 |
Q: There is a buildup of salt or other material around the shower head. Can this buildup be prevented ...
A: This "salt" is actually mineral buildup caused by the minerals in the water being left behind as it ...
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| Max Horizontal rn for a toilet drain | 2/22/2009 |
Q: I am in the process of remodeling and expanding my master bath. I want to move my toilet four feet ...
A: That shouldn't be a problem as long as you can maintain the fall. The key issue is distance from ...
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| Thermal Expansion tank | 2/21/2009 |
Q: The county advised everyone to install a thermal expansion tank in their system because they will be ...
A: Per the manufacture's typical installation instructions, the tanks are usually installed AT the ...
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| lead drain pipe | 2/21/2009 |
Q: i am remolding my old bath room (the house was built in 1931) and want to go from lead drain pipe ...
A: after over 80 years, the lead pipe is probably not in very good condition to start with. It is also ...
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| Gas pipe | 2/21/2009 |
Q: Dana, I want to upgrade to an tankless water heater, which is located in my garage about 50 feet ...
A: You have discovered one of the pitfalls of the tankless systems that you are not told about till you ...
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| Thermal Expansion tank | 2/21/2009 |
Q: The county advised everyone to install a thermal expansion tank in their system because they will be ...
A: This sounds like a check valve might be bleeding back a bit before it closes causing it to "flutter" ...
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| Water pressure | 2/21/2009 |
Q: basement laundry tub pressure 45 psi. I moved a vanity from the shower wall 3/4" supply line. and ...
A: 45psi is a bit on the low side. (the standard is 40-80 PSI) By the time it gets to the 2nd floor ...
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| Cost of Thermal Expansion Tank | 2/19/2009 |
Q: How much can I expect to pay to install a thermal expansion tank on my water heater? I also live in ...
A: The actual tanks run around $40-$60 depending on size needed. A typical residential application ...
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| water heater | 2/18/2009 |
Q: i have a Kenmore power miser 6 and it is leaking out of the bottom of it were the legs are is there ...
A: Just a thought, you might call Sears Appliance Repair to check it out? It's often just a bad hose ...
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| toilet bowl water | 2/18/2009 |
Q: There is not enough water in the toilet bowl, and you have to flush twice. How do I adjust this. ...
A: Unfortunately, there is no way to "adjust" the amount of water in the actual bowl area. It is built ...
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| sink drains | 2/17/2009 |
Q: Just curious what part of Phoenix are you in? We live in Glendale. Born and raised. Anyway, we ...
A: What gave you the idea I was in Phoenix? I live in Los Angeles, about 700 miles away from there. ...
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| lack of water | 2/15/2009 |
Q: our house is 40 years old. The hot water in the bath was running constantly. we followed the ...
A: A couple of thing come to mind. 1. the 40 year old galvanized piping is totally clogged up with rust ...
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| Bathtub Caulking | 2/12/2009 |
Q: I’m having problems sealing my bathtub. We purchased our house a few months ago. The tub in our ...
A: If there is a gap between the tub surround and the top of the tub, it was installed incorrectly. ...
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| bathroom faucet | 2/11/2009 |
Q: 4 days ago when I went in and turned on the faucet, it made a different swishing sound. My husband ...
A: LOL, this is great! I'm supposed to be able to diagnose a "swishing" sound via email? I know I'm ...
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| older kohler tub faucet leaking-can't disassemble | 2/11/2009 |
Q: I am trying to help a friend repair an old two handle KOHLER tub faucet. There are no model numbers ...
A: Here's what you can do. I don't recognize these faucets right now. Go right to Kohler directly. ...
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| sewage lift station | 2/11/2009 |
Q: When my lift pump shuts off, it makes a loud boom that shakes the house. How do I solve this ...
A: Try more vegetables in your diet. LOL What you call a "lift station" is also known as a sewage ...
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| Gluing PVC to Aluminum | 2/11/2009 |
Q: I need to glue some formed aluminum pieces to PVC. Can you suggest a glue for this application? Thx ...
A: I did a little research and this is one product I found. http://www.polywater.com/BTlabreport.pdf ...
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| REPIPE | 2/11/2009 |
Q: WE HAD OUR HOME REPIPED AND NOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN TAKING A SHOWER AND IF ANYONE FLUSHES THE ...
A: LOL, did you know that typing in all caps is the same as shouting? No Problem The piping was not ...
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| setting a toilet in plaster of paris | 2/9/2009 |
Q: I have set toilets on a marble base in plaster of paris befor and have always found the plaster ...
A: I have had success using small strips of linoleum flooring as shims to eliminate rocking. The actual ...
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| tub shoe: repair or not? | 2/9/2009 |
Q: Dana, I recently had a leak in the house. A plumber came out and fixed the problem (I hope). It ...
A: Not being able to see the pipes, it's hard to make a call on this. Logic says that if it is badly ...
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| Septic odor in bathrooms in new church hall | 2/8/2009 |
Q: There has been strong septic odors in bathrooms in our new church hall. Toilets have been resealed. ...
A: If the fan is 4 feet from the vent outlet, and the fan is an exhaust fan, it would be unlikely that ...
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| water supply valve to kitchen sink | 2/7/2009 |
Q: The hot water supply valve is stuck open. What is the best way to loosen it. I am not a very ...
A: These valves tend to be cheaply made and have plastic stems that don't tolerate much brute force. ...
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| tub drain valve | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I have a lever which closes or opens drain to our bathtub. When the water level reaches it, it ...
A: This thing is called a "trip lever waste & overflow". Actually, you should not fill the tub that ...
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| tub shoe: repair or not? | 2/6/2009 |
Q: Dana, I recently had a leak in the house. A plumber came out and fixed the problem (I hope). It ...
A: Yes, if it is badly corroded, replace it now while the ceiling is still open. His price sounds a ...
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| Shower floor - shower drain body mismatch | 2/5/2009 |
Q: My problem seems to be very similar to Mike's (answered on 1/21/09). Unfortunately, the leak is ...
A: There is a limit in what silicone caulk will fill. You may need to find some foam "backer rod" to ...
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| Killed the Disposal; Now a Clog | 2/5/2009 |
Q: Our garbage disposal died in our double sink. As far as I can tell, the blade broke off. (My ...
A: Bummer! I understand. You are correct, snaking is the way to handle it. The problem now is that ...
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| Squealing pipe | 2/5/2009 |
Q: In one shower in the house, I just started to get a high pitched squeal when I first turn on the hot ...
A: Sounds like a loose or worn washer on the stem. It's fluttering as the water passes at a certain ...
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| Washer drain | 2/4/2009 |
Q: I am moving a washer and dryer to the first floor. The main stack is about 4' away and there is an ...
A: Currently, washer drains are required to be 2" so your instinct is correct. The washer drain is one ...
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| American Std Toilet Mod # 4260 Flush Valve | 2/2/2009 |
Q: This is the newer fast flush toilet that does not have the old flapper valve system. Mywill I have ...
A: In looking at the parts here: ...
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| Pegasus kitchen faucet | 2/1/2009 |
Q: I have a kitchen Pegasus faucet, bought 4years ago. The soap dispenser wont spring down. I was ...
A: LOL If I had it in my hands, I could probably work it out but alas, not possible. Pegasus faucets ...
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| Water hammer after adding bidet water line | 2/1/2009 |
Q: Yesterday I added a 'bidet' water line to our toilet flush line. This is just like a hand held ...
A: Okay, Visio. I think I have that somewhere as well. As for the "high mileage" here is one of my ...
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| Water hammer after adding bidet water line | 2/1/2009 |
Q: Yesterday I added a 'bidet' water line to our toilet flush line. This is just like a hand held ...
A: You have pretty much nailed the problem, the sprayer is shutting off the water too quickly. Moving ...
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| Gas Water Heater | 1/31/2009 |
Q: Please bear with me, as I have been reading as much as possible prior to asking these questions, but ...
A: In my travels, I have not seen nor heard of a significant problem with one brand over another. The ...
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| low pressure on hot water but only in part of my house | 1/30/2009 |
Q: We bought a house that was modernised except the original bathroom. We had no flow on hot water ...
A: Ok, I'm getting a better picture of this. Just confused because sometimes a small "point-of-use" ...
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| low pressure on hot water but only in part of my house | 1/30/2009 |
Q: We bought a house that was modernised except the original bathroom. We had no flow on hot water ...
A: I suppose anything is possible. Generally, even "crappy" valves will still work. They just do not ...
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| plumbing backed up | 1/28/2009 |
Q: I was told the main drain pipe under my house is collapsing in itself. the house is from 1956 and I ...
A: Snaking may temporarily clear the line. The only way to determine the true condition of the line is ...
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| faucet identification | 1/28/2009 |
Q: How do I identify the manufacturer of the faucets in my four family home when new cartridges or ...
A: Plumbing fixture fashion changes like everything. If it is American Standard you might be able to ...
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| plumbing backed up | 1/28/2009 |
Q: I was told the main drain pipe under my house is collapsing in itself. the house is from 1956 and I ...
A: That's a big problem! This needs to be handled right now or you may incur additional expenses for a ...
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| faucet identification | 1/28/2009 |
Q: How do I identify the manufacturer of the faucets in my four family home when new cartridges or ...
A: Not an easy task sometimes. The better manufacturers usually put their name on them somewhere. Take ...
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| hot & cold siphoning and mixing | 1/27/2009 |
Q: I had hot water no problems until I got a new tank and/or when I got a new washer. If I leave the ...
A: Quite a mystery! There are several things that could be happening here. There could be a problem ...
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| water pressure | 1/27/2009 |
Q: An interesting problem... We have owned our (25 year old) house for about two years, it is in ...
A: This is usually cause by a condition called heat expansion. It is common, I experience it myself ...
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| Banging sound while toliet re-fills | 1/27/2009 |
Q: We are getting a very loud sound whenever we flush any of the 3 toilets in our home. The sound ...
A: Banging piping is one of the symptoms of excessive water pressure. Since it is happening on all the ...
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| american standard 1.6 | 1/27/2009 |
Q: 1.6 gpm am std e toilet tank has a clear plastic box inside the tank. I've replaced the flush ...
A: These should work as designed. Contact American Standard help line. They may have a solution and ...
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| Diverter Spout Problem | 1/27/2009 |
Q: I have a "compreesion" type diverter spout in my tub/shower. It has a cutout underneath to access ...
A: You should be able to grab it and rotate it a bit to get them to line up. They are usually not ...
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| plumbing | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I have a water softner with a bladder tank for my well water system. I just recently changed the ...
A: I would check that the bladder tank is not flooded. If you get water from the air fill valve, the ...
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| toilet drain leak | 1/26/2009 |
Q: We are living in a new home. Six to eight months ago we noticed water spots on the ceiling ...
A: I'm sorry you are having problems with these people. Unfortunately, it is too often the case in ...
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| Banging sound while toliet re-fills | 1/26/2009 |
Q: We are getting a very loud sound whenever we flush any of the 3 toilets in our home. The sound ...
A: Sounds like a combination of things. The least expensive is to change out the fill valves on the ...
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| Bathroom Faucet Replacement | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I have replaced two of my three bathroom sink faucets, but I hit a snag on the third one. The ...
A: LOL, I hate when that happens. Time to "flintstone" it off. Find a long cold chisel, sharpen it up ...
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| Water going down bath plughole and coming up sink ? | 1/25/2009 |
Q: I have a bath and a sink in my bathroom. The plugholes are I guess at least 6 feet apart (ie: there ...
A: The water should NOT be coming up the "plughole" in the sink. (also known as the sink drain) This ...
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| Mixer faucet output not hot enough | 1/25/2009 |
Q: I have a mixer faucet for my bath but am unable to adjust it to a hot enough temperature. The ...
A: These "mixer" faucets are often marketed as anti-scald and are intended to prevent scalding injuries ...
|
| Replacing galvanized water main gate valve | 1/25/2009 |
Q: I have a stuck gate valve at the water main. This valve has been a problem for quite a while and the ...
A: It is unlikely that the valve is galvanized, they are always brass. It is soldiered on, not welded. ...
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| Installing a walk-in tiled shower | 1/25/2009 |
Q: Our existing bath is approx. 4'x 8'. Currently it has a toilet and sink. We would like to add a ...
A: This should be no problem. The space you describe appears to exceed the minimum dimensions for a ...
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| PLUMBING | 1/25/2009 |
Q: HAVE A BASEMENT WITH CONCRETE FLOORS WANT TO ADD A FULL BATHROOM. IT WILL BE RIGHT NEXT TO THE ...
A: There are a few options. Break floor, plumb the waste lines and patch the floor back. Labor ...
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| toilet installation | 1/24/2009 |
Q: We purchased a new Kohler Persuade dual-flush toilet to replace an old cracked toilet (our ...
A: it makes this a lot easier. I can see that you have copper supply piping (at this location at ...
|
| PVC or plastic plumbing | 1/24/2009 |
Q: My circa, 1990, Fleetwood modular home's water pipes are a somewhat flexible gray piping with many ...
A: You might be able to find a valve with the barb connection built-in but not likely. You would more ...
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| PVC or plastic plumbing | 1/24/2009 |
Q: My circa, 1990, Fleetwood modular home's water pipes are a somewhat flexible gray piping with many ...
A: The brass rings are compression sleeves that are crimped on with a special tool. You might be able ...
|
| No Hot Water | 1/24/2009 |
Q: .. we recently remodeled our bathroom...this is the issue: our shower water is HOT but the tub ...
A: That's an odd one. What type of valves are we talking about? How many handles? Is this a tub/shower ...
|
| PVC or plastic plumbing | 1/23/2009 |
Q: My circa, 1990, Fleetwood modular home's water pipes are a somewhat flexible gray piping with many ...
A: This is poly butylene (sp?) pipe and as such has a history of problems both involving the pipe ...
|
| Moving tub drain | 1/23/2009 |
Q: I am finishing my basement and I need to move my tub drain because of a low ceiling. I want to ...
A: Looks pretty tight in there! Getting rid of that big ass drum trap will help though. LOL If you ...
|
| Moving tub drain | 1/23/2009 |
Q: I am finishing my basement and I need to move my tub drain because of a low ceiling. I want to ...
A: I see a few potential problems with our proposed setup. Per code, there needs to be a clean out ...
|
| stratification | 1/23/2009 |
Q: could you please tell me what stratification is please
A: This question is a bit out of context. To what are you referring to? There are at least 5 ...
|
| getting gas supply to basement fireplace | 1/23/2009 |
Q: My gas line is going to be extended to the opposite end of my house through the attic then down the ...
A: H Glen, You might be able to do that. Take a few measurements and see where it could go through ...
|
| cracking tub | 1/22/2009 |
Q: Our tubs are making crackling noises and have some hair line cracks at the drain. I want to try ...
A: Yes, you could drill in through the side of the tub. It will not hurt the structure of the tub ...
|
| Kitchen sink | 1/22/2009 |
Q: I am looking into some remodeling in my kitchen. I thinking of moving the fridge to where the ...
A: You are right, the wall piping should be fine. You will probably need to extend the "the trap arm" ...
|
| plumbing issues | 1/22/2009 |
Q: O.k.- The problem is this: In a bathroom faucet, the hot water doesn't work at all, and when the ...
A: There are a number of possible causes for this. 1. the aerator is clogged up. 2. the pipes are old ...
|
| Kitchen Sink | 1/22/2009 |
Q: I had a new kitchen sink put in 3 years ago, and it has become partially clogged with grease. Is it ...
A: I don't really like drain cleaners, they often contain lye that can damage the pipes. Use it ...
|
| shower no hot water | 1/21/2009 |
Q: i have an upstairs shower that does not get hot water. there is hot water in the sink in the same ...
A: Yes, it could be a faulty mixing valve. Since you just moved in and the house is only 3 years old I ...
|
| Single-Handle Moen-Style Tub Problem | 1/21/2009 |
Q: House built in the 1920's. The bathtub has a Moen-style, push/pull handle, cosmetically resembling ...
A: Well, you have certainly done your homework. Well done! It's anybody's guess about the ...
|
| Shower hot water supply | 1/21/2009 |
Q: Guest shower was just discovered to have only hot water; no cold water supply. Bathroom sink and ...
A: Some missing data here. What type of piping do you have? Plastic, galvanized steel, copper? How ...
|
| cracking tub | 1/21/2009 |
Q: Our tubs are making crackling noises and have some hair line cracks at the drain. I want to try ...
A: It is not uncommon for acrylic tubs to develop cracks over time. These type tubs SHOULD have been ...
|
| shower drain | 1/21/2009 |
Q: I have a fiberglass shower on the main floor which I had a plumber install 5 years ago. the drain ...
A: That's a pain! You shouldn't need to do that, it is not the normal way it is done. This would ...
|
| clogged drain | 1/20/2009 |
Q: Recently the kitchen sink will not drain. It was not a gradual slowing but just stopped. When the ...
A: "Bagging" a drain rarely works well. The line needs to be properly snaked and cleaned thoroughly by ...
|
| Kitchen sink | 1/20/2009 |
Q: We have a double sink w/disposal on one side. When we have water in the sink and remove the stopper ...
A: There obviously appears to be an obstruction of some kind here. I'm not in favor of "drain openers" ...
|
| dishwasher smells | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I have a dishwasher connected to a kitchen sink p-trap, and get sewerage smells inside the ...
A: The easiest way to add venting after the fact is to use an AAV. Called an Air Admittance Valve or ...
|
| Toilet "burps" when flushed | 1/20/2009 |
Q: ^ months ago I replaced the stool because the plumber said the old one wouldn't flush because of ...
A: Now this is a very technical answer. The wax ring could have been "over squished" and be partially ...
|
| Kitchen sink drain | 1/19/2009 |
Q: We have a dual kitchen sink w/disposal on the right side. Dishes are usually washed on the left ...
A: Kitchen sink drains are the worst for clogging due to grease and other things. Drain cleaners do ...
|
| frozen sewer line | 1/19/2009 |
Q: Last year my sewer line froze from my shop to the main. I had a plumber come out and he used a jet ...
A: Here is one place that seems to have accessories to add to your pressure washer for this very ...
|
| Bruner Water Softener | 1/19/2009 |
Q: I have a Bruner s-150 in my home. It has been disabled for a couple of years. I would like to ...
A: Bruner is now owned by "the Culligan Man". Here's a link that may be helpful; ...
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| Indirect vs. traditional water heater | 1/19/2009 |
Q: We have just installed a new boiler for our 18-room 1912 house. We can install an indirect ...
A: I understand your desire to conserve energy. Well done! I think that the boiler would need to ...
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| Indirect vs. traditional water heater | 1/19/2009 |
Q: We have just installed a new boiler for our 18-room 1912 house. We can install an indirect ...
A: The fuel you use to heat water is based on how much water you use. In the winter, you will use more ...
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| no more hot water in my shower | 1/18/2009 |
Q: I have a bathtub with a 3 handle water faucet - left for hot, middle for shower, right for cold. ...
A: 80% is not too bad yet. As for the hot in the shower? It is very difficult to say where the problem ...
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| giant tankless overall nightmare | 1/18/2009 |
Q: Our elec water heater went out and we decided to put in a natural gas tankless hot H20 heater (ugh.) ...
A: Well, I'm sure you have a lot invested in this system now. Tough call to toss it all and start ...
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| hot water lag time to all faucets | 1/18/2009 |
Q: water main to at that same time i had the water heater replaced as well.(29 gallon electric "low ...
A: 30 seconds is within the "normal tolerance" for hot water delivery. I understand the the old gal was ...
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| no more hot water in my shower | 1/18/2009 |
Q: I have a bathtub with a 3 handle water faucet - left for hot, middle for shower, right for cold. ...
A: If you have the older galvanized steel pipes, this is a symptom of rust and hard water scale build ...
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| Kitchen sink | 1/17/2009 |
Q: This morning when I went to turn on the kitchen faucet I noticed that when I turn it on which ...
A: That was a totally lame description! LOLOL Just kidding! I understand the problem. It seems that ...
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| all cold water, some hot water? | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I live in Virginia; last night it got down to about 8 degrees outside. I have hot water working ...
A: Bummer! I have had to deal with this in the past when living in the Sierras above 6000 feet. There, ...
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| water line blocked | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I have what I believe is a blockage between the hot water tank and my kitchen sink. All other ...
A: Ahhh! Missing data about plastic pipes makes my job a little difficult. LOL You hadn't mentioned ...
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| B vent connection to a water heater | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I am replacing a power vent hot water heater with a standard vent water heater. I have run my vent ...
A: The Selkirk B vent coupler is designed to adapt between the b vent pipe and the draft hood. Per the ...
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| water line blocked | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I have what I believe is a blockage between the hot water tank and my kitchen sink. All other ...
A: Are you sure the line is blocked? Might just be in the faucet. Start working your way back from the ...
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| Master Bath shower/tub perfromance | 1/16/2009 |
Q: I recently purchase a home 1980's era home that had a total master BA remodel (New shower/whirlpool ...
A: Sounds like the cartridge in the faucet is messing up. Time to get someone (or you, if you are ...
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| Toliet not flushing | 1/16/2009 |
Q: I have an old 3.5 american standard toilet it isn't flushing properly. a handyman states I need a ...
A: That all depends on what you/he means by "jet". If the "rim jets" are clogged with debris or hard ...
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| giant tankless overall nightmare | 1/16/2009 |
Q: Our elec water heater went out and we decided to put in a natural gas tankless hot H20 heater (ugh.) ...
A: This can get to be a very complex subject with some serious math involved. Most times it is pretty ...
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| PVC / Cast Iron | 1/16/2009 |
Q: I'm remodeling my first-floor powder room in my 1971 home. The drain stacks are cast iron (4") and ...
A: As long as the outside diameter of the two pipes is pretty close, a no hub coupling will work. I'm ...
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| high-pitched whine | 1/16/2009 |
Q: We remodeled on master bath. We previously had a 3/4 bath. We added a separate tub. We relocated ...
A: Change the toilet fill valve, it is worn to the point that the seal washer is fluttering like a reed ...
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| PVC / Cast Iron | 1/15/2009 |
Q: I'm remodeling my first-floor powder room in my 1971 home. The drain stacks are cast iron (4") and ...
A: The cast iron pipe in use at that time was called "hub & spigot" and they used "leaded" joints. ...
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| Shower runs hot then freezing cold | 1/15/2009 |
Q: My shower has started to run hot for a minute or so then freezing cold for a similar time. This ...
A: Interesting problem. Gotta be quick jumping in and out of the shower with this situation. Yikes! ...
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| giant tankless overall nightmare | 1/15/2009 |
Q: Our elec water heater went out and we decided to put in a natural gas tankless hot H20 heater (ugh.) ...
A: Big problem! I have seen this happen when the new tankless W/H are installed. They have a huge ...
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| no hot water just cold | 1/14/2009 |
Q: why would we get cold water only we thought it was the water heater we change that but still cold it ...
A: I would be too! Who decided that the water heater needed changing? Was the problem investigated or ...
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| WATER PRESSURE | 1/14/2009 |
Q: ALL OF A SUDDEN MY WATER PRESSURE IN MY SHOWER IS TOO HARD. IT USES UP THE HOT WATER FASTER BECAUSE ...
A: There can be a number of reasons for this. Typically, the water pressure is determined by the city ...
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| kitchen sink leak | 1/14/2009 |
Q: here goes...for months the under portion of my kitchen sink has been wet, getting to the point of ...
A: Do you think! LOL You are risking a serious mold problem if you don't already have one. Not to be ...
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| Glacier Bay clogged handle? | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I have iron water residue clogging the fawcet in my kitchen sink. The Pump went off and clearing ...
A: Don't feel bad. I've broken my share of parts too. BTW, it's faucet. no "w", one "t". The only ...
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| Hot water heater replacement. | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I'm replacing my home hot water heater. The old one is 15+ years old and I'm starting to smell some ...
A: Absolutely Not! If any carbon monoxide leaks occur, you will be piping them right into the living ...
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| how to get air out of your heating lines | 1/13/2009 |
Q: hot water heat
A: If your baseboard radiation has no vents you have a newer system that requires "purging" at the ...
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| water heater flushing | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I bought my home 3 years it was build in 1975. I have a 55 gallon reliance 501 electric water heater ...
A: It couldn't hurt. Water heaters typically last ten years so you are statistically near the end of ...
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| Hot water heater replacement. | 1/12/2009 |
Q: I'm replacing my home hot water heater. The old one is 15+ years old and I'm starting to smell some ...
A: The correct slope is 1/8 inch/foot back towards the heater. The first section should be no shorter ...
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| Winterize house-Drain pipes | 1/12/2009 |
Q: After main shut off and open all faucets and drain pipes, should all water be out in 1/2 hour. At ...
A: Hey Bob, There is typically only one shut off for the whole house, the main cold line. There is a ...
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| Broken Sink Lead Drain Pipe... | 1/12/2009 |
Q: We are remodeling our kitchen and while removing the kitchen sink, the old lead drain pipe broke ...
A: This is why Plumber has a "B" in it. Pb is the chemical symbol of lead. A "Plombare" is one who ...
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| Winterize house-Drain pipes | 1/11/2009 |
Q: After main shut off and open all faucets and drain pipes, should all water be out in 1/2 hour. At ...
A: Sounds like you have it covered except for one thing....you need to put some non-glycol antifreeze ...
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| toilet | 1/11/2009 |
Q: 15 year old toilet...what would make this toilet work like a brand new one for 3,4,5 days then all ...
A: Maybe it's haunted! Or the cleaning lady that comes every Thursday? LOL, just kidding. There is ...
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| pressure tank central heating | 1/11/2009 |
Q: We have no oil fired central heating and no header tank.The boiler is sited outside the house and ...
A: I'm not that familiar with boiler systems, they are not used much out here in CA. I have worked on a ...
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| Knocking Bathroom piipes | 1/10/2009 |
Q: When you use the bathroom sink or bath/shower the pipes knock when you empty the water. could this ...
A: I'm still at a loss to tell you what is causing this. There might be something caught in the line ...
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| PVC drain lines in basement | 1/10/2009 |
Q: I have a fairly long kitchen sink pvc drain line that goes approx. 16 feet one direction and then ...
A: The 2" is fine. The important part is the turns. They should be at minimum, medium turn 90's with a ...
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| plunger doesn't fit toilet | 1/10/2009 |
Q: My husband and I recently moved into a 15 year house which has two Briggs 1.5 toilets. We have tried ...
A: LOL It's the old round plug for the square hole routine. There is a type of rubber plunger (called a ...
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| Brown sediment in water | 1/9/2009 |
Q: We live in a 8 year old house that we just bought 2 years ago. The water is from a well. We've ...
A: Could be as a result of the iron based arsenic filter. Some sort of particulate chelating out. You ...
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| Shower | 1/9/2009 |
Q: Can a shower mixing valve be the cause for a lack of hot water?
A: The short answer is yes. The "how" is another issue. If it is a pressure balancing valve or ...
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| sand in hot water | 1/9/2009 |
Q: We added on a second story to our home three years ago and had a licensed plumber replace some of ...
A: Now this is weird! LOL Sand in only the hot water? The only thing I can think of is some sort of ...
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| Clogged main line to septic tank... | 1/8/2009 |
Q: Dana, We recently experienced a blockage in the main line that caused overflow into our basement ...
A: Frequent pumping of the tank should not be required unless the leach or drain field has failed. The ...
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| Knocking Bathroom piipes | 1/8/2009 |
Q: When you use the bathroom sink or bath/shower the pipes knock when you empty the water. could this ...
A: That's a new one! I've never heard of pipes knocking when water is drained. It is usually the ...
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| Leach line replacement | 1/8/2009 |
Q: I just had my septic tank pumped for the third time in a year and found out the reason for the ...
A: There is not "standard" way the lines are laid out, it depends on the local conditions. There is a ...
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| toilet valve problem on new toilet | 1/8/2009 |
Q: I just installed a brand new Kohler toilet, model #K4418-47 Cimmaron. When I flush, the black round ...
A: I'm not familiar with this new technology that Kohler has come out with. The actual whole toilet is ...
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| Bathtub Drain Pipe - Mold Inside | 1/8/2009 |
Q: I own a 10yr old ranch style home that has 3 bathrooms. Drain pipes are pvc. Only soap used in 2 of ...
A: This can be a persistent problem. Mold is present everywhere. When it finds a hospitable place, it ...
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| Powder room toilet doesn't flush properly | 1/7/2009 |
Q: This is a followup to a question you replied to last night regarding our powder room toilet that ...
A: If it is not mineral build up and the water is entering the bowl properly, it could a be a partial ...
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| New toilet bowl doesn't hold water | 1/7/2009 |
Q: Dana, we are in the process of remodeling one of our two bathrooms. This remodel included replacing ...
A: Pretty much everything you are able to buy these days is a "water saver 1.6 GPF" model. No choice ...
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| Singing pipes | 1/7/2009 |
Q: Hot and cold water pipes in one bathroom sink sing loudly when turned on but will stop if I increase ...
A: I doubt it. Water hammer is not the problem. Water hammer manifests as loud banging or rattling of ...
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| New toilet bowl doesn't hold water | 1/7/2009 |
Q: Dana, we are in the process of remodeling one of our two bathrooms. This remodel included replacing ...
A: It is possible that there is a venting problem. If the vent is restricted, the water will siphon ...
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| Toilet seems to be constantly clogged or very slow running | 1/6/2009 |
Q: Our powder room toilet seems to always have a flushing issue. We use Scott tissue so it disolves ...
A: Yes, I do understand. At my age, an "all nighter" means I didn't have to get up to use the bathroom. ...
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| Singing pipes | 1/6/2009 |
Q: Hot and cold water pipes in one bathroom sink sing loudly when turned on but will stop if I increase ...
A: The clue is in the comment that it stops when you change the water flow. What is probably happening ...
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| venting plumbing | 1/6/2009 |
Q: So, I am not good at drawing piping diagrams, but will do my best to describe accurately. I have a ...
A: As they say " the proof of the pudding is in the eating". If it is working, and obviously it is, it ...
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| frozen pipes | 1/6/2009 |
Q: after a very cold night, no water was coming from seven of the eight taps (faucets) in the house the ...
A: Freezing water expands. When it does this, pipes break. You could have a problem here. As the ...
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| frozen or clogged ? | 1/6/2009 |
Q: Set up... I live in a 2 yr old mobile home, where this past summer all the water lines in the park ...
A: Now that's a bummer! The drain line from your mobile is definitely clogged somewhere past all the ...
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| tapping noise in toilet | 1/5/2009 |
Q: We had a new toilet install and we get a tapping noise. It doesn't do it all the time. What can we ...
A: It sounds like something may be caught in the trap way of the toilet. something hard, longer than ...
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| tapping noise in toilet | 1/5/2009 |
Q: We had a new toilet install and we get a tapping noise. It doesn't do it all the time. What can we ...
A: This is difficult to answer due to very little information. When does this tapping noise occur? ...
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| just fixed leak in drain; toilet flushing slowly | 1/5/2009 |
Q: I just fixed a pipe in the backyard that was allowing water to drain up through the ground. Found a ...
A: The main line is clogged somewhere past this thing you fixed. (called a clean out fitting)that's why ...
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| TubShower faucet | 1/5/2009 |
Q: I have a Stokkur faucet. It's the dual operation tub/shower to turn on the water. If I have the ...
A: I'm afraid that I ma not familiar with that particular faucet or brand. In any case, something is ...
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| shower drain under slab | 1/1/2009 |
Q: I want to install a shower in slab portion of house. basement foundation wall is eight feet from ...
A: There is really no workable way to get the pipe from one location to the other with out breaking ...
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| hot water flowing out of external spout | 12/31/2008 |
Q: I was sitting at the breakfast table and I could hear what sounded like water leaking. I placed my ...
A: By the way, I'm a 6 foot 2 in, 250 lb. guy. LOL With a name of Dana, I get it all the time. Not a ...
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| tub caulking | 12/31/2008 |
Q: Why is that after recaulking a tub the caulk peels off after three or four days? Can you tell me ...
A: LOL, TMI I guess.(too much information) You didn't specify what the material was so I just went ...
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| hot water flowing out of external spout | 12/31/2008 |
Q: I was sitting at the breakfast table and I could hear what sounded like water leaking. I placed my ...
A: Without knowing the layout of these drains and what they hook to, it's hard to tell. The only two ...
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| tub caulking | 12/31/2008 |
Q: Why is that after recaulking a tub the caulk peels off after three or four days? Can you tell me ...
A: This usually happens because the surface it not clean and dry when the new caulk is applied. The ...
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| where's water coming from | 12/31/2008 |
Q: We live on the 4th floor of a highrise condo. We came home this evening to a sink full of black ...
A: Your house is obviously haunted! Just kidding. You are on the 4th floor, any more above you? If ...
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| smell in sink pipe | 12/30/2008 |
Q: how can i get rid of odour when i run tap upstairs sink odour comes from down stairs after its run ...
A: Every plumbing fixture has a "trap" that is designed to hold water to act as a seal against sewer ...
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| Plumbing | 12/30/2008 |
Q: Could you tell me why it seems to be a backup of black particles in my toilet tank and coming from ...
A: The most likely cause is corrosion and mineral build up coming out (or not) from the pipes. This is ...
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| how to level a bathtub | 12/30/2008 |
Q: I need to replace my old bathtub and the one I purchased (porcelain over steel) is not level. Any ...
A: LOL Make mud! It has to squish down to conform to the bottom of the tub. Don't use too much. Look ...
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| how to level a bathtub | 12/30/2008 |
Q: I need to replace my old bathtub and the one I purchased (porcelain over steel) is not level. Any ...
A: This is done during the installation process, called "setting" the tub. The tub itself has the slope ...
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| Kitchen sink back flow | 12/29/2008 |
Q: I had a problem with my sink drain line freezing because it was on an outer wall. So I disconnected ...
A: Good idea to get the plumbing off the exterior wall. Although, when I lived in the High Sierras ...
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| expansion tank | 12/29/2008 |
Q: Where in the IPC does it say the expansion tank goes on cold water side of water heater?
A: As far as I know, it's not a "code" issue. Code always defers to the manufacturer's ...
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| Moaning Pipe | 12/29/2008 |
Q: When we flush the master bath toilet, which is on the 2nd floor, a pipe starts to moan when it ...
A: As the fill valve in the toilet get close to closing fully, the washer starts to "flutter" a bit ...
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| water hook up to delta faucet and spray | 12/28/2008 |
Q: we are having trouble hooking up the hot and cold water to our two faucet knobs and one to the ...
A: Is this a two handle tub/shower valve? I'm not really understanding why there is a problem. All ...
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| RADIANT HEAT MIXING VALVES | 12/28/2008 |
Q: I HAVE A RADIANT HEAT SYSTEM WHERE THE RETURN LINE IS PLUMBED INTO A MIXING VALVE TO REDUCE THE ...
A: I'm not totally clear on what is going on here. Tempering valves are adjustable, have you tried ...
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| Tankless water heater and recirc pump design | 12/28/2008 |
Q: I'm trying to design a recirculating hot water system that will work with my existing tankless water ...
A: Sounds like you have the bases covered. It should work. As for a tank, that would be if you were ...
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| 2nd floor shower | 12/28/2008 |
Q: I live in a older house on city water system, I know the old galvinized pipes probaly have lime ...
A: That might work if the piping was set up for that. It is not. The hot and cold are all one system. ...
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| Shower faucet | 12/28/2008 |
Q: I have a Moen shower faucet, Monticello model, with a lever handle that turns about 270 degrees, ...
A: Kate, The handle fastens on with a small allan screw from the bottom. It may be loose or the parts ...
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| pipes | 12/27/2008 |
Q: I live in an old apartment building and when the heat turns on and off at night it makes a loud ...
A: I know the feeling. I lived up in the Sierras in snow country above 6000 feet for 10 years. My ...
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| bathroom plumbing | 12/27/2008 |
Q: Every time we wash clothes the water drains into the bathroom which is on the lower level next to ...
A: The water discharge from a laundry machine often has a lot of lint component in it. If the pipes ...
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| sewer stoppage | 12/27/2008 |
Q: whenever we get a heavy saturating rain or a fast thaw of snow my sewer stops working and will not ...
A: Now this has to be a major pain! You shouldn't have to deal with this because the city did some ...
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| noise and vibrating in shower | 12/27/2008 |
Q: I have a fairly new shower, about three years that begins to vibrate when the single handle is set ...
A: Some debris may have gotten into the lines and gotten stuck in the tub/shower valve. You will need ...
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| No hot water tap feed | 12/27/2008 |
Q: We turned off the hot water supply (as well as the cold) to fix a leaking hot water tap, and ran the ...
A: Now that sucks! What may have happened is the gate came loose inside the body of the gate valve or ...
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| kitchen line repair under a concrete foundation | 12/26/2008 |
Q: my home is a single family brick home on a concrete slab foundation built in 1952. 12/23/08 my sink ...
A: It might be possible to run around the exterior if the kitchen drains are on the exterior wall. It ...
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| sewage smell | 12/26/2008 |
Q: I can hear a gurgling sound through my hot top upstairs (second story house) master bathroom and ...
A: Not familiar with the term "hot top". Having lived in snow country myself for ten years, I think ...
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| gas log lighter valve | 12/26/2008 |
Q: valve is very difficult to turn on or off I have to use vicegrips clamped to key to open or ...
A: It sounds like someone tightened up the packing nut too tight and now the stem won't turn as easily ...
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| kitchen line repair under a concrete foundation | 12/26/2008 |
Q: my home is a single family brick home on a concrete slab foundation built in 1952. 12/23/08 my sink ...
A: Sorry you are having this problem. Unfortunately it's not a small and easily fixed one. First; the ...
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| Leaking basement shower | 12/26/2008 |
Q: I live in a 60 year old house. The basement shower leaks in a rather odd way. About 2 minutes after ...
A: I suspect that it is the shower pan that is leaking. The only fix it to tear it out and replace it. ...
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| Draining hot water tank | 12/25/2008 |
Q: When attempting to drain hot water tank which is 5 years old and never drained the output from the ...
A: That can be frustrating! Been there, Done that. I've even had to use a pump when the heaters were ...
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| No hot water | 12/24/2008 |
Q: Due to no hot water to shower i had Boiler coil cleaned..still,same problem...my oil co tech checks ...
A: No, they are far from "universal". You need to figure out the brand and model number, usually cast ...
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| Pipe in my bathroom | 12/24/2008 |
Q: I hear a drip in my ceiling downstairs and it is only when the water in the tub, shower or sink are ...
A: There are only a few places that water could be leaking from the tub. Opening the access panel ...
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| No hot water | 12/24/2008 |
Q: Due to no hot water to shower i had Boiler coil cleaned..still,same problem...my oil co tech checks ...
A: Now that must be a shocker first thing in the morning! The valve that you are describing is called ...
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| Water valve replacement when is it necessary | 12/24/2008 |
Q: Yesterday my son-in-law replaced the gas hot water heater. We couldn't get it to light so called a ...
A: I know what you mean. Out here the jerks at the gas company are always causing problems trying to ...
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| shower turns hot | 12/24/2008 |
Q: My 25 year old shower water has always been fine-except when someone flushes the toilet. However, in ...
A: Three possible things I can think of; the old valve is wearing out and needs to be rebuilt with new ...
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| Leak from "P-joint" to wall under bathroom sink | 12/23/2008 |
Q: I recently had to remove the older parts of the PVC piping under our bathroom sink and replace with ...
A: Just to be clear, the "J" joint is the P-trap. And the drain pipe down from the sink into it is ...
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| Toilet Sink | 12/23/2008 |
Q: My toilet sink makes flushing noise every 5-10 minutes. But when I check the sink/bowl, the water is ...
A: Now that's a new term to me, "toilet sink". Do you mean the toilet or stool? This noise is called a ...
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| booster pump replacement | 12/23/2008 |
Q: Our 9 unit condo building recently had a leak in the small closet housing our water supply main and ...
A: You have a number of things to consider; 1. You said that the single pump died because it could not ...
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| plumbing leak | 12/23/2008 |
Q: My phister pull out faucet started leaking, the cord broke. I have put a universal cord on it, but I ...
A: LOL, You have discovered the problem with "universal" type repair parts. They really don't work ...
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| well pump | 12/22/2008 |
Q: My well pump looses pressure. I have checked all plumbing in house and under. I can close the valve ...
A: Sounds like there is a leak somewhere. Possibly from the air fill valve on the pressure tank. ...
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| upper bathroom | 12/22/2008 |
Q: Last night I went to use the bathroom in the master bathroom which is the 3rd story of the house. ...
A: This could be many things. 1. faulty toilet fill valve. 2. clogged or frozen supply piping. 3. Low ...
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| Leak | 12/22/2008 |
Q: We have an upstairs bathroom that has had a slow leak. We didn't know about. We just bought this ...
A: Now that's a big surprise! Hope you were not in bed when the ceiling fell in. Plumbing leaks are a ...
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| clogged drain | 12/22/2008 |
Q: I have a single kitchen sink with a garbage disposal. We replaced the clogged piping underneath. The ...
A: If the pipes under the sink were clogged, possibly the disposer is partially clogged as well. The ...
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| PVC TO COPPER | 12/22/2008 |
Q: HOW DO I CONNECT PVC PIPING TO COPPER PIPING WITH OUT SOLDERING.
A: They make a compression coupling for joining two pipes together. They come in brass or plastic. The ...
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| can't find brand nane on kitchen faucet | 12/21/2008 |
Q: Any ideas?
A: Not a clue! I know it is very frustrating. Major manufacturers always put their name on their ...
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| plumbing in slab/freezing | 12/21/2008 |
Q: I recently purchased a home with in floor heat. Slow heat time and quick drop of heat makes me ...
A: Gotta love that nice balmy weather! LOL I lived in snow country for ten years although our day time ...
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| m/h water heater | 12/21/2008 |
Q: what is the difference between a regular water heater, and mobile home water heater? nat. gas
A: Mobile home water heaters are NOT the same as those used in site built houses; they are taller and ...
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| thermal expansion tank | 12/20/2008 |
Q: I just had a new 50 gal hot water heater installed.The plumber now says that I need to install a new ...
A: The TET is a bladder or diaphragm tank with a rubber diaphragm dividing the water from the air. The ...
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| Shutting off well pump | 12/20/2008 |
Q: I live in a 3 year old house on a crawl space with a well and pressure pump. I plan to go on ...
A: I used to have the same issues when I lived up in the High Sierras. Heated with a wood stove and ...
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| sump pump | 12/20/2008 |
Q: just moved into this house and things are working fine and all of a sudden my drains in my sinks are ...
A: It seems like you are saying only some lines/fixtures are connected to the sump pump, is this ...
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| Water | 12/20/2008 |
Q: I have no hot water in my house only cold water. this took place like yesterday? what does this ...
A: That's a bummer! Sounds like; 1. You didn't pay the gas or electric bill. <grin> 2. The water ...
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| washer machine drainage from underneath kitchen sink. | 12/20/2008 |
Q: I am roughing in a kitchen sink with 2 1/2 PVC and need to rough in a washer machine drain connected ...
A: Technically, you are not normally supposed to do this. You are normally not supposed to drain two ...
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| thermal expansion tank | 12/19/2008 |
Q: I just had a new 50 gal hot water heater installed.The plumber now says that I need to install a new ...
A: It depends on your system. Not all need a TET. Its purpose to to deal with thermal expansion of ...
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| Vibration in plumbing | 12/19/2008 |
Q: We recently lost power for several day due to an ice storm. We have had an occasional loud vibrating ...
A: It's plain to see that your house is haunted. If it is occurring when there is no water use, faulty ...
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| dishwasher won't drain | 12/19/2008 |
Q: Had trouble with GE dishwasher not draining. Replaced both drain pipes going to/from air gap but ...
A: Now that's just weird! Both the old one and the new one do not drain? The only common thing to both ...
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| whistling plumbing | 12/18/2008 |
Q: i read your first step in identifying the cause of whistling plumbing and , lo and behold, it seems ...
A: One thing, check if the water pressure is not too high in the house. It should not be over 80 PSI. ...
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| Brown Sediment in Hot Water | 12/18/2008 |
Q: I have recently noticed brownish sediment in the hot water coming from my bath and bathroom sink ...
A: Although you see copper, it may only be partial and not all the system. Galvanized pipe that is ...
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| high water presure | 12/18/2008 |
Q: My wife and I just bought are 1st home. The inspector told us are water pressure is to high and we ...
A: I would have asked the seller to install the regulator since it was required if the pressure was ...
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| Bathtub spout | 12/18/2008 |
Q: I have a spout for my shower that is mounted from a pipe going into my bath tub wall. This spout ...
A: If you want the spout type here are a couple I found online. ...
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| shower | 12/18/2008 |
Q: how can i fix a leak in our standup shower, it is leaking undert the base where you connect the ...
A: OK, For a fiberglass shower pan the drain body is also plastic. It fastens into the hole in the ...
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| Indoor plumbing vent ordors | 12/17/2008 |
Q: We had a professional plumber rough in our new house. We installed the fixtures and final hookups. ...
A: Could there be a drain somewhere that is not being used? Like a floor drain in a laundry area or ...
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| Laundry Room | 12/17/2008 |
Q: I am moving my laundry room to the main floor instead of the basement. Unfortunetly it will be in ...
A: When you install the plumbing for the washer waste and drain, put them in a "washer box" that is set ...
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| plumbing | 12/17/2008 |
Q: I'm having a problem my bath tub drains very slowly so i'm assuming there is a blockage. I am ...
A: To snake a tub drain, you go in through the overflow, not the drain. Because of the design, it is ...
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| Water Pressure | 12/17/2008 |
Q: About a week ago we noticed a rush of water when we turned on the faucet, after which it quickly ...
A: Nothing can be ruled out until verified. This condition may have been occurring all along but the ...
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| Water Pressure | 12/17/2008 |
Q: About a week ago we noticed a rush of water when we turned on the faucet, after which it quickly ...
A: You're on the track. The water in the heater expands as it's heated after some is used and then no ...
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| plumbing | 12/16/2008 |
Q: I have a laundry room on the 2nd level of my home. The drain is constantly making bubbling noises ...
A: As part of any drain system. There is device called a "P-trap". You can see one of these if you ...
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| Frozen Frost Free Spigot | 12/16/2008 |
Q: Our frost free spigot, I assume, might be frozen. I could not turn the handle on it. Should I be ...
A: I'm familiar with these having installed (and replaced) hundreds of them. They come in various ...
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| toilet shutoff valve leaking | 12/16/2008 |
Q: MY SHUTOFF VALVE ON THE BACK OF THE TOILET IS LEAKING HOW DO I RELACE OR FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT ...
A: By the "shut off" valve do you mean the one on the wall that turns the water off to the toilet? ...
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| shower faucet | 12/16/2008 |
Q: I cannot get the hot water to be directed to shower head.Hot water comes through the faucet but when ...
A: Must be tough taking a shower in the morning! I need a little more info on this. What brand and ...
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| water pressure | 12/16/2008 |
Q: recently remodeled the kitch. the water pressure at the faucet bacame very slow and we removed some ...
A: Sounds like there is more debris, possibly farther back in the system. Maybe in the angle stop. (the ...
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| plumbing repair | 12/15/2008 |
Q: My home is about 35 years old, with well and septic. I have a leak behind the kitchen sink. I ...
A: As they say in the movies "this is going to cost you". Copper drain piping, called copper DWV, is ...
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| Gas fireplace--turn on valve | 12/15/2008 |
Q: Mr. Bostick, My question is how do I change or fix the gas fireplace valve? Currently the valve ...
A: Being inside the wall makes these difficult to get at for repairs. What probably needs doing is the ...
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| Washer | 12/15/2008 |
Q: I purchased a washer and dryer about a year ago and have had no problems until a couple of weeks ...
A: Newer washers put out a lot of water much faster than the old ones. The typical washer drain is 2 ...
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| washer repair | 12/15/2008 |
Q: My Whirlpool Roper top-loading washer isn't quite right. I moved it from one house to another but ...
A: Washers often have a heavy counter weight in the bottom to counteract off balance loads. It may ...
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| Kitchen Faucet hammers and leaks now | 12/14/2008 |
Q: We living in a 1963 house. There's been no problem with the kitchen sink faucet hammering until ...
A: I've had similar issues when a city line breaks or gets worked on. They often manage to get a lot of ...
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| leaking pipe to washer | 12/14/2008 |
Q: We attempted to remove the old rusted hose connection to the cold water supply faucet to our washer ...
A: That's unfortunate. Since the wall will probably need to be opened anyway to fix this, go ahead and ...
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| broken tub spout | 12/14/2008 |
Q: I rent a mobile home and the tub spout broke off. Itis a screw on type but it broke off on the pipe ...
A: The pipe should just unscrew. It is just a short piece of pipe that is threaded on both ends called ...
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| WATTS Premier Monitored faucet | 12/14/2008 |
Q: I had a plumber install the Watts RO-PURE three days ago. It has the monitored faucet that flashes ...
A: From the name, I'm assuming this is a faucet with a small reverse osmosis filter system built-in. 2 ...
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| shower | 12/14/2008 |
Q: how can i fix a leak in our standup shower, it is leaking undert the base where you connect the ...
A: First question is do you have access to the bottom of the shower pan from underneath? Next, what ...
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| Annoying Mansfield Toilet problem | 12/13/2008 |
Q: I have a Mansfield one piece toilet and since the day I've moved in I've had problems: it just ...
A: "I feel your pain" LOL, very frustrating to not find the problem. Have you checked your water ...
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| moving hot water pipe | 12/13/2008 |
Q: I would like to relocate a gas fired hot water radiant heat pipe. My house has three isolated ...
A: Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on this. Hopefully, there is an isolation valve for each ...
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| Replacing angle stop valve | 12/13/2008 |
Q: I have a 30 year old compression angle stop valve at my toilet. This is the style of valve with a ...
A: I hate when they use those crappy one-piece supply valves and tubes. I had them in a condo. ...
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| upstairs water pressure | 12/12/2008 |
Q: ) We just bought a house that is 6 years old but that was vacant for a little over a year. The ...
A: You may be confusing low flow rate with low pressure. Not the same thing. This age of house would ...
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| Leaky faucet connections due to cold weather | 12/12/2008 |
Q: I live in a cold climate, and my kitchen sink is located on an uninsulated exterior wall. I have ...
A: Bad plumbing design that is. I plumbed many houses up above 6000 feet in the Sierras. You never, ...
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| Toilet runs for a short time every few hours | 12/12/2008 |
Q: Purchased a new Kohler toilet, 1.6 gal. 1 year ago and in the last two months it has started to run ...
A: Keep the bathroom door closed so it doesn't get away!! I'm sorry! Give me an old straight line and I ...
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| Well Mate Water System Pressure Tank WM-6 | 12/11/2008 |
Q: We recently moved into this home (first time home owners) and now we have a leak coming from our ...
A: The answer depends on how handy you are at fixing things. Well systems including pressure tanks can ...
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| Bathtub faucets/ water pressure | 12/11/2008 |
Q: house built in 1984 with copper going into tub/shower. If you turn either cold or hot the pressure ...
A: Sounds like some debris may have gotten into the tub/shower valve and plugged it up. Everything but ...
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| Hot water return line to HWT | 12/11/2008 |
Q: I am installing a hot water recirculator at my kitchen sink. The plumbing is accessible from the ...
A: Actually, you don't need to drain the tank if you do it properly. If you shut off the incoming ...
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| Gooseneck faucet Kitchen Sink | 12/11/2008 |
Q: Have a gooseneck faucet kitchen sink, it leaks slightly at the connection where moveable arm and ...
A: The "swing spout" should be repairable. Try to find the brand name and model number if you can. ...
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| Natural gas line elbow in concealed location | 12/10/2008 |
Q: Can you put an elbow in a concealed location? I know the rule of never putting a union in a ...
A: El's are not a problem. The replacement for a union if needed is a "left & right nipple and ...
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| Broken pipe section | 12/10/2008 |
Q: My chrome pipe holding the shower head is broken off from the 1/2" supply pipe (flush the supply ...
A: I hate when that happens! You can often remove the broken piece with a large easy out. A plumbing ...
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| air tank | 12/10/2008 |
Q: I recently checked the air pressure on my well tank. I used an air gauge and on the second attempt ...
A: No, you didn't break it. Like everything, bladder tanks have a lifespan. Sounds like this one ...
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| plumbing in a detached garage | 12/9/2008 |
Q: I have a under construction detached garage, the walls are 2x4 and I have run a water line inside ...
A: Is the inside of the garage insulated? Frost Free only works if the piping is inside out of the ...
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| WATER LEAK | 12/8/2008 |
Q: I HAVE A WATER LEAK UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK. THE LEAK IS ON THE HOT WATER SIDE, I REPLACED THE SHUT ...
A: This part is called a "nipple". To remove it is sometimes hard due to the location. Plumbers have ...
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| Water surges/Water Bill Tripled | 12/8/2008 |
Q: Our water bill tripled so we called the county but they won't help because there was no change in ...
A: I suspect the toilets are doing their famous "Phantom flush" routine. The flapper seal is leaking ...
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| Vent Pipes | 12/8/2008 |
Q: I have a year round use vacation home with undersink vent outlets (kitchen and bathroom) in addition ...
A: First, the under cabinet vent is called a Studor vent, (or "cheater") Technically known as a "air ...
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| Rusty water from hot water heater | 12/8/2008 |
Q: I turned the water off to my entire house for about 5 hours to allow for a repair to a pipe. When I ...
A: It sounds like this water heater may be on it's last legs. Water heaters usually have a lined tank ...
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| gurgling sucking noise washing machine drain | 12/8/2008 |
Q: I bought an old Victorian with a ten year old addition, the washer is in a closet in the back ...
A: Lack of venting or improper venting is causing this. Something is draining somewhere and creating a ...
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| Hot water in cold water faucets | 12/7/2008 |
Q: I live in a 2 story house. In the last two weeks all cold water faucets now run hot for several ...
A: Hey Carl, Now that's annoying! I think the culprit is one of the single handle valves. It is ...
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| Tub hot-water handle spigot blew off and keeps spouting water | 12/7/2008 |
Q: Recently, the hot water handle for the bathtub in our mobile home broke off. I removed a plastic ...
A: I bet that was a big surprise! Moen valves used to do this to me if the pipes froze. The expanding ...
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| Leaking well storage tank | 12/7/2008 |
Q: I am in a 6 year old house and have never had a problem with my well or well pump. Now, I have a ...
A: This brand of tank appears to be polyethylene plastic so the problem is not corrosion. It would seem ...
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| What happened to the hot water? | 12/5/2008 |
Q: The hot water has severely diminished in our house. The water heater pilot is lit and it is set all ...
A: Sounds like the dip tube fell off the cold inlet side inside the heater. LOL, not joking, there ...
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| sump discharge create gurgling noise in kitchen sink | 12/5/2008 |
Q: My sump pump and kitchen sink feed into the same drain line that feeds into a catch basin that ties ...
A: It sounds like the sump system is not properly vented and is trying to vent through the kitchen sink ...
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| plumbing | 12/5/2008 |
Q: How to adjust water in toilet tank (koehler) The water will not shut off automatically and its ...
A: It would help to know the model number of the Kohler toilet. Is it a 1.6 gallon per flush water ...
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| garbage disposal | 12/5/2008 |
Q: A glass shot glass fell into the disposal. I turned the disposal on. Before I could turn it off, ...
A: Oops! I remember years ago, in the 1950's, a guy came to the door selling these "new" things called ...
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| water filter | 12/5/2008 |
Q: I have well water with high iron content but have water softener and whole house filter. ...
A: I suppose the first thing I should ask is; why do you think you have iron in your water? Have you ...
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| clogged drain tub | 12/4/2008 |
Q: my tub is of an old variety as there is no overflow drain. Outside the tub is a tall metal cylinder ...
A: Although it doesn't look like it, the tall tube is actually the overflow most likely. It is also ...
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| Determining Pex Tubing Size | 12/4/2008 |
Q: I am considering converting my plumbing from galvanized/copper to PEX with the use of a Manabloc ...
A: Pex or other plastic piping systems have many benefits. There are also pitfalls to be aware of. The ...
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| P trap kitchen sink | 12/4/2008 |
Q: I live in a cabin built in 1955 and am pretty sure most of my plumbing is pretty outdated. ...
A: Sorry, no picture ever showed up here. Anyway, sink waste fittings are put together with something ...
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| Basement bathroom | 12/3/2008 |
Q: Wanted to add a toilet in the basement area. The location would be beside the current sewage line ...
A: This could work. The problem is, given the make up dimensions of the waste fittings UNDER the ...
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| Fixing clogged pipe | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I've moved to a new building, and have 1 room, with shared shower and toilet with others. A ...
A: Tough go there! Nasty business. I had the same problem in the tub with my 14 year old "surfer" ...
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| tpr overflow valve | 12/3/2008 |
Q: Maryland residential home. I'm missing the TPR overflow valve pipe. How long does this pipe need to ...
A: The TPRV is a very important part of a water heater. NEVER, REPEAT, NEVER plug one off. You will ...
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| sewer pipes | 12/3/2008 |
Q: we know that the sewer pipes under my 1994 model single wide trailer are backed up. we have triied ...
A: Well, you may have created a monster by using the lye. If the line is still clogged, it's still ...
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| Kohler pressure balancing unit change | 12/3/2008 |
Q: I have a shower with a Kohler Pressure balancing valve. I get Hot water but no cold. Pressure coming ...
A: I don't think you can "remove" the mechanism for testing. Here is a link to a cut-away of the ...
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| boiler? | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I have a boiler in my home that is used for heat and hot water. When the boiler is on for hot ...
A: Boilers are not my specialty but basic physics applies here. It takes X amount of energy to heat the ...
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| kitchen faucet | 12/2/2008 |
Q: kitchen faucet has hardly any water flow hot or cold from spigot but hand spray has fuul flow. other ...
A: I have to ask, did you check the aerator? They do become clogged in time with debris and hard water ...
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| problems with spud washer when fitting new tank | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I'm replacing the cracked tank on an American Standard antiquity toilet. I can't seem to set the ...
A: LOL, probably! First, are you sure it is the right replacement tank? Verify with AS. The part ...
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| Wet baseboard under kitchen sink cabinet | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I noticed from a distance what appeared to be just a dirty baseboard in my kitchen. It is located ...
A: Sounds like the baseboard is in poor shape. You will need to do a little investigation. Empty the ...
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| no water flow from shower. | 12/1/2008 |
Q: I installed a Delta faucet and shower head in a cabin I'm building. I only have cold water running ...
A: Without knowing the model number, it's hard to say if it is a "pressure balancing" valve. It sounds ...
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| hand spray in laundry sink | 12/1/2008 |
Q: I would like to have a hand spray in my laundry sink. But when I when I bought one the mouth would ...
A: this depends on the type of faucet you have on your laundry sink. Is it the type with the garden ...
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| bathroom faucet | 12/1/2008 |
Q: Recently when we turn on the cold water in our bathroom sink there is a noise(almost a growling ...
A: It sounds like the stem and/or washer are loose or worn out. When the water flows past the stem and ...
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| toilet | 12/1/2008 |
Q: my toilet bowl fills up and overflows when i flush, then in a few minutes everything goes down on ...
A: Bummer! Keep those towels handy. Obviously, there is a partial clog in the drain somewhere. The ...
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| kitchen sink won't drain | 12/1/2008 |
Q: Our kitchen sink appears to have a clog. When I turn the water on, it drains fine at first, but ...
A: Kitchen drain lines can be very hard to clear properly. They usually have a buildup of grease. ...
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| vibrating pipes | 11/30/2008 |
Q: vibrating pipes. When one sink or one toilet fill or one outdoor sprinkler is turned on the pipes ...
A: Yes, the pressure may be too high which causes a high rate of flow in the pipes and fixtures. The ...
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| Toilet Flapper (washer drain overflow) | 11/30/2008 |
Q: My toilet has been giving us problems for about the last month. It flushes fills up and stops but ...
A: Washing machines and kitchen sinks are the worst offenders for clogging up often because of the ...
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| whistling pipe's | 11/30/2008 |
Q: Shortly after remove/replace toilet, and change the bath tub water valves, (water had to be turned ...
A: The first thing that comes to mind is checking the water pressure. sometimes high pressure causes ...
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| Toilet burps when flushed. | 11/30/2008 |
Q: What can I do to correct the toilet from burping when flushed? When it burps it will not completely ...
A: Hmmm...a toilet with bad manners, who knew? Sort of sounds like a venting problem. When you dump a ...
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| Toilet Flapper | 11/30/2008 |
Q: My toilet has been giving us problems for about the last month. It flushes fills up and stops but ...
A: Isn't it aggravating when it does that? It sounds like the flapper is not seating well. Several ...
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| Sewage smell | 11/29/2008 |
Q: We have a sewage smell in our house every time I do laundry. How can I fix this and will this smell ...
A: I have a couple of questions. Does the vent on the laundry drain go out through the roof? It ...
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| water rises quite high before it flushes away | 11/28/2008 |
Q: When my tenant flushes the toilet the water rises pretty high before it completely flushes away and ...
A: There appears to be a partial stoppage somewhere in the line. Waste piping is designed to only have ...
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| Toilet repair - watertight seal | 11/28/2008 |
Q: I just replaced the overflow valve system on a fairly basic toilet, and when I went to let water ...
A: If you are talking about the part of the toilet that has the flapper and the overflow tube? (sorry, ...
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| mold spours | 11/28/2008 |
Q: I had a friend craw under my mobile to put some leveling jacks, he told me one of my heat vents ...
A: This is a tough situation. Mold is nothing to take lightly. Some molds are very toxic. Check with ...
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| weak sprayer at kitchen sink | 11/28/2008 |
Q: Bostick, My kitchen sink sprayer has become weaker and weaker. I suspect some type of occlusion. ...
A: Anything that has a hose on it that could be left in a sink full of dirty water has a safety device ...
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| bidet plumbing | 11/27/2008 |
Q: I now have a Kohler K-4869 bidet (I thought the style name was San Tropez) and the vacuum breaker is ...
A: (Interesting name) I'm looking at the cut sheet on the Kohler site. It does say "drilled for ...
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| kitchen sink | 11/27/2008 |
Q: i disconnected my kitchen sink when i put in new cabnets. when i put every thing back together my ...
A: Disconnecting the supply lines probably knocked loose some debris that is now trapped inside the ...
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| Gas Water Heater Pilot Light Won't Stay Lit | 11/26/2008 |
Q: I recently shut-off my gas water heater to flush it and now can not get the pilot to remain lit. ...
A: Possibly a new control valve would solve the problem. But.... given the age of this heater (13 ...
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| Air in water lines | 11/26/2008 |
Q: We installed a new furnace 2 years ago and have had air in the line problems since. We keep ...
A: I used to live above 6000 feet in the high Sierra snow country so I know what you mean about no ...
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| new toilet installation - 14" rough-in | 11/26/2008 |
Q: Dana, I have an old home, and what I think was the original toilet has finally bit the dust. I've ...
A: You have discovered one of the "gotchas" of owning an older home. Plumbing fixture rough-ins are ...
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| Pro-Vent | 11/26/2008 |
Q: I am a GC in New Jersey, not a professional plumber, so bear with me please. We are attempting to ...
A: What your condo guy is talking about is called an "Air Admittance Valve" or AAV. Pro Vent may be a ...
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| faucet leak | 11/25/2008 |
Q: I have a Moen 4600 single handle bath faucet. After replacing a broken deck plate, water leaks out ...
A: I have installed many of these units over the years. The faucet housing is cast metal and hollow. ...
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| aav instalation | 11/25/2008 |
Q: can a aav be boxed in , if not can i run it up into the attic and just leave it open in the attic ...
A: AAV's or air admittance valves provide a way to vent plumbing drains without running piping all the ...
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| Kitchen sink over flows when washer drains | 11/25/2008 |
Q: I moved the washer to different part of the house where there is an existing vent that goes to the ...
A: Plumbing systems are carefully designed to handle the expected demands of the fixture discharge. ...
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| plumbing | 11/24/2008 |
Q: What is the basic proceedure to become a plumber? Can someone take a course at junior college then ...
A: In the trade, the saying is "All you need to know is that Sh** flows down hill, payday is on Friday ...
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| toilet leak | 11/24/2008 |
Q: After 7 years our briggs vacuity toilet has developed a leak around the nylon nut that fastens in ...
A: Hey Kelvin, I used to have these cool toilets in my house that would "vent the bowl" by lifting up ...
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| Gas fireplace piping | 11/24/2008 |
Q: Can I use bendable copper pipe/tubing with flared fittings for my gas fireplace which uses natural ...
A: This is the exact question I see: Gas fireplace pipingCan I use bendable copper pipe/tubing with ...
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| shower | 11/23/2008 |
Q: We recently moved into a house that was built in 1965. All of the plumbing seems to be OK, however ...
A: That is strange behavior! I have seen this happen on the hot side due to expansion of the valve ...
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| Shower faucets | 11/23/2008 |
Q: I have two shower faucets with problems. Both are pull-on knob type faucets that are definitely 20 ...
A: This is a common problem with Moen faucets. I think that is what you have. The "inner workings" ...
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| Toilet Sweating | 11/23/2008 |
Q: The other day I noticed puddles of water coming from the toilet base towards the front. We tested ...
A: Hey Tyler, I think your Mom may be right. The sweating or condensation on the toilet could be ...
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| cold water in shower if kitchen sink hot water is turned on | 11/23/2008 |
Q: Problem: If I am taking a hot shower and my wife turns on hot water in kitchen, my showering ...
A: The tempering valve may be the issue but more likely it is old galvanized steel pipes starting to ...
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| plumbing | 11/22/2008 |
Q: when i flush the toilet the pipes vibrate and cause an awful noise for about 1 minute after flush ...
A: and Cheers to you too! The problem is with the fill valve itself. It is worn or malfunctioning. ...
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| Mysterious noises in the night | 11/22/2008 |
Q: It sounds like the distant bass from a stereo. We can't trace its source but it did stop when I ...
A: Well Clive, it's pretty clear to me that you need the services of a professional ghost buster! ...
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| Loud vibration noise after flushing toilet | 11/22/2008 |
Q: I recently replaced the seals between the tank and stool on my toilet and since then just about ...
A: No, not air in pipes. There is something wrong with the fill valve or your water pressure is ...
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| Replacing an old laundry tub | 11/22/2008 |
Q: I have an old laundry tub with all the pipes exposed and coming down to the top of the tub with the ...
A: You can go the easy way and just turn off the water to the house, remove the old faucet and all the ...
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| Gurgling sound from drain in shower | 11/21/2008 |
Q: My shower makes a gurgling sound for several hours after use. The water is drained out of the shower ...
A: You have the dreaded "gurgle virus"? Just Kidding It sounds like the vent may be restricted in some ...
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| NG union | 11/21/2008 |
Q: What product is used on a Nat Gas black pipe union to help the union seal ?
A: These are called "ground joint" unions. The mating faces inside the union are machined to fit ...
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| calcium | 11/21/2008 |
Q: how do get out calcium in my lines
A: Calcium is a mineral and when it deposits on the inside of water lines it is very hard. It's the ...
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| New kitchen sink faucet......very little water pressure | 11/21/2008 |
Q: ..a couple of weeks ago we installed a new kitchen faucet - single handle with pull out sprayer ...
A: It sounds like there is some debris in the faucet somewhere. Turn off the water under the sink and ...
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| Plumbing | 11/20/2008 |
Q: I had a hired a plumber who was to install new incoming water lines. My questions are: the water ...
A: Good practice and the code both require any work that is done to done in a proper manor including ...
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| Water Pressure Problems | 11/20/2008 |
Q: I replaced my Pump, Tank and Foot Valve approx 3 to 4 years ago. I also installed an inline "whole ...
A: Not really my area of expertise but as a guess it sounds like maybe the pressure tank is flooded. ...
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| Turning up the shower temp. | 11/20/2008 |
Q: Help! My shower is only mildly warm, all the faucets in the house get HOT, but I cannot find a valve ...
A: There are a lot of factors that could cause this. One is the distance from the hot water heater. If ...
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| low water pressure | 11/20/2008 |
Q: We just installed a new Grohe shower system and have low or weak water pressure. We are on city ...
A: If you choose not to remove the restriction, I understand. You cannot unscrew the valves too far ...
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| low water pressure | 11/19/2008 |
Q: We just installed a new Grohe shower system and have low or weak water pressure. We are on city ...
A: Is it the actual pressure you are talking about or the functional flow? There is a difference. Many ...
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| shower | 11/19/2008 |
Q: We only get hot hot water coming from the shower? About a month ago we noticed that if you turned ...
A: LOL! You are a little thin on supporting information like what type of valve we are talking about ...
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| Noise in pipes | 11/19/2008 |
Q: 1.what causes noise if taps are opened while others do not produce noise. 2. what is the ...
A: 1. The noisy faucet is often the result of loose or worn washers in that faucet that are vibrating ...
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| Switching from septic to public sewer. | 11/18/2008 |
Q: I am soon to switch from septic to sewer for a planned addition. I currently have a grease tank and ...
A: Yes, lots of questions but valid ones. * To use 1/8 inch per foot, the line must be at least 4 inch. ...
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| Shower Value Compatability | 11/18/2008 |
Q: Did a mini remodel of a guest bathroom which included upgrading shower faucets. Purchased American ...
A: To answer your question.......possibly but not likely. What is behind this shower? If it is a hall ...
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| water supply valve to toliet | 11/18/2008 |
Q: I've replaced an old toliet. The supply valve coming from the wall is plastic or nylon. It is ...
A: This, unfortunately, is a crappy "builders special" cheapo valve. I don't think it is serviceable. ...
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| Shower/tub faucet assembly | 11/18/2008 |
Q: The Moen tub faucet has a lever that you pull up to redirect the water up to the shower head. It ...
A: I'm going to assume that you mean the lever on the tub spout called the diverter and not part of the ...
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| shower head | 11/18/2008 |
Q: My friend wants to put up a hand held head, but the pipe that comes out of the wall has a ball on ...
A: The pipe in question is called a "shower arm" and it should be easily unscrewed and replaced by one ...
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| Water Heater Pilot Keeps Going Out - Venting Question | 11/17/2008 |
Q: My father had a new water heater installed by a plumber 18 months ago. He has been having problems ...
A: Yep, something sounds wrong about this. Without knowing the brand and model number, it's hard to ...
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| Slow lav drain at first | 11/17/2008 |
Q: My bathroom sink drains so slowly it fills up almost to the top, then suddenly reverses itself and ...
A: The various drain opening products don't work all that well and are just a "band aid" solution, as ...
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| CPVC connection to sink and toilet | 11/17/2008 |
Q: I've replaced all my old steel plumbing with CPVC and it seems to be working out pretty well. I ...
A: Yes, it's called Teflon Tape. And not a big wad of it. That will defeat the purpose and just skin ...
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| stinky water | 11/17/2008 |
Q: Hey Dana, I have a well and it smells like you know what. I have shocked it numerous time, it is ...
A: Removing the anode on a water heater is a pain in the A** It takes a big honkin' box end wrench and ...
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| bathroom sink stopper | 11/17/2008 |
Q: Can you please tell me how to reattach the stopper in my sinks? They continue to get stuck in a down ...
A: LOL, I pull mine out too! My wife never fills the sink and it gets in the way. The pop-up drain, as ...
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| Rotten Egg Smell from toilet | 11/16/2008 |
Q: We have just purchased a 30 year old home (a single man had lived there for the entire 30 years) ...
A: The toilet "outflow piping" is the only waste drain system in the house that does not have a "trap" ...
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| Hot water heater settings | 11/16/2008 |
Q: I set a 40 gal electric water heater factory set at 120 degrees upper and lower.There is a ...
A: The main issue here is safety. Scalding injuries are a very real danger, especially if there are ...
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| leaking oatey washing machine supply | 11/16/2008 |
Q: I have a steady drip from the cold water side of an oatey washing machine supply box w/ plastic ...
A: I'm aware of the Oatey brand but have not used them. I have found that the best valves for this ...
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| Incomplete flush | 11/16/2008 |
Q: My toilet doesn't flush completely. All the solids always go out but the water comes back a little ...
A: Tricky one Michael! I'll see if I can point you in the right direction to solve this issue. There ...
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| stacker pipe from roof down to sewer line | 11/16/2008 |
Q: I just had a sewer service come to my house because I had back up from my sewer line into the house. ...
A: I'm not familiar with the term "stacker" pipe. Possibly talking about the vent stack going from the ...
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| Septic smell in home lots of rain or cold mornings | 11/15/2008 |
Q: Someone HELP!!!! We have been trying to fix this for 4 yrs now - It started when we moved into our ...
A: It sort of sounds like you have a failed leach field or poor drainage when the soil of the field get ...
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| Commode | 11/15/2008 |
Q: The water in my commode is too high. How do I get it to lower?
A: Hey Herman, if you are talking about the water in the bowl, that is not adjustable. Its a function ...
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| seems like lots of air in pipes | 11/15/2008 |
Q: I have a 3 bed room 2 bath house that is fed with a well. It seems like every winter, when you take ...
A: Lot going on here sounds like. Question; What do you mean they sounds like there is too much air? ...
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| clogged kitchen sink | 11/15/2008 |
Q: we have a clogged kitchen sink...would rather do it ourself than pay an outsider. ran the disposal ...
A: Your husband is on the right track. You need to remove some of he PVC drain lines under the sink to ...
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| plumbing - leaking cold water inlet valve on hot water heater | 11/14/2008 |
Q: We had a plumber install a new electric hot water heater yesterday. Our house is 70 years old and a ...
A: Dan, To make a fair call, I would need to see the actual installation. Working on old systems is ...
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| oil hot water tank | 11/14/2008 |
Q: How can you remove calcium from oil hot water tank without putting a water softerner in? Thank you
A: I don't think even a water softener will remove calcium if there is a significant buildup already. ...
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| Wet Vent | 11/14/2008 |
Q: I want to tie a 2 inch pvc waste line that use to go through my roof with a vent. I did away with ...
A: This will probably work fine. It may not meet the letter of the local code, they would be the final ...
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| howling pipes | 11/14/2008 |
Q: My pipes started making a howling and buzzing noise when there is no water running. There haven't ...
A: There are a number of reasons this could be happening. Does is happen at any particular time? ...
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