For questions about the supply and removal of water and liquid waste.
3
votes
2answers
6k views
How does my refrigerator water line connect to the valve?
I was shipped a new Whirlpool refrigerator today. I had an existing 1/4 " copper tube that I used as a water supply line.
I cut the copper tube with a pipe cutter, and I slipped a compression nut and ...
3
votes
2answers
711 views
Low Pressure From Shower Head Troubleshooting
The water pressure from the shower head in one of my bathrooms is extremely low. The pressure coming out of the faucet of the bath is low as well. It has not always had this low pressure, it has ...
3
votes
1answer
163 views
Why do I have low hot water pressure in my kitchen?
I have very low hot water pressure in the kitchen only. I have disconnected the line and have great pressure from the valve. It is a two handled faucet and the cold water pressure is very good. ...
3
votes
1answer
247 views
How can I remove an anti vandal tap head?
I have almost identical problem this one except that it's a shower tap...
How can I remove stuck anti-vandal rings in tap head?
The drama is that the shower won't turn off all the way as the washer ...
3
votes
1answer
115 views
How can I install a waste disposer if I have a high drain fitting?
I want to install a waster disposer under my kitchen sink. My problem is that the drain fitting coming into the kitchen under the sink comes out quite high, and the food disposer will effectively have ...
3
votes
1answer
243 views
How to add a drain pipe to a concrete block wall covered in insulation?
I want to run a 1.5" drain pipe along the wall about 2 feet from the floor to a microbrewery setup in the corner of my basement. I have sheets of fiberglass insulation against the walls though, and I ...
3
votes
2answers
287 views
Can (and should) I replace the hose connecting a cold water expansion vessel to the cold water supply myself?
We recently had a small flood in our apartment. I found that the metal-sheathed rubber hose connecting the cold water supply to the blue cold water expansion vessel had a wide split in it. The water ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Does PEX leach BPA when used for hot water plumbing?
Would using PEX for potable hot water result in having Bisphenol A (BPA) leached into the water?
Does PEX have BPA content?
3
votes
1answer
431 views
Can I use a 1 1/2 vent for a toilet (3" drain) in CA (not a went vent, no other fixtures on it)?
Most of the info I have on code implies this would be OK, but one item I have says that a 1 1/2 vent can only serve 8 "non-WC" fixture units.
3
votes
1answer
537 views
Is it a good idea to use a Fernco repair fitting within a finished wall cavity?
I have an unfinished basement, and I installed a redirector for my sump pump output so it can be drained to the sanitary sewer during winter months (and yes, I'm paying for the right to do so, and I'm ...
3
votes
0answers
57 views
How can I locate an odor emanating from the kitchen/laundry area?
I live in South Florida. My home is a one level, 2400-sq ft, u-shaped with bedrooms on one side and kitchen/laundry on the other side. I have a consistent odor but it's not constant. It comes and ...
3
votes
0answers
208 views
What could cause this rhythmic clicking/drumming sound in my bathroom sink pipe?
Why is my bathroom sink making a rhythmic drumming/clicking sound after I used a small plunger to help make water flow more quickly down the drain?
3
votes
1answer
2k views
What could be causing water to drip from the relief valve of my new gas water heater?
My old hot water tank met its maker about two or three weeks ago, and since then I have installed a new Kenmore 50 gallon gas water heater to replace it.
The new water heater seems to work fine, I ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Why do some free-standing ice makers need floor drains?
I am about to begin a bar installation project. I need an ice maker. There appear to be two kinds of free standing ice makers - those that do and do not require drains.
Why does one type need a ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
What are some causes/solutions for poor drainage?
What are some causes/solutions for poor drainage?
It seems that our house tends to drain water very slowly. The bathroom sink could probably overflow if the water was left on, the bathtub also seems ...
2
votes
2answers
130 views
How can I protect a hose and wire in a high-traffic area?
It's about 20' from my RV to the water supply and electric receptacle. This is a high-traffic area, and having foot (and car!) traffic on the hose and wire seem like a bad idea.
Ideally, I'd run ...
2
votes
6answers
3k views
What is this mysterious odor from the kitchen sink and how do I fix it?
The kitchen sink in our home has recently been producing an odd aroma - depending on the day, it's a mix of boiled eggs, sulphur, brackish water, or old food.
What we have tried
garbage disposal ...
2
votes
2answers
103 views
What kind of valve is this and how do I disconnect it?
So, I have a leaky faucet. I am in the process of disconnecting everything so that I can take the faucet out and inspect what's going on with the leaky faucet. However, when disconnecting the faucet, ...
2
votes
2answers
677 views
What could be causing the low water level in my shower trap?
I have a tri-level home with a shower on the lowest floor. When I noticed that the bathroom smelled like rotten eggs, I shined my flashlight down the shower drain and saw that the water level was low ...
2
votes
1answer
178 views
I have two unconnected drain lines in the kitchen. If I start using one, can I just put a stopper on the other?
There is a 3/8" drain line by my refrigerator. I hooked up a reverse osmosis filter to the refrigerator which drains through the 3/8" line. Lo and behold, as soon as it started draining, I discovered ...
2
votes
5answers
840 views
Is cleaning out the main sewer line a regular scheduled maintenance item?
I just had to have my main sewer line snaked, and the technician said it should be done once every 2 years. Is this really the case, or was he just trying to insure he has job security?
2
votes
2answers
282 views
What goes on threads first: tape or dope?
Should the dope be applied directly to the male threads or should the tape go on first?
2
votes
2answers
927 views
How do I seal a cracked pipe using epoxy putty?
So, I have a broken pipe exactly on the L join on the wall. It's a huge crack but no big gap, just a curved crack along the pipe.
At first I thought of replacing the pipe, but it means that I have to ...
2
votes
1answer
239 views
How can I remove this toilet shutoff valve?
This valve has a slow leak, and I am trying to replace it. Problem is I can't get the thing off. I am trying to twist the compression nut (the bronze one closest to the white pipe) clockwise while ...
2
votes
1answer
306 views
Why can't the plumber fix my kitchen sink?
I had a professional plumber out today. He spent about 3 hours trying to unclog my kitchen sink. Finally he said there's something wrong with the drain because he can't get it fixed. So here I am with ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Can you replace valve stem packing without shutting off the faucet?
The main shutoff to my house is a 3/4" FIP, that's leaking out the valve stem... the last several times turned on and off, it has 're-sealed' itself with lime and calcium deposits, but not this time, ...
2
votes
1answer
438 views
Why does water come from toilet supply when water to house is shut off?
I turned off the water to the house to change the valve on a toilet supply line. All of the faucets and the tub were cut off but water kept coming out of the toilet line when I removed the valve. It ...
2
votes
2answers
378 views
How should I terminate a black plastic drain pipe?
I'm removing a flush toilet, with the plan to put a composting toilet in its place. The old toilet was short but elevated on a small platform. The new toilet is taller, so I'm removing the platform.
...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
How do I run new water lines from the basement to the second floor through a finished wall?
I am redoing an upstairs bathroom that has galvanized steel pipes currently running to it for water supply that run straight up from the basement. I am debating between using PEX or copper for the new ...
2
votes
1answer
177 views
How can I attach a sink drain to a drain that is higher than the sink?
My home is pre-plumbed for a water softener -- whole house water filter. Meaning I have a main water pipe that comes out of the wall, makes a u-turn, and goes back into the wall. Just below the ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
What causes a water heaters relief valve to discharge water?
I have a Gas Reliance Water Heater 1212. I found recently (in winter) there is a water dip through the relief valve into a 5 gallon bucket. Sometimes, it can fill the whole bucket. Sometimes, it has ...
2
votes
2answers
289 views
Why do I run out of hot water after 5 min?
I have a gas water heater and recently found that I do not get more than 5min of hot water. Previously I would be able to take a half hour shower. I see no leaks around water heater. It also seems ...
2
votes
1answer
719 views
Under bathroom sink piping (exposed)
We are looking at setting up the piping for under our wall mounted sink (no vanity, ie, piping will be exposed). And after our contractor finished putting the wall we noticed that the hole from the ...
2
votes
3answers
227 views
Can I alter the 'timing' of my toilet flush?
I have a standard, normal flow toilet, with a problem. When the toilet is flushed, it seems to start refilling the bowl with water from the tank too soon, before the waste has had a chance to drain ...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
Could insulation around copper pipes cause condensation problems?
Should you insulate hot water pipe (copper) located in an attic?
I live in Louisiana, where it rarely gets cold. The plumbers insulated the hot water pipe from the tankless water heater. Now ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Showerhead with “backflow prevention”
I bought this Delta showerhead almost a year ago. I remember the packaging mentioning a "backflow prevention" feature. Every time I turn off the faucet water streams from the area I've circle below, ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Do pressure reducing valves also function as check/one-way valves?
If installing a pressure reducing valve, is there any sense in installing a one-way check valve in series, or would it be redundant? (i.e. does the PRV also act as a one-way valve?)
2
votes
1answer
362 views
Kitchen sprayer only uses half the water, how to fix?
I have a Moen kitchen faucet with separate sprayer. When I use the sprayer, it only cuts the main water flow by about half and sprays with the rest. Every other sprayer I've used will transfer all of ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I get the handle off a hose bib to replace the washer?
I have no idea why this isn't simple, perhaps because every repair project has to have some hitch in it to piss me off.
I have a leaky hose bib in my back yard, so I wanted to take the sucker apart ...
2
votes
1answer
129 views
Is it normal for tap water to turn brown/blue when the pipes freeze?
In our old apartment, the pipes would freeze during the winter during the night, and in the morning sometimes the water that came out of the tap was blue at first. We spoke to a plumber, and he ...
2
votes
2answers
244 views
How can I get a coat hanger out of a drain pipe?
I have a horizontal drain pipe running from my kitchen/laundry area, which I had been unclogging with a metal coat hanger.
The end was screw fittings I could remove myself, but the part that the ...
2
votes
4answers
1k views
Can I branch off of 1/4" copper tubing to a standard hose connector?
I would like to branch off of the tiny 1/4" copper tubing that supplies my refrigerator with water and connect the branch to a hose timer that will auto-water some plants that I have in the kitchen.
...
2
votes
2answers
4k views
After installing expansion tank, massive buildup of pressure then a trickle?
I am completely stumped. You guys helped me out a lot with my previous question here: New gas water heater dripping relief valve, have expansion tank, what gives?
Turns out the expansion tank ...
2
votes
1answer
221 views
Why would the pressure in my kitchen faucet drop overnight?
The kitchen faucet has just noticeably decreased in pressure. No leaks anywhere. It did get a lot colder overnight, but that's the only thing that changed.
Any ideas?
2
votes
2answers
489 views
How do I loosen my bathroom stopper pivot nut
I'm trying to remove my bathroom sink stopper so that I can clean out the drain.
I found these instructions for doing so but they talk about a pivot nut that can be loosened. Under my sink, in the ...
2
votes
1answer
332 views
Water being dumped into street from basement?
(in western new york)
We have a sump pump, something called a bubbler which is a sealed 2-3 inch pvc pipe coming out in the landscaping (sealed with a twist on cap) and a 2-3 inch pvc pipe coming out ...
2
votes
2answers
405 views
What brand of faucet is this and how can I hook the sink sprayer up to it?
The sprayer for my faucet is not hooked up to anything, the rubber hose just dangles below the sink. I'd really like to get this wired up, as it would be very handy to have, but I have no idea how to ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
What is causing the minor leak in flex supply line under sink?
I had new shutoffs and new flex supply lines installed by a professional plumber a few months ago. Today, I installed a new faucet because mine was very old and starting to fail. I installed ...
2
votes
2answers
4k views
How do I seal a leaking plughole fitting?
The plughole in my bathroom basin is leaking. The leak is between the plughole and the basin (i.e. through the circular hole in the basin in which the metal plughole is fitted), and it seems to me as ...
2
votes
2answers
5k views
What do I do about a toilet flange that is too high?
I just had the floors in my bathroom replaced and now the flange is too high. When I put the toilet on top, the front touches the floor, but the back does not. The flange and piping are PVC, and the ...
