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Questions tagged [plumbing]

For questions about the supply and removal of water and liquid waste.

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4 votes
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729 views

where can I buy a new trim for my bath plughole?

My bath plughole needs replacing. I don't need the whole unit for the overflow. The problem is that when I fill the bath, half the water has drained away within 15mins. I think the plug doesn't fit ...
Bizzy Liz's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
10k views

How can I fix the sewer smell in my bathroom?

After several hours and no use, the bathroom accumulates some noticeable "sewer gas" smell, with kind of garlic. It is gone after a few minutes when the ventilating fan is turned on. The bathroom and ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
4k 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 ...
Sam Kitt's user avatar
9 votes
7 answers
59k views

Can someone explain to me how this hot water recirculating system works?

How is my hot water recirculating system installed? ... and why is it not working like it should? Moved into a house recently that was built in 2006. There is a hot water recirculating pump ...
snicker's user avatar
  • 557
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Shower gets colder during use, already replaced cartridge, what else could it be?

Recently purchased a house built in 2006. The shower gets colder as time passes and requires constant adjustment of the valve in order to maintain temperature. I replaced the cartridge in the valve ...
snicker's user avatar
  • 557
6 votes
4 answers
70k views

Why is it bad to flush baby wipes?

I've always heard that you shouldn't flush baby wipes because They don't dissolve in your septic system They can clog old pipes. I currently live in a modern, multi-story apartment building. There ...
kubi's user avatar
  • 161
4 votes
1 answer
9k views

How can one test a sewage ejector pump?

I have a sewer ejector pump in my basement but it's in a sealed well. There are two electric cords running into it. How does one test it? For maintenance reasons. Can this only be done by a plumber? ...
LordHits's user avatar
  • 1,005
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Shower head washer woes

I was installing a new shower head (Brand: Niagara Earth), and apparently overtightened it, cracking the washer in the process. Unfortunately, it seems to be a specialty type of washer that has an ...
Dave's user avatar
  • 33
10 votes
4 answers
32k views

Can a plumbing vent go up and then back down to the connection with the vent stack?

I am changing the location of all the fixtures in my bathroom. This move will put the toilet and sink on the opposite wall from the stack. I was originally planning on running a vent up the wall ...
auujay's user avatar
  • 5,215
5 votes
3 answers
768 views

What can soak up moisture from a closed space

I have a really weird problem. I have a bedroom wall where the paint kept bubbling and peeling off. I have re-textured and painted it several times. I finally ripped all the drywall off and ...
Tatton Chantry's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
5k views

Hot water stops flowing after clunking noise

When I turn the hot water on in the bathroom faucet, a clunking noise sounds, and the water stops flowing. If I open the faucet quickly, it happens immediately. If I open the faucet slowly, it takes ...
Jake's user avatar
  • 41
7 votes
1 answer
3k views

How do I replace a section of a 4" cast iron pipe with PVC?

I am working on our upstairs bathroom and plan on moving some of the fixtures around to a different side of the room. This means I need to make changes to where the drain comes into the stack (I want ...
auujay's user avatar
  • 5,215
2 votes
4 answers
7k views

How can I remove a broken plastic packing nut from a faucet?

I have a leaky exterior faucet where the plastic packing nut has broken and the threaded end is still inside the faucet. How can I remove the broken packing nut from the faucet?
james reed's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
10k views

Can a toilet be moved 6 inch to the right?

I want to move my toilet over horizontally by 6 inches. Is there an "S" shape pipe piece I can use to connect my existing plumbing to my toilet? Is there any other simple solution to getting this ...
kacalapy's user avatar
  • 825
4 votes
5 answers
68k views

PEX for hot water tank [duplicate]

I was just replacing an electrical hot water tank. Had to call a plumber because I didn't fancy my soldering skills on something that could flood the house. The plumber simply cut off the old copper ...
mgb's user avatar
  • 1,585
6 votes
4 answers
34k views

How can I install the drain for my reverse osmosis water filter?

I have purchased a Whirpool Reverse Osmosis Water Filter which installs under the sink. I am trying to install it and have run into an issue with the drain: the revers osmosis filter has a red tube ...
Josh's user avatar
  • 268
4 votes
1 answer
16k views

Loud vibrating when using hot water!

I recently moved into a new condo with 2 kitchen sinks -- a main one and one embedded in an island. There's a lot going on under the main one -- the cold water is split so that it leads to the faucet ...
statichippo's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
173 views

DIYer to skilled tradesperson

What is the process a DIYer has to go through to become a skilled tradesperson? Are the only options apprenticeships, or are there other paths to follow to learn a trade/become licensed? What type ...
Tester101's user avatar
  • 130k
7 votes
4 answers
63k views

Why are there bubbles in my bathroom toilet and sink?

I have had a lot of really odd things happen in my bathroom this weekend and I want to make sure it is nothing too serious. Ok so when I was taking a shower I heard the toilet bubble up. A few ...
Josh Pennington's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
13k views

How do I remove the sink drain in this situation?

I am replacing the faucets/drain in one of my bathrooms. I am trying to remove the drain, but I'm having a lot of trouble. I think it might be soldered on, but I'm not sure why it would be. What's the ...
Matt Beckman's user avatar
9 votes
5 answers
204k views

How do I remove a stuck faucet/tap cover?

I've been fixing leaking faucets in a bathroom. There are total six faucets in a bathroom, two made into a bathroom basin, two made into the wall in the shower tube and the last two are on the wall ...
Terry's user avatar
  • 91
0 votes
3 answers
2k views

How can I get my sprinkler / home irrigation system to not ruin my car with water spots? [closed]

I have a sprinkler system (i.e. irrigation system) at home. Occasionally I park my car too close and it gets hit with the water. This causes horrible water spots. I've seen that some do-it-yourself ...
Adam's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
3 answers
5k views

Is it possible to buy just the fins or the copper pipe with fins for baseboard radiator?

I have a project to build and I want to use finned tubing (like in baseboard radiators) but I am unable to find the tubing without buying the enclosure as well. (This is for a hobby project - I want ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 391
1 vote
1 answer
172 views

Design and Build Sprinkler Head

How would you go about fabricating a sprinkler head for a general use sprinkler system? I'm talking about the sort in your front yard. The basics of what I'm looking for: Design which can be placed ...
That Realtor Programmer Guy's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
6k views

Toilet Supply Line and Valve Leaking

I had an issue with my bathroom flooding, so I emptied out the toilet (turned off the valve and flushed until it was empty). Then after 2-3 days, the toilet backed up. Yech. Anyway, I re-opened the ...
ashes999's user avatar
  • 392
0 votes
1 answer
672 views

How to fix a leaky toilet flapper valve over brass outpipe

I have a 1950's toilet that leaks into the bowl through the flapper. It differs from modern toilets (this question) in that the outlet pipe is made of brass. I am not inclined to replace the toilet ...
Oliver Bock's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
331 views

Can PEX be used for the trunk

Currently I have a length of galvanized steel pipe (3/4") from the water meter, which is feeding the main trunk (3/4" copper). The water pressure in the house is very low, and I suspect it is due to ...
Tester101's user avatar
  • 130k
4 votes
2 answers
10k views

What is this clunking noise in my water pipe?

Earlier today, I noticed a strange, repetitive clunking noise from the vicinity of my water heater. After some investigation, it seems to come from the cold water supply to the water heater. Here's ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 143
5 votes
1 answer
11k views

Why is my shower faucet turning itself off?

My shower has a wall mount single lever faucet similar to this: http://www.cn-faucet.com/Wall-Mount-Single-Lever-Faucets-141.html Over time, it has become more sensitive and now, in most angles, ...
raven's user avatar
  • 151
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

Removing knockouts in composite granite sink

The sink has one existing hole, and 3 knockouts which are cut about half way through the material. What are the best tools, and techniques for removing fixture knockouts on a composite granite sink?...
Tester101's user avatar
  • 130k
3 votes
9 answers
51k 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 ...
warren's user avatar
  • 931
4 votes
3 answers
13k views

Water level gets lower and lower in toilet

The water level in the bowl of our toilet has slowly and steadily gotten lower over the last year or so. I replaced the flapper last year, could changing anything in the tank affect this? Or would ...
Nate's user avatar
  • 141
3 votes
3 answers
19k views

Can a tub and shower share the same drain?

Can a shower and tub share the same drain?
user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
8k 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 ...
JYelton's user avatar
  • 2,405
1 vote
2 answers
607 views

Vanity p-trap installation question

I am installing a new p-trap under my new vanity. The depth from the wall of the new vanity is about 6 inches shorter than the old and the tailpiece for the sink is now closer to the wall than before. ...
tribus's user avatar
  • 253
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Water Hammer in kitchen faucet

I just installed a new sink and faucet and get really bad water hammer when I run the faucet. I never had this trouble before. I made sure the water supplies from the copper to the faucet is as short ...
user avatar
7 votes
5 answers
89k views

How far from the sink can we install the dishwasher without major remodel?

We are buying an old house built in 1935. We do not want to do a major kitchen remodel but we would like to replace the old portable dishwasher (that you roll over to the sink and hookup) with a ...
ctrlShiftBryan's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can't get threaded connector all the way into shower faucet. Do they need to go all the way?

We're installing a small corner shower in one of our washrooms, and I'm having an issue with the threaded inlet/outlet connections on the faucet. I'm using Sharkbite, and bought some threaded-on-one-...
Jay P.'s user avatar
  • 190
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

Refrigerator making strange sound every few minutes

Forgive my description of the sound but it's all I can think of to describe it. Every few minutes, I hear a very very faint sound that sounds like what you'd expect to hear when someone is being ...
Brian's user avatar
  • 809
13 votes
7 answers
142k views

How can I fix a Moen faucet that is still leaking after replacing cartridge?

I had a leaky Moen faucet (Moen 4600) so I removed the old cartridge and replaced it with a new brass replacement cartridge (model 1200.) Since replacing the cartridge I now have a leak from the valve ...
Dave Forgac's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
7k views

Should I bond a water softener's in/out pipes?

Our house was built in 1997. The pipes are copper (including the city water supply pipe). Some time after the house was built, the previous owners installed a water softener. The softener parts are ...
myron-semack's user avatar
  • 3,433
2 votes
1 answer
12k views

How do I open the back of a gustavsberg toilet?

Our toilet is flushing every 20 minutes, and it's visibly leaking into the pot. We live in Iceland, water is cheap here, but it's really annoying. Problem is, I can't seem to open it and it's plastic ...
joon's user avatar
  • 265
2 votes
2 answers
738 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 ...
Dugan's user avatar
  • 647
5 votes
1 answer
4k views

How do I clean a kitchen sink spray hose?

My kitchen sink has one of those sprayer-on-a-hose things off to the side of the main faucet. It has a clear plastic hose that pulls out to spray stuff around the sink. That hose has green stuff ...
Scott Saunders's user avatar
12 votes
7 answers
103k views

Why does my shower switch keep burning out?

I have a Mira Shower 10.8 kW. My switch is a 45A switch. I have a 50A fuse for the shower. The shower uses 10mm2 cable. 9 months ago the switch sparked and refused to turn off and the fuse tripped....
Jon's user avatar
  • 223
4 votes
3 answers
992 views

Calculate savings from/cost-effectiveness of installing a tankless hot water heater?

Following up on "Which water heater types do you recommend?" and "Are tankless water heaters worth it in cold climates", is there a way to calculate the point at which installing a tankless water ...
kmm's user avatar
  • 533
5 votes
4 answers
39k views

What are some tips for soldering brass fittings to a copper pipe?

Over the years I've soldered several remodels worth of copper pipe (water and hydronic heat). I'm not great, but I get the job done, until I have to add a brass fitting. For some reason, I can't get ...
Regan Sarwas's user avatar
3 votes
6 answers
34k views

Is it safe to use heat tape on a drain line (p-trap)?

Background/Problem: The p-trap for a drainage line (PVC) from one of my showers happens to be outside the house in an area that isn't protected from the cold/wind (yeah, I know) so when it freezes ...
JohnFx's user avatar
  • 4,622
1 vote
2 answers
13k views

How do I identify brand/type of bathtub faucet?

I have a cartridge type of bathtub faucet and both the hot and cold cartridges need to be replaced. Unfortunately, the faucet has no branding marks on it at all. At one point I had removed the ...
wdypdx22's user avatar
  • 349
3 votes
3 answers
263 views

Refrigerator Knocks

I have an older refrigerator (~10 years?) that came with the house I bought 2 years ago. It's always made occasional noises, which I chalked up to the motor and/or ice maker starting. Lately, the ...
Sharif's user avatar
  • 31