Some Hopefully Helpful Plumbing Tips

[DallasCowpoke]

You want to play a joke on a friend? Go plug up the sewer lines on his roof. In a couple of days he will be cursing like a sailor at the smell in his house.

I'm sure your "friends" will be ROFL once they get the build-up of toxic sewer gasses and bacteria out of their drywall, carpet, drapes and lungs.

 

[Hostile]

I'm sure your "friends" will be ROFL once they get the build-up of toxic sewer gasses and bacteria out of their drywall, carpet, drapes and lungs.

A practical joke never reaches toxic levels, but thank you for your usual over reaction to anything I say.

 

[peplaw06]

Thanks for the help Hos...

One of my best friend's dad is a plumber and had done some work for me when I moved into my house. When I noticed this problem, I had called him to see if his dad would come out. When I posted last night, I was beginning to think I was going to have to do something on my own. Well today he came out.

He ran the plumbing snake down the main access in the back yard and sure enough, roots came out. We made sure the lines were clear from the inside. We had to plunge some pretty nasty stuff from the drain in the hall bathtub. It's only been used a handful of times since I've lived here, so the prior owners didn't take good care of it. The laundry seems to be working fine now.

But if something else pops up, I'll be sure to go look in the crawl space. Thanks again.

 

[Hostile]

Thanks for the help Hos...

One of my best friend's dad is a plumber and had done some work for me when I moved into my house. When I noticed this problem, I had called him to see if his dad would come out. When I posted last night, I was beginning to think I was going to have to do something on my own. Well today he came out.

He ran the plumbing snake down the main access in the back yard and sure enough, roots came out. We made sure the lines were clear from the inside. We had to plunge some pretty nasty stuff from the drain in the hall bathtub. It's only been used a handful of times since I've lived here, so the prior owners didn't take good care of it. The laundry seems to be working fine now.

But if something else pops up, I'll be sure to go look in the crawl space. Thanks again.

Those old ceramic drains are notorious for it man. About every 2 to 4 years you may have it happen.

The worst part about those line was that they start at the low end where you tie into the city. So the bell is always at the high end of pipe run. You put the next section into the bell and then use a shovel to push it into the bell. If there was a way to do it opposite and start at the high end it would have so much less problems because the roots don't grow upward.

 

[hutch1254]

Good stuff Hos. And those ball valve hose bibs are rock solid.

Question: Would there be anything other than the jet holes being clogged or built up with calcium that would keep a toilet from having a more powerful flush? My toilet on the first floor flushes with good power. The two toilets on the second both flush weakly. I would guess you lose some pressure going the extra distance up but the faucets and showers on the second floor have plenty of pressure. I'm going to check out the jet holes like your one post mentioned. Just wondering if there is anything else that would cause a weak flush. Thanks.

 

[Hostile]

Good stuff Hos. And those ball valve hose bibs are rock solid.

Question: Would there be anything other than the jet holes being clogged or built up with calcium that would keep a toilet from having a more powerful flush? My toilet on the first floor flushes with good power. The two toilets on the second both flush weakly. I would guess you lose some pressure going the extra distance up but the faucets and showers on the second floor have plenty of pressure. I'm going to check out the jet holes like your one post mentioned. Just wondering if there is anything else that would cause a weak flush. Thanks.

The force of the toilet flush is from the water in the tank and how fast it gets into the bowl. So as long as the toilets upstairs have enough water in the tank, it shouldn't matter.

Here's an experiment anyone can do. Fill a bucket with water and pour it into the bowl. It can be a 5 gallon bucket which is more water than the bowl can hold. It should go down quite easily. If it doesn't, it could mean the toilet is slightly clogged.

As long as that water hits the bowl fairly forcefully it should flush fully. The clogged jets are the #1 reason why it might not.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Here's an experiment anyone can do. Fill a bucket with water and pour it into the bowl. It can be a 5 gallon bucket which is more water than the bowl can hold. It should go down quite easily. If it doesn't, it could mean the toilet is slightly clogged.

My brother visited his ex-wife's family in Mexico once. He said when he went into the bathroom he couldn't figure out why there was a big bucket of water sitting next to the toilet. When he finished and the toilet didn't flush he freaked out. Needless to say, he had to call his wife into the bathroom and she had to instruct him how to use the bucket of water. :laugh2:

 

[KJJ]

Those are log bases.

I assume you meant log basses? :

 

[casmith07]

What a great thread. This should be a sticky at the least, and compiled into a PDF at most. I'd be willing to put it in a PDF for you, Hos...you could charge $5 a pop for it and make a little bit of money for charity.

 

[notherbob]

Hos -

I have a question. What is a better way to seal water pipe threads from leaking, teflon tape or a pipe thread sealant? Any recommended sealant?

Our water system has been down for several weeks due to burst pipes and our pump froze and broke - our heat went out due to power failures. There has been so many similar cases from Santa Fe to Atlanta that pipes and pumps have been very hard to find because all stores were sold out. I finally got the supplies I need to repair it but leaks at the joints are now a problem.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Hos -

I have a question. What is a better way to seal water pipe threads from leaking, teflon tape or a pipe thread sealant? Any recommended sealant?

Our water system has been down for several weeks due to burst pipes and our pump froze and broke - our heat went out due to power failures. There has been so many similar cases from Santa Fe to Atlanta that pipes and pumps have been very hard to find because all stores were sold out. I finally got the supplies I need to repair it but leaks at the joints are now a problem.

I'm sure Hos has his own view, but I'm on the pipe thread sealant bandwagon. I find tape quality can come into question at times and you also want to make sure you use the correct tape.

 

[Hostile]

Hos -

I have a question. What is a better way to seal water pipe threads from leaking, teflon tape or a pipe thread sealant? Any recommended sealant?

Our water system has been down for several weeks due to burst pipes and our pump froze and broke - our heat went out due to power failures. There has been so many similar cases from Santa Fe to Atlanta that pipes and pumps have been very hard to find because all stores were sold out. I finally got the supplies I need to repair it but leaks at the joints are now a problem.

I like the pipe dope stuff better. You can brush it all around the threads and when it hardens it not only creates a seal, it strengthens the threads.

There are measures you can do to prevent pipes bursting from freezing. Bury them deep, insulate them, and in a severe freeze keep a little water moving through the pipes.

I recommend putting a bucket under the farthest plumbing fixture in the house and letting the water drip into it. Use that water for irrigation if necessary.

Sorry you're going through all that.

On insulating the pipes. Don't scrimp. It is worth the extra pay to do it Tim Taylor "More Power" style.

 

[Hostile]

Question, would anyone want a similar thread for any of these subjects?

Electrical repairs
Drywall repairs
door repairs
lock repairs

Or do you have a subject you want me to address? I have a lot of home repair experience.

In fact, let me share one that everyone should know.

Have you ever had a wooden piece of furniture that the screw holes got reamed out and the screws no longer fit? So you go get wider and wider screws. You usually see this with particle board furniture more than real wood.

There is a very simple repair and it keeps the original screws.

Take some Elmer's glue (their wood glue is outstanding) and put a squirt of it in the holes. Then take some wooden matches and stick it in the hole and break it off inside the hole. Now go ahead and screw the screw back in. This gives the screw "new wood" to seal to and makes it strong as brand new.

Costs pennies.

 

[hutch1254]

I'd be interested in any of those topics.

My dad is a really handy guy. He's put on multiple additions and built a house from scratch, but I never paid attention to that stuff growing up. Was always out playing football, hockey or baseball with my friends.

I regret it now and I'm slowly but surely finding my way in the repair/handyman world.

I stripped down the engine on my lawnmower completely last year and fixed it after it had a broken carb pipe. I am not the handiest person. I never thought I could do that but when I did it was my proudest amateur handyman moment ever. Runs like a champ now. Only problem I have now is that my wife thinks I can fix anything now. Oh Lord what have I done?

 

[YosemiteSam]

Question, would anyone want a similar thread for any of these subjects?

Electrical repairs
Drywall repairs
door repairs
lock repairs

Or do you have a subject you want me to address? I have a lot of home repair experience.

In fact, let me share one that everyone should know.

Have you ever had a wooden piece of furniture that the screw holes got reamed out and the screws no longer fit? So you go get wider and wider screws. You usually see this with particle board furniture more than real wood.

There is a very simple repair and it keeps the original screws.

Take some Elmer's glue (their wood glue is outstanding) and put a squirt of it in the holes. Then take some wooden matches and stick it in the hole and break it off inside the hole. Now go ahead and screw the screw back in. This gives the screw "new wood" to seal to and makes it strong as brand new.

Costs pennies.

Actually, I have some bedding tape starting to peel off in the shower (where the wall and ceiling meet) I know a little about it, but if you have some tips to make it easier, I'm all ears.

 

[Hostile]

Actually, I have some bedding tape starting to peel off in the shower (where the wall and ceiling meet) I know a little about it, but if you have some tips to make it easier, I'm all ears.

By bedding tape do you mean the drywall tape? Just want to make sure before I answer.

 

[Hostile]

I'd be interested in any of those topics.

My dad is a really handy guy. He's put on multiple additions and built a house from scratch, but I never paid attention to that stuff growing up. Was always out playing football, hockey or baseball with my friends.

I regret it now and I'm slowly but surely finding my way in the repair/handyman world.

I stripped down the engine on my lawnmower completely last year and fixed it after it had a broken carb pipe. I am not the handiest person. I never thought I could do that but when I did it was my proudest amateur handyman moment ever. Runs like a champ now. Only problem I have now is that my wife thinks I can fix anything now. Oh Lord what have I done?

Around the house, I can fix anything. But you do not want me touching your car, motorcycle or anything with an engine. It will die a gruesome death. My brother David on the other hand, is an amazing mechanic. He and some friends want to start a Chopper shop here in Tucson called White Buffalo Choppers. The inspiration for the name is an onyx white buffalo he carved for me as a gift and Ted Nugent's song "Great White Buffalo."

 

[YosemiteSam]

By bedding tape do you mean the drywall tape? Just want to make sure before I answer.

Yep. Drywall taping and bedding.

 

[Hostile]

Yep. Drywall taping and bedding.

Okay, are you wanting to remove it and replace it, or cover over it and make it look nice?

Is the wall textured or smooth?

 

[KJJ]

Okay, last one unless I get asked for anything.

Drips in sinks and bathtubs.

Every faucet or shower assembly has moving parts that allow the water to flow where it is supposed to and to turn off and on. Each manufacturer is slightly different.

Inside any faucet or shower assembly there are rubber parts. Rubber makes a great seal. Tear in the rubber means weak seal which means a drip.

Let's talk first about the kitchen faucet. Let's say you see water around the base of the spout. This is actually a leak. Remember, a drip is in a spout, a leak is in a pipe. The spout is a pipe. Kitchen faucets have movable spouts so you can fill up either side of a sink. Those movable spouts have a rubber O-ring.

Take a pair of channel locks and remove the spout cinch ring. Now wiggle the spout and it will come out of the well. The O-ring will either be worn or missing. If it if missing it may be down in the well. If you cannot find it no big deal. Take the spout to the hardware store instead of the O-ring. They should be able to match it correctly quite easily.

Now if the water is coming out of the spout this is a drip. This is caused by one of three things. It can even be multiple things.

This is a stem...

This particular one is for a shower. This is one for a faucet...

On the bottom of all stems are rubber washers. On many, like the tub one above, there is a phillips screw holding it in place. If these washer show any indentation at all they are worn and will begin to drip.

You can replace the entire stem for under 10 bucks most of the time. Or you can replace that washer for a few cents and usually that is enough. If the stem is worn out, replace it. If it looks fairly good, replace the washer.

Now, often there is a piece that wears out these washers that is inside the faucet or the shower assembly. These are called seats.

I picked a large picture so you can see the seats.

Notice the square hole in the middle. This is for a special "seat wrench." Looks like this.

Or you can get a fancy one with a ratchet wrench. Even the fancy ones are under 15 bucks.

Simply put the seat wrench into the seat and remove it. You might see where it is pitted. This is causing much bigger leaks.

Put the new seat in with the wrench and replace the stem with the new washer and the drip is fixed.

One point about some single lever shower controls. Many of these, particularly Delta brands require you to buy a repair kit. They are very cheap and come with instructions. Replace all of the moving parts with new parts from the kit. It is really very easy to do.

One last reminder from a previous tip. On the shower stem shown above there is a nut at the base of the stem. This is the packing nut. If you see water coming out of your shower handle it means that but is loose.

A cousin of mine's shower head was dripping. He said it started off as a drip and gradually got worse to where a small stream of water was pouring from his shower head.

He told me his power bill was increasing every month and he couldn't figure out why. He said his bill was almost double the amount he normally pays per month.

He lives in a condo so he doesn't pay a water bill and was stumped as to what was causing his utility bill to gradually skyrocket. I went over and discovered the water that was streaming out of his shower head was hot.

He was unaware that his water heater was heating the water which is why his power bill kept going up. It felt like a steam room in his bathroom from the water that was being heated 24/7.

He had a plumber come up and he pulled out that long stem thing you posted and inserted another one. It was a simple fix you just need a certain tool to extract that stem and simply insert a new one.