Hello,

I'm planning on running a thermostatic mixing valve from under the sink to a bidet for the MIL. Should I install tees on the hot and cold under the sink, run it to a thermostatic valve and to the bidet? I plan on leaving the toilet supply line alone because I don't want to run warm water to the tank. Should I get a thermostatic valve in NPT or NPS? Thank you all in advance!

Hi there, I’m not sure if I’m dealing with an especially complex issue, dealing with incompetent/scammy plumbers, or if this is a reasonable situation. (Or a fourth option?)

I’ll put the issue up top and the saga with the plumbers below.

The issue: The left side of the toilet base leaks and forms puddles slowly. The leaked water seems clean- it’s clear and has no sewage smell. It will slowly get wet after flushing, but only seems to form big puddles when someone uses the adjacent tub or shower, and the puddle forms even before the tub is drained. This issue showed up since my partner moved in and loves to take sauna baths multiple times a week. I wasn’t using the tub for baths regularly before this, but use the shower daily and had not had an issue. There have never been signs of sewage or drainage backups since I bought the house 3 years ago. Everything drains fine and I’m religious about nothing but bodily excretions and TP going down the toilet ever.

The plumber situation: I called a local plumbing company stating my toilet base is leaking. They sent someone out, who stood in the bathroom without touching anything or asking any questions and told me it’s a clog and it will be $350 to clear the clog and replace the wax seal. They put a camera in my small washout and go all the way to the sewer main, where the camera drops down and they can’t go further. I watched this whole process and the screen. There is a little bit of corrosion, a couple hair sized roots right before the junction with the main, and a little bit of water at the bottom of the pipe in some sections. Bits of TP here and there, no big turds or anything.

The boss comes now and I think he’s just been briefed that it’s a sewer issue. They say they need to hydrojet to be able to see past the main, since they couldn’t find a clog in my pipes and they just cant see what else could be causing the backup. They also say they need to swap out my washout and flip a junction that was installed backwards in order to do the hydrojet, which they will do two days later. In the meantime, I look up hydrojetting old cast iron pipes and I can’t see why they would do that if there is no clog. This morning they come back to hydrojet and start by replacing the washout situation and it protrudes out of my crawlspace now to where the cover can’t go back on flush to the exterior wall 🙄. Then they put the camera in and find zero clogs again and this time they can see all the way to the clay pipe main and it is also clear. We get my neighbor’s permission to camera their drain too since our houses were initially connected and they all go to the same main. No clogs there. They pack up the hydrojet and are scratching their heads.

I tell the boss the initial reason for the call was the leaking toilet that seems to have something to do with the tub. He takes a look and we run the tub and flush the toilet and observe the moisture start to build but no puddles (they are slow!). He’s still confused, goes into the crawlspace and it also seems inconclusive. Now they charged me for two days of exploring my and my neighbor’s sewer ($150 and $180) and for the larger washout installation, but my toilet is still f’n leaking from one side of the base. They are going to come back in a few days to replace the wax seal and flange if I let them back.

I’m pretty sure the first guy just assumed straight out of the gate it was a clog, and told the boss it’s a clog, and the boss was trying to figure out where the clog is. I’ve experienced sewer clogs before at my parents’ house where sewage was coming up from the kitchen sink, the toilets wouldn’t flush, and there were turds in the washout. This is nothing at all like that. But they just didn’t take the time in the beginning to understand the situation.

TL;DR: Toilet base leaks with increased bathtub use, no sign of sewage backup, and plumbers went on a fruitless two day clog hunt and haven’t dealt with my toilet yet. What would you do?

https://reddit.com/link/1hhnlqb/video/j6arhnv7cr7e1/player

Hello everyone, I was trying to install a shower head in an older shower that hasn't had it replaced in over 30 years after the original head fell off, but realized that none of them fit because of this ball joint end. Then, I realized that it wasn't coming off so I would have to replace the whole shower arm. However, it is very difficult to remove and seems to be attached to/stuck to the wall but can move slightly back and forth as seen in the video. The only successful part was removing the screw that attached the circular cover to the arm. Any help would be appreciated!! :)

https://preview.redd.it/earxj356cr7e1.jpg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4eb53f506b7f6267761e26899b01fb214787111c

https://preview.redd.it/4ah1t356cr7e1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ff9d065342ea00df07f3f1214633288b8fe90b2

https://preview.redd.it/ssj79e46cr7e1.jpg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e91e4fbf2107c021e0267b060f3d396176918a6a

In the middle of remodeling my bathroom. The top diverter (https://www.hansgrohe-usa.com/articledetail-ecostat-diverter-trim-s-trio-quattro-04232000) barely diverts water from the tub spout to the overhead or handheld shower. The bottom is the thermostat valve (https://www.hansgrohe-usa.com/articledetail-ecostat-thermostatic-trim-s-with-volume-control-04230000). I attached a photo of the rough-in. Anything glaringly obvious that's wrong? My contractor suggested changing the tub spout from non-diverter to diverter version but I'm not sure if that would work. I'm hoping if the problem is just the top diverter trim I can replace the trim and not have to take down the tiles and cement board. Thanks!

https://imgur.com/a/NIlqofN

50 gal gas water heater in garage, about 15-20 years old.

Tonight I saw leakage around bottom of tank. Bottom rusted through, I assume.

I don't know when it started, but it had to be <24 hours ago.

I want to get it replaced tomorrow. My question is, how long before a catastrophic failure? (Where water flows through unchecked.) Hours? Days?

Valve to water heater is frozen, so only other option is cut off main water to the house.

I don't want to do that, but I would if I thought it could "blow" in the middle of the night.

Is that likely?

Any other ideas?

I am trying to replace my dishwasher with a washer/dryer (all in one). Currently set up as shown under sink. Washer/dryer requires hot, cold and drain. I think it should work to install 2 1/2 x 3/4 line splitters at the wall, but that doesnt seem to be widely available. Is there something I'm missing?

Drain line should match up with dishwasher drain line?

Do I need to turn off my water heater or drain the existing water out? Or do I just turn off the water supply and walk away?

So I accidentally flushed a toilet wand refill down the toilet. I flushed about 2x after and it was normal. Should’ve known not to do that. It will flush but, water will go down very very slowly. I used a plunger I even bought a toilet auger since I saw something about this exact issue someone used it & nothing!! 😭 I’m guessing it’s just to far down now..

I wanted to avoid calling a plumber since I know this may cost me a lot. Is there anything else I can try??

Cast iron house trap sprung a leak. Is there anything I can do to temp fix it till I can get someone out to remove and replace it with PVC??

I just redid our whole bathroom and as I was proudly revealing the bathtub by pulling the cardboard and all the protection off I realized that when I’d dropped the trowel I must have chipped the brand new tub.

Is this repairable? Can I make it look like new again?

It’s on the front edge of the tub and I’m concerned it could lead to bigger issues.

Please let me know!

Thanks!

I have water hammer in my bath/shower. Arrestors have been out on all the water lines in the house. Extend lines for air or water to go. Changed sink fixtures bath fixtures shower head still can get rid of it. Adjusted the tub manifold it will go away if both adjusted way low. Did the entire purge of the whole system many times. At this point i cant think of anything else. Oh water pressure is about 35

Can you extend a hard wired Navien NR-10 control panel to another room about 75 wire feet away. The heater is a NR-240a. I want to move the control from my garage to my bedroom.

Hello! I feel like a clown but I’m trying to exercise caution here. I’m replacing our kitchen faucet hose (allegedly) and I tried looking up this connection type without any luck. How is this meant to be disconnected without me turning my $30 repair into more? lol! Thank you in advance!

Hello

Noticed my kitchen sink was filling up quickly and smelling of stagnant water. Decided to plunge it and then noticed the bathroom started to flood (see picture)

There's quite a lot of water and now when I run the kitchen tap or bathroom tap the shower drain bubbles and starts to backflow again.

I live in an apartment, top floor and the kitchen and bathroom are on the same floor.

Any idea?

Thanks

Found in basement of my 1960's New England (US) house, in middle of main hot water pipe between areas where hot water is & underneath kitchen. The loop is soldered in from a Tee and then capped at the end. Everything else looks normal from a plumbing standpoint. Is this something normal from 60 years ago? Like an old hammer arrestor? Can it be removed since I have to have pipes rerouted for some ductwork changes?

tl;dr - How to I stop the elbow (with the green arrows) from bursting in the winter?

I have a sump pump in a window well that’s 3.5 feet below grade. The pump removes rain water and melted snow from above, but also water that may seep in from within the soil. The outflow pipe exits the basin, makes a 90 degree turn to horizontal for about 12 inches, turns upward for about 2.5 feet on the outside of a concrete brick retaining wall, turns and goes underground where it runs about 40 feet before training.

The 90 degree elbow before the upward turn freezes and bursts because it’s right after a check valve and water gets trapped there. The purpose of the value was to prevent the water from the 2.5’ rise from back flowing into the basin and running the pump constantly. What should I do to prevent this pipe from freezing and bursting. This is the 2nd time in 2 winters it’s happened.

I have an old single pipe steam rad system that I haven’t used in 2 seasons, today I had a 9YO tanked water heater replaced and upon turning on and filling the new one, I went upstairs and heard/noticed water spraying out of the rad.

My contractor suspected that the boiler might have been overfilled and let out some water, which resulted in rad no longer spraying water.

Has anyone seen something like this happen before?

So the water softener has gone E1 before, I just unplug it and plug it back it. Didn't have any issues after that for like a year. The past week I've heard it expelling water constantly and when I go check it says E1. I'll do the reset, it goes back to normal, but next time I go downstairs it's expelling water again and back to E1.

Is there an easy fix for this or am I going to need someone to come out?

I was trying to snake the overflow pipe and suddenly it just fell backwards and broke on me. It is very inaccessible and would require going from the floor below or through the outside of the house.

My question is: as long as I don’t fill the tub up near the top, can I still shower in it without any worry of leaks? Or do I need to get this professionally repaired. Thanks.

Hi all just wondering how other plumbers would deal with this issue

Long story short I'm a UK based plumber

Family member (auntie) has recently bought a new to her bungalow it's in a pretty sorry state needing a full renovation and she's a hoarder/brik a brac type woman with clutter everywhere

Anyway long story short basically she has roped my dad a retired plumber in his 70's into doing the bathroom for her but he has basically passed most job onto me mlhe did some of the 1st fix and I've pretty much done the rest of it

She has pleaded the poverty line with him and basically a bathroom that should cost around 8k all in

She's getting it done for under 4k the gear supplied at full trade price for her and both of our labour rates at massive discount

Now obviously you do things cheaper for family but cannot help but feel we are being taken for a ride by her

Normally I would being looking to make around 3k for my labour for the work I've done

I'll be lucky to make 1k for the job

I work to a very high standard and won't put my name on a bad thrown together job so the quality of the install for the money she has paid is off the scale

How would you guys discuss this subject with my father without causing a rift between us

Normally I wouldn't do the job at this kind of price but I'm doing it more as a favour to help the old man and get my auntie off his back

All in for an 8k job she's going to be paying 3.5k maybe upto 4k, I feel this is just not fair on either of us but he won't hear it

I'm quite annoyed as I have had to turn down other normal paying work to help him out

I really don't mind helping my dad as his eyesight isn't what it used to be and his knees are knackered from the years of plumbing and he has done a lot for me over the years but the fact she expects a top quality showroom worthy finish for supermarket shelf stacker wages for us both is really starting to eat away at me

Feel like I cannot walk away as I'm just dropping him in the muck

Feel like she is taking massive advantage over him as he is that type of guy who will do anything for people and also taking advantage of me by the fact I want to help my dad out

3 other plumbers in the family and she didn't even ask them because she knows her underhand tactics wouldn't work on them and my dad is bit of soft touch when it comes to her so she likes to take advantage of his generosity a lot

Am I being unreasonable guys or do i just bite my tongue and take it on the chin and take the loss to keep the peace with him

She did the same thing to him years ago with her other house few decades back when I was still in high school and he has fell for it again

Thoughts guy's ?

Sure at least some of you have been through something similar