I've been in a new (to me, house built in the 1970s) house for about 3 months. Recently I've noticed a sewage/sulfur smell in one of the bathrooms that rarely gets used. I was just outside the house, right outside that bathroom, and also smelled it outside near the foundation and crawlspace vent.

At first I thought it was a dried out P trap or something, because we did have a whole house dehumidifier running in that bathroom when it was warmer out (only place to put it in the house where it's not in the way or too loud). It's gotten a lot colder recently so we haven't needed the dehumidifier, but the smell still lingers and seems to be getting worse. When I run water in the sink and shower, it seems to dissipate for a bit, but comes back a few hours later. I don't see any leaks around the toilet or anything like that. Also, I've heard it could have something to do with the water heater, but we have a relatively new tankless mounted on house on the opposite side, if that makes a difference.

Is there anything I can try before calling a plumber out? I'm somewhat handy, but not really comfortable with plumbing work myself. I'm just hoping it's not a leak and a super expensive fix.

Or can you go through a vocational school?

Also is being a master plumber the only way to start your own plumbing business?

Moving into an apartment and this is the toilet setup... is there any way to have a bidet??

For anyone who has had a bidet before, you'll probably agree once you use one regularly it is difficult to go back to life without. Hoping someone here knows a way to make a bidet happen with this toilet??

Tank is a 7 year old 50gal Bradford White, water softener is also installed.

We've been having some issues with our hot water tank. Initially noticed that our hot water at the taps had a slight brown color to it. I have flushed out the tank 2 separate times and with each one, I added in fresh water to agitate the bottom then drained that again, did this probably 8x with each flush, however, the water is still not coming out clear. Draining the bottom of the tank did seem to flush out alot of sediment each time.

Some of the connections around the tank also appear to have some build up and a verrry slow leak at the space heating outlet, unless it could be condensation?

I have a plumber coming this week, but figured I would get some more opinions. Does any of this signify the end of the life of the tank?

I spoke to Bradford White and they recommended replacing the anode rod (not sure the state of it). My guess is the anode rod is gone and the tank is rusting out?

I have included some pictures in the link below.

Pictures of tank

Thanks for any input

Hello! We have a bit of a dilemma. We have a Rheem water heater that was installed in 2012 and lasted us about 12 years, but it is no longer working. Would you recommend Rheem, Bradford White, or another brand for a replacement? We’ve seen mixed reviews online and are unsure which option might be the best. Thank you!

Hi all, doing some prep work to install my Phyn Plus smart shutoff valve. The valve itself comes with no adapters -- the unit has 1" NPSM male threaded for in and out (some sort of plastic). They recommend using water meter couplings which would be simple enough... but I have an annoying situation, my plumbing is 3/4" CPVC (yes I know, let's not get into that).

The crucial issue is I'm on well water that is acidic (~5.5 pH) and the valve will be installed before all of my filtration (including neutralizer) so that it can protect it and the rest of my plumbing. As such, brass should be avoided. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to plumb this in given my non-ideal constraints (no brass in contact with water etc). Guessing stainless would work?

Any John Guest or similar adapters that would magically knock this out with 1 piece (rather than meter coupling to female adapter etc.)? Thanks in advance!

Hi

My buddy and I replaced an old toilet on the 2nd floor and also needed to replace the compression valve on the floor next to it as the handle would leak when shutting off the water. My concern is that after installing and tightening the new valve with the ring, I’m seeing a little water bubble form very very slowly (circled in red). I can’t tighten the bolt anymore so not sure if I’m just weak but also worried I’ll over tighten. Any advice on how to seal it? Will that tiny leak fix itself over time?

Installing new water heater. Not entirely sure what this is and would like to clean up the old pipe work.

Hey everyone! I am working on some leak prevention devices for high value homes (I am in Tennessee). Recently I've started researching main water shutoff valve locations in Texas homes and keep getting conflicting info. Some sources say they're typically outside, others say behind drywall, and I've heard everything in between. It seems like I hear a lot of one at the street and one close to the water meter.

Would love to hear from plumbers who work in Texas homes - what patterns have you noticed? Do locations vary by city, age of home, or building style?

Just trying to understand the real-world setup of Texas homes and infrastructure. Thanks for any insights!

What does the Aptitude test and RAMSAY test consist of? I can’t really find anything online for the RAMSAY test. Please help!

I had to pay someone to replace the cartridge in our newer bathroom about 6 months ago. The water wouldn’t shut off. That one luckily had a shut off valve behind the handle, but this older shower does not seem to have one. Will I have to crawl to the main valve under the house to repair this? Anyone know how to make sure I buy the right cartridge for this too? I got ripped off on the last repair and I’d rather not pay someone to do it again. Thanks.

Curious, I need to change out a water line in my basements ceiling and typically solder. But,this route is awkward and Pex is likely the best option, is the Pex B (sharkbite brand) at Home Depot, and the copper rings dependable, and if I buy it should I just buy white colour to avoid confusion (ie. Hot vs cold line)? I'm not running enough to buy one blue and one red roll.

Also, what 1/2" Pex crimper do you guys recommend?

I own a multifamily property in Connecticut, where our rental unit has been upgraded at some point to move from an oil boiler (with steam radiators) to a forced air system with a natural gas furnace. The old oil tank and boiler were left in the basement. I would like to have that old system removed so I can use the space taken up by the old equipment in the basement. I have an oil tank removal company in contract to remove the oil tank for about $500. Who should I call to have remove the boiler? I don't think the tank removal company will do it. And then who can help me in demolishing the old steam piping? Once the boiler is removed, can I just go at the piping with a sawzall?

Will it still come a loose i got like putty around it?