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March 31, 2008
Rusty Water Could Mean Trouble
Q: Ed, I really used to enjoy watching your Ed The Plumber show on the DIY Network. Where has it been lately? I can't seem to find it in my local listings.
Now for my question: When I turn on my hot water, it runs brown for a while then clears up. What should I have checked? Mike (Florida)
A: Thanks, Mike. Yes, the Ed The Plumber show is a classic and was one of the first national all-plumbing shows. I have heard a rumor that the show is coming back for another run. According to the DIY website, it is scheduled to air very early in the mornings starting this April. Check your local cable or satellite program guide for Ed The Plumber and Tivo or DVR the show. You won't be disappointed!
Now for your rusty-water problem. Older galvanized steel water lines can cause rusty water, but more pressing may be a water heater problem. You want to have that checked as soon as possible before the tank springs a leak. Rusty water is not normal for properly installed plumbing systems, and just like a warning flag, take this as a serious signal for a potential problem that has to be addressed immediately!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:28 AM | Comments (2)
Shower Did Not Pan Out as Expected
Q: Hello, Mr. Del Grande. I enjoy getting my building tips from your column, and I now have a problem that I'm hoping you can help me with. I'm installing a custom tile shower stall and had planned on using a rubber membrane with thinset mortar for the shower base, then I was to tile over the cement floor. But now that I'm working on the base, it seems to be getting very complicated as to how the drain will attach to the membrane, how to angle the mortar and how to properly tile around the drain. I'm stopping the job until I can get some more info. Can you please help me? Jack (Michigan)
A: Jack, you are a smart person. I stress in my book over and over that when you are not sure of a project, stop before you get into trouble and get some good information. Hopefully, I can give you some good and useful information right now.
The type of shower pan you are trying to install is commonly called a "mud" base shower stall. It usually consists of a liner that is made with prefabricated copper or a rubber membrane. The shower drain will usually attach with a special type of compression flange that will meet your local codes. The drain strainer is also adjustable to match the mortar level of your shower base; the thickness of the mortar is usually in the 3- to 4-inch range. The advantage of a mud base shower is that you can have a tile floor since the water is contained by the copper or rubber membrane liner, not the tile and grout itself. The disadvantage to a mud base is that this is a job best left to the pros because it is very involved and requires a lot of skill to do the job right.
Another alternative for you to try is a fiberglass shower stall base that can be installed in place of a mud shower pan. A prefabricated resin base can be purchased at your local supply house or home center and basically it's ready to go out of the box! Most will use a standard PVC shower flange drain that is pretty easy to install. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions. With a pre-made fiberglass or resin based bottom for your shower, you will still be able to have a tiled shower surround for the walls and ceiling.
Sometimes all it takes is a simple idea to make a complicated shower problem wash itself away!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:22 AM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2008
Readers Weigh in on Toilet Cleaning
Well, it happened again. My last article on the Great Toilet Cleaning Debate generated hundreds of letters, and I want to share some of them with you. I already had my last words by saying: "It's not my place to promote any toilet cleaning products, and it's up to each individual to do their own research to find a toilet cleaner that works best for them."
So now it's your turn to comment on this issue. The following letters are samples of the supportive and not-so-supportive letters I received this week after commenting about how some people need to start doing more homework and less complaining when choosing a toilet cleaner:
"Ed, had to laugh when I read your article. Sounds like you're dealing with most of the students in my ninth grade class. They want us to do all the research and give them all the answers!"
"A very good morning indeed, after reading your column! Ed, you seem to be very patient with people and of gentle demeanor. Don't they know regular cleanings with mild detergent usually does the trick? I guess some people would like for you to peel the apple for them as well!"
"Thank you, Ed! After reading your article about toilet cleaning, I applaud you for stating the obvious. People are getting more and more dependent on others to do the work for them, and cry foul when someone points that out to them. In this day and age when too many people are lazy and outspoken, individuals like yourself are revered!"
"Ed, could you please tell me how to brush my teeth and tie my shoes also? You have gone above and beyond on this one! I appreciate the entertainment value of this topic, but saddened that the laziness in our society has reached such levels."
"I read your column on toilet cleaning and it was a complete waste of my time! You said nothing but 'do your own research.' I side with those who think it's your job to tell us what brand works best. Most people don't have time to do that sort of research. Give us a break and give us some information!"
Okay, you win. Here is some information; it took me all of about five minutes to search the Internet for "toilet bowl cleaners." More than 2,000 hits popped up on my screen. I think that is plenty of information on toilet bowl cleaners for anyone!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 17, 2008
Stinky Plumbing
Q: Hi, Ed, We have a very embarrassing problem in our basement, and I hope you can help us understand what's going on. About a year ago we decided to remodel our basement complete with a toilet, bathroom sink and a bar sink. Since we were lower than the house drains, a sewer ejector pump was needed for the job. Against my wishes, my husband had the bright idea to work with a relative who is not a plumber but claimed to "know as much" as a plumber.
Apparently he did not, and now every time the ejector pump runs we get a stinky sewer smell in the bar sink area. How can we fix this? I'm ready to lock my husband in the basement with the stinky plumbing until it's fixed! Betty (Ohio)
A: Betty, before you sentence your husband to a smelly cell for not using a real plumber, let me just tell you that you're not alone! I get many letters just like yours when it comes to sewer ejector pumps and installations that do not meet local codes.
A sewer ejector pit is a closed drum or storage tank that sits below grade. Inside the tank is a heavy duty grinding pump that discharges the sewer water from the plumbing fixtures up to the house sewer lines. The tank itself is sealed tight to contain odors, and the tank usually requires a separate vent pipe called a local vent. A local vent should vent uninterrupted up through the roof of a home to the outside air. Local codes vary, and a sewer ejector needs to be vented according to your local codes. Permits may be required in your area.
Your odor problem could be caused by many things, but a likely scenario could be a venting issue with the ejector and/or fixtures. If they're not vented properly, the pump can create a suction in your drain lines when the water is discharged from the tank. If the suction is strong enough to pull the water out from your bar sink trap — well, you now have an open drain line directly to the sewer ejector. Hence the smell!
You need to have a licensed plumber check out the entire system, pull permits if needed, and then install the proper vent lines, check valves and controls needed to bring the job up to code.
Remember, a piece of equipment will work only as well as the technician installed it. In your case,equipment "stinks." That should tell you something about your husband's choice of installers!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 1:57 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Concrete Solutions
Q: Ed, you are the plumbing expert for the country, and we know you'll have the right advice for us! We live on a slab foundation, and our kitchen sink drain line is broken or crushed under the cement floor. The sink will not drain at all no matter what we try. How do we get access to this pipe without destroying the kitchen? Any suggestions are welcome! David (Mississippi)
A: Dear David, thanks for your confidence in me. You know I always tell it like it is, so I think you know what I'm about to say. I understand how you feel right now and you may be looking for someone to tell you something that you want to hear. Well, I can't do that. Sorry.
The only way I know to get the proper access to drain and water lines located under a concrete floor is to break open the floor and dig out around the pipes. Usually the access hole has to be larger than the problem area of the pipe so you can have room for repairs. In the kitchen this may include ripping out the base cabinets and you may also have to replace the entire finished floor so everything matches.
You may want to contact your insurance company to see if any of the work may be covered under your homeowners policy; this may help offset some of the costs. Also, get some estimates before you start this job.
Bottom line is that you need a working kitchen sink, and you'll need to have the money put aside for this job so you don't dig yourself into a hole!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 12, 2008
Redo the Radiators?
Q: Hi, Ed. I have a 60-year-old heating system complete with big old radiators that look awful. I want to remove the radiators from my home and have them refinished. What do I have to keep in mind, and how do I remove them so I can take them to the sandblaster and have them refinished? Is this a big job? Lee (Massachusetts)
A: Oh, Lee, I actually cringe when I hear questions like this! I know your intentions are good, but just by your question I can tell that you have no idea what you may be getting yourself into.
First, only licensed heating professionals should ever shut down and work on any type of residential or commercial heating systems. Second, that an old heating system is usually rusted into place. I have rarely seen old radiators, piping and valves come apart or go back together without encountering major problems.
Your old system may be steam or forced hot water; either way, the system needs to be looked at by a professional to determine its condition and to see what may be possible. They may tell you that since your heating system is so old, sooner or later you may be completely removing it, so it may not make sense to do any work on the radiators at all.
Many people with old radiators have hired companies to make custom screened metal box-type radiator covers that meet local codes. This does give the old radiator a new look without messing around with the system.
Check with your local building inspector to see what is possible, and it may warm your heart to learn that sometimes it's easier just to cover up your problems!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Away with the Bidet
Q: Dear Ed, thanks for being here to help all us new homeowners! I'm a single women and I have learned a lot of great tips from your column. Recently I saw the question about replacing a bidet with a sink and you said it would be a fairly easy switch. I own a condo with a toilet and bidet, but I would like to move the toilet to where the bidet is to make extra room. Is it possible or just as easy to replace the bidet with a toilet? Kathy (Pennsylviania)
A: Hi, Kathy. I have noticed a lot of people with bidets want to remove them in favor of more space. However, in your case you may want to rethink your remodeling job unless you're ready to spend some money. Here's why.
Every plumbing fixture has a DFU number. DFU stands for "drainage fixture unit". Basically it lets you know the amount of water that may pass through the fixture trap. With that DFU figure, a licensed plumber can correctly size the drain lines for a new home. A standard bathroom vanity sink may be sized with a 1-1/2" drain line, while a standard bidet may be sized with a 2" drain. (These are just examples and local codes must be followed.)
Anyway, you can see that a bathroom sink should be able to use a bidet drain line, because in many instances the drain may be large enough for the sink. This is why the bidet-to-vanity-sink question was not a very big deal, since walls and floors may not have to be opened up.
However, most toilet-drain lines are sized up with 3" to 4" drain lines. This is a very large drain line; the smaller bidet drains will not handle the flow from a toilet. Plus, the location of the bidet drains usually will not line up with a toilet. Either way, you are not going to be able to replace the bidet with the toilet unless you do a major remodeling job to your bathroom. Both the bidet and toilet will have to be removed, then the floor and/or walls may have to be opened up to expose the drain lines.
Once you have access to the drains, the larger toilet drains will have to be re-piped to the new location to "rough-in" the new toilet drain. Also, the water lines will have to be altered and capped off where necessary. Then the floor and walls reinstalled, and finally the toilet is hooked up.
As you can see, this is now some heavy-duty work. A less invasive alternative may be to leave the toilet alone and remove the bidet only and cap off the water and drain lines.
Bottom line is that anything is usually possible when it comes to remodeling, but will it be worth the costs? You don't want to do an unnecessary toilet removal just to end up flushing your money down the drain!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:29 PM | Comments (0)
March 3, 2008
Cleaning a Toilet is Not Rocket Science
This has got to be one of the most bizarre columns I have written yet. In all my years of writing a well-respected home improvement column, I never thought that I would get into a heated debate with anyone about cleaning a toilet! For those of you just joining in on the fun, let me bring you up to speed.
A few weeks ago a women wrote in to tell me that after cleaning her toilet with a pumice stone, the bowl got all scratched up and her toilet was ruined. The key word in her letter was that she used a "stone" to clean her toilet. I innocently informed her that china toilets are usually sensitive to abrasive cleaning products and that in the future she should use less abrasive cleaning products to avoid ruining another toilet. I thought that my advice made sense and that was that.
But to my surprise, a good number of people wrote in to say that it was my responsibility to tell them exactly how to clean their toilets without scratching the bowl. Most felt that was an impossible task.
I have never promoted myself as a cleaning expert, but I am a hard worker and I enjoy a good challenge. With all that in mind, I consulted my wife. We decided we were up to the task of finding out if a rust stained toilet could be cleaned easily with nonabrasive cleaners. Basically, I felt that if we could find a good toilet bowl cleaner and a way to do this, anyone else could do the same.
So after spending all of about an hour looking up professional-grade toilet bowl cleaners on the Internet, then picking up a few of these industrial-strength toilet cleaners, we followed the directions and went to work. To our delight, the professional toilet-cleaning products worked fine to remove the stains without scratching the bowl. My wife and I both wondered what all the fuss was about.
I then wrote a follow-up column basically telling our story and saying that the secret was to do some research and pick up a professional-grade toilet bowl cleaner that best meets your needs. For instance, some cleaners can only be used with white bowls; some cleaners are very harsh and you need to follow all safety instructions. I said straight out that I cannot mention any brand names, but if you look around, these cleaning products are easy to find. And they are.
So what happened next really threw me for a loop. People wrote in asking if I really expected my readers to "do their own tests?" Others demanded brand names because they didn't have time to look things up themselves. Most of the letters were very nice and sincere, but the bottom line was that people were not doing their homework.
Short of coming over to your home and cleaning your toilet myself, I have done all I can. I never mention any brand names in this column; that's what keeps it commercial-free and credible. Also, what worked for me may not be the best choice for you. There's no "one size fits all" toilet bowl cleaner. Find the professional-grade cleaner that works best for you. My final word on this topic to all my friends that wrote : Simply do your duty and clean your toilet like a pro!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:21 AM | Comments (38)
