« May 2008 | Main | July 2008 »

June 18, 2008

Slow Hot Water

Q:Hello, Ed. I am a single mother and we watch every penny to stay on our budget. I hate to waste anything and in our upstairs bathroom it takes over five minutes to get hot water from our standard forty gallon water heater to our faucets and shower. This wastes a lot of cold water. A friend told me that installing a tankless heater will heat the water instantly and get the hot water up to the bathroom a lot quicker. Is this true? Betty (Mississippi)

A: Hi, Betty. Unfortunately your friend is a little confused. Yes, a tankless hot water heater does heat up water quickly as it passes through the unit. However, just like a standard tank water heater, once the hot water enters your plumbing water piping it still has to make the same journey through your house piping before it gets to your second floor fixtures. So, you will still have to run the water a bit to clear out any cooler water that is still in your hot water lines.

A licensed plumber can install a domestic re-circulating hot water system to your present tank type water heater, and this could be a better option for you. These re-circulating systems constantly move hot water from the tank to the fixtures, giving you quick access to hot water for sinks and showers. But, it can be a little pricey to install and run this type of system. I would meet with a plumber for an estimate -- and who knows, you may "warm up" to the idea of adding a hot water circulator system to your home.

Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 17, 2008

New Toilet Solves Problem

Q: Hello Ed, I am a fellow contractor and I always look forward to reading your articles and I have a real stumper. A client called me to check out a slow flushing toilet. I tried a plunger and auger to no avail. Then, out of desperation I removed the old toilet and replaced it with a new toilet. Guess what? The new toilet worked perfectly! I broke apart the old toilet hoping to find some kind of clog but the trap was clear and the flush valve worked fine. My question is how the old toilet did not work, while the new toilet works fine on the same piping? Randy (Massachussetts)

A: Thanks for writing, Randy. I agree with your approach to fixing this problem. You did everything you could to the old toilet and when you ran out of options, you did not waste anymore time and you installed a new toilet.

I have seen homeowners and contractors waste days trying to fix broken fixtures to no avail. Good troubleshooting!

Now, back to your question. Since you could not find a clog in the old trap and the flushing system on the toilet was in working order, my theory is that your old toilet had lost the ability to create a siphon. When most toilets flush, they depend on the siphon jet hole (located at the base of the toilet bowl, just before the trap opening) to push out a heavy flow of water into the trap. This strong flow of water, combined with the jet flow velocity, creates a siphon in the trap and that siphonic action pulls the debris and water from the toilets bowl.

Yes, you heard right. When flushed, most toilets "pull" the water out of the bowl; contrary to popular belief it's usually not "pushed" out. If the siphon jet hole becomes blocked or broken, the trap can fail to produce a siphon and that may result in a flush that has no power.

Sometimes you may be able to clear or clean the jet hole, but in most cases when a toilet loses the ability to produce a siphon, in my opinion the best bet is to replace the toilet. Bottom line, you solved the problem and your clients are lucky to have a contractor that cares and is always looking to learn.

That should make you flush with pride!

Posted by Ed Del Grande at 12:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 10, 2008

Sweating in the Crawlspace

Q: Hello Ed, I have a wet and wild problem. My crawlspace has become very wet due to sweating cold water pipes. The floor of my crawlspace is covered in plastic, and the dripping pipes are making big puddles on the ground. Please help before mold starts to grow! Bill (New Jersey)

A: Bill, the plastic on your crawlspace floor is called a "vapor barrier." It is placed there to cut down on moisture coming up from the ground and into your crawlspace.

Check to make sure that the entire floor is covered by the vapor barrier and sealed tight. Also, you need to cover the water lines with pipe insulation to cut down on the sweating, and this will also protect them in the colder months.

Finally, install a dehumidifier in the crawlspace as your local codes allow. I did this for my own crawlspace and it really dried it out. I recommend that you install it with an automatic drain set up so you won't have to keep emptying the collection bucket.

Remember, it's called a "crawlspace," so going in every day to empty a bucket may give you a dry area, along with a bad back!

Posted by Ed Del Grande at 3:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 9, 2008

Whirlpool Cleaning

Q: Ed, I'm hoping you can help us. We just moved into our new house, complete with our dream whirlpool tub. We love the look and the performance of our new whirlpool, but now that we have been using it for a few months we have a question. It seems there are little dark flecks of deposits floating around in the water with us. What is this stuff and how can we stop it? John (Texas)

A: Hi John, congratulations on the new whirlpool!

Whirlpools are a great way to relax in your own home. However, like any piece of high-performance equipment, special care is needed to keep them clean and trouble-free.

What you're dealing with is not a problem with the tub itself, but what is left behind in the jets and pipes of the whirlpool from previous baths. Oils, hair and dirt can become trapped in the piping of the whirlpool.

Most people don't even realize that when a whirlpool is drained and washed down on the "outside" of the tub, some water will be trapped in the jet lines with all the debris I just mentioned. This is a recipe for forming black soap-scum-like particles that will be forced out of the jet lines when the pump is turned on, and these particles will end up floating around in the tub.

Most whirlpool manufacturers and specialty cleaning companies do sell products made exclusively for cleaning the "inside" of jetted tubs. I recommend you contact the manufacturer of your whirlpool to get a list of the cleaning products that you can use with your tub.

Basically, how the cleaner works is that after every use you would keep the tub full of water and as per the directions, you add the cleaner to the water. Then run the tub to mix the cleaner into the water and through the jet lines. When you drain the tub, any trapped water remaining in the lines will have the cleaner in it, and this should cut down on scum buildup in the piping.

So basically, you need to give your whirlpool a "bath" to solve this issue. Also, to cut down on debris in the jet lines, you should not use soap products or shampoo in a jetted tub. Just remember Ed's advice that "Showers are for washing up and whirlpools are for calming down."

Posted by Ed Del Grande at 10:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 2, 2008

Sounding Off on a Condo Issue

Q: Ed, I know this is not really a plumbing question but I trust your advice and would like your opinion. I have a condo and the inside walls seem to have no insulation between units. The sound travels very easy between the walls and I would like to tear open the walls and soundproof them. What do I need to do? Bill (Alabama)

A: In most of the cases I've seen, condo walls are considered joint property and you cannot open up any walls without written permission, and you typically have to work with a contractor approved by the association. So, to correct this problem you will have to get all your soundproofing information and options from your local condo association, building inspectors and contractors.

What I can tell you is that soundproofing is usually done with density. For example, cast iron drain lines are heavy and solid compared to light and less dense PVC drains. That's why in most cases you will not hear water running through cast iron drains, while PVC drains may sound like a running river.

I'm sure you're not the only one in the complex with a loud condo, so go make some "noise" with your association. They should know what dense soundproofing materials are approved and available for you to have installed in your unit.

Posted by at 2:09 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Shower Stall Needs a Lift

Q: Hi Ed. My Sister wants to add a small shower to her basement laundry room. The room already has a toilet and sink, and I suggested adding a small shower. Unfortunately she can't afford to break open the floor to run new drains. I remember seeing you on your "Ed The Plumber" TV show discussing how shower stalls can possibly be elevated under the right conditions. Can you advise us if this is possible? By the way, you're a fantastic teacher! Bonnie (California)

A: Bonnie, thanks for a great question and a wonderful compliment!

First, I know you stated that your sister is on a tight budget so let's start by saying that whenever you add a large fixture like a shower to an existing bathroom, usually there is no inexpensive way out. The job will usually run into the thousands by the time you add up the labor costs of installing fixtures, valves, water piping, vents, drains, exhaust fans, and the carpentry work. Plus, the additional costs of the material itself, concrete cutting, and permits for the job. I don't want to scare you, I just want to give you a heads up that if you go forward with this project, get all estimates in writing before you get in over your head.

Speaking of getting in over your head, that is the main issue of most basement showers, how much room will you have over your head? Ceiling height is critical and most basement showers can only get the ceiling height up to code if the shower stall is installed flat on the existing floor. This will require breaking up the concrete, digging out and connecting the drain lines, then refilling and patching the floor.

Now back to your question about raising the shower stall. Yes, in some instances and if local codes allow, you can build the shower stall on a raised platform and tie the drains into an existing above-grade main drain. This will eliminate most of the floor breaking and digging and it can cut down labor costs. The key to this option is head room; if you have enough ceiling height after you consider the platform height, you can look into this option.

Please note, on this project your sister will need to work with a local licensed contractor and they should be able to line up all the materials, permits and subcontractors needed to complete the job. With enough money, anything is possible. So if she really needs the shower, it may be worth the expense. But, if it's just a "cool" thing to have a shower in the basement, you might want to reconsider this project so you don't drain your wallet instead!

Posted by Ed Del Grande at 11:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack