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March 27, 2009
A Ghost in the Toilet
Q: Ed, thanks for all the great plumbing advice! Our home, which was built in the early 1990s, has two toilets. In 2008 we had both insides of the toilets rebuilt and had nothing but problems since then. Both toilets now have "phantom" flush issues where the toilet water constantly runs into the bowl and the fill valves turn on and off constantly. My husband has changed the flappers to no avail. We're ready to rip these toilets out but really can't afford to do so. What else can we try?
-Betty, Mississippi
A: Since your toilets are fairly new, and the fill valves have recently been replaced, and since both toilets have the same problem, I believe a little human error is to blame with this one.
In most toilets, the fill valve or "ballcock" fills the toilet from two discharges. One opening at the bottom of the ballcock fills the tank, and the little hose at the top fills the overflow tube going down into the bowl to reseal the trap. This little hose needs to be clipped to the rim of the overflow tube as per the manufacturers instructions.
Unfortunately, many people make a common mistake by skipping that step and may simply tuck the hose into the tube -- causing the hose to be too low in the tube. A low hose can actually cause a siphon in some style ballcocks... and there you have it. Water can constantly be siphoned from the tank and will drain into the bowl creating the dreaded "phantom flush."
So, before you replace the toilets, check to make sure the fill hose is clipped properly to the rim of the tube so you don't get your wallet "clipped" with the unnecessary cost of two new toilets!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 2:02 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 23, 2009
Muddy Waters
Q: Ed, we have been in our home for five years, and every time we turn on the tub faucet the first burst of water is always muddy. We've drained our entire plumbing system, but the problem persists. Also, it's the only fixture in the home that does this. Not even the sink or toilet next to the tub has this problem. Any ideas?
-Bob, New Mexico
A: Your last clue may have tipped us off. If there was a rusty water problem in the entire house, we could look at the water quality itself, or the system piping. However, since you are only getting muddy water at the bath tub, you need to check out the tub valve itself, the tub spout, or the supply lines to the valve for corrosion.
If the supply lines to the tub are made with old galvanized piping, they can be rusting out on the inside and need to be replaced. Also, I have seen handymen and homeowners mistakenly install "black iron" piping to a fixture, and that will surely cause brown water to run out of a fixture.
See if you can remove the access panel behind the tub valve, and look for any old or unusual piping. Once you check things out inside the wall, you might be surprised to find out that the answer to your muddy water problem is crystal clear!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 4:32 PM | TrackBack
Basement Buddy Bar
Q: Hey, Ed. My wife is letting me build a bar in our basement for me and my friends to hang out in, and you are just the man to help me figure out how to finish it off. I have a walk-out basement, and if I install a bathroom, there will be no need to go upstairs. Since space is very tight, I can't fit a toilet in the bathroom area, so I'm looking to install just a urinal and sink. I'm also hoping to save some money by not putting in a toilet. However, the drain line is higher than the urinal -- so how complicated will this make the job, and what are my options?
-Nathan, Indiana
A: Congratulations on building your bar! Believe it or not, many homeowners are turning to this "in home" entertainment option since it may no longer be affordable to go out as frequently as we did before to meet friends.
As far as your options for installing a urinal with the drain line higher than the urinal itself, you really only have one way to do it properly. Unfortunately, it will probably be as much work and as expensive as if you installed a toilet -- so you might want to redesign the bathroom to fit a toilet. That way, the bathroom will be more universal than if you just had the urinal.
The issue is that according to most codes, you may need to install a sewer ejector pit and pump in your basement floor to collect the waste water from the fixtures, and then when the ejector pit is full, the pump will push the water up to the existing drain line. As you can imagine there is a lot of work involved with installing a sewer ejector system.
Basically, permits will have to be pulled, the basement concrete will have to be cut open, and a hole dug to accept the pit and drains. Then the ejector discharge line needs to be tied into the existing house drain, and a new pit vent line also needs to be installed per local codes. Finally, a new concrete patch is poured to finish the floor, and the fixtures are installed. Also, any electrical work needs to be completed.
If you look around, you may find ejector systems that have above-grade tanks and pumps, and that may cut out the underground work. However you need to check if they are allowed in your area, and the investment value to your home may not be as great as an installed underground ejector pit system.
I suggest you meet with a licensed plumber to discuss your best options since this is usually not a do-it-yourself project. Sorry to put a damper in your basement bar, but maybe a small cover charge at the door could offset some of your new bathroom expenses!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 2:41 PM | TrackBack
Glug... Glug... Glug... in the Sink
Q: Ed, we read your columns all the time and we have a concern about our beautiful kitchen sink. The sink and faucet are fine, but the drain line is acting up. It started a couple of weeks ago, and the problem is that whenever water goes down our sink drain, we hear a very loud "glug, glug, glug," noise. The water does go down, but the noise is now always present. What is going on, and why did it just start up out of the blue? No other sink in the house makes this noise. Could this possibly be caused by the very cold winter we are having here in Cleveland?
-Lynn, Ohio
A: Lynn, you are a very good detective by asking questions relating to an unusually cold winter and a sudden plumbing problem that showed up at the same time. I'm a believer in the old saying that "there's no such thing as a coincidence," and I'll explain how your plumbing problem is most likely related to your very cold weather.
All plumbing fixtures, when properly installed, need a drain line to drain the water away from the fixture, a trap to create a water plug to stop odors, and a vent line to allow air in and out of the system. If for some reason the vent line becomes blocked, the drain line (when draining out the water) can create a vacuum in the line, and air can actually be sucked in through the "trap water" at the fixture. Air being sucked through a trap full of water usually sounds like the "glug" noise you mentioned. In some cases, the water seal at the trap can also be siphoned out and along with the noise you may get some odors as well.
So, it looks like we figured out your kitchen sink may have a blocked vent -- but what caused this? In some cases it may be a bird's nest, leaves, or debris that can fall into the open vent pipes on the roof. Or in your case it can be weather-related, like an ice blockage from the warm moist air coming up from the vents and frosting up the pipe.
I would sit tight and wait 'til you get a couple of warmer days in a row to see if any ice melts and the drain goes back to normal. If it stops, then you know in "unusually cold" stretches of weather you may hear the noise from time to time. If the problem still persists when the weather breaks, call a licensed plumber to manually clear and check the vent line. Either way we all learned today that when it comes to vent lines ... ice is not nice!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 1:56 PM | TrackBack
March 12, 2009
Power Up the Flush
Q: Hi, Ed. My neighbors and I love reading your column, and we recently saw your article on "air-power flush" toilets. We live in a 12-story condo tower with 120 units, and many of us are looking for toilets with a stronger flush. Will these air-powered toilets harm the existing plumbing system in large buildings or cause problems with nearby units? Also, does it take special knowledge for a plumber to install them?
Bill, Illinois
(Editor's Note: Click here for a photo gallery of interesting toilets.)
A: Nice to know I'm a big hit in a big building!
First, let me catch everyone up to speed with "air-pressure-assist" toilets. These toilets use water pressure to create air pressure in a sealed chamber inside the toilet tank. When flushed, the trapped pocket of pressurized air pushes the water out of the chamber and into the bowl at a high rate of speed.
It's a very simple and reliable system that has been used in the commercial market for years and is now becoming very popular in the residential market because of a major breakthrough in noise reduction. These new toilets are now pretty quiet (it shouldn't wake up the building) for an assisted-flush toilet, opening the door for more and more people to install them in a home or condo.
These toilets are installed -- and they drain -- the same way as any standard toilet. So, as far as causing issues with your plumbing system and/or neighbors, there should be no concerns as long as you follow your local codes. Most air pressure-assisted toilets will only use 1 to 1.4 gallons per flush so you will also save water over standard 1.6 GPF toilets. Since the technology is not new, only improved, you should be able to find both parts and plumbers that install and service these toilets fairly easily.
The only thing to watch out for is your existing water pressure. You need adequate water pressure (usually over 35-40 psi) to properly flush air-assisted toilets. So, if your condo board approves, and the units meet guidelines and local codes, you're well on your way to making your building a "toilet tower of power!" (And for a photo gallery of interesting toilets, click here.)
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 10:45 AM | TrackBack
March 10, 2009
Sewer Pit Pump-Out
Q: Ed, we have a basement with a full bathroom and wash room and everything drains into a sewer ejector pit and is pumped out into our main drain. We have noticed that even with everything turned off, the pump will run from time to time. Should I be concerned with the mystery water flowing several times throughout the day, or is this just normal water draining back into the pump pit from the house drains?
Alan, Arkansas
A: There's an old saying: "garbage in, garbage out." And that really applies to sewer ejectors.
If the pump keeps coming on throughout the day and no plumbing fixtures to the pump are turned on, something is wrong. It's usually one of three issues, and a licensed plumber needs to check things out to correct this problem since none of the three are normal conditions.
First, the plumber should check the toilet and fixtures going to the sewer ejector for leaks that may end up slowly running into the pit. Second, check the check valve on the ejector pump drain line to see if water is slowly draining back into the pit due to a leaking check valve. If they still can't find what's filling the pit, the tank cover has to come off the ejector pit and you need to see if the pit is filling up with ground water due to a rupture in the tank lining.
If the tank has cracked or has a hole in it, it needs to be replaced. Let's hope it's number one or two, you don't ever want to have number three in your sewer ejector pit. That can be a costly repair!
