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April 21, 2009
New Tub Trouble
Q: Ed, I love to read your column because I always learn something new from the questions sent in. This time can you please help me? We live in a one-story home with one bathroom, and we just had a new bathtub installed. It looks great, but now when I do laundry the dirty wash water backs up into my beautiful new bathtub! The old tub did drain very slowly, but we never had water from the washer back up into it. Where do I go from here, and how do I get this problem corrected?
-Bill, Alabama
A: I hope you hired a licensed contractor with a good reputation to do this job, because the first step when you encounter problems right after a new home project has been completed is to call the contractor to see how the problem can be corrected and who is responsible for the repair.
If you didn't use a licensed contractor, this may be up to you to correct. Either way, it's pretty obvious that you have a partially blocked main drain line, and since the old tub drained slow, it was probably an existing condition.
Knowing that this drain problem existed, the drains should have been snaked out when the tub was being replaced. Somehow this was overlooked by whoever installed the tub, but even if it was snaked out at that time it would have been an extra job anyway. So, hopefully it will not cost you more now than if it was done then.
In a way it may even work to your advantage to have the drain lines cleaned out now that everything is completed. Whenever drains are opened during remodeling jobs, it's very easy for debris to find its way into the lines, and often some contractors will clear the drains before and after a big remodeling job.
Plus, when you're a contractor dealing with subcontractors, you never know what they may be pouring into the lines when you're not around. I once returned to a job site to find the painters dumping all the extra paint down the toilet! The key word here is "once," because that never happened to me again.
Anyway, your issue is a clogged line that has to be cleaned. If you worked with a licensed contractor, contact them to see if they are willing to help you out with the clog, since this should have been addressed during construction. If you worked with a "friend of a friend," you will probably be on your own, and you need to contact a rooter company yourself.
Odds are, this is just a partial clog, not a sewer or septic issue. Once cleared, your brand new tub will no longer have to double as an expensive, oversized, laundry sink!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 4:39 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 13, 2009
A Big Sink Problem
Q: Hi, Ed. First of all, I look forward to your articles! Second, here's our problem: My daughter has a kitchen sink that is damaged and needs to be replaced, and I'm helping her out... but her present sink is 33-3/4" long! She can't find that size anywhere since, as you know, standard kitchen sinks are 33" long by 22" wide. Do you have any ideas short of getting a whole new countertop? Should we change the faucet as well? Also, what's best, cast iron or stainless steel?
-Jake, Missouri
A: You really know how to get my attention; First give me a compliment, then throw everything in your letter including the kitchen sink!
I'll start with the second question first. I believe that whenever you change any sink, the faucet should be changed as well.
Enough said about that, now on to your first and third questions. Even though your kitchen sink may be a little longer than the standard size, you don't know the exact size of the cut out hole under the sink. Maybe the sink just has a little wider flange? So, you need to remove the sink, measure the cut out hole itself and see if a standard 33x22 kitchen sink will fit it. If the hole is also a little too long for a new standard sink, the best cosmetic choice is to replace the countertop and cut out a new hole.
If looks are not that important, I have seen good finish carpenters install filler pieces that can match the existing counter top, but you may see a seam or two. It will get down to a budget choice of repair costs vs. new, and the condition of your present kitchen to see what will be the best investment.
As far as material for your new kitchen sink, cast iron and stainless steel are both good material choices and I'll list a few advantages for each sink. Cast iron is a recyclable material, it's incredibly strong, and it's available in a rainbow of colors. Stainless steel is very affordable, easy to install, and will match just about any kitchen style.
No matter what you choose, be careful -- it's easy to get carried away with kitchen projects. First, lay out your exact plan for this job, then add up all the materials, labor, and possible extras, and stick to that budget so you don't find yourself in a "financial hole"!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 10:55 AM | TrackBack
April 10, 2009
Hot Tub, Cold Shower
Q: Ed I enjoy your column and appreciate what you do for all us homeowners everywhere! My question is about my shower stall and my bathtub. The problem is that I have to wait a while for my hot water to get to my shower, but when I want to use my tub right next to my shower stall, the hot water comes out very quickly. Is my shower valve broken? What is my problem?
-Beth, Canada
A: It's always nice to hear from my friends in Canada!
You have a classic hot water flow issue, where the hot water needs time to get through your plumbing system and to your fixture. The slower the flow, the longer it will take hot water to reach a fixture.
Shower valves are usually fed with 1/2" pipes, and with the addition of a shower head, you may get a flow of about 2.5 gallons per minute. Contrast that with a standard tub filler valve that is usually fed with 3/4" water lines and terminates at the tub with a non-restricting spout. Simply put, your tub water is flowing at a much faster rate than your shower -- and because of that, the hot water should get to your tub in about half the time.
Many people with your type of setup will open the tub's hot water valve first to clear the lines to the bathroom, then when the water is hot, turn on the shower valve. The professional choice is to have a hot water recirculating system installed in the house, but that can be a little costly. You can decide what will work best for you, and I do understand that when you live in Canada, it's important to get your hot water as fast as you can!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 10:44 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 7, 2009
The Plumber's Mission: It's Time to Save Water, America!
Regular readers of my blog know that I work hard to promote water conservation across the country. Being a master plumber for most of my life has made me extra-sensitive about the topic of water conservation, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to share some of my information with you.
We plumbers make our living supplying our customers with fresh, clean drinking water and safely returning waste water back to the environment. Sometimes it seems that this service is largely taken for granted.
Long ago, when I was young and just starting out in my family's plumbing business, a local supply house had an old poster of a plumber in a suit and tie working on a drain line and the caption read: "The plumber: Protector of America's health."
Most of us would chuckle at the image of a plumber working in a suit and tie and being compared to a doctor. But for me, looking at that old poster was a sad reminder of how, over the years, society started looking at plumbing as a dirty job instead of a very skilled profession.
After looking at that poster every day, my mission became clear. I wanted to help put respect back into the plumbing trade by educating the general public on how their own plumbing systems work -- and to stress the importance of working with licensed professional plumbers. The exciting thing about getting a message out is that no matter what, if you keep on moving forward towards your goal, opportunities will present themselves.
In the years since, I've been blessed to have had wonderful media opportunities that included my own national TV shows, book deals, and of course this blog. All these media ventures have promoted the plumbing trades, and I believe we're all a little more aware of the importance of properly installed plumbing systems.
Now it's time to take things to the next level and raise awareness of the essence of what makes a plumbing system possible in the first place. That's having an adequate supply of fresh, drinkable water that we can use in our plumbing systems. This brings us back to water conservation.
My new mission is to spread the word that conserving water is a very serious issue no matter where you live in this country. Clean, usable water is a finite resource -- and we all have to start using the water we have left wisely, or else many more areas in America could face water shortages in the coming years.
One staggering statistic that we need to work on improving is that about 50 percent of the toilets in the United States are the old 3.5-gallon-per-flush water wasters. New toilets use 1.6 GPF or less. With every flush, these old toilets waste close to 2 gallons of fresh drinking water. If you add that all up, across the country we waste about 1.6 billion gallons of drinking water with our old toilets, every day!
The good news is that conserving water for most of us can be as easy as one, two, three. All it takes is 3 simple plumbing upgrades to high-efficiency water saving fixtures.
Here's what to change: 1 - change your faucet aerators, 2 - change your shower heads, 3 - change your old toilets. To see my free instructional videos on making these changes and for more information about saving water please visit savewateramerica.com, and you can also take a quick water saving quiz to get your potential water savings. You'll be helping Habitat for Humanity as well. The major company sponsoring the website will make a donation to Habitat for Humanity with every quiz taken.
So, start now and don't feel guilty about the past, because it's never too late to get on board with this important issue. Anything you may have wasted before... is just water under the bridge!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 2:42 PM | TrackBack
April 6, 2009
Crawlspace Spruce-Up
Q: Ed, a portion of my older house is over an insulated crawlspace. I want to insulate the entire crawlspace but unsure what needs to be done. Do I insulate the walls and floor of the crawlspace? Or just the floor of the room above the crawlspace? What else should I address? Thanks!
-Chuck, Ohio
A: The main thing you need to address since you have an older home is to make sure you have sufficient air flow into the crawlspace, and you may also need to add a dehumidifier to cut down on moisture. In newer homes many builders install what's called a "conditioned" crawlspace to deal with moisture. If you're not sure about the proper way to vent or condition your crawlspace you should consult with a contractor.
As far as the insulation, usually it's the floor of the room above that gets insulated. Make sure the vapor barrier of the insulation goes up against the bottom of the floor, not in the crawlspace.
If you have any heating or cooling ducts, water lines, or forced hot water heating lines, they need to be insulated as well. Special insulating products are on the market for pipes and ducts.
Finally, if your crawlspace has an earth floor, a heavy-duty plastic sheet vapor barrier needs to be installed to stop moisture from coming up from the ground. Also, make sure you use all the recommended safety equipment to insulate your body from any harm!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 2:37 PM | TrackBack
Recession Remodeling: Money Down the Drain?
Q: Hi, Ed. My husband and I are loyal readers of your column, and we both decided we would follow your advice on the following matter. For the past several years we have been saving up to remodel our bathroom, and the highlight of the job will be installing a big, beautiful whirlpool tub. Now that we actually have the money to do the project, we are hesitant to start the job because of the slow economy. Is this a good time to remodel the bathroom, or should we wait?
-Tina, Nebraska
A: Tina, you're not alone, and it seems with all the bad economic news being reported by just about every major media outlet, we've become a bunch of deer stuck in the headlights. I believe that if we all take a break from the doom and gloom and start living our lives again, we may actually get things moving!
Day after day, the news tells about the bad loans and how houses are losing money. However, what you don't hear is that now may be the best time in years to invest in your home if you have a little cash or equity built up.
For the first time in a long time, good contractors are readily available and are aggressively working with homeowners to keep labor costs down. Materials are also coming down in price, especially for larger luxury items. Also, investing in your present home with a big remodeling job or addition can give you the dream house you always wanted without the hassle of moving. So, if you like your neighborhood, have the room to expand, and have some cash on hand, I say go for the whirlpool tub!
I recently spoke to a friend of mine who is completing a gourmet kitchen addition to his present home, and he told me the toughest part was getting over the uncertainty of going forward with the project in an unstable market. Now that it's nearly complete, he and his wife are thrilled with the job and have no regrets. Also, since they will be able entertain at home in the new kitchen, they have no plans to move and feel confident it was a safe investment.
Isn't it nice to hear good real estate news for a change? So, let's all get moving with our own dream projects. Whether it's a kitchen, a bathroom, or even a swimming pool, now is the time to jump in the deep end instead of drowning in fear!
