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Hello all, today I closed on a house that was built in the 80's, that means the supply lines are entirely polybutylene. And it's the worst kind of connector that I have, so I have been told. I would like to have it redone, already found a couple leaks that have sprung up since inspection. The house is: 3076 square feet There is crawlspace under entire portion to be replumbed. Kitchen sink, fridge icemaker, washer, water heater, full bath, half bath, and master bath with stand up shower, toilet, double sinks, and garden tub. I was quoted at $5600 to tear it all out and redo it with pex, from one of only a couple plumbers that come recommend. And he can start pretty quickly, the other place I called can't even look at it until Monday, maybe. Does this sound like a reasonable price? I know it is a lot of work and material, was just a little more than I was hoping. angryrobots fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Feb 27, 2014 |
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Feb 27, 2014 03:18
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Yes, opening walls as necessary to plumb like a new house. Yes, stub outs through the wall. No, will not include patching I'll have that done after. Washer already has recessed box; I didn't know they had them for icemakers but I'm sure we can pop one in. I'm having him install new fixtures in the showers and tubs, sinks I will do myself later. That price includes install but he will add cost of fixture. The crawlspace is as easily accessible as those things come, and I forgot to mention its a single story house. I will ask about how he will do stub outs. I'm located in mid South Carolina, half of what it costs in California is probably about right? Edit: is it code to change to copper for the wall penetration? I'm not sure if they do it that way around here with new houses, I'll remember to look next time. angryrobots fucked around with this message at 12:18 on Feb 27, 2014 |
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Feb 27, 2014 12:10
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Orange_Lazarus posted:Anything you guys can tell me about Tankless water heaters? I like the space/energy savings and the idea of always having instant hot water. We're downsizing from a 1600 square foot single family home to a 850 square foot townhouse and we really don't use much hot water. My wife and I take our morning showers about an hour apart (we could always shower together if we had to) and the only appliance that ever uses hot water is the dishwasher and we rarely use hot water with the washing machine. Whether it makes sense for you depends both on what energy source you will use on the tankless (propane, natural gas, or electric), and how much the installation will cost. I intended to install a propane tankless heater about two years ago, did the math with an installer, and just the energy cost of propane alone would have barely beaten out what I was then paying in kWh for my standard electric tank water heater. I never would have made back the installation cost, not even close. I ended up installing a heat pump water heater.
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Mar 6, 2014 05:21
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Being that I hear my heat pump 50g water heater when it kicks on, I know that it very rarely recovers when we haven't just used some hot water. A newer, well insulated electric or gas tank unit would be similar in recovery cycle if operating correctly. They aren't necessarily the massive energy hogs they are made out to be. As an aside, the power company I work for had a consumer install a whole-house tankless electric unit....as I recall, it's 3 elements each required a 60A circuit. Whatever it was, we had to upgrade their service to 350 mcm and 50 kva, and engineering wanted to put a demand meter like a commercial account on them.
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Mar 7, 2014 02:14
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Also happy with my GE purchased last year. GDF510PMDSA, got it on scratch and dent sale for like 200 bucks. New installation - one thing to check if you happen to be installing in a corner of the cabinets, that the washer door will clear any perpendicular cabinet drawers or doors. I had to get a model with a recessed grab instead of a handle, for this reason.
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Jul 6, 2014 17:45
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Zhentar posted:If you want to spend a bunch of money so that you can feel "green", you can get a hybrid heat pump water heater, but you'll still be wasting your time. In my case, I was also stuck with propane, and the math just didn't work out for tankless. The heat pump tanked water heater is installed inside the house, so it helps to cool and reduce humidity in the living space. With ~8 months of a/c usage in The South, most of the year the water heater is super efficient for me. And during our "winter " I can turn off the heat pump when the nights get below 30° f, and the unit is still very well insulated and doesn't cycle often. I believe I estimated it for -me- an average savings of $15-20/month. Possibly more in months it is also helping to cool the house. Not a huge amount, but if the water heater needs to be replaced and the installation location works out, the extra cost for a heat pump unit is worth considering.
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Jan 3, 2015 20:09
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Oi. If there's a pressure reducing valve, or other backflow preventing device on your water supply, and the expansion tank failed, the PRV might have been doing it's job. Scary, good you caught it.
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Jan 25, 2015 00:06
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Is the water heater electric? Maybe only the upper element is functioning, so you've only got a minimum of shower time before hitting lukewarm water.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:23
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And alternatively, is the tub situated in such a way that you could just add a diverter and showerhead?
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May 3, 2015 01:28
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This an appropriate place to ask about gas fireplaces? So my house has this wood burning unit made by Country Flame. I can't find much information about it other than the linked diagram, but it has a pair of fans that circulate room air around the firebox, then out a vent above the unit. The fans are controlled by a line voltage thermostat. The tie-in to floor ductwork is non existent, that part is capped off under the house. I don't have much interest in dealing with burning wood, but some additional heat in the living room with the cathedral ceilings would be great to keep the wife happy, as well as having an additional backup heat source for power outages. Been reading about vent/ventless logs, all of the information I've found is assuming you're installing in a typical wood fireplace. My goal is heat, I don't care about a rolling flame, the small amount of glass on the metal doors won't allow for much visibility anyway. This will be propane. Any suggestions for this?
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Jul 13, 2015 23:48
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XmasGiftFromWife posted:You have a chimney correct? You could do gas stove in that space. But yeah I do have a chimney... It has not been inspected or cleaned and I have not used the fireplace, but it is a 1989 house and is probably serviceable. My thought was, a vent-free set of gas logs might provide enough efficient heat to warm the firebox (which I can distribute with the existing setup), and I could leave the damper open a bit so some of the fumes could escape. I know this will pull in some outside air, but hopefully still a net gain, and this isn't like something I'd run very much... Probably just to knock the chill off when the heat pump is catching hell below 30° outside temp.
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Jul 15, 2015 03:23
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If you're talking about a standalone unit, I can't see any way to install one that wouldn't be really ugly? Example of what you mean? I mean, the only reason I'm considering a vent free set of logs, is that they burn more efficiently and I don't care about having the pretty flame a vented set gives you, I want the heat. They -would- be vented, so if the issues you're meaning are related to their fumes, well I don't think they will give me an issue? Unless I'm misunderstanding you?
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Jul 15, 2015 23:56
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XmasGiftFromWife posted:Vent free logs are decorative (and produce heat) and by definition are not vented. As I mentioned before these units have issues with smell, condensation, and carbon monoxide production. They are more efficient because none of the heat goes out the vent (because there is no vent) I finally found a company that seems to advertise exactly what I'm asking about. They uh... actually say this: quote:What is the difference between vented and vent-free (un-vented) gas log sets? Both this and other gas log suppliers say that vented-only burners are purposely inefficient in their burn, to give you a pretty, high flame (and more soot). The catalytic combustion of a ventless set should produce more heat per amount of fuel consumed, and if they are rated for vented installations as well then I will avoid all the issues that come from their combustion process venting to the indoors (although yes, in my application, efficiency will not be the advertised 99%) I contacted them about my particular situation and I appreciate the advice, guys. 
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Jul 17, 2015 00:18
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Price of scrap copper is also down.
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Jun 4, 2016 04:07
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No get a big expansion tank with plenty of surface area for Legionella pneumophila to grow on. 
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Aug 16, 2016 18:06
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Any of you plumbers ever used, or are familiar with the Cycle Stop Valves line of products?
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Dec 17, 2016 16:54
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I know that the gas companies here, have to upgrade your gas meter to allow enough flow if you install a tankless. Most of the bad reviews on rinnai I can find online, mention that the manufacturer blamed inadequate gas pressure. So I guess make sure you have the capacity for it to run properly. Looks like the unit price has dropped substantially since I shopped tankless. At that time (5ish years ago) I was stuck with propane, and between the unit cost and doing some math with an installer...yeah it would not have been cheaper to run over any length of time. I ended up with a first gen GE geospring electric hybrid/heat pump 50 gallon water heater and have been very happy with it. Happy enough I brought it with us when we moved.
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Feb 25, 2017 03:16
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Fwiw, when we remodeled I replaced only one toilet (cause it was, like, almond colored) and now I kick myself for not doing them all. The new toilet flushes better, with less water.
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Mar 11, 2017 05:12
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Orange Red Bull posted:They also said its entirely possible theres an old supply line coming from the street thats been paved over for many years. Currently we are digging up our yard trying to find where this line runs until an excavation plumber can come next week and do a wet cut If it makes you feel any better, when I bought my house out in the county and was remodeling before moving in, I had the well pump turned off, and the system kept getting re-pressurized on its own. I scratched my head and asked everyone I could, was thinking about weird poo poo like the well behaving like an artisan well by some heretofore unseen hydraulic pressure that appeared to defy physics. (I eliminated this of course, haha) After a couple weeks I made contact with the guy that originally built the place, and he informed me that they used to own the next property over, and there was a connecting pipe between their well and mine. (I think they used one well originally, then left the tie as a backup) He told me roundabout where to find the shutoff. ....400' of 1¼" pvc with a buried ball valve on both ends. One was leaking, the other was open. I had to dig up my neighbor's yard but it is absolutely disconnected now!
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Apr 7, 2017 23:44
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BubbaGrace, I think they used one of these.
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Apr 21, 2017 03:02
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Watermelon Daiquiri posted:I have no idea if there is an AC thread anywhere, and this is the closest I can find. I'm hoping someone can diagnose over the internet an issue I'm having with the AC in my new apartment that management is dragging their feet on. Due to the heat thats making GBS threads all over the US right now, our AC is being slammed and it hasnt been doing a good job keeping up. It doesn't stay cool, even though its running (the fridge pipe is cold which is weird though i dont know if its cold [i]enough/i]). One thing that can help is that approximately every 5-6 seconds something in the compressor/condenser rattles for a second, shaking the pipes all throughout the walls and into the blower. Im sure this is related to the poor cooling, and my guess is that there's something thats failing to start (the compressor fan?), rattling as it tries to do so, and once the controller detects theres an issue cuts power, only to retry it a few seconds later. Does that sound possible, on the off chance anyone has the knowledge? HVAC thread It should be stickied. This is a split system correct? Are you getting airflow from your vents?
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Jun 30, 2017 14:22
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Or you've got an rear end in a top hat crow dropping rocks down the vent pipe
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Feb 13, 2018 20:04
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Yeah if you must go instant hot water, go gas. It's likely that even if you have enough space in the panel, your electric service itself can't handle it at full load. I spec'ed out upgrading an electric service for a guy our system, and we were looking at a 50kva transformer and 4/0 overhead wire feeding a 400A service. He uhhhh changed his mind. I will say that the new condensing gas tanked water heaters are supposed to be the most efficient thing on the market right now... Cheaper to run than instant on natural gas as I understand.
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Mar 24, 2018 22:55
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Question about a shower valve. I rebuilt an older Central Brass with a Danco 39646 kit. Replaced the seats with a seat tool, new hot/cold and diverter. The diverter appears to weep out of its threads very very slightly when the water is on. Not out of the stem with the packing nut - the diverter body itself. It's as tight as I feel comfortable making it. What do I need to do? I did not install thread tape on the diverter itself, but did put a thin single strip on the shoulder of the seat based on advice from a plumber in the plumbing supply store. The old valves appeared to have been installed the same way. Next step? angryrobots fucked around with this message at 01:24 on Apr 10, 2018 |
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Apr 9, 2018 20:11
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angryrobots posted:Question about a shower valve. I rebuilt an older Central Brass with a Danco 39646 kit. Replaced the seats with a seat tool, new hot/cold and diverter. Anybody? I'm going to Teflon tape the thing and sweartogod I didn't know any better!
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Apr 11, 2018 18:42
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The Dregs posted:My shower is leaking pretty bad, about a drop a second. We had a plumber take a look at it a couple years ago and he said the type of fixtures is uses are old and they don't really make handles for them anymore, and that they aren't easy to replace. We've been using redneck vice-grips as handles since. I think it is time to replace them. I haven't done much plumbing, but I am not completely new at this stuff. I replaced out toilet and sink fixture. That's about the extent of my skill. Did he actually attempt to remove the valves, or did he just nope out? I mean yeah there is the possibility that it breaks off, but if you go in accepting that cutting the wall is one option, it's worth trying to fix. He may have been fearful of something breaking, then he gets blamed for it and either you don't want to pay for the bigger repair bill or want a major discount.
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Jun 20, 2018 23:39
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Is that just installation or does that include the cost of the unit? Are you in an affluent area?
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Jun 25, 2018 21:26
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That does seem like high quotes, then. Someone else had a good experience with one of those "find a local contractor" apps for swapping a water heater. You sound pretty knowledgeable, is a self-install out of the question? I dunno about plumbing codes, but yeah you need an expansion tank. When you shut off your water supply, you've got a closed system.
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Jun 26, 2018 18:46
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That guy was either a dumbass or being difficult. Just stop by (maybe a different place) and tell them you need some square duct drive connectors. Any HVAC supply stocks those.
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Jun 26, 2018 23:33
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That is seriously bonkers, but now that I think about it - a million years ago when I worked on commercial HVAC, we had a machine to bend our own, and everything but spiral duct was made in-house. Residential uses pretty much 100% flex duct so I guess there's no reason for an HVAC supplier in most areas to carry that stuff?
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Jun 29, 2018 21:59
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I'm not a professional plumber, but it's definitely ugly as hell.
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Jul 1, 2018 17:41
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Edit: nevermind. Somehow I misread that this was a basement bath.
angryrobots fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Jul 16, 2018 |
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Jul 16, 2018 20:40
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Scarf posted:Hey plumbing thread. Is the sink in the bathroom on the same shared wall? If not, is this house on a slab or is there access via above or below?
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Aug 1, 2018 02:22
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Jose Cuervo posted:Questions: Given the alternative of $5-7k+, I would definitely give it a go. I use an insulated probing rod at work to find buried pipes sometimes. Often you can find the trench line (the disturbed soil never compacts back like the surrounding soil, and is usually softer), and in your case possibly follow it to where the probe comes up wet. YMMV depending on soil type and amount of buried rocks.
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Aug 23, 2018 19:35
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^^^ You are absolutely right, and I would say you need to call even if hand digging. We have popped phone drops with a shovel and gotten a cool $750 bill from the phone company.
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Aug 23, 2018 23:22
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It's not the water line, it's the other utilities you need to be concerned with. Phone/power/gas. Lol it was your idea. Edit: but you are right about the water line, the 811 locate will not mark your water line past the meter, and in my experience they often fail to mark the main because it's all old and there's no tracer wire. But usually the water mains (here) run under or next to the road bed and are out of the way. angryrobots fucked around with this message at 12:40 on Aug 24, 2018 |
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Aug 24, 2018 12:36
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Shadowhand00 posted:So I have a 20 year old gas water heater that probably needs to be replaced sooner than later. I'm looking at this last world of water heaters though and have no idea where to start. Do I want to just get another tank? Do I go tankless? Do I want to go with hybrid pump water heater and forget about gas? Have you looked at condensing gas tank water heaters? They are crazy efficient. What does your usage look like? How many people taking daily showers, number of bathrooms?
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Sep 9, 2018 21:05
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Nitrox posted:I think tankless appeal more to people who don't use hot water often. Yes this is what I've found, though people who switch sing its praises. I've done the math and I'm unconvinced... Especially since I'd be stuck with propane. Natural gas may be worth it, assuming rates stay where they are. I also have a hybrid heat pump electric, and I'm very happy with it. I've had it for going on 10 years, and liked it so much I took it with me when I moved. Besides the necessary electric circuit you need to run if you have gas, it also matters what climate you live in, whether the tank is installed in a climate controlled space, and you have to deal with the condensate. Not to mention the size of your house.... My previous house was 1000sf and on cold winter nights I'd have to manually shut down the heat pump because it was taxing the central heat too much. It's absolutely perfect in my current house at 2800sf and located on the opposite end from the bedrooms. It's hot and humid most of the year here, so for 9-10months out of the year it's doubly saving money, sucking heat and putting it into the tank, helping the central AC to run less.
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Sep 10, 2018 00:37
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Where is the shut off for that copper supply line?
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Nov 12, 2018 22:49
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I would not attach the copper to the fridge, because it's asking for a flood. Personally I would cut it shorter and install a shut off valve behind the fridge (strapped to the wall), and install a flexible stainless ice maker supply line from there. But I am not a professional plumber and defer to anyone who is.
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Nov 13, 2018 02:18
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