Recent content by deltasmith

Thanks for the reply. I have the impression that the stainless bolts don't provide electrical insulation, and I didn't see anything in the manufacturer's documents to indicate that there were insulating sleeves and washers. I did a LOT of reading after I posted this question, and came to...

I'm planning to install a recirculator pump in my domestic hot water system. I have an older Noritz tankless water heater which provides a power tap for the pump. The pump I'm looking at is stainless steel and I will need to install it in a copper supply line. The manufacturer (Aquamotion)...

I find myself living in a new home that has two problems with the domestic hot water system, and I’m hoping for either encouragement or else alternative suggestions on my ideas about solving these problems. We moved in less than a year ago, and what we’re not liking is that the on-demand hot...

I recently moved into a rental home where the main ventilation blower runs 24/7. I asked the landlord about this and he thought that this behavior was by design. It's not a design that I appreciate (when the furnace cuts out, the vents blow air that feels uncomfortably cool because the fan...

Thanks Terry - I think I've probably read every post on this site that talks about putting mortar under a tub. I'm definitely planning to use the "small piles" approach.

On the third try, I've finally received an undamaged Sterling Ensemble four piece tub-shower unit. Today I ripped out the old tub and tomorrow I hope to begin installation of the new one, but a couple of surprises have come up... The old tub was set in place on 1/2" plywood, and then the...

Thanks for the info and suggestions! But I think I'm missing something. Yeah - if I screw into 1/2" plywood with a void under it, it would be really hard to get the screws to hold. But why not just screw down into the joists? Are you thinking that the screws need to be closer than the 16" oc...

Thanks for the replies. The joists are perpendicular to the tub. Hard to get my head in there and get a precise measurement, but it looks like the tape measure is saying the plywood measures 7/16. If I decide to add another layer of 1/2" on top, can I just lay it on top and screw down...

I'm replacing a fiberglass tub that has stress cracks in the floor which occasionally leak. I'm hoping to install a Sterling Ensemble (if I can get my hands on one - just returned two of them to HD in the last couple of weeks because of defects and shipping damages). The existing tub is...

I have a boiler with a tankless coil that uses 1/2" pipe. Currently, the cold water supply line is 3/4" until about 10 feet from the coil, where it drops to half inch. The hot water piping coming off the coil and feeding every hot water sink and shower in the house is 1/2". I'm wondering if I...

I have a recent model American Standard low flow toilet, installed on a very much out-of-level floor. The toilet works great, partly because it's got a much better design than the first generation of low flow flush toilets, and partly because I went to great lengths to ensure that I installed...

Thanks, but no - a holding tank is not in my future (no place to put it). In fact, I'm dreading the day when I will eventually have to change out the furnace or the oil tank. Currently, there is no access into the basement that is large enough to accommodate either one. I will need to pull up...

Hi - thanks for the quick follow up. I'm guessing that the well water temp in the summer (when I may have to switch to the backup well) is around 50 F. Why do you ask? Does water temp make a difference in how the resin behaves? This is clear iron most of the time. Occasionally (maybe...

It it weren't for the hardness introduced by the calcite filter that brings up my pH, I probably wouldn't need a water softener for most of the year. But since I do have hardness induced by the calcite filter, apparently I do need a softener for most of the year, and there are a few months out...