Recent content by MiamiCanes

Do you happen to know why they (the clamp-on Sharkbite-rebranded-Oetiker rings) wouldn't be suitable for the polybutylene side of the connection? Here's the thing... I have two realistic options I'm aware of, neither of which is perfect: 1. Use the clamps on both the PB and PEX ends of the...

^^^ Right, but I'm not talking about CRIMPING. I'm talking about using the OTHER tool/method sold by Home Depot, which consists of little ratcheting rings with a slightly different tool that appears to pinch them together from one side (see my last pic for the specific tool and rings I'm talking...

The fitting is definitely for joining PB to PEX.. the package is hard to read, but you can sort of make out the "1/2" x 1/2" PB Polybutylene Adapter" printed on it in the last pic I posted (next to the clamping tool). I can't think of any blatant technical reason why clamps shouldn't work for...

Is there any specific advantage to traditional compression fittings vs push-on (when using copper), besides the fact that they're a buck or two cheaper than Sharkbite push-on friction fittings? I have to admit that I really dread the thought of option #3. I had a HORRIBLE time 2 years ago...

Tomorrow, I'm planning to replace the polybutylene pipes for 3 fixtures. At the moment, the PB emerges from the slab parallel to a steel marker conduit (about 1/2" away), connects to another run of PB via a plastic fitting (whose replacement is the main purpose of tomorrow's project), then the...

Oh... one more quick question while I'm working on the tank. I've seen wildly conflicting descriptions of just how tight the bolts holding the toilet down should be. Can I safely assume that the point where they're "too tight" is ABSOLUTELY tighter than any point where the toilet can be moved...

OK, I'll try recentering and tightening it a bit. I was just kind of freaked out by the visible gap, and assumed that the tank would fit hand-in-glove into the bowl instead of just perching on top of the ridge. I'm adding pics of the box label and first page of the installation manual...

Back in 2009, I bought what I believed to be a Champion 4 elongated bowl and tank from Home Depot. The tank was in a sealed box. The bowl had a Champion 4 picture (with barcode) taped to it by an employee, and rang up as a Champion 4 bowl. It sat in my pile of "things to do someday" until today...

They're brass. One thing I noticed -- they have no washers. Is there some particular reason why? It seems like they'd be a LOT less likely to lean if there were a washer to help seal the connection between the valve and nipple.

I'm installing the new plumbing for the sink and toilet in my bathroom (the old pipes were PB and had to be replaced). Among other things, I bought dark brass-colored valves that connect to 1/2" nipples screwed into Gatorbite fittings attached to the wall. The problem I'm having is that I need...

Hmmm. OK, the faucet extenders are definitely a step in the right direction... now I just need to find one that's not ugly, and I can claim was an intentional artistic design statement rather than a desperate attempt to avoid spending more on a spout than I spent on the valve and showerhead...

Argh. Out of all the acrylic 42x72 tubs sold by Lowe's, I had to find the one messed-up model that needs an exotic spout because the tub's front was set back too far from the wall by the manufacturer. Making matters worse, I just looked at the tub's spec sheet again. Nowhere on it does it show...

Followup: At this point, both the water and heater have been left 'on' continuously for ~36 hours. The noise hasn't stopped completely, but it's subsided a LOT. :-)

Well, phase one of the foam-filling is complete. I began by injecting "large gap" Great Stuff foam into the ~1cm void that Laurel Mountain inexplicably left between most of the front support and the OSB bottom. The good news: the creaking sounds mostly went away when I step over the...

> The only way to make that spout "longer" would be to make the wall thicker. Or, presumably, replace it with a longer spout from Delta that's stainless-steel (a.k.a. fake brushed nickel)?