Recent content by Dripdrip

Thanks. I was using a DWV plug; will see if I can find a sch 40 one.

You guys know the annoying TPMS in cars? Well I wanted to trick mine by putting a sensor in some glued up 3" PVC with a threaded plug on one end and a valve stem to pressurize it. It's leaking somewhere and then I thought: can the 3" threaded plug handle 35PSI? Thanks!

I recently had a two year old Watts ball valve fail in my house. The darn thing just about split in two. I went to a giant hardware store that used to be good, and asked the guy if they sold Apollo ball valves still. "Yup, come with me," he said. I thought perhaps they'd be locked up or...

Hi, we live in an old house and once every winter I forget to turn on a fan under the dishwasher and it freezes. It's the inlet side that freezes, but I'm wondering if it's more likely to be the pump or the solenoid valve that freezes first? (It's awful tight under there, or I'd try to figure...

Hi, I'm thinking of installing a mini split in my mom's kitchen which has low ceilings. All of the installation manuals I've looked at imply that you cannot install one in a room with a 7 foot ceiling. Is this true or just not ideal? And does the wall unit really need to be 6 inches under the...

My mother's house has a 6 inch drain pipe coming out of the basement. A couple years ago I covered the outlet with 1/4" hardware cloth to keep rodents out of it. (In summer it's usually dry.) I looked at it today, and the hardware cloth was partially blocked by roots. I guess a grating is the...

I had a cinch clamp tool problem and had a few leaky joints. If I take the cinch clamp off, can I put a new clamp on the exact same piece of PEX or do I have to cut the PEX (so as to have a fresh end) and add in a coupling? Thank you!

Hi, my mom lives in an old house, and one of the tubs has a drum trap that slows down maybe every 6 months. A long time ago I took the top off and cleaned the trap for real but it still slowed 6 months later, so now I just plunge it. The thing is, when I plunge it this nasty black gunk comes out...

Ah that sounds good, thanks!

No, this is for a new situation. I just meant that I wasn't happy with the Watts last time.

Hi, is there such a thing as a high quality valve with PEX barbs? I installed a Watts PEX valve a few years ago and wasn't too happy with it. Am I better off going with adaptors and a threaded ball valve? (BTW at the moment this is for a shutoff for a frost free hose bib so it's not like it's...

Hi, I have a temporary fernco patch on a vertical 4" cast iron drain. Gonna replace the whole drain after Thanksgiving. Anyway, the CI has the letters on the back of it, right up near a wall! I tried to sneak a grinder in there to take the letters down, but it's still leaking, even after I...

Well it's about a 100 foot run, and the backhoe bucket is 16" wide. So roughly how much sand would I need? Does it just need a little all the way around the pipe? Thanks!

Hi. I'm burying a water line between buildings. I'm hoping to use polyethylene, and was told to surround it with sand by a plumber. (Yes, I'm going below the frost line.) Can I sleeve it in schedule 40 PVC *instead* of using the sand? Thanks, DD

Hi. We have a Crane low-flow toilet that recently started clogging all of a sudden. I think it's about 5 to 10 years old. We hadn't had any problems with it until maybe 2 weeks ago. It clogs a lot now. After snaking it with an auger, I poured about 15 gallons of water down it, so I don't...