Recent content by GBH

Thanks for that interactive map. It doesn't show the meter/valve location for houses in her neighborhood though. I found a plumber to come out and assess the situation. The meter valve was turned off, and the main shut-off in the crawl space was also off. When the lines were open there was an...

There is definitely galvanized pipe at the water heater, but also copper. I just had a guy over there for other reasons, but we chatted about the water a bit and looked around for the meter shut off without success. My guess is dirt and muck in the parking area has covered the rectangle...

Hi. I have a sister with mental health issues that shut her water off I believe in the fall of 2021. I am in her town now trying to help her out, and resuming water to the house is one of my goals. For context her house is in the White Center area of Seattle and was built in 1946. One bed...

Thank you for the follow-up, Sylvan. I'm thinking I'll just empty buckets for now since it's Thanksgiving week. I don't want to get myself in a bind having to find a plumber this week. Repairing the valve or replacing with a ball type are both in my skill set, but if something goes wrong I'm...

Thanks to all of you for the replies. Seems my assumption about the pipe above the breaker was correct. To Sylvan: If by the valve holding you mean water is not passing it, that is not correct. Water is leaking past the valve and is dripping out the open valve/faucet a few feet further down...

Hi. I've been in my house since 1997. The pictures shown have been this way the entire time. The red handle sends water to the sprinkler manifold. After blowing out the sprinklers this year the red handle valve is leaking a bit. I have a bucket under the blue handle valve for the time...

Thanks all! Walls and ceiling are painted, and the hole is covered. Appreciate the input. Merry Christmas!

Hi. Thank you. You describe what I've been imaging. It's the cover plate in your description I've been unable to locate. Where would I find such a beast?

Hi. A gas water heater was replaced by an electric. There is a hole in the ceiling where the vent stack was. I'd rather not patch the hole in case a gas heater goes back. Anyone have an idea for a plastic or metal plate/disk that I could cover with instead? Been trolling the hardware stores...

Thank you. Do you suggest putting the wax ring wholly on the flat part of the flange? That would mean forming it some, maybe using part of a second ring, because the diameter of the flat part is larger than the wax ring. Cheers, Gary

Hello. I've been replacing the toilets in my father's house. All the toilet drain plumbing is 4" pipe. Slab foundation, built in 1970, Florida. I purchased regular wax rings and have installed two toilets so far using "by-the-book" instructions. Place wax ring on toilet, carefully set in...

Thank you for the quick response. I'll go with a 12" Cadet 3 and accept that it will be very close to the wall. Cheers, Gary

At my father's house and the tank cracked on one of the toilets. It is a 12" rough-in, but tile on the wall has made it 11.5" The toilet that is in place now (the one that just cracked) touches the wall. The lid sits properly on the tank best I can tell. The cracked toilet was installed...

Home Depot is where I bought the seat that is being replaced. I agree there is a huge selection, but just not what I've been looking for. Not sure why the exposed hinges are out of favor these days? For ease of cleaning they are hard to beat. The Comfort Seats seat above (C3B4E200WP ) is as...

Thank you the reply. Stainless isn't an absolute must have, but my experience with chrome is it looks terrible after a few years. We also don't like the hinge types with the plastic covers as they are a pain to clean around, which is why I gave the hinge example in my original post. The first...