Recent content by Jadziedzic

I happened across Terry's forum sixteen years ago while searching for information on the best toilet for a home renovation project. As I "plumbed the depths" of the forums I came to know more about a wonderful gentleman who created a community of other knowledgeable folks, all of whom...

Grab a piece of foam core board from an art/hobby supply store and use that for your prototype cut-out; a lot easier than carving wood, and you can use the pattern to cut out the real subfloor.

A dedicated recirculation line works very well when it is coupled with a small pump feeding the bottom drain port of the water heater. I used a Bell & Gossett "ecocir e3" recirculating pump which consumes about as much power as an old incandescent night light, and has the ability to run either...

We're having a new home built and have asked the builder to provide the rough-in for a basement bathroom; in a year or so I'll be erecting interior walls in the basement area (2x4 walls spaced 1-1/2" off the interior poured foundation walls). Can any of the pros offer any tips on how to be sure...

You may want to remove the nut and compression sleeve on the outlet of the valve and replace that with a 3/8" compression cap, just in case some set of "kiddie fingers" sees the valve and plays with it ...

We're in the planning stages of building a 1-story house with full basement, and would like to have the plumber install rough plumbing for a basement (half) bathroom and shop sink, potentially located about 20-30 feet apart. The builder has said the sewer line would exit the house about...

Highly recommended you use a flange with a stainless steel ring instead of the one linked; the PVC ring is prone to breakage and, as you've seen, is overly thick for some toilets. You should be able to buy an Oatey flange with the stainless ring at the "blue" box store (or the "orange" box store).

That looks identical to my supply setup here in New Hampshire; the valve is the main shutoff. It's a ball valve, the brand name "FORD" is molded into the surface (in the picture) facing toward the wall, with a pack joint fitting below the valve connecting it to the copper pipe below.

You may want to reach out to the inspector ahead of time with the issue about the spacing at the tank (but sufficient clearance on the seat). They may well give you a pass on it. I had an issue with regards to spacing of an exhaust fan exterior hood being a couple of inches too close to the...

After you've removed the cap and the glue or whatever has dried, take a large diameter stainless steel hose clamp and place it around the exterior of the cracked hub, then tighten the clamp securely before replacing the cap. Hopefully that will help the glued joint resist the stress the cap...

It would be helpful if you would clarify *where* the water is dripping from the valve; e.g., at the stem, at the pipe onto which the valve is attached. Feel free to attach a picture or two that shows where the leakage is occurring.

"I plan to frame my walls 1" away from the foundation walls. So, to measure the drain locations, I measured 1" from foundation, then 3.5" for 2x4 wall." You'll want to add 1/2" to the "from the foundation walls" measurement if you're planning to cover the framed walls with drywall...

I suspect "certain people" would be thrilled to have an actual bidet with a heated seat, warm water rinse, and warm air drying. It's going to cost you about as much for that as all the auxiliary heat, piping, etc. you're looking to add, and will provide a much more pleasing "end" product...

Definitely turn off the water heater if you drain it. Assuming your house has WiFi available, perhaps purchase a couple of net-connected temperature sensors that would alert you to falling temperatures in the house. (You can probably get ones that use cellular connections instead.) Make...

Perhaps use a RamBit or "socket saver" to ream out the remnants of the old flange from the inside of the existing drain pipe, then use a spigot-type flange with an extended length spigot (and metal ring) to account for the extra length from the top of the tile to the existing pipe. The new...