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We redid our master bath last year. There is a musty smell in the water coming out of a new Kohler faucet for the first few seconds it is on. It then goes away. We've lived in the house for 7 years - didn't have the problem before the remodel - and we don't have the issue from the second...

Really dumb question. We have 1 Toto Drake 2 and 1 Kohler Cimarron in our house. My wife prefers the seat on the Toto. Both toilets recent vintage, 1.28gpf - i.e., no need to replace toilet. Can I buy the Toto soft-close seat that we have on the Drake 2 and install on Cimarron? Would it...

I need to replace the cartridge - slow dripping. I don't have any idea of the make... No obvious brand marking. The screw is being a little pull off tab in the center of the handle. Didn't want to shut off water to the whole house to pull it out and then go to hardware store. Hoping to know the...

This may be too esoteric a question, but the PP website is not much help. Has anyone had to install a stem extension with a PP Roman Tub? I'm ordering the 974-375 (2 of them) - do they contain both a sleeve extension and a stem extension? And will I be able to use the existing trim or am a...

Got a question that is probably stupid, but I'll risk it and ask it anyway. We have a (natural) gas cooktop in an island. Would like to replace. Will require a new countertop for the island, because of different dimensions for the cooktop. Ideally, because the cooktop is in an island in...

I have a GE Whole House Water Filter - GNWH38F. It has worked great as a filter, but it has been very difficult to change the filter (release the pressure to take out the old filter). I had it installed by my plumber, which cost me multiples of the cost of the unit - but I was pleased to have...

Got a question - don't know that there's anything I can do to remediate... not sure even where to look, but thought I'd post the situation and see if anyone had any good advice. In the summer (in Los Angeles) when it is hot, if I run the water in the mid/late afternoon, even the cold comes...

Long-story short... Took apart P-trap to clean out drain in kids' bathroom and accidentally broke "collar" (if that's proper term) that join one part of P-trap (ABS) to the other. It's a 1 1/2" trap. Bought another ABS, 1 1/2" trap to harvest the "U" part and tie into the other part (which...

I have a question about a self-grounding receptacle. I have found the exact product I wish to install... it is a specialized receptacle and one of the features is that it is self-grounding. My understanding, which may be faulty, is that instead of connecting the ground wire in the...

This is probably a silly question, but... We have an old (hard wired) heat detector in our kitchen. My guess is at least 20 years old - made by Fire-Lite. Anyway, thought it would probably be a good idea to update it. The heat detector is connected to its mounting bracket but the wire...

About 6 months ago, the toilet in our guest bathroom (i.e., least used in the house) seemed a little loose on the floor - there was a little play and it rocked a bit side to side if someone sat down/got up. I changed the wax ring and all seemed right with the world. 6 months later, the...

For some reason - and I have a feeling this was/is code - my kitchen has a bunch of recessed lights that take screw-in floodlights and then right in the middle, two recessed lights that take "pin" florescent "sticks". We've now changed out every bulb in our house to a CFL, including the...

I'm looking for something like the Leviton 5280 (a receptacle with built-in surge suppression), but that is tamper-resistant. I need a receptacle, specifically. Anybody have any suggestions? Thanks.

Am a complete plumbing novice, but am generally handy around the house, so not afraid to tackle a project. Here is the drain from our bathroom sink. I don't think it should be configured with an "S" trap. Is it a big issue or shall I leave it? If I want to reconfigure it as a "P" trap...

We have two split systems... one room is not getting any heat or air (yes, grill in ceiling is open). Air is coming out of all other grills. Not sure what I should be looking for, so would appreciate any advice to make myself a little smarter before I venture into the attic. Assume I'm...

We bought our house a year ago. Had sewer line inspected with video at that time and told it's ABS and in excellent shape. House built in 1950. What would be the suggestion about ongoing/routine maintenance? Is it advisable or necessary? Is an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure...