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I am hoping that someone knows of a dimming system that will work for me... I built a bookcase and am in the process of planning a low voltage lighting system. There will be 3 separately controlled items -- There will be four LED strips that will be dimmed together. Next, there are two low...

I am in the planning stages of a bathroom remodel. We are looking at a tub made by a company called Victoria & Albert Bath LLC. The model is called 'Ios'. Here is a web page that shows the tub: http://vandabaths.com/usa/products/ios/ I'm curious to hear thoughts on exactly what secures...

Today I helped a friend repair a hot water re-circulation line under a slab in an apartment building he owns. Apparently, the pump ran 24/7 for years and now this line has leaks. The line is 3/4 inch soft copper. I've learned on this forum that joints under a slab should be brazed, not...

In another thread, HJ observed that a basket strainer had 'rolled' threads instead of machined threads. He said this was disadvantageous because a slip nut will not tighten properly to a rolled thread. I'm curious about this. First, by observation how can one see the difference between a...

Recently I helped a friend use a Harbor Freight electric pipe threading tool. It was a pretty terrible experience. The tool bound up, the threads were a mess, and frankly I don't think anybody knew what they were doing. But now I'm curious about this type of tool and the process. The...

In a recent thread concerning a washer stand pipe, the length of the trap arm was briefly discussed. One plumber stated that if the trap arm was too short (less than twice the diameter of the trap arm) then an 'S' trap would result. Another expert said that a trap arm could be as short as you...

I helped a friend install a Toto Soiree. Terrific toilet! It wasn't hard to install, either. I'm asking out of sheer curiosity -- why is this toilet designed with the 'unifit' drain set up? What is it about this toilet that kept Toto from simply having a conventional trap? Is it something...

I realize rules differ from place to place, but I'm curious... Regarding a drain line for a laundry room utility sink does a full union P trap eliminate the need (or even requirement) for a clean out? Thank you in advance.

A plumbing issue came up at a friend's house and now I'm curious. A small bathroom is under construction. There is trenching for a new 4 inch ABS drain line. In this trench, the drain line makes a slight jog and the two sections are fitted together with -- if I remember correctly -- an eighth...

I'm curious about how gas pipe load calculations are derived. Can someone explain the variables assigned and how these are set up in formula(s)? Thanks in advance and apologies if this is much too complicated for this type of 'classroom'.

A kitchen sink will be moved during the course of a remodel and I'm curious about a few things regarding re-establishing a proper vent. There will be a window only six inches above the rim of the sink. But it's my understanding that a vent line must rise at least six inches above the flood...

Today I took the tank off of a friend's St. Thomas. I rebuilt the guts, put on a new spud washer and used new tank bolts. Now the tank sits up higher than it used to (by about 1/4 of an inch) and it rocks. (Hope this thread isn't redundant with the rocking Toto Drake tank a few posts down...

I am now installing the shower drain... I have a cast iron drain with a threaded connection for the 2" drain pipe. I bought a threaded male ABS adapter, screwed it in the cast iron drain... It seemed like the threads were kind of sloppy against one another... and there is no tapered thread for...

I am installing a new tub. The sewer line and hookup is new also... The waste and overflow items are joined together by a 1 1/2 inch San Tee. The trap is positioned directly beneath... The trap arm (horizontal piece after the P trap) will be connected to a nearby 2 inch comby which is part...

I have installed new copper under my house... It's a small house so I used 3/4 inch for all main lines and a small amount of 1/2 for risers. Now I have to run a new line from the street meter to the house foundation and connect it all. The connection at the street meter is 3/4. Would it...

I am currently repiping my 1600 sq ft. house with copper. I've also gutted the main bathroom and have installed new valves for all fixtures. Before soldering near the shower and bath valves, I opened them to release air pressure (something I learned on this forum) and discovered that the...

I'm in the midst of remodeling the main bathroom in my single story house. I've done a bunch of research about venting and I'm pretty confident that my design will effectively vent all the fixtures in the new bathroom. But I keep waking up at night with new concerns. There is a 4" branch line...

A neighbor asked me to look at her toilet and before I start yanking I thought I'd ask some advice. There is a crack on the very bottom of the overflow tube. The crack is at the base where it is somehow attached to the main body of the flapper valve mechanism. Does this tube have threads and...

I am renovating my bathroom... I want to have a pair of simple shower valves, one hot, one cold. This means I need a remote pressure balance unit or a thermostatic device installed in the crawlspace beneath the shower. I believe these two systems approach the problem of scalding somewhat...