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My home has an air handler with a slot at the bottom for the filter: However, the horizontal aluminum frame at the top of the box below it obstructs the filter when being removed or inserted. It *can* be done, but you have to bend the cardboard filter frame pretty badly and really push/pull...

I am replacing my natural gas cooktop with induction. The house is new (2022 construction) and has a 1/2" brass gas shutoff valve under the cooktop. It has an adapter on the out-feed side to connect the flex supply line that goes to the cooktop. I intend to remove the flex line and adapter...

New home prior to closing -- Part of the punch list was that filling the tub with the drain stopper open (the stopper is one of those lift-and-turn types) causes water to back up in the tub. That is, with the tub spigot running fully open and the drain open, the tub doesn't drain as fast as it...

Is it ok to install an expansion tank directly above the cold water inlet on the water heater? That is, add a brass tee to the inlet and screw the tank into the top port of the tee, then bring the cold water line into the horizontal port of the tee. Is that too close (~4 in.) to the heated...

We have a water softener and there's something I've always wondered about them, in general, that came up in a recent discussion. Ours is an AO Smith model and it has a door on top that you can slide back to put salt into it every so often. My previous GE was similar. The salt in the bag from...

Putting some FIP Dahl stop valves onto brass MIP threaded adapters (to PEX-A). I notice when I screw the valve onto the fitting it goes on about 3 turns before it gets hand tight without tape or thread sealant (not ready for final assembly -- just testing to see if the threading is good on both...

I'm sorry if this has been asked here in the past, but I did look and couldn't find it in a search. I've read you can heat PEX A to remove the sleeve and ultimately release a fitting for reuse. But even if you do this successfully, can that end of the PEX pipe be re-expanded or must it be cut...

Hi, We are in the process of having a new (production) home built in a subdivision here (central FL). The community has a Facebook page where a discussion started recently among homeowners regarding the use of more than one air return filter in the same system. More specifically, one at the...

Are the typical big box 1/2 compression angle stops (Brasscraft, Sharkbyte, etc.) NPT on the supply side or is that some type of special thread that only matches a compression nut of the same brand? Basically, can you normally thread one of these into an FIP female adapter if you remove the nut...

I am going to be moving into a new house with PEX A throughout. It will have a water softener loop in the garage. When I install the water softener, I'd like to add an additional ball valve as a main shutoff (I'll use this later with automated leak detectors to shut of the water in the event...

I'm considering purchasing a production home that will be built with PEX-A. The builder appears to be using Accor shutoff valves, which I'd plan to replace fairly soon after moving in. But I could foresee an issue with the stub-outs being fairly short meaning simply cutting off the old valve...

I've seen the Marathon plastic hot water heater and have been intrigued by its purported long life. I also noticed it's made from polybutylene. I know PB piping was known for failures. Does this same risk apply to a hot water tank made of the same material? Also, are there any health issues...

TL;DR: Would you prefer a compression connection or a good (i.e. John Guest) push-fit connection specifically for 1/4" or 3/8" plastic/poly tubing (not copper) for long-term reliability against a sudden blow out? Long Version: I installed a water filter under my kitchen sink a few years ago...

Hi, I was replacing a CPVC shutoff under the sink and turned off the house water supply first. I cut off the old valve and let the water run out of the pipe and dried everything. I created an assembly of a coupler, a 3 inch extension and the new valve (to allow enough stub for another...

Hi, I have a house built in 2013, and although I normally didn't use the washing machine valves to turn off the water in the past, I did recently when replacing the hoses. I noticed at that time that entire hot water valve body rotates about 15-20 degrees when turning the valve on and off, and...

I want to add a pressure gauge to my incoming water supply line (CPVC). Part of the pipe where it enters the house (in the garage) is exposed and that's where I've installed a water softener and a whole-house filter. Before both of them is where I have about a foot of horizontal pipe that I...

Hi, I have a home in Florida built new in 2013. I've noticed after a long, hot shower if I then open the hot water tap in the kitchen, it starts out extra forcefully for a few seconds, then goes back to normal pressure. This made me wonder about something... In my previous house (also in...