Hi!
Been doing other nonplumbing projects lately. (I just left a post in Wells section). I am enjoying "camping out" in this slum palace which I boughtfrom a bank--foreclosed). I moved in 2 weeks ago once I got the shallow well jet pump resolved. Running water is critical. I only have 1 exterior faucet, cold at kit sink, supply to remaining upstairs toilet & bathtub (circa 1937). I have not turned water heater on yet.
I am hoping the water is good enough to wash hands & dishes for now.
I am pail flushing the toilet cause I removed the tank to insulate it & gave it a good cleaning AND it had a rubber washer leak. Think it will work fine when I take the time to re-install it (bought new tank-to-bowl hardware & already installed a 1/4 tunr shutoff). Seems to flush fine w/ pail.
The lav sink does not drain at all, had leak on supply & loose drain piping....fixed leak & trap BUT I can not get a snake beyond about 18". I have tried 3 different ones plus some other creative things. Something stops me dead. This house was filthy but mysteroiusly this sink looked shiny clean? When I first ran water in it I found what looked like scouring powder residue in trap. I was wondering if the sink drain was saboutage by former owners cause they were losing the house?
It's a cheap basic wall hung, trap goes into wall at a Marvin to galvanized El down, then under bath floor to the tub & 1937 drum trap. Bath floor is solid wood oak. Then I thought I'd attack the tub drain & try to clean/snake all out for general purposes. Tub does drain some.
Well, I couldn't get the stopper/plug loose to remove. How's that detach? It's a flat metal disk that raises & lowers. There was 1 center screw that I removed but don't see what the does. I tried gently prying and unscrewing. Can't get ot up enough to see. Had same in mstr bath I totally gutted but I used a sawzall on that one & I don't remember how it was assembled. (I should of studied it after I got it free). I removed the overflow cover & it's pipe to expose some of the drain piping & gainmore swing room for wrenches.
If I remember right I can get a small snake to the drum trap from tub side. There is a nice access door on top of stairs to this. But of course the drum trap is tough to reach. Someone in past has slightly mangled the square knob. I tried several ways to remove cover but Istopped cause I was also slightly reshaping the square.
I bet pictures would help.
That was over a week ago & I haven't done anthing else yet. Oh, I did run a snake in can down 1 of the 2 vent stacks from roof. This one went to the gutted bath. I damn near lost the whole brand new snake down stack cause the end was not attached to the can. Is that normal? Somehow I caught it. I didn't know I was at the end already. About 25'.
Any suggestions? I'll take some pictures to add to this thread.
I expect some venting & septis tank/dain field issues too. This house has not been maintained well for 50 years.
Thank you for any help & humor!
Bye
Photos:
1. Lav Drain
2. 1937 tub interior
3. View of tub dwv guts
4. THE Drum Trap!
Been doing other nonplumbing projects lately. (I just left a post in Wells section). I am enjoying "camping out" in this slum palace which I boughtfrom a bank--foreclosed). I moved in 2 weeks ago once I got the shallow well jet pump resolved. Running water is critical. I only have 1 exterior faucet, cold at kit sink, supply to remaining upstairs toilet & bathtub (circa 1937). I have not turned water heater on yet.
I am hoping the water is good enough to wash hands & dishes for now.
I am pail flushing the toilet cause I removed the tank to insulate it & gave it a good cleaning AND it had a rubber washer leak. Think it will work fine when I take the time to re-install it (bought new tank-to-bowl hardware & already installed a 1/4 tunr shutoff). Seems to flush fine w/ pail.
The lav sink does not drain at all, had leak on supply & loose drain piping....fixed leak & trap BUT I can not get a snake beyond about 18". I have tried 3 different ones plus some other creative things. Something stops me dead. This house was filthy but mysteroiusly this sink looked shiny clean? When I first ran water in it I found what looked like scouring powder residue in trap. I was wondering if the sink drain was saboutage by former owners cause they were losing the house?
It's a cheap basic wall hung, trap goes into wall at a Marvin to galvanized El down, then under bath floor to the tub & 1937 drum trap. Bath floor is solid wood oak. Then I thought I'd attack the tub drain & try to clean/snake all out for general purposes. Tub does drain some.
Well, I couldn't get the stopper/plug loose to remove. How's that detach? It's a flat metal disk that raises & lowers. There was 1 center screw that I removed but don't see what the does. I tried gently prying and unscrewing. Can't get ot up enough to see. Had same in mstr bath I totally gutted but I used a sawzall on that one & I don't remember how it was assembled. (I should of studied it after I got it free). I removed the overflow cover & it's pipe to expose some of the drain piping & gainmore swing room for wrenches.
If I remember right I can get a small snake to the drum trap from tub side. There is a nice access door on top of stairs to this. But of course the drum trap is tough to reach. Someone in past has slightly mangled the square knob. I tried several ways to remove cover but Istopped cause I was also slightly reshaping the square.
I bet pictures would help.
That was over a week ago & I haven't done anthing else yet. Oh, I did run a snake in can down 1 of the 2 vent stacks from roof. This one went to the gutted bath. I damn near lost the whole brand new snake down stack cause the end was not attached to the can. Is that normal? Somehow I caught it. I didn't know I was at the end already. About 25'.
Any suggestions? I'll take some pictures to add to this thread.
I expect some venting & septis tank/dain field issues too. This house has not been maintained well for 50 years.
Thank you for any help & humor!
Bye
Photos:
1. Lav Drain
2. 1937 tub interior
3. View of tub dwv guts
4. THE Drum Trap!
Attachments
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