Diy plumbing

Questions and Answers

DIY polypropylene plumbing?

Q) fittings and how to do them

A) The fittings are barbed that is they're made to slide into the poly-pipe. You have a choice of metal (aluminum or brass) or plastic, either works what flavor you want is up to you, I prefer brass. You will find a heat gun (barring a heat gun an expendable hair dryer) a very nice option to trying to slip the fitting into the poly-pipe. With the heat gun, heat the poly slide in the fitting and whoopee!!!! You will want to double clamp the fittings, make sure you use stainless steel clamps. Also make sure the main driver is opposite of each other. The reason you want to double clamp the fittings is, with one clamp there's a chance for the water find it's way out of the poly if there's a flat spot, a double clamp with the two mechanicals opposite of each other prevents that. Tighten well, if you have the brass fittings you'll ruin the clamps before you ruin the fittings, if you have the plastic, be very careful, but then the fittings are cheap. Hope this helps. DK

How to work on plumbing and electrical in a non basement house ?

Q) I am a pretty good DIY plumber and an okay DIY electrician. However, in every home where I had to do the work always had a basement or crawl space. I am getting ready to buy a house without either and my question is: How do you access the plumbing and electrical if you can't get to it from the basement. I know it's in the walls and I will probably have to cut sheet rock to get to it. But I guess what I'm really asking is how do you detect where the exact problem is? Whether it be a leaky pipe or running an extra outlet. I guess I will have to access wiring from the attic but still not sure about plumbing. Thanks.

A) There are meters to help you figure out which wire from your panel box is "dead", ask at the home improvement store which will work with your needs. Also, There may be major leaks (if the house is on a solid concrete floor) that requires a professional. However, a standard stud-finder will help locate pipes in the walls, or if you have the old galvanized pipes, try a magnet. Also, before you buy the house, have a professional inspection done so if there are leaks or electric problems that propose a fire hazard, you will have a heads up on them and may be able to negotiate a lower buying price to compensate for the cost of repairs.

Permaculture: Is a DIY Rainwater Toilet going too far?

Q) Is a DIY Rainwater Toilet just going one step too far? Flushing your downstairs loo with rainwater can save money, it is simple to plumb so would you do it? Klaus Muecher Erskine shows you how in the following link Article first published in 'Permaculture Magazine' No. 51 http://www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk/articles/articles_51.html

A) For those with the ability to install a system like this, I don't see how it would be going too far at all. Unfortunately, for many apartment dwellers, we just don't have that option. Which is a downer.

I dropped something down the sink, can anyone help?

Q) I dropped part of an electric razor down the bathroom sink. The plug broke off years ago and the little object tumbled down into the darkness. We were unable to retrieve it with a coathanger and I told my girlfriend that we would have to unscrew the s-bend in the pipe to get it. She balked at this idea, claiming that we would need to "reseal" the threads on the pipe if we unscrewed them. Is this correct? Can someone point me towards a DIY plumbing site? Thanks.

A) yes this is correct somewhat. you would need to check the U pipe under the sink and you would need to reseal the threads but this is easy if you buy plumbers glue and primer. (they are blue and purple)

DYI plumbing 101 for 56 year old female brain :) how do I fix leaky faucets ?

Q) Low on funds, like the rest of the world, and would like to DIY fix leaky faucets, bathroom sink, tub, and other bathroom sink and outdoor faucet when I put on house leaks about 1/3 at faucet. I am kind of mechanically inclined for a female, so have at it and also, my toilets "run" sometimes. I know the basic toilet tricks where the water is, but this does'nt solve it. Let's see, what else is broken , hmm, what isn't? I'll be back to DIY If anyone needs DIY help for teaching kids, parenting etc, I'm available. Lots of experience and a good road record. the bathtub faucet leaking seems to be the worst, any thoughts on this as it seems the whole unit has to be dismantled or such. It is ceramic tub, built in 1981

A) Turn off your water. You have a screw in the end of the handles, remove it. Under the handle, you have a nut and that has to be unthreaded. Once it is out, your stem will pull right out. In the bottom of this you have a washer held in place by a slotted screw, remove it and replace the washer. Repeat this for all of your faucets, while you have the water off. If you have a repeat problem within 3 mos., you will need to replace the seat that is down inside, because it is scratching your washer. You can buy a seat wrench and remove it yourself, it turns counterclockwise and simply unthreads. Go to the store, buy a new one, and screw it back in, but be sure you buy new rubber washers, if you replace the seat. If you have a single lever faucet, you have a keeper ring that you remove, slide the "guts" out and replace the entire core. They do make kits for most faucets, but it is much simpler and cost effective to replace teh cartridge.

DIY Home renovations? I want to renovate my home from new walls, flooring and landscaping. How do I learn?

Q) I want to learn how to do these things myself to save money and I know it can be done. I will leave the plumbing and electricity stuff to the professionals. But I want to learn how to put up dry wall, windows, and hardwood floors. Where do I find quality material such as granite, cabinets for less in my area (washington, dc) Are there any professionals willing to walk my through the process?

A) I know many people that have made a good honest living in the construction field that pertain to the needs that you have. No individual will go out of his or her way to spill about how he/she has experienced life. What you can do is work for habitat for humanity. Then you might gain some basic experience. Oh and there is no better experience than renovating yourself on your own home. I am a painter and for years, I have learned about flooring, carpentry-rough and finish, electricity, plumbing on my house and others. The other people are correct, you can learn carpentry from a coop school. Oh why granite, it chips. I am not sure granite is as high quality as you think it is. Cabinets-confusing to look for. There are many brands and low levels of high end makers. My advice is to ask a builder who buys cabinets. If you meet one of them at a trade show then they might teach you a little. But most of it you learn by doing.

What was your biggest DIY disaster?

Q) Mine was attempting to plumb in a washing machine in my Daughters high rise flat. I fitted a hot water inlet tap into the mains gas line. Luckily all the mains gas to the building had long since been disconnected (for safety reasons) or I would have blown the high rise block off the face of the earth, along with all the residents..

A) I was a dirt poor college student with an old jalopy in need of a new carburator. I couldn't afford the mechanic, and figured I could do it myself. I bought the Chilton manual and a carburator kit, and spent the next 7 evenings with a blow out diagram trying to get all the little pieces parts back in the right places. In the end I discovered I had lost the little bead that controls fuel flow, and decided to substitute a BB I borrowed from the neighbor kid. Needless to say, my car ran like ----. I made the trip back home to my dad, who redid the rebuild for me, after I bought a new kit and he quit laughing. Since then, I have never attempted my own car repairs again.

Can you pull permits after repair work has been done on a home?

Q) I am a DIY'er replacing plumbing, electrical, heating ducts, and then drywalling to finish my basement. I want to have someone more qualified inspect the work I've done before drywall is hung. What is the process of getting a city inspector to view the work?

A) You can go ahead and pull a permit, and you really don't need to be dishonest about the timing- just don't mention it. Go to your local permit office and apply for the permit. Once you get the permit, just wait a couple days to call in the inspection. The important thing is to make whatever corrections the inspector recommends, and don't be too dissapointed if it fails inspection the first time. Most inspectors are willing to explain to homeowners what they need to do to make corrections.

Why does my sink gurgle and drain slowly????

Q) I have a two sink set-up in my new kitchen. When I run water in either one and then shut it off, it makes a gurgling sound in the drain for quite awhile. When one sink is full and I pull the plug, it fills the other sink with its used water as it drains. Do I just need to clean a clog in the drain or is there something not right about the way the plumbing is set up? The house seems to have many DIY issues from past owners.

A) Yes, I agree it's clogged but before you buy or try drain opener, first try pouring some baking soda down the drain and then and some vinegar, any kind but plain white is cheapest. This will work with some less tough clogs and is much better for the environment and for you. Repeat this a few times and then run some hot water. If it still doesn't work then try the drain cleaner.

Complete bathroom renovation -- Where to start?

Q) My husband and I are in the process of renovating our two bathrooms, and we're not sure exactly what order things need to be done. We want to do things in the order that makes the most sense. In other words, is it better to do flooring before installing the toilet or vice versa? Work to be done includes some new framing and drywall, simple electrical, new plumbing, all new bathroom fixtures (tub, toilet, etc.), new flooring (tile), paint, and lighting. We'll hire out when we can't do something ourselves, but for the most part it's a DIY project. So far, he and his buddies have removed the old fixtures and taken out a wall to make it larger. So, in your experience.... what's next?

A) Do the wiring, then plumbing, then drywall, then tile, then put in your sink, toilet, tub, etc... Then you can paint or wallpaper and get the lighting in. Then you can relax. Hope you're putting in a Jacuzzi, after all that work, you'll need it!

Can I fix a leaky faucet?

Q) I have no experience with plumbing, but I am quite broke and can't afford to pay a professional. The leak is getting worse and I'm losing a lot of water. Is this something I can tackle myself with help from a hardware store and DIY sites, or do I really need a plumber? FYI this is my bathtub faucet, cold water only. I have separate handles for hot and cold and the faucet is separate from the handles. Thanks for all the answers, folks. I appreciate the support and advice. I'm tackling it this weekend. Wish me luck!

A) You can do it yourself. I don't know of any single site that covers every faucet repair situation, but a search on faucet repair brings up a number of good do it yourself repair websites. Include the brand of faucet you have in the search string. The hardware and home improvement stores are usually more than willing to look at parts you bring in and provide replacement parts and tips on how to do the job. A problem you may run into is that the washer or seal seat may be scored from water leaking past it. In that case you will either need to replace or resurface the washer seat or replace the faucet. Tools and parts for that are also available from the hardware stores.