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Real Life Plumbing Advice for People Who Don't Want To Call A Plumber

How to Solder Copper Tubing – Part 1

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Watch and learn how to solder copper tubing in this easy to follow video.

Their are several videos on you-tube showing how to solder copper tubing ; some good, some bad and some in-between. In this two part series I lay out the tools, cleaning procedure and steps to take when soldering small diameter ( 3/4″ & 1/2″) copper tubing. I will do a video on larger diameter copper, but in this series we’re going to concentrate on the small stuff.

I want to point out that I prefer to use Mapp fuel as opposed to propane fuel only because it burns at much higher temperatures getting the job done faster. In combination with the Turbo-Torch regulator and STK-1 torch tip featured in the video, the job goes quite quick on the small sizes and saves time on the larger sized copper tubing. You may certainly use a basic torch tip along with propane fuel, the job will just take a bit longer to complete. The key in a good strong joint is the cleaning and preparation process. I clean both the outside of the tubing as well as inside the fitting and depending on how dirty, I’ll use a scotch bright pad or plumbers emery cloth. The next step is to liberally coat the pipe and fitting with flux hopefully using a flux brush, (you don’t want to do this with your finger, flux is nasty). Their are differing opinions on what to heat first (the pipe, the fitting) but since I started in the business I was always taught to heat the fitting. By heating the fitting a process called capillary attraction takes place whereby the heat from you torch will actually draw the solder into the fitting with minimal effort.

The first part of this video series is all about the tools and preparation, in part two I’ll demonstrate a horizontal and vertical joint using 1/2″ copper tubing. This is not that difficult to do, so when you’re done with part 1, jump on over to part 2 and let’s solder a couple of joints.

Here’s a quick link to How To Solder Copper Tubing – Part 2

HAPPY PLUMBING!

 

 

How a Pop-Up Assembly Works

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So your basic lavatory pop-up waste assembly is not so mysterious after all. Let’s take a look at how a pup-up assembly works.

A simple invention designed to keep the water inside of your lavatory to shave or perhaps wash your face. Most of the ones I have installed are similar in design with the exception being that the material was either plastic or solid brass construction.

The one featured in the video is of solid brass construction which has always been a reliable unit, fact is, I prefer brass pop-up’s to the plastic versions.

Simply put they just work better and last longer. As you can see it’s a pretty simple concept, pull up on the lift rod and the stopper goes down. Push down on the lift rod and the stopper goes back up.

For me, the most important part of the installation is that in addition to placing a ring of plumbers putty around the chrome flange before you place it into the sink, I also place a ring of putty on the beveled washer that seals the bottom of the pop-up against the bottom of the sink.

This is one step that although in theory is not required, can save you from having to disassemble the unit and doing it all over again. Trust me I speak from experience, if I have to make a return trip for a nuisance leak, it costs me money! Not to mention the inconvenience to my customer.

The other point I’d like to make is that when I set up my lift rods, I always make sure my stopper ends up being in the fully open position when my lift rod is pushed completely down.

I often see that when the lift rod is fully down, the stopper is only partially up which causes the water to pool in the sink which is just a nuisance.

Before you set your rods, make sure the stopper is in the fully up position and you can’t miss.

Check out the video and if there is something I missed, please drop me a line at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.

HAPPY PLUMBING!

How To Install a Basic Kitchen Deck Faucet – Part 2

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If you haven’t watched video 1 of this 2 part video series then watch it here:
How To Install a Basic Kitchen Faucet – Part 1

Let’s continue to install the basic kitchen deck faucet in the concluding part of this video series.

So now that you have removed the old faucet, it’s time to prep the new one. The faucet in this video has a hard plastic deck gasket but you still have to use plumber’s putty for a completely water tight seal.

As I mention in the video, in the past, I covered the entire bottom of the faucet with plumber’s putty, and there is nothing wrong with that if you so desire, but I found that by running a bead of putty around the entire edge of the faucet gets me the same result.

The important component is that you want it to squeeze and fan out beyond the faucet body to ensure a watertight seal.

If you are planning on installing a spray hose attachment, now would be the time to screw the male end of the hose into the faucet before you place it onto the sink.

String the hose in through the center hole and then you can bring it up through the fourth hole in the sink if so equipped.

An important tip here is that you’ll have to remove the spray head from the hose before you do this which is pretty simple to do and again,

I’ll cover that in future videos.

Now it’s a matter of tightening the locknuts, followed by connecting your hot and cold water supply tubes, turning on the water and you’re done.

Don’t forget to clean the excess putty from around the faucet, for this I generally use a wooden toothpick to keep from scratching anything.

You also want to remove the aerator and flush out any debris that may have accumulated in the installation process.

Get a little glass cleaner, shine that puppy up and you just saved yourself a boat load of cash by doing it yourself. Job Well Done!!!

HAPPY PLUMBING!

How To Install a Basic Kitchen Faucet – Part 1

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Welcome to this 2 part video series which will teach you how to install a basic kitchen deck faucet. This is the first video in this series.

I guess by now you realize that I do a good deal of my videos on my workbench to demonstrate the steps one must take before deciding to take on a plumbing repair or replacement.

With the exception of the of the grit, grime, roaches, spiders and yes the occasional frozen locknut, the steps are all the same and I feel I can present that to you much better on the bench top.

Don’t get me wrong, I will be taking you on the jobsite for certain jobs and or repairs but for this video we’re back on the bench top.

This video is all about installing a basic kitchen deck faucet and the process to remove the old one.

Although the faucet in the video does come equipped for a hose and spray attachment, I’m not featuring it other than to point out screwing in the hose before you mount the faucet to the sink.

I’ll go into detail about hose and spray attachments in a future video but in the meantime, you can check out my video on “How to replace a kitchen hose spray diverter”.

Back to faucet land, and as usual, you must shut off the water supply before disconnecting the basin supply tubes. Miss this step and be prepared for your second shower of the day!

Once the basin supplies are off, follow up with the locknuts and then you can proceed to remove the old faucet. I’ll tell you what, check out part 1 of this two-part video and I’ll catch up with you in part 2.

Click here to watch How To Install a Basic Kitchen Deck Faucet – Part 2

HAPPY PLUMBING!

Basic Faucet Connecting Methods – Part 2

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If you haven’t checked out part 1 of this two-part video, now is a good time to do so. Just click here:
Basic Faucet Connecting Methods – Part 1

By now I hope you’re all familiar with the basin wrench, an essential tool for installing any faucet. In my travels, I love finding new tools (my toys), and the Basin Buddy is one such tool.

I found this in my local plumbing supply house and had to try it out. The attraction for me was that it had a small footprint, easy to store in my tool bag and it’s able to be used with most plastic lock and basin nuts found on most faucets today.

Don’t get me wrong, I always use my trusty adjustable basin wrench made by Ridgid but if you try to torque up a plastic locknut a little too much, the wings will break right off. The Basin Buddy eliminates this issue and by the way Ridgid has come out with a cool tool called the Ridgid faucet and sink installer which can perform a variety of tasks.

I shot a video about it and I encourage you to check it out. If you’re going to invest in the Baisn Buddy, just be aware you will need to use a 1/2″ or 3/8′ ratchet with an extension in order to reach up to the faucet.

Depending on which style basin connector you’re going to use, you might also need a tubing cutter. The solid chrome plated supply tube will have to be cut to size while the flexible stainless steel versions can be used as is.

I encourage you to watch both parts of this series and as always ,if you have questions please drop me a line at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.

HAPPY PLUMBING!