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

8 Great Resources For Your Next Bathroom Renovation

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In addition to the routine service and repairs I perform daily, I also offer complete bathroom renovation services to my valued clientele.

The Bathroom Renovation!

When a client inquires about renovating their bathroom, I will initially set up a convenient time to meet with them at which time we will discuss the scope of the work as well as the budget for the project.

Bathroom Renovation Once I have an Idea of how extensive the renovation will be, I will then construct a proposal spelling out in detail the scope of the work as well as the payment schedule. Once my proposal is accepted the process of coordinating and scheduling all of my sub-contractors begins.

This includes but is not limited to the demolition, removal and carting away of the existing bathroom, coordinating the carpenters, tile-men , electricians, inspections and of course the plumbing so that the entire project flows seamlessly.

Sounds like a relatively easy task, but in the real world challenges will always present themselves and it’s all in how you handle these challenges that separates the weekend handyman from the licensed, professional contractor.

Whether you’re renovating a bathroom, kitchen or any room in your home, the process can sometimes be daunting but with due diligence your renovation can be a pleasant experience.To help you in the process, I’ve put together Eight Great Resources I think will help take some of the fear of home renovation.

Take a look, tell me what you think and if you have any questions you can always reach me at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.
HAPPY PLUMBING!

1. The DIY Network and 2. HGTV

The DIY Network and HGTV are two great resources for you to start with.
They offer everything from design ideas and can even help with where to find the most popular materials used in bathroom remodeling. Be sure to include them in your due dilligence:

3. This Old House

This Old House is another great source on the trials and tribulations of home renovation. I’ve watched this program since it was introduced and still watch it today. I love the interaction between the different personalities on the show and feel that they provide some great no-nonsense advice when it comes to any type of renovation you’re considering.

4. Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics has was around way before my-time and is still going strong today. I subscribed to their magazine religously, but now use their website as a valuable resource when gathering information for various projects.

5. Houzz.com

I found this on Houzz.com and it points out things to be aware of when you’re considering home renovation. Good information is something you can’t get enough of when considering large scale renovations.

6. Bob Vila

Bob Vila was the original host of This Old House and has since branched out to create a great website called bobvila.com. In addition to some great content he also has some great videos I think you’ll find useful.

7. Delta & 8. Moen

When it comes to faucet selection, not only do I look for a quality products who’s parts are readily available but I look for quality companies who provide exceptional customer service. Delta and Moen are the two companies I use the most in my bathroom renovations. They make a reliable, repairable product that’s readily available from any reputable supplier.

This is a good starting point for you to consider before jumping into the renovation game, in my next article I’ll give you my personal picks on bathroom fixtures i.e. toilets, lavatories, tubs, showers etc.

Stay Tuned!

How To Connect Kitchen & Bathroom Drains.

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In two previous videos “How To Connect a “P” Trap To a Kitchen Sink” and “How To Cut Out a Rotted Waste Nipple” I showed you some options on how to make the transition from the “P” Trap over to the actual sink drain. In this updated video I illustrate some more methods and materials on how to get from the drain line exiting the wall to the trap and onto to actual fixture drain.

I received a number of e-mails from followers who were still unsure of how to go about it, so I hope this will clarify the procedure a little better. To demonstrate for kitchen sink drains which are typically 2″ in diameter I mounted a pipe flange to my board simply to hold the pipe in place. The flange is not something you would see in actual field conditions, you would simply see a piece of pipe exiting the wall.

With all the modern materials available today, you’re no longer limited to one or two options anymore. Back in the day you pretty much would have to cut out and remove the leaking drain line which was very labor intensive. That’s no longer the case and you now have endless possibilities. Whether it be galvanized steel, cast iron, P.V.C or A.B.S., their is literally and connection method for each of the fore mentioned.

The one thing I think that’s important when performing these repairs is you should try and bring the fixture trap a.k.a. “P” trap as close as possible to the fixture drain. I often see the trap right up against the wall followed by crazy configurations of waste tubing connecting the drain. That waste tubing is made of very light gauge metal and in a short period of time will rot and inevitably have to be replaced.

Check out the video from start to finish and if you’re still unsure about something send your inquiry’s and photos over to info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.

I’d love to hear from you!
HAPPY PLUMBING!.

How To Cut Out a Toilet Flange Bolt.

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I don’t know for sure where the majority of viewers of this website are located but I can tell you that if you’re in the New York City area and you’ve ever tried to remove a toilet bowl, chances are the flange (toilet) bolts aren’t coming off. That’s just the way it is in the plumbing world, so what do you do when faced with having to remove a toilet and the bolts spin endlessly in either direction. Well the only good choice to is cut them off and I would caution you not to go and grab your super heavy duty electric or battery powered reciprocating saw to do it. A good old traditional hack saw will do the trick or even better a Lenox close quarter mini saw like the one I’m using in the video. If I have the room I’ll always try to saw them off between the brass nut and friction washer, but that’s not always possible because of the tight quarters in most bathrooms here in N.Y. City. Unless I’m replacing the bowl I have to be real careful about damaging the porcelain with my hacksaw.So when I don’t have the room I’ll always make a vertical cut right thru the center of the bolt thru the nut down to the friction washer.

You can use a full size hacksaw to do this, but I gotta tell you I’m partial to my mini hack saw for just about every small cutting cutting task I perform. Now in the real world the bolt won’t be in a vise and in some cases it could proceed to rotate or spin around. When this happens I’ll just grab the nut with my leather-man tool or pliers until I get my saw blade started. Once the blade starts to make it’s way down it will make it’s own path and you can release the bolt. Now that you’ve made it down to the friction washer grab a “chopping” screwdriver, place it in the cut a tap a few times with your hammer and you should be good to go.

Use some caution here, you want to attack it from the side and not hit it like a madman. Keep in mind the bowl is porcelain and it doesn’t take much to crack it. If your cut is all the way down to the friction washer you shouldn’t have any issues at all. If you have questions or didn’t understand something you can always reach me at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com. Thanks for dropping by and I’ll see you in the my video. HAPPY PLUMBING!

Repair Your Leaking Toilets And Save Money On Your Water Bills

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repair your leaking toiletsOne of the most common complaints I receive from homeowners is that they just received their quarterly water bill and it was off the charts in comparison to the previous statement.

So I’ll ask the usual questions such as do you have any faucets or toilets that are visibly leaking? The usual response is no! Everything is fine I don’t have any leaks, why is my bill so high. Well faucets are pretty easy to pinpoint, their ether leaking or not, but toilets are another story. Although you may not visibly see or hear any water running, they could very well be the cause of your high water bill.

One cool test I often recommend is to take a little food coloring (I’ll leave the color up to you) and place a few drops inside the toilet tank and wait. Have a cup of coffee, come back and look inside the bowl. If the water has turned into your color of choice, your flapper is passing water and the fill valve is re-filling the tank when the water drops to a certain level. If you have an older style fill valve with a large float ball connected, you’ll never hear anything because it will automatically fill as the water level drops. Very quietly costing you money. If your toilet is equipped with a modern style fill valve where the float and valve are one unit, the tank will drop to a certain level after which the fill valve will turn on to replace the lost water. You’ll often hear an intermittent running of water after which it will stop. Again costing you money.
stop flushing your money down the toiletLeaking flappers are one most common causes of high water bills.They become warped and damaged over time and more so if your placing that pretty blue toilet bowl cleanser inside the toilet tank. That stuff dries out the rubber components inside the toilet tank leading to premature failure. The flapper, trip lever or chain may lose it’s alignment, leaving a gap that can cause a leak. The flush valve can develop small cuts or pitting that causes a leak between it and the flapper. The fill valve can become stuck in the open position causing water waste as it flows down the overflow tube. This can occur when their are fluctuations in water pressure.

how to test for water leaks

How can you test for these water leaks?

Listen: The only time you should hear water running in when you intentionally flush it, the tank should fill to the proper level and shut. If you still hear water after it fills, check your flapper. Also make sure your handle is tight and the chain has a little slack in it to allow the flapper to completely shut.

Look: A large leak will cause moving water in the bowl long after the tank has refilled. Rust stains inside the bowl are often an indication of corroding metal parts inside the tank caused by a leak.

Try performing that little food coloring test at least once annually to be sure you have a tight seal between the flapper and flush valve. If you find a leak or you see that your water bill has increased noticeably, check your flapper, flush valve and or fill valve. If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, call in a reputable licensed master plumber. High water bills are often caused by leaking toilets that waste large amounts of water. If you’re unsure about your toilet or have additional questions you can always reach me at info@bobsplumbings.com or please visit the Got A Plumbing Problem? Ask Bob page on this website and drop my your question.

Until next time.
HAPPY PLUMBING!

How To Replace A Generic Tub & Shower Cartridge. Part 2

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This is part 2 of my 2 part series called “How To Replace A Generic Tub & Shower Cartridge”.

If you haven’t seen How To Replace A Generic Tub & Shower Cartridge part 1, check that out first.

As you can see, the process is pretty straight forward and as a rule these cartridges are easily removed by pulling back on the center brass stem.

The cartridge itself is made up of a few individual components which are replaceable, but based on my past experience I found it more cost effective to replace the entire cartridge.

When Installing the new unit I always lubricate any “O” rings with my silicone lubricant which will aid in removing the cartridge if any repairs have to be made in the future.

Now it’s just a matter of re-installing the trim and you should be good to go. If you have a question about this or any of the videos on this website please drop me a line at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time…
HAPPY PLUMBING!