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

Removing a Frozen Fill Valve Nut !

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So you probably won’t run across this problem to often in today’s world of plastic plumbing parts, so when a you-tube subscriber mentioned he couldn’t remove a plastic coupling nut from his fill valve aka “ballcock” I thought it’s time for a video!

Before we get into removing a frozen fill valve nut here’s a quick history lesson.

Back in the 70’s plastic components were not as popular as they were in today’s plumbing world and the material of choice was good old American made brass. Most of the better companies supplied a brass lock-nut and a brass coupling nut to connect the water supply tube. Eventually and in an effort to save money, some of the companies started shipping these ballcocks with a white metal nickel composite lock-nut and coupling nut.

The problem is that when you connect to dissimilar metals on water carrying components, a process called electrolysis takes place. It would literately fuse the two metals together and make it virtually impossible to break apart. When this happened which by the way was quite often, the only way to separate them would be to cut them off. So whether you were replacing the fill valve or just replacing the water supply tube, you more often than not ended up grabbing the hacksaw and proceeded with the task at hand.

To be honest before I grabbed the hack saw I would always set up a straight 6″ pipe wrench inside the toilet tank and position it at the base of the fill valve with the handle up against the toilet tank. I then would proceed counter clockwise with a second offset 6″ pipe wrench and try to loosen the nut. Bottom line is sometimes I got lucky and sometimes not. The thing is you can’t really put gorilla force on it because you always ran the risk of cracking the tank.

Anyway check out the video and hopefully if you ever find yourself in this position, these tips will help you get the job done with minimal pain.

As always you can send any questions to info@bobsplimbingvideos.com, I’ll be happy to answer them. Until next time,
HAPPY PLUMBING!

How To Repair Or Replace A Faucet Spray Hose

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Traditional faucet spray hoses are pretty heavy duty and as a rule will last a lifetime. But their will be the occasion when one needs replacement so I shot this short video to make you aware that all faucet hose connections are not the same. The hose I’m featuring in the video you’ll find on a traditional two handle or single handle faucet, but the methods for connecting them are different.

So, let’s crack on and learn how to repair or replace a faucet spray hose

Once you determine that you need a new hose and before you run to the home center or plumbing supply for a replacement, it would be a good idea to take a look up under the sink to see exactly what type of connection you’re going to need. Nothing worse than going out and getting all the materials, returning and finding out you’ve got the wrong replacement parts. As a rule most traditional hoses come with a 1/8″ male threaded connection that screws into the base of the faucet.

But be aware that many of single lever faucet manufacturers used a 1/4″ nipple extending down from the faucet base that had a 1/4″ threaded union type connection at the end. The hoses that came with these faucets utilized a ground joint and a 1/4″ coupling nut that screwed onto the end of the male threads extending from the faucet. The solution in connecting the 1/8″ male thread of a traditional hose to the 1/4″ male thread extending from a single lever faucet is to use a 1/4″ X 1/8″ brass reducing coupling and the problem is solved!

Check out the video and remember to get up under the sink and take a peak to make sure you’re picking up the right parts for the right job.

If you still have questions about this or any video you see on this site, please drop me a line at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.
HAPPY PLUMBING!

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 Remove a Sewer Cover

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In this video I’m going to point out a few ways you can go about removing a sewer cover that’s most likely never been touched since the day it was put into service. Most of us don’t think about the clean-out access to our sewer system, but trust me the day will come when either the professional plumber or you will have to remove them to service the sewer.

Here in the New York City area a majority of the existing sewer covers have never been removed and when a blockage of the trap or main sewer occurs, they’ve got to come off in order to perform the service. Being a professional with years of experience I’ve developed my own technique for chopping them out with a sharp cold chisel but would caution the novice from attempting this for fear of damaging the cast iron hub the covers screw into.

If your going to be bold enough to attempt a job like this, I recommend you drill a series of holes around the raised brass section of the cover you would normally place a wrench on to remove it. Once that’s drilled out and removed you can then proceed to use a reciprocating saw and make a couple of cuts and remove a small piece of the cover. You can then get a cold chisel and proceed to collapse the remaining portion of the cover.

My preferred replacement cover is a lead fit-all cover which simply secured in place by striking them head on with your hammer and for quick removal, tapping them on either side will do the trick. Lately I’ve been coming across these rubber test plugs in lieu of the lead fit-all cover and can tell you from experience that they sometimes don’t remove very easily. When faced with a house trap or main sewer blockage the last thing you need is to be struggling with a sewer cover when you have boat load of sewage ready to shoot up and hit you in the face!

Why not check out the video and see exactly what I mean. I personally would recommend calling in a professional for this type of repair but if you’re bold enough, go for it. If their is something in the video you’re not quite sure about you can always reach me at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.

Best of Luck and…
HAPPY PLUMBING!

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!.