Plumbing advice - Page 3

glatt · 04-19-2006, 03:13 PM

Flint, get the snake. It's worth it to have on hand on that holiday weekend when you have a bunch of relatives over for a visit, and the rental store is closed. That's when plumbing always seems to have problems. The manual (un-motorized) versions that are like 16 feet long are not too expensive, and work for most problems.

At first I thought your symptoms pointed to a blocked vent pipe, but the puddle on the floor in the other room points to a blocked drain pipe. Can't hurt to replace the wax seal, but getting rid of the clog should be 9/10ths of the battle.

Flint · 04-19-2006, 03:25 PM

Right, well the drain line is the problem, but, the other toilet shouldn't let water come back up just because the whole system is backed up. ...but, if it comes back up far enough to go over the top then the wax seal could be just fine. I think I'm gonna buy a snake at Home Depot, as soon as I get off work. Problem solved (most likely).

xoxoxoBruce · 04-19-2006, 05:52 PM

If the other bathroom is on the same floor with the master bathroom shower, the water can't be coming over the top of the toilet because it would have to be two feet deep in the shower.
Odd that the drain from the shower would leak by the bowl seal but using the toilet does not.
Is the water on the floor visibly dirty?

Flint · 04-20-2006, 01:54 PM

The water isn't dirty, its' just water. Now you've got me thinking about how deep the shower is versus how low the toilet is. At any rate, I'm calling a plumber out beacuse the big snake was $500, and anyway I'd rather someone who specializes in this type of thing go ahead and do it. I've got money set aside for this type of thing, which I expected in a 1950s house. I did get a 1/4" X 25' snake that I can attach to my power drill, though, for smaller jobs.

glatt · 04-20-2006, 02:56 PM

Have you tried the smaller 25' snake yet on the clog? You might be surprised if you haven't already tried it. They are very effective.

Flint · 04-20-2006, 02:58 PM

Hmmmmmm...I guess I should at least try it first. Right. Thanks.

glatt · 04-20-2006, 03:19 PM

Are you mocking me?

Your first post made it sound like you went to the store to buy a snake to fix your problem, but you saw that the one you wanted was too expensive. So you bought a smaller one instead, even though you think it's too small for the big jobs like this. That's why you are going to hire the plumber.

Nowhere in your post do you say that you tried the smaller one.

I've used snakes like the one you are talking about, and they are pretty good. I'm trying to save you the money of hiring a plumber. 25 feet is very long. It should be able to reach the clog and break it up. You probably don't need a plumber.

Of course, if you have already tried it and failed, that's another story.

Flint · 04-20-2006, 03:38 PM

No, I'm not mocking you. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I was assuming that beacause the plumbing on the other side of the house was backing up, it was the main line, and I thought I needed a bigger auger for that. But, as I said, you're absolutely right, I should try the little auger first. Hopefully that will fix it, and my wife will think I'm a genius.

SteveDallas · 04-20-2006, 06:22 PM

the results...

Flint · 04-20-2006, 06:51 PM

That looks nice! (really, I love clean work)

I would have burned the wall up sweating up those copper fittings.

zippyt · 04-20-2006, 09:36 PM

Sweet !!!
Now ain't that a load off your mind !!

xoxoxoBruce · 04-20-2006, 10:27 PM

Save that picture and see how long before it looks like the first picture. Uh, minus the leaks of course.

xoxoxoBruce · 04-20-2006, 10:37 PM

This is the normally closed solenoid valve, after the inlet filter, for my reverse osmosis, domestic water, treatment system.
You will undoubtedly notice the still reading, but blackened, gage. An effect caused by the violent self destruction of the solenoid on the right. So violent, in fact, that it blew open the coil case from points A to B.

I asked the vendor why this happened to which he replied with "I dunno".
When pressed for an explanation of the cause, the manufacturer replied, "we couldn't possibly tell because this has never happened before."
I never did get an explanation of whether, "it's never happened before", is in the history of the Universe, the World, the company, this style valve or just my valve.

They did assure me, though, they would sent me a replacement.....in a couple days......for only $150, plus tax, and shipping, and handling.
Now I only have to worry the replacement, plus the normally open twin on the backwash, don't
decide to become suicide bombers, and damage the rest of the $7k system.

tw · 04-23-2006, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

the results...

That plumbing repair appears to be one of the cleanest and most professional jobs I have seen in a long time. Meanwhile, what was doing the leaking?

04-19-2006, 03:25 PM	#32
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Right, well the drain line is the problem, but, the other toilet shouldn't let water come back up just because the whole system is backed up. ...but, if it comes back up far enough to go over the top then the wax seal could be just fine. I think I'm gonna buy a snake at Home Depot, as soon as I get off work. Problem solved (most likely). __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

04-19-2006, 05:52 PM	#33
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	If the other bathroom is on the same floor with the master bathroom shower, the water can't be coming over the top of the toilet because it would have to be two feet deep in the shower. Odd that the drain from the shower would leak by the bowl seal but using the toilet does not. Is the water on the floor visibly dirty? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

04-20-2006, 01:54 PM	#34
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	The water isn't dirty, its' just water. Now you've got me thinking about how deep the shower is versus how low the toilet is. At any rate, I'm calling a plumber out beacuse the big snake was $500, and anyway I'd rather someone who specializes in this type of thing go ahead and do it. I've got money set aside for this type of thing, which I expected in a 1950s house. I did get a 1/4" X 25' snake that I can attach to my power drill, though, for smaller jobs. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

04-20-2006, 02:58 PM	#36
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Hmmmmmm...I guess I should at least try it first. Right. Thanks. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

04-20-2006, 03:38 PM	#38
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	No, I'm not mocking you. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I was assuming that beacause the plumbing on the other side of the house was backing up, it was the main line, and I thought I needed a bigger auger for that. But, as I said, you're absolutely right, I should try the little auger first. Hopefully that will fix it, and my wife will think I'm a genius. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

04-19-2006, 03:13 PM	#31
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Flint, get the snake. It's worth it to have on hand on that holiday weekend when you have a bunch of relatives over for a visit, and the rental store is closed. That's when plumbing always seems to have problems. The manual (un-motorized) versions that are like 16 feet long are not too expensive, and work for most problems. At first I thought your symptoms pointed to a blocked vent pipe, but the puddle on the floor in the other room points to a blocked drain pipe. Can't hurt to replace the wax seal, but getting rid of the clog should be 9/10ths of the battle.

04-20-2006, 02:56 PM	#35
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Have you tried the smaller 25' snake yet on the clog? You might be surprised if you haven't already tried it. They are very effective.

04-20-2006, 03:19 PM	#37
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Are you mocking me? Your first post made it sound like you went to the store to buy a snake to fix your problem, but you saw that the one you wanted was too expensive. So you bought a smaller one instead, even though you think it's too small for the big jobs like this. That's why you are going to hire the plumber. Nowhere in your post do you say that you tried the smaller one. I've used snakes like the one you are talking about, and they are pretty good. I'm trying to save you the money of hiring a plumber. 25 feet is very long. It should be able to reach the clog and break it up. You probably don't need a plumber. Of course, if you have already tried it and failed, that's another story.

04-20-2006, 06:22 PM	#39
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	all done the results... Attached Images

04-20-2006, 06:51 PM	#40
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	That looks nice! (really, I love clean work) I would have burned the wall up sweating up those copper fittings. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

04-20-2006, 09:36 PM	#41
zippyt LONG LIVE KING ZIPPY! per Feetz Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arkansas Posts: 7,661	Sweet !!! Now ain't that a load off your mind !! __________________ "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. " Brother Dave Gardner

04-20-2006, 10:27 PM	#42
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Save that picture and see how long before it looks like the first picture. Uh, minus the leaks of course. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

04-20-2006, 10:37 PM	#43
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	This is the normally closed solenoid valve, after the inlet filter, for my reverse osmosis, domestic water, treatment system. You will undoubtedly notice the still reading, but blackened, gage. An effect caused by the violent self destruction of the solenoid on the right. So violent, in fact, that it blew open the coil case from points A to B. I asked the vendor why this happened to which he replied with "I dunno". When pressed for an explanation of the cause, the manufacturer replied, "we couldn't possibly tell because this has never happened before." I never did get an explanation of whether, "it's never happened before", is in the history of the Universe, the World, the company, this style valve or just my valve. They did assure me, though, they would sent me a replacement.....in a couple days......for only $150, plus tax, and shipping, and handling. Now I only have to worry the replacement, plus the normally open twin on the backwash, don't decide to become suicide bombers, and damage the rest of the $7k system. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. Last edited by xoxoxoBruce; 04-07-2007 at 05:53 PM.

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