Question: Can I change my mobile home shower faucet from the front? Answer: Yes, sometimes you can replace it from the front. But it depends on the faucet style and wall opening. Mobile home shower faucets can be tricky. Many are installed before the wall panels are finished. That means there may be no access… Continue reading Can You Replace a Mobile Home Shower Faucet?
Rubber Grommet Drain: Is Putty Needed?
Question: If a drain has a rubber grommet, do I need plumber’s putty? Answer: Usually, no. If the drain uses a rubber grommet, that gasket is meant to make the seal. You pulled the drain apart to clean it. You also found old plumber’s putty there. That can be confusing. Many older drain installs used… Continue reading Rubber Grommet Drain: Is Putty Needed?
Should You Caulk Your Toilet Base?
A new toilet should feel solid, clean, and safe. But many homeowners get stuck on one final step. Should the toilet base be caulked to the floor? This question comes up often after a toilet install. It is even more common on tile floors. Porcelain tile can make caulk lines stand out. A messy bead… Continue reading Should You Caulk Your Toilet Base?
Leaking 2nd Floor Kitchen Drain Fix
Question My second-floor kitchen drain is leaking behind the wall. The drain is a 2-inch galvanized pipe. The leak is between the first and second floors. An inspection camera showed a seam opened about 1/8 inch. Should I wrap the pipe with epoxy tape or replace the bad galvanized drain with PVC? Answer The safer… Continue reading Leaking 2nd Floor Kitchen Drain Fix
Can Freezing Ruin Your Sump Pump?
Cold weather can be hard on any plumbing system. That includes your sump pump, sump pit, and discharge pipe. Many homeowners think an unplugged pump is safe. That is not always true. Question: Can a sump pump still be damaged if it is unplugged? Answer: Yes. If water freezes inside the pump, pipe, or pit,… Continue reading Can Freezing Ruin Your Sump Pump?
Why Is My Shallow Well Pump Thumping?
A thumping shallow well pump can be hard to track down. The noise may sound like a steady thump near the shutoff. In this setup, a new Acquaer 1 HP shallow well pump feeds a home. The water comes from a 1,200-gallon RO holding tank. The tank sits about five feet from the pump. The… Continue reading Why Is My Shallow Well Pump Thumping?
Sewer Smell in Condo Half Bath? Check This
A sewer smell in a lower-level bathroom can be hard to trace. This is even more true in a three-level condo. The smell may seem to be coming from the toilet. It may also seem like it is coming from the sink. But the real source can be somewhere nearby. In this case, the bottom… Continue reading Sewer Smell in Condo Half Bath? Check This
Why This Bidet Seat Kept Tripping Power
A heated bidet seat sounded like a simple upgrade. My elderly clients wanted more comfort in their toilet room. The seat itself was not the hard part. I had the bidet seat installed in about ten minutes. Then came the real job. The seat needed power near the toilet. There was an outlet on the… Continue reading Why This Bidet Seat Kept Tripping Power
How Close Can AUTOCUT Cut Copper Pipe?
Cutting copper pipe under a bathroom vanity can be tight work. This is even harder when the fitting is soldered in place. A torch may not be safe in that small space. That is why many homeowners look at an AUTOCUT-style pipe cutter. Question I need to cut a 1/2-inch copper pipe for a bathroom… Continue reading How Close Can AUTOCUT Cut Copper Pipe?
Deep Main Drain? Wet Vent This 3-Fixture Bath
You have a tough bathroom rough-in. The layout is shower, toilet, then sink. The 4-inch main drain runs under the toilet. It is also about 4 feet deep. You are thinking about horizontal wet venting. That can work for many bathroom groups. But the details matter. Quick Q&A Q: Is a 4-foot vertical drop from… Continue reading Deep Main Drain? Wet Vent This 3-Fixture Bath