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?
Tag: basement bathroom plumbing
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
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?
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
No Threads? How to Test Faucet Water Pressure
You want to check the water pressure at a faucet. But the spout has no hose threads. A standard gauge will not screw on. Good news. You still have several easy options. Quick Q&A Q: How can I measure pressure without faucet threads? A: Use an aerator adapter, a clamp-on faucet gauge, or test pressure… Continue reading No Threads? How to Test Faucet Water Pressure
The $5 Fix for a Leaking InSinkErator Disposer
Your InSinkErator has been working for decades. It came with the house about 25 years ago. It is an Essential model at 3/4 HP. A plumber says the unit is still in good shape. But you have a small crack and a steady drip. The crack is at the “anti-vibration tailpipe” area. You do not… Continue reading The $5 Fix for a Leaking InSinkErator Disposer
Gauge Hits 100 After Pump Stops? Here’s Why
You run a 40/60 pressure switch. Your tank precharge is set to 38 PSI. The pump cycles as it should. After the shutoff, the gauge creeps toward 100 PSI. You replaced the switch and the gauge. The strange climb still happens. Quick Q&A Q: Is my water pressure really climbing to 100 PSI? A: It… Continue reading Gauge Hits 100 After Pump Stops? Here’s Why
Mystery Shower Leak? Why It Only Drips Under Load
Both bathrooms sit above your garage. At random times, you find water on the garage floor. You can see the plumbing in the garage ceiling. But you cannot spot the leak source. Here is the key clue. It leaks during showers, not baths. It also stops when nobody stands in the tub. Quick Q&A Q:… Continue reading Mystery Shower Leak? Why It Only Drips Under Load
Toilet Gurgling Under Floor? Fix This Fast
You have two bathrooms in a mobile home. The front toilet flushes with no noise. The back toilet flush causes gurgling under the living room floor. You cleared both roof vents and found no blockages. The washer does not back up into tubs. Everything seems to drain fine. So why the gurgle? Quick Q&A Q:… Continue reading Toilet Gurgling Under Floor? Fix This Fast
Leaky Thermostatic Shower? Find the Hidden Cartridge
You had a mixer shower fitted a few years back. Now the lower temperature control is leaking. That drip usually means a worn seal inside the valve. On many Arezzo thermostatic showers, the fix is the cartridge. Quick Q&A Q: Why does it leak from the temperature control? A: The cartridge seals are worn, so… Continue reading Leaky Thermostatic Shower? Find the Hidden Cartridge