Common Plumbing Repairs II - Continued

Ask Wally The Plumber

Acrylic & Fiberglass Tubs And Showers

Anti-Scald Tub & Shower Faucets - Be Careful!

Cast Iron Plumbing Pipe - It's Quiet!

Copper Water Pipe Corrosion - Aggressive Water

Leak Somewhere in the Plumbing in my Shower/Bath?

Noisy PVC Plumbing Drain Pipes - Cast Iron Solution

Orphaned Water Heater Vents - A Danger!

Plumbing Vent Pipes - Can They Be Relocated?

Stainless Steel Sinks - A Good Choice

Sump Pumps - Basement Guardians

Water Hammer - How to Stop the Bang!

Water From Shower Not Hot Enough With Anti-Scald Valve

Water Pressure Problems

Water Softeners

Schedule an appointment for plumbing service  Learn more

Stainless Steel Sinks - A Good Choice

DEAR WALLY: I need to make a decision concerning the sink for my new kitchen. I am leaning heavily towards stainless steel. What are the pros and cons of stainless steel sinks? Some sinks seem thin and low quality. Why? Can you keep these sinks looking brilliant for long periods of time?

ANSWER: Ahhhhh....there is something about that cool, silver, metal that catches my eye as well. In fact, the combination of an undermount stainless steel sink with a solid surface or natural stone countertop can really become the focal point of a kitchen. Traditional drop in sinks also can add a dramatic finishing touch to your new kitchen space.

Stainless steel was not originally developed for the kitchen industry. Just after the turn of the century Harry Brearley, an English metal scientist, was trying to solve wear problems in gun barrels. He blended chromium with regular steel in varying amounts. One day he noticed that the scrap from these experiments didn't rust when exposed to rain. It didn't take long for steel companies to figure out where this new material should really be used!

The stainless steel found in residential kitchen sinks is not all the same. It contains different percentages of steel, chromium, and nickel. Usually the stainless steel alloy in your kitchen sink contains 18 percent chromium and 8 - 10 percent nickel. Other ingredients are sometimes added in small amounts as well. The presence of chromium allows the sink to maintain its shiny appearance. Nickel softens the steel so that it can be shaped more easily.

Just as regular steel rusts, so to stainless steel. Stainless steel rust, though, is an invisible layer which can actually make the sink more corrosion resistant. However, stainless steel sinks can be stained. Although stainless steel is a highly corrosion resistant metal, it is not immune to damage from ordinary household chemicals. Chlorine bleach, cleaners that contain chlorine bleach, muriatic acid used to clean ceramic tile, solvents found in construction adhesives and other building supplies can and will damage stainless steel.

Residential stainless steel sinks come in a wide range of designs, shapes, bowl configurations, and thicknesses. Thickness is often referred to as gauge. The gauge thickness may range from 18 to 23 gauge. This thickness difference can be dramatic. An 18 gauge steel is almost twice as thick as 23 gauge steel. The thin sinks that oilcan or flex are most likely 23 gauge. The extra money spent on the 18 gauge sinks is well worth it, in my opinion.

You can maintain and preserve the brilliant factory appearance of stainless steel. You need to minimize the use of harsh abrasive cleaners. These roughen the surface of the stainless steel. If you scrub across the grain of the factory applied finish you can harm the finish. The smoother you keep the steel, the tougher the invisible rust will become.

If you use chlorine bleach as a sanitizer, be sure to thoroughly rinse the sink after its use. Rinse completely your washrag, cleaning pads, and any other object that might rest on the sink. Always rinse all detergents as well. Some liquid or powdered soaps contain chemicals which will stain and corrode stainless steel. Try not to use rubber mats in the sink. Mats protect the sink bottom, however, they also prevent the complete rinsing of harmful chemicals. For ultimate protection, dry the sink completely after it has been rinsed.

Visit plumbing supply houses that carry a full line of stainless steel products. Look for sinks that have handy ribbed sideboards, custom fitting cutting boards, and sinks that contain suspended stainless steel grids. The grids allow you to clean heavy objects without scratching the bottom of your beautiful new sink.  

Water Hammer - How to Stop the Bang!

DEAR WALLY: The water pipes in my new home are driving me crazy. Every time the toilet or washing machine shuts off, there is a loud bang. The noise can happen at faucets but is reduced if I shut the water off very slowly. What is happening? Can this problem be solved? Is it expensive to fix?

ANSWER: You are a victim of water hammer. The source of the problem is abnormally high water pressure in your water system. My guess is that your existing water pressure is 115 pounds per square inch (PSI) or higher. I'll bet you live at the bottom of a hill or near the lowest point of your municipal water system. The volume and weight of the water resting in the water mains above your house creates this high pressure. Some places in my city have main pressures that commonly exceed 150 PSI!

High water pressure is wonderful for hosing down driveways or powering lawn sprinklers. However, it wreaks havoc with faucets, valves and water heater pressure valves. The hammering noise within your pipes is created when high velocity water flow is stopped abruptly. The average house has about 75 pounds of water within the piping system. When you rapidly shut off water to a fixture, the weight of the water crashes against the faucet, valve or sidewalls of the pipe. This creates the vibration and noise within the pipes.

The velocity of water flow in your pipes can be slowed considerably by up-sizing your water supply lines. In other words, try to run 3/4 inch pipe as close to fixture groups as possible. High pressure combined with high fixture water demand can cause water velocity to soar through smaller sized one half inch piping.

The problem can sometimes be solved by installing a pressure reducing valve in your water system. This valve will tame the beast within your pipes. The valves are made with a handy adjustable screw that allows you to adjust the pressure on the house side of the water system. Factory settings are usually between 50 and 60 PSI. I happen to prefer a setting of 70 PSI. Settings at or near 70 PSI allow you to take vigorous showers.

Installation of these valves is not too difficult. They require simple soldering skills. However, you will need to check with your local plumbing inspector before you proceed. Some states and municipalities will not permit an unlicensed person to cut into or make alterations to the public water supply system. Your household water lines are really part of the public system. Under certain conditions (fire engine pumps & water main breaks) water can actually flow from your house into the public water supply.

The cost of installing a pressure reducing valve depends on how much extra piping work you decide to do. Remember that everything on the house side of the valve will operate at the lower pressure. If you desire to maintain the high pressure for your outdoor hose bibs, you will undoubtedly have to install additional water lines from the high pressure side of the new valve. If you are able to perform the work yourself, your cost will be minimal. If you must use a plumber, the cost can easily exceed $500 or more.

The installation of a pressure reducing valve can sometimes cause problems with a hot water heater. Certain pressure reducing valves contain a bypass that allows water to flow back into the municipal system. But these bypasses can malfunction. When cold water enters your hot water heater and is subsequently heated, the volume of the water increases. Before the pressure reducing valve was installed, this water actually was pushed back towards the street. If your new valve does not have a bypass or it malfunctions, you can once again be troubled with water hammer.

This problem can be solved by installing a simple expansion tank on top of the cold water inlet into the hot water heater. This tank contains an air chamber that is separated from the water by a rubber bladder. The extra volume of heated water simply causes the bladder to expand within the tank. This expansion tank needs to be sized correctly. Just tell the plumbing supply house the capacity of your hot water heater. They will do the rest!

Sump Pumps - Basement Guardians

DEAR WALLY: My crawl space and basement is prone to flooding during periods of heavy rain. The sump pump sometimes vibrates and fails to work. When it does work it often does not keep up with the incoming water. What might be wrong? Is there a backup system available? What sized pump should work well for an average house?

ANSWER: Sump pump failures are the bane of many a homeowner. I have seen thousands of dollars worth of damage caused by just 2 to 3 inches of water in a basement. Often the failure of the pump can be traced to simple installation mistakes. High quality sump pumps can operate for years without a major malfunction. I know as I have installed hundreds of them.

The leading cause of failure in most sump pumps tends to be a switching problem. The switch of a sump will often fail to turn on because the pump has shifted inside the sump basin. The float that operates the switch can lodge against the side of the sump basin. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for a piece of debris to interfere with the action of the pump switch. Check to make sure your pump switch and float arm assembly move freely.

The vibrations and inability to pump on occasions can almost always be attributed to pump air- lock. When a sump pumps turns off, the water in the discharge line between the pump and the check valve drains back into the sump. If the pipe between the pump and the check valve is solid, the air in the line will compress the next time the pump tries to empty the sump basin. This compressed air can prevent water from leaving the pump. A 3/16 inch vent hole in the side of the discharge pipe inside the sump solves this problem. Check to see if your discharge line inside the pit has this hole. If it does, make sure it is not clogged.

Your sump basin may be too small. All too often people use a simple 5 gallon bucket as an inexpensive sump basin. This is inadequate. A residential sump basin should have a minimum inner diameter of 18 inches. It should be at least 22 inches deep. Small and narrow sump basins cause switching failures and more frequent pumping cycles.

A sump pump backup system might be a good idea. Often flooding occurs when sump pump needs are the greatest. A soil saturating rain storm may cause a localized power outage. Water flowing into your sump activates the switch, but there is no electricity to pump the water. Powerful battery operated sump pumps solve this problem. These pumps get their power from standard high performance automotive batteries. They come with alarms that tell you if the battery is low or partially discharged.

If you don't like batteries and live where you have city water, you can get a backup pump that operates on regular water pressure. These pumps will usually get you through the emergency until regular power is restored. You may use less than $1.00 worth of water to save thousands of dollars in damage to your belongings.

If your current pump has a 1/3 or one half horsepower rating, you should be OK. Higher horsepower pumps will pump more water. Look for pumps that have cast iron or heavy metal housings. Cast iron can dissipate heat buildup much better than a pump with a plastic or thin metal housing. Remember, price is usually an excellent indicator of quality. Higher priced pumps often have better parts!

Orphaned Water Heater Vents - A Danger!

DEAR WALLY: I recently had my heating system replaced with a high efficiency system. The new furnace vents directly through the wall to the exterior. My hot water heater is now the only thing venting into the masonry chimney. I am concerned about exhaust gas damage that might be occurring inside my chimney. Do you think it is necessary to have a chimney liner installed?

ANSWER: Venting of any fuel burning appliance is serious business. The vent for your recently orphaned water heater may not have been checked by the furnace installer. Many building codes mandate that once modified or changed, all fuel burning appliance vents must be sized according to code. I suggest that you schedule an appointment as soon as possible with your local building inspector. This public servant should help you determine if the marriage of your hot water heater and your chimney meets code.

The dynamics of drafting are complicated. Traditional masonry chimneys were designed and sized to vent very hot flue gases from old coal, wood burning, or low efficiency gas furnaces. Chimneys are like water pipes, they can only handle so much exhaust at a given pressure. Imagine if the huge boilers of your local power plant tried to exhaust up your house chimney. There simply wouldn't be enough room to handle all the smoke and ash. On the contrary, if you tried to exhaust your furnace and hot water heater into a power plant chimney, the exhaust gases very likely wouldn't rise. The column of cold, dense air inside the huge chimney could cause a portion of the exhaust gas to spill back into your basement.

Herein lies the problem. Your chimney's existing flue liner may be oversized for the orphaned hot water heater. This can, in some instances, create condensation problems inside of masonry chimneys. Water vapor is a byproduct of the combustion of natural gas. If the inside of the chimney cools down too much or there is too much cold air inside the chimney, the water vapor can condense and saturate the masonry inside the chimney before it can escape into the atmosphere. Sometimes the condensed water contains acids that can chemically attack poor quality mortars.

Before you installed your new furnace, your old low efficiency furnace cycled on and off frequently. This process kept the inside of the chimney warm. That heat source has been removed. Although the water heater does contribute heat to the chimney during its off cycle, it may not be enough to prime the vent so to speak.

Currently there are many organizations that produce building codes. For many years the American Gas Association and the National Fire Protection Association, Inc. have authored the National Fuel Gas Code. This code as well as other uniform building codes contain tables and charts that people use to properly size and install chimneys for fuel burning appliances. Research is currently being conducted by the Gas Research Institute that may create changes used in sizing masonry chimneys. In other words, code refinements are forthcoming with regards to venting modern fuel burning appliances.

You can do a quick check of your chimney to see if it meets an old rule of thumb and some of the current codes. Measure the diameter of the exhaust pipe leaving your hot water heater. If it is a 3 inch diameter pipe, the inside cross sectional area of the chimney flue liner should not exceed 49 square inches. If the exhaust pipe is 4 inches in diameter, the flue liner cross sectional area should not be larger than 88 square inches.

If you find that your chimney does not meet code or it is too large, you can reduce the size of a chimney lining. There are approved corrugated metal pipes that you can snake down the chimney and connect to the exhaust pipe of your heater. Some chimney companies can reduce the size of the chimney by pumping a cement slurry around a giant inflatable bladder. Low moisture content cement and vermiculite mortars can also be used to create a new inner lining. If you decide to reline your chimney, by all means make sure you do it under the guidance of your local building department officials.

Water From Shower Not Hot Enough With Anti-Scald Valve

Dear Wally:  "I can't seem to get the water in my shower hot enough. It uses an anti-scald shower valve, but the water is coming out at about 80° - no-where near scalding. The gas valve is set high already. Do I need to replace the gas valve?"

Answer:  The problem is most likely with the anti-scald shower valve. Anti-scald valves normally have two features - one of interest, and one most likely responsible for your problem. The one of interest is a pressure-balancing function for the shower-water delivery: once you have set the control to the desired position, any temporary drop in cold pressure will cause the valve to reduce the hot pressure in proportion. When the cold pressure has been restored, the valve raises the hot pressure in proportion, maintaining approximately the same hot-cold water mixture setting. In effect you set the mixing ratio by turning the knob, and the valve maintains the ratio by pressure balancing. You may notice pressure changes, but the temperature changes will be slight.
The second feature, and the one which is probably responsible for the cold water is an internal hot-limit setting for the valve. This is an internal adjustment "stop" for limiting hot flow at a preset high (hot) limit. What the installer is supposed to do is install the water system, let the water heater get to its maximum temperature, adjust the shower until the temperature is at a safe temp, and is then supposed to adjust this high-limit stop so the shower valve can be opened no hotter. In this way a shower-taker could never get scalded - even with the hottest water from the tank. It sounds like the high-limit on your anti-scald valve is not adjusted correctly.

How to adjust the high-limit is going to vary depending on what brand/model your valve is. Do to possibilities of scalding, we recommend having Geisel make the adjustment for you.  Also See: Anti-Scald Tub & Shower Faucets - Be Careful!

Leak Somewhere in the Plumbing in my Shower/Bath ?

Dear Wally:  "I have water dripping from my ceiling and I can't figure out where it is coming from, It only happens occasionally.  What's wrong?

Answer:  I see this all the time and nine times out of ten it's the grout or a bad pan under the shower. Before anything else I try to determine if the leak is constant or if it is periodic. If it is constant there is a good chance the leak is in the pressurized water lines. Usually the leak is periodic so I have a series of tests that I perform to track it down. Sometimes a quick visual inspection of the tile will show that the grout is shot and is the most likely cause of the leak but I will often complete the rest of my tests to be sure. What I do is first fill the tub half way and drain it. This will tell me if it's in the drain pipe. For a shower with a lead or vinyl pan I block the drain and fill the base with water. This will tell me if the pan leaks. Then I remove the shower head and put a 1/2" cap on the shower arm and turn on the pressure. This will tell me if there is a leak in the pipe between the shower valve and the shower arm. If no leak has shown up by then I tend to think the leak is water bleeding through the tile due to bad grouting or that water is escaping the shower and going down through flaws in the bathroom floor. I can check this by taping up a plastic dropcloth inside the shower covering all the tilework and having the customer use the shower normally for a day or two. If the leak has suddenly disappeared then we know it coming through the tile. A few cups of water on the floor will show a leak through bad tile or a cracked floor base. If none of this works, it's time to open the walls.