Plumbing discussions and local services.
law748
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RE: Finally got my bathroom reno approved - permit process wasn’t as scary as I thought
I hear you on the tape debate. I’ve had blue tape bleed under on me, but the green stuff actually ripped a chunk of drywall paper off once when I was doing a patch job. That was a fun surprise... not. I’m starting to thi...
RE: That weird hissing sound behind the bathroom door...
I’ve always wondered if those eco valves are really worth the hype or just another gimmick. Did you notice any difference in how fast the tank refills? I swapped one in at my uncle’s place, and it seemed a bit slower, bu...
RE: Low-flow toilets: worth the hype or just a pain?
Enzyme stuff is one of those things I keep hearing about from customers, but I’ve never seen it make a dramatic difference in old cast iron. Maybe it helps a bit with grease, but if you’ve got scale, rough patches, or ro...
RE: Choosing between in-kitchen and underground grease traps - what would you do?
I’ve watched a few places try to cut corners with those tiny under-sink traps, thinking they’d just empty them out every night, and honestly, it never lasts. Someone forgets, or the new guy doesn’t know the drill, and su...
RE: WHEN HOT SHOWERS TURN LUKEWARM: DEALING WITH TEMPERAMENTAL WATER HEATERS
Yeah, I get where you’re coming from. I’ve seen folks dump gallons of vinegar through their tankless, convinced it’s all scale, and then nothing changes. Had a job where the culprit was actually a faulty mixing valve - t...
RE: Half flush never seems to work right - am I missing something?
Honestly, I’ve yet to see a dual flush that doesn’t need some kind of fiddling after a year or so. The place I’m renting now has one of those push-button jobs and it’s already acting up - sometimes the half flush is more...
RE: Burst pipe panic: what would you do?
I get what you mean about the “miracle” wraps - Thing is, even those cheap pipe clamps can be a pain if your pipe’s in an awkward spot or the leak’s close to a joint. I once tried clamping a split right up against a fit...
RE: Water pressure woes - anyone else dealt with this?
Honestly, I get the appeal of copper for visible spots, but I’ve seen a few too many pinhole leaks pop up in older copper runs to fully trust it anymore. PEX might look cheap, but it’s held up better than I expected, esp...
RE: Choosing between in-kitchen and underground grease traps - what would you do?
Had a similar debate with my uncle when he redid his kitchen last year. He was convinced the underground trap was “future-proofing,” but honestly, it turned into a mini excavation project in his backyard. Took us two wee...
RE: my shower's gone rogue and sprays everywhere but down
Yeah, I’ve been there - tried soaking mine in vinegar, poked at the jets with a toothpick, the whole deal. It helped for a bit, but after a while it just started spraying sideways no matter what. I get the temptation to ...
RE: Sink monster making weird noises and not grinding right
Reminds me of when my uncle insisted he could "fix" his disposal by dumping ice cubes and lemon peels down it. Sounded like a cement mixer full of marbles afterward...he ended up replacing it anyway. Sometimes DIY just a...
RE: Plumber emergency: DIY quick fixes or call the pros?
Yeah, plumbing definitely has a sneaky way of turning a simple fix into chaos. I once tried tightening a loose pipe under my sink and ended up cracking it - instant indoor waterfall. DIY's great, but knowing your limits ...
RE: Water pressure woes - anyone else dealt with this?
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, removing the restrictor can sometimes cause more headaches than it's worth. Last year I was staying at my brother's place and he decided to pull his out - thought he'd finall...
RE: Finally won the battle against invading tree roots
Yeah, barriers can help, but honestly I've seen roots do some pretty wild gymnastics to get around them. Last summer, we dug up a sewer line that had been completely invaded by roots from a supposedly "safe" ornamental c...
RE: Plumber emergency: DIY quick fixes or call the pros?
True enough, but speaking from experience here...sometimes those DIY "fixes" can backfire spectacularly. I remember one night my uncle decided he could handle a leaking pipe himself. He grabbed some duct tape (because of...