Opening the door to the utility closet was like opening a door into a land of make believe, an installation by Walter Mitty! The first person who should take blame for the situation is the architect who designed a closet too small to put a furnace and a water heater into. The furnace requires three […]
Check that Tub Overflow
If you’ve got a bathtub you probably have an overflow, that’s the round disc that prevents the water from overflowing if you fill the bathtub too high. Some of these overflows also have the control for the drain plug on a small lever. You should check that it is securely fastened by trying to wiggle […]
S-traps are obsolete.
Looking under the sinks in many older homes it is not unusual to see the original trap on the drain, these were often similar to an “S” on it’s side. They are no longer permitted due to their tendency, when draining water from the sink, to finish with a siphon action that can empty the […]
Lead Water Main is Hazardous
In the basement of a home from the mid 1800’s there was a heath hazard that no one noticed. Buyers, the current owner who had purchased that home six months ago, real estate agents and our clients all walked past this piece of pipe as they anxiously looked for potential issues with the house. The […]
Venting Frustrations
There is nothing worse than badly draining sinks, tubs, and showers, not to mention toilets that need three flushes to finish the job. A call to a drain cleaning company did not help. They looked down the drains of the three year old home with a camera scope, all the way to the city sewer […]
Water Softener (What’s It?)
Looking at plumbing in a house have you ever wondered what different things are? There is that usual loop of pipe, which for no apparent reason loops down from ceiling in the basement? Or the two copper pipes about a foot apart one above the other that are sticking straight out and capped off? The […]
Well (Water) Inspections
Many properties particularly in rural areas are on well water, which is not a problem in itself. A new well will have a submersible pump that is down in the well shaft, older wells will often have a “jet pump” which will be located at the pressure tank (in the house of a well pit) […]
Asbestos Pipe Insulation
Video of asbestos pipe insulation on a hydroponic (water) or steam boiler heating system. Asbestos can be dangerous to your health if fibers are disturbed, often found in buildings buildings from the fifty’s and older on heating and hot water plumbing pipes.
Leaking Vent Pipe Boot
Where the plumbing vent pipe exits through the roof shingles, there is a metal plate with a rubber gasket (boot) that stops water leaking into the attic. The flashing boot will generally deteriorate and start leaking water into the attic after about twelve years, that’s long before it’s time to re-roof. The boot needs to […]
Gas Leak : What To Do
Assuming it’s a small leak, one that’s hard to smell, the first thing to do is turn off the gas to the unit. There is supposed to be a shut off valve within six feet of and in the same room as any gas appliance. Turn this off and you should be good. Furnaces and […]
How Times have Changed Drains
This month has been the month for old drain cleaning signs from the 50’s still attached to basement ceiling rafters. Drains have had issues for years, older cast iron pipes were easily damaged by tree roots, while newer PVC pipes are rarely damaged by tree roots but often blocked by disposable diapers, feminine sanitary products […]
Old Cast Iron Drains
Modern PVC drain pipes have reduced the number of blocked drains substantially. This old house in downtown Dayton was built in the early ‘50’s had a sixty foot run to where the blockage was in 58, again in ‘66, ‘03 and ‘06. These were all bad years for this houses main drain according to the […]
Trees and Drains do not go well together.
Video of a very standard front yard: Take a look where the sewage clean out is located; in the basement or outside along the side of the foundation. This will tell you where the sewer line from the home is. Now look around for trees and see if there are any near the sewer line. […]
Water Heater TPR Valve
On the top or side of every water heater, there is a pressure safety valve called the TPR valve. It is a simple device that releases pressure (very hot water) to prevent the tank from bursting or exploding if the temperature in the water heater reaches or exceeds 180 degrees. “TPR” stands for Temperature & […]
