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Water & its waywardness
Old 01-19-2009, 09:58 PM   #1
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Water & its waywardness

A while back I had a water leak mystery that was solved.

Saturday I had the thermostat die and replaced (on a Saturday).

Today I noticed water near the water heater; and several leaks from 40+ year old pipes/faucets.

This house is old and disintegrating, wonder how little repair I can get away with.
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:14 PM   #2
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Today I noticed water near the water heater; and several leaks from 40+ year old pipes/faucets.
This house is old and disintegrating, wonder how little repair I can get away with.
Depends on whether you want to keep living in it or sell it to thefed for him to fix up and rent to tenants...

I wish I could get 40 years on a faucet. Heck, I wish I could get 20 years on the first set of faucet software.

Last weekend "This Old House" did a 10-minute segment on tankless water heaters. Might make sense for a house with only one water user-- fewer water-heating expenses and possibly fewer leaks.
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:19 PM   #3
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Depends on whether you want to keep living in it or sell it to thefed for him to fix up and rent to tenants...

I wish I could get 40 years on a faucet. Heck, I wish I could get 20 years on the first set of faucet software.

Last weekend "This Old House" did a 10-minute segment on tankless water heaters. Might make sense for a house with only one water user-- fewer water-heating expenses and possibly fewer leaks.
I'm stuck here until the cat dies. I've pretty much decided to have the house torn down when I leave for assisted living.
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:26 PM   #4
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For the reason you mention, my wife won't work on pipes in the wall since she is convinced that they will start leaking on her once the walls are sealed. Thank goodness she will work on the other things like the garberator and the swamp cooler.
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:33 PM   #5
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For the reason you mention, my wife won't work on pipes in the wall since she is convinced that they will start leaking on her once the walls are sealed. Thank goodness she will work on the other things like the garberator and the swamp cooler.
I'm sympathetic to her point of view (as T-Al about leaky pipes in the wall and mold monsters). I'm fairly confident in my ability to sweat copper pipes now, especially if I can get the "cheater" fittings with the solder already in them. If I come upon a really messy in-wall situation I'd probably just tear out the copper to the nearest spot out of the wall, install a "Sharkbite" fitting, and re-run the section with PEX. No connections in the wall after that, nothing to leak.
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:38 PM   #6
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I'm sympathetic to her point of view (as T-Al about leaky pipes in the wall and mold monsters). I'm fairly confident in my ability to sweat copper pipes now, especially if I can get the "cheater" fittings with the solder already in them. If I come upon a really messy in-wall situation I'd probably just tear out the copper to the nearest spot out of the wall, install a "Sharkbite" fitting, and re-run the section with PEX. No connections in the wall after that, nothing to leak.
Copper or PVC or Pex?
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:41 PM   #7
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... the garberator...
I've never heard it called that before!
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:49 PM   #8
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Copper or PVC or Pex?
If I have a choice for pipe inside a wall (new construction or an addition), it would be PEX. But, my house is all copper and the pipe is in good shape so I generally fix what I've got using copper.
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:52 PM   #9
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If I have a choice for pipe inside a wall (new construction or an addition), it would be PEX. But, my house is all copper and the pipe is in good shape so I generally fix what I've got using copper.
The way my house is set up, very little pipe in inside a wall. There is some copper, but most is 40+ steel.
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Old 01-19-2009, 10:59 PM   #10
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Today I noticed water near the water heater; and several leaks from 40+ year old pipes/faucets.

This house is old and disintegrating, wonder how little repair I can get away with.
Well, see, that's how it all starts. You go to replace one part, then realize the part connected to it is in poor shape, so you start to replace that part too, and before you know it, you're at the neighbors house, knocking on their bathroom door, telling him he's got to get out of there, 'cuz you need to pull the commode...

I do soldered copper with regular fittings for supply side (when I'm a supply-sider ). No PEX, I'm suspicious of "the latest great labor-saving thing", with time some become disasters like synthetic stucco system, PolyButylene supply, etc.

When I'm on the trickle-down side, I prefer Schedule 40 PVC
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:00 PM   #11
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The way my house is set up, very little pipe in inside a wall.
That's good!

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There is some copper, but most is 40+ steel.
That's bad. I wonder how anybody thought galvanized pipe would be a good idea.
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:04 PM   #12
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That's good!


That's bad. I wonder how anybody thought galvanized pipe would be a good idea.
I guess 40 or 50 years ago, it seemed like a good idea.
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:11 PM   #13
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Well, see, that's how it all starts. You go to replace one part, then realize the part connected to it is in poor shape, so you start to replace that part too, and before you know it, you're at the neighbors house, knocking on their bathroom door, telling him he's got to get out of there, 'cuz you need to pull the commode...
"Chasing leaks".

Gosh I miss submarine maintenance.
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:19 PM   #14
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"Chasing leaks".

Gosh I miss submarine maintenance.
At least home maintenance isn't (usually) quite as urgent.
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:26 PM   #15
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Last weekend "This Old House" did a 10-minute segment on tankless water heaters. Might make sense for a house with only one water user-- fewer water-heating expenses and possibly fewer leaks.
Did they mention that a lot of old houses need a heavy up on their electric in order to power the darn things? If it's electric, anyway. I was doing research on this for my mom, and it would have cost so much to set up she could buy and install 2 or 3 regular water heaters.
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Old 01-19-2009, 11:38 PM   #16
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Did they mention that a lot of old houses need a heavy up on their electric in order to power the darn things? If it's electric, anyway. I was doing research on this for my mom, and it would have cost so much to set up she could buy and install 2 or 3 regular water heaters.
Had the house rewired/upgraded about 10 years ago.
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Old 01-20-2009, 01:06 AM   #17
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Had the house rewired/upgraded about 10 years ago.
Good idea. My wife had a monster circuit box installed outside. I left it to her to decide what amps and stuff were needed since we were running additional wires. Electricity is magic.
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Old 01-20-2009, 05:57 AM   #18
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PEX pipe is my friend.
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Old 01-20-2009, 07:36 AM   #19
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The plumber is in the basement.
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Old 01-20-2009, 07:46 AM   #20
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The plumber is in the basement.
Quick!

Get down there and check for Plumber's Butt!

You're paying for it by the hour!

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