Your recent repair? - 2021 to ?

[MC Rider]

New cartridge did the trick. $16.98

Not bad. We have a $55 shower cartridge above and I paid about $40 for a kitchen faucet cartridge recently.

 

[NW-Bound]

... Two repairs in one day, so I took today off.

Some retirees would take the rest of the year off.

I would not be so lucky.

 

[euro]

For todays fun replaced a Ball Rod Assembly, which lifts the drain plug in a bath sink when you move the lever. The end that goes into the drain and lifts the plug had rusted completely away. $16 seemed steep for a small part. And it's a real pita working on stuff under the sink. But I guess a plumber or handyman would probably charge $100 or more just to show up.

As an easy alternative, I recommend these bathroom sink pop up stoppers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09C64VL56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1





Just drop it in and done. $7-13 on Amazon

 

[Ronstar]

Not really a repair. More like a replacement. Had a leaking hose bib outside faucet. DW wanted a new one. I could have repaired the old one, but DW insisted on a new one. So I cut the pipe, and hammered the old one out of the brick wall. Installed the new one, hydraulic cemented it into the brick and connected it into the plumbing.

 

[jazz4cash]

We had to use the shower in our guest bath a couple days ago and realized there was a low flow of water coming out of the shower head. I soaked it in vinegar and cleaned it as best as possible but still no flow. So I decided to replace the Moen 1222 shower cartridge ($55 yikes).

I have replaced these in our other showers a few times, but have never replaced the one in the guest bath. I thought it would be a quick 15 minute job but it turned into a 2 hour nightmare. The cartridge was really stuck in the valve body. The little plastic removal tool broke. So I switched to a combination of needle nose pliers, vice grips, and other tools but the cartridge just fell apart. No matter what I did it wouldn't come out. I kept breaking pieces off inside the valve body, being careful not to scratch the brass valve. Eventually I had to partially cut through the remaining plastic with a hacksaw blade in order to break out the final remaining pieces. One cartridge = 100 small pieces and a big mess.

Once I finally got it out I polished up the inside of the valve body with 1000 grit sandpaper, lubed everything up with plumbers grease and installed the new valve body. Everything went together fine, no leaks.

Unfortunately, the shower head still has very low flow. Grrr... So, I have a new shower head on order.

Our fixtures are all "antique brass" which apparently is "soooo... 1990's" and is almost impossible to find today. It's also hard to find a regular shower head and not one of those dinner plate sized rain showers. Sheesh.

Most of the popular plumbing fixture manufacturers offer free lifetime warranty on parts, including Moen I think. I’ve received several free replacement cartridges from Delta. One time I couldn’t find my model of kitchen faucet and I sent a pic which they used to identify the correct part.

My shower cartridge was stuck also and I found tips on line suggesting white vinegar to free it up. I built a reservoir with duct tape and plastic wrap to soak the old fixture and it worked.

 

[John Galt III]

The instructions said to drain the tank to replace the drain valve. I maybe could have skipped draining it. While trying to open the plastic valve to drain the whole thing came off and very little water escaped. I put it back on and attached the hose. Water still did not want to drain more than a tiny bit until I opened the pressure relief valve up top. Then it took over half an hour to drain. And yes, I did open a hot water faucet inside the house.

Thanks for the info !

 

[sengsational]

And yes, I did open a hot water faucet inside the house.

Not all are equal. The best one would be above and closest to the top of the unit.

 

[ERD50]

Not all are equal. The best one would be above and closest to the top of the unit.

What difference does it make? All you need to do is let air into the system to displace the water.

Maybe one reason they say to open these is that if you don't, drawing out water from the bottom is going to pull a vacuum on the tank. It was designed for pressure, and is normally under pressure, even a slight vacuum might put a lot of strain on the tank?

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

The instructions said to drain the tank to replace the drain valve. I maybe could have skipped draining it. While trying to open the plastic valve to drain the whole thing came off and very little water escaped. I put it back on and attached the hose. Water still did not want to drain more than a tiny bit until I opened the pressure relief valve up top. Then it took over half an hour to drain. And yes, I did open a hot water faucet inside the house.

IIRC, water heaters now have check valves, to prevent some thermal siphoning to help reduce heat loss.

So you may very well need to open the T&P valve to empty the tank.

-ERD50

 

[mountainsoft]

Most of the popular plumbing fixture manufacturers offer free lifetime warranty on parts, including Moen I think. I’ve received several free replacement cartridges from Delta. One time I couldn’t find my model of kitchen faucet and I sent a pic which they used to identify the correct part.

My shower cartridge was stuck also and I found tips on line suggesting white vinegar to free it up. I built a reservoir with duct tape and plastic wrap to soak the old fixture and it worked.

Yeah, I have ordered free replacements from Moen in the past (I know the fixture model number), but it was worth $55 to me to get it fixed in one day rather than wait a week or two for the new cartridge to be delivered.

I've used plastic baggies and vinegar to clean shower heads, never thought about trying that with the shower valve. Even if it worked it would have been tricky to get set up without making a bigger mess.

In any case, the new cartridge is in and should be easier to replace next time. A new shower head is supposed to be delivered tomorrow, so I'll see if that solves the low output problem.

I wish the original Moen shower head came apart so I could just clean it out, but it appears to be pressed or glued together. I'm sure I could get it apart, but putting the pieces back together would be the problem.

 

[MC Rider]

Not all are equal. The best one would be above and closest to the top of the unit.

I did not know that. But, it's a 1 story house, so no faucet is at the level of the top of the water heater. I was just glad to get the job done.

 

[MC Rider]

As an easy alternative, I recommend these bathroom sink pop up stoppers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09C64VL56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just drop it in and done. $7-13 on Amazon

That would have been easier. And the ball rod was $16 plus tax, so slightly cheaper too. Maybe next time.

 

[NW-Bound]

If you consider yourself pretty handy, watch a couple of this gal's videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNwBSVzAmfDaH2G04bA0jJQ

I just saw this. This gal is about as handy as I [-]am[/-] was.

I am old, and don't want to do the things aja8888 is still doing with engine repairs.

 

[travelover]

I just saw this. This gal is about as handy as I [-]am[/-] was.

I am old, and don't want to do the things aja8888 is still doing with engine repairs.

Young people like this give me hope. I see the young people in my life taking their cars in for an oil change, not even considering doing a simple job like replacing brake pads and think, What are they going to do if the SHTF? This gal will be doing fine.

 

[NW-Bound]

I replaced a 2nd toilet with a low-flow unit. Man, the old toilet used a lot of water, and did not flush that well. My home was built in 1986, so the toilet was 36-year-old.

I did not know how well the new low-flow toilets work until I stayed in a hotel and saw what I was missing. Who could have thought something as old as the toilet was still not designed right until recently?

I guess people just think, if something works then just let it be, instead of looking for ways to improve it.

 

[ERD50]

I replaced a 2nd toilet with a low-flow unit. Man, the old toilet used a lot of water, and did not flush that well. My home was built in 1986, so the toilet was 36-year-old.

I did not know how well the new low-flow toilets work until I stayed in a hotel and saw what I was missing. Who could have thought something as old as the toilet was still not designed right until recently?

I guess people just think, if something works then just let it be, instead of looking for ways to improve it.

Yes, it is pretty amazing that (roughly speaking), they work 2 or 3x better, with 1/2 or 1/3rd the water.

I replaced 2 of 3 toilets in our previous home, and since we were on a well, using 1 vs using 2 gallons per flush really was not an issue at all. I did it for the better flushing.

If one wants to take a deep dive into a 'yucky' subject, the test methods and standard setting conditions are kinda interesting.

I wonder if it actually took some advanced computer modeling to get the last bits of it right? I take it that this sort of flow analysis is pretty complex, not easy to perfect on a trial and error basis. And I think there are actually two different approaches, one relies mainly on water that *doesn't* get dumped into the bowl, but goes right down the drain, creating a suction that pulls the 'content' out of the bowl before refilling the bowl.

-ERD50

 

[sengsational]

What difference does it make? All you need to do is let air into the system to displace the water.

Maybe one reason they say to open these is that if you don't, drawing out water from the bottom is going to pull a vacuum on the tank. It was designed for pressure, and is normally under pressure, even a slight vacuum might put a lot of strain on the tank?

-ERD50

The statement was from personal experience, to which I surmised a reason (which may or may not be valid) But here it is...the air pulled into the open faucet above the water heater just goes in, and the water level in the pipe goes down, with gravity assisting. The air pulled into the low faucet must bubble through water that's not wanting to flow back towards the water heater because that's going up. For you: reduce resistance, increase flow!

 

[zinger1457]

I've had two water heaters in my current house and never had any luck draining the tank by just opening a hot water valve, always end up opening up the pressure relief valve on the tank to get the drain water flowing good.

 

[NW-Bound]

I've had two water heaters in my current house and never had any luck draining the tank by just opening a hot water valve, always end up opening up the pressure relief valve on the tank to get the drain water flowing good.

The pipe going from the water heater to the faucets inside the home does not follow a straight sloped route. It has up and down sections.

Even when I open a faucet upstairs with the water heater downstairs with its drain opened, the water just flows for a few seconds before the plumbing burps. Air entering the pipe breaks the siphoning action, and the water flow stops.

This is easy to recognize if the plumbing is out in the open for us to see, instead of being hidden in the walls.

 

[ERD50]

The statement was from personal experience, to which I surmised a reason (which may or may not be valid) But here it is...the air pulled into the open faucet above the water heater just goes in, and the water level in the pipe goes down, with gravity assisting. The air pulled into the low faucet must bubble through water that's not wanting to flow back towards the water heater because that's going up. For you: reduce resistance, increase flow!

I've had two water heaters in my current house and never had any luck draining the tank by just opening a hot water valve, always end up opening up the pressure relief valve on the tank to get the drain water flowing good.

The pipe going from the water heater to the faucets inside the home does not follow a straight sloped route. It has up and down sections.

Even when I open a faucet upstairs with the water heater downstairs with its drain opened, the water just flows for a few seconds before the plumbing burps. Air entering the pipe breaks the siphoning action, and the water flow stops.

This is easy to recognize if the plumbing is out in the open for us to see, instead of being hidden in the walls.

I'm not seeing it. I'm pretty sure the others are talking about a water heater in the basement, or lowest level of the house. That's gravity, what does siphon have to do with it? A long line of piping will add some resistance to flow, but I think that's minor in terms of garden hose gravity flow, and after a gallon or two, it's mostly air. OK, if there are low spots, those will be a water trap, but again, I doubt that having to bubble air through a water trap or two is going to affect the flow out the water heater drain. If the velocity was that high, the water would get sucked out in no time.

I really think it is due to check valves I mentioned (heat trap nipples) on the water heater, to reduce hot water flowing back up through the pipes and losing heat. That will reduce back-flow from an open faucet, until the T&P is opened.

I recall seeing these on the replacement water heater in our previous home. Here's an article, and my manual:

https://www.ehow.com/how_10041692_install-heat-trap-nipple.html

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/165229/State-Water-Heaters-186489-002.html?page=32#manual

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

I'm not seeing it. I'm pretty sure the others are talking about a water heater in the basement, or lowest level of the house. That's gravity, what does siphon have to do with it? A long line of piping will add some resistance to flow, but I think that's minor in terms of garden hose gravity flow, and after a gallon or two, it's mostly air. OK, if there are low spots, those will be a water trap, but again, I doubt that having to bubble air through a water trap or two is going to affect the flow out the water heater drain. If the velocity was that high, the water would get sucked out in no time.

Draw yourself a diagram of a water pipe with sections going up/down a couple of times, like a squarewave. Then, imagine the pipe has both air and water in it. The air traps in the pipe may just cause the same head as the height of the water heater, and there's no static pressure to keep the water going, and for the air to follow.

Yes, it's true that if you have enough water velocity, the water can just flow through by momentum, the same as our toilet flushing works. However, the flow from a water heater drain valve is never that fast to get that momentum.

I really think it is due to check valves I mentioned (heat trap nipples) on the water heater, to reduce hot water flowing back up through the pipes and losing heat. That will reduce back-flow from an open faucet, until the T&P is opened.

I recall seeing these on the replacement water heater in our previous home. Here's an article, and my manual:

https://www.ehow.com/how_10041692_install-heat-trap-nipple.html

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/165229/State-Water-Heaters-186489-002.html?page=32#manual

-ERD50

Yes, I know about the check valve that you described, and it is certainly an impediment to letting air into the tank.

Well, I also had problems in the past draining my water heater, despite the old unit having no check valves to prevent heat loss.

 

[Walt34]

If you consider yourself pretty handy, watch a couple of this gal's videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNwBSVzAmfDaH2G04bA0jJQ

I've seen a bunch of her videos, she's pretty amazing.

 

[MC Rider]

More plumbing.

Got under the kitchen sink with the basin wrench and DW up top to hold the faucet.
Got it tightened up so it does not move when you turn on the water.
I'll estimate a dozen or so garage words were spewed in a couple minutes time.

Working on under sink stuff sucks. Job done though.

 

[ERD50]

Draw yourself a diagram of a water pipe with sections going up/down a couple of times, like a squarewave. Then, imagine the pipe has both air and water in it. The air traps in the pipe may just cause the same head as the height of the water heater, and there's no static pressure to keep the water going, and for the air to follow.
....

Are you saying the head of each section of the "square wave" would add up? So that 10 sections with a 1' trap would be like a 10' head?

I could be wrong, but it just doesn't seem like it would work that way. Water seeks its own level, I would think each trap is just a 1' head, not additive at all (though resistance to flow would increase with each, but I'm thinking not enough to make a huge difference).

I'd try an experiment, but I've learned one thing with plumbing that stuck with me - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I'm not going to mess with draining the tank and trying different faucets, not even for science!

I occasionally do a flush of the tank (1/year, maybe), but not the full blown drain. I run some with the valves open, and I get some sediment out. Rinse/repeat a few times until little/no sediment appears - and I do it on an early week-day, in case I end up having to call a plumber. Good enough for me, I don't want to risk depressurizing and re-pressurizing the tank, and stirring up sediment in the pipes.

-ERD50

 

[RobbieB]

Went out to the small boat today and verified the sender was standard. Removed the sender and measured tank depth and float orientation. Needed for adjusting the bracket height and float arm length. Then came home and drilled and tapped the new unit for my custom 3/8" fuel feed. Stock unit had quarter inch, not gonna do for a 150.

All looks good and when I install, I'll be able to "river test" and sell the boat -