In the old days steel pipe ran right up and attached directly to the bottom of faucets. With the advent of copper piping, this too ran up and was hard connected to the bottom of the faucets. Both of these were serious plumbing installations that had to fit just right. Then someone invented a f...
When you replace a dripping faucet and the newly installed one still drips, the cause is usually a piece of something that got into the pipe during the installation. You need to flush out the pipe.Turn off the water and remove the valve stem that is leaking. Take a bucket and hold it upside d...
Changing a faucet is a simple task that you actually should do once a year, to avoid having it ever drip. The general concept is easy enough, but here are some useful working tips:Put a plug or strainer in the drain first, to catch screws and other little parts. This avoids having to extend ...
Brian in Calgary just can't get the handles off of his faucets in the shower. He has tried to pull them off until his hands are raw. When he tried to pry them, he discovered that the plumbing in the wall is not stable and the pipes move forward. He tried WD-40 and CLR to get the handles to...
George sent in his tip of using a pulley or bearing puller to get faucet handles off of the stem without having to bang them all up. He takes out the retaining screw and puts in a headless screw to give him something for the puller to push against. Then the puller just grabs the handle and you ...
It may surprise you, but more accidents happen in the shower when the shower suddenly goes cold, than when it suddenly goes hot. It seems that we just jump higher. But neither shock is agreeable, or safe.
That's why all new plumbing installations require something called a "Pressure Balancing va...
Dan from Toronto, Ontario writes: "I saw your show about installing the Moen Positemp shower system. We had two installed, one upstairs and one in our basement shower. Both work fine for controlling the "shock" factor, but we can't seem to get enough hot water out of the upstairs one. Is there a ...
Drum Cymbal noises --> Furnace Ducting
Gina in Saskatoon is complaining about drum cymbal-like crashes that happen every time her furnace goes on. This is common when you have smooth flat ductwork. The heat and pressure of the air can cause the large flat surface of sheet metal to flex eithe...
Nav in cold Edmonton, Alberta, writes: "We are trying to build an ice rink in the backyard. Our tap has frozen over and nothing comes out of it at all. Are they any solutions to this problem?"
The easiest way to unfreeze the hose bib is to wrap rags around it and keep pouring boiling wa...
Scott in Grand Falls, NF has a loud banging noise in his pipes every time he shuts off a faucet.
In some plumbing systems when a faucet or an automatic valve like in a washing machine stops the water too fast, it tries to keep going and you get a banging sound throughout the house. The pipes are...
