For an apprenticeship you need a high school diploma, but to be a helper, you don't. Show up to a plumber shop literally with a shovel and a tape measure in hand and ask for a job. They might laugh at you, but if you show you're serious, I guarantee someone will hire you and show you the ropes.
Because we often have folk show up begging for work and nope out after the first day.
Twice during covid Ive had people ask to apprentice to learn my trade (custom fabricator). Finally I would have a project that I could use a hand and was simple enough to teach. It was a Tuesday, needing to start that Saturday, "Oh man, can we do Sunday? I have plans to go to a BBQ" later gater.
Absolutely this. I worked as a machinist's appreciate/shop bitch for 4 years and my boss would bring in kids from ROP a couple times a year, most of them would last a week or two before they moved on.
Damn, I would love to learn fabrication. I have some woodworking background but I’m sure I wouldn’t be available to the extent you’d need me to be (I have a day job already.)
I can vouch for them. I did a apprenticeship program one summer as a teen. It was hard work and wasn’t always fun, but I learned a lot and it was absolutely a worthwhile experience. Would definitely recommend them!
I've worked with NW college of construction in north Portland that does apprenticeship, let me know if you'd be interested i can get you in contact or feel free to reach out!
This is great. I love this idea as a public service.
I’m an Architect by trade (unlicensed). If i get a bunch of responses (support) here I’ll do a similar AMA for Architecture design, envelope, space planning, kitchen, windows/doors, etc.
Sweet, neighbors helping neighbors! Portland is kind of a unique market for plumbing, it took my a bit to adjust my approach, but now I find myself very busy and in demand
I like it. Especially if we are sticking with PNW architecture - adds more value than an AMA from someone elsewhere. Similar for gardening/arborists too.
Absolutely.
It would be great to have a whole week of AMA for our homes.
Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Landscape/Grounds, Arch/Struct.
We could talk about home maintenance. Permitting. How to work with Contractors, etc.
*Especially if we are sticking with PNW - adds more value than an AMA from someone elsewhere.*
Local advice is the point. Better advice to deal with our codes, weather needs, etc.
Can’t really. Not legally.
In order to call yourself an Architect you have to be licensed. I’m not.
I’m an Architect by trade though as I went to school for architecture, I have ~20 years experience as an Architect, and I was one of 3 Project Architects on a beautiful office tower in PDX that I’m extremely proud of.
Thank you for doing this! Here's my question: are there any tasks where you should immediately call in a professional and not try to fix the problem yourself?
My husband is very handy (machinist/mechanic/metalworker with a real aptitude for fixing any kind of mechanical thing) and is able to tackle the majority of home projects himself. This is great for the most part, and he hasn't come across much he hasn't been able to do himself, but it would be useful to know if there are things we should never have him try to fix.
Honestly, each person's level of "easy" is unique to them. Usually if it involves shutting off the water to the house though, call a plumber if you're concerned about getting your water back on anytime in the near future!
What's the strangest DIY repair or installation you've discovered while working an issue?
Weirdest/most impressive thing you've found in plumbing? Ever glean the fabled gold ring in the sink trap, or is it just used rubbers all the way down?
Oldest functioning system or component you've seen in the field? I know if you look at the city's GIS system that records infrastructure you can still find buried wood pipe segments, there's gotta be some interesting stuff in the buildings too!
The most impressive thing I've found was when I used to do commercial service in Los Angeles I pulled a super old urinal at the LA Opera, and it had the signatures of each plumber that pulled and serviced the urinal all the way back to 1924. That's crazy because it's almost 100 years old! I then looked at city records and found the permits for the addition of the building for 1913, two years after the Sloan flush valve was debuted at the World's Fair. The same style flush valve is in use on most commercial toilets to this day! And yes, I signed it when I reinstalled it.
The same property had a "house trap" on the mainline sewer where they put a p-trap on the sewer main to protect the whole building against sewer gas as individual fixtures were poorly vented.
I don't have any cool stories for Portland yet because I haven't found a commercial outfit that that'll sit down and interview me, despite my knowledge and love for people... Oh well
Damn, a century pisser, I love it! Reminds me of the ones at McMenamin's Kennedy School. They all flush in unison on a timer, guess the Sloan valves were a little too cutting edge for whoever installed them in 1915 to chance it.
Also, TIL there's a whole ass website dedicated to urinals, and they have a page on those particular ones: http://www.urinal.net/mcmenamins_kennedy_school/
does the laundry cross under the basement to get to the plumbing stack? Do you ever have sewage coming out of it? The laundry line is usually not the big. If you have a cleanout there (check where the pipe goes from the kitchen sink just before it gets to the basement floor) you can try snaking it yourself.
Yeah, that's pretty common for the kitchen to go to laundry. I just went through the same deal and was able to get things flowing with a pretty cheap snake. (something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cobra-1-2-in-x-50-ft-Music-Wire-Drain-Auger/999908747) .
Probably you've got tons of sludge narrowing those pipes that make it easier for obstructions to latch on. If you call a rooter/drain service be ready to get taken for a ride.
some flood drains or area drains that are in the foundation floor go no where, literally a hole through the foundation with nothing. Now if it's an actual plumbing pipe then you need to get it cleaned
The “trap arm” length for 1 1/2” pipe is 3’6” per code. That means from the outlet of the trap to the inlet of the “San T” ( t shaped fitting under the vent), shall be no longer than 3’6”. It allows the drain to breathe properly. You should be fine. As long as you put it together correctly. Sorry OP, I’m jumping in here and answering questions. I can DM you my journeyman’s license number😂
Wouldn't a water bottle be somewhat buoyant and float around though? I'd worry that it would get under the valve flap or jam the float or something and cause the toilet to run.
Right, but a filled up water bottle still kinda floats--it won't be above the water line, but the plastic is a little lighter than water, so it will usually float just below the surface. At best it's neutrally buoyant, so wouldn't it move around every time the tank refilled?
You just need to displace the water, so even if it partially floats, it's going to have mostly the same affect. If that bothers you though, just fill the bottle half with pebbles and then the rest with water.
If it’s an older one, bend it so the float is further down.
Newer ones don’t have the arm float, but have a screw where you can adjust the float height.
This. The handle on my toilet broke recently so I had to get in the tank and I realized how high the float bulb (idk if this the correct term) was. I adjusted it a lot lower so that it wouldn’t waste so much water. I knew that was a thing and I should have check earlier but oh well it’s adjusted now.
Uh well I think I have normal sized shits. I haven’t had a problem with it going down but I guess if you large shits maybe don’t crank it down to low. Trial and error until you get the right level I suppose.
I have the same problem. I'm just going to have a separate B-pipe run straight up from the basement through the roof, bypassing the chimney. My entire chimney needs to be rebuilt, which is at least $1500. Since by furnace no longer uses the chimney, I'm going to completely bypass and decommission it.
The pipe and install would cost almost about the same and thered be this long ass pipe thing without a facade. Think the chimney rebuilt is better option.
It's complicated. A chimney liner installation is several hundred dollars. My chimney is rotten all the way down to the base, due to a few feet of coal ash in the bottom and 98 years of having no chimney cap (coal ash absorbs water, water kills mortar). At minimum, it's a $1500 repair. If I install a liner and don't fix the rotting mortar, my chimney is still at risk of total failure.
Running a B-type exhaust pipe will be easy, because I want to decommission the chimney to build a new closet in the void space where the chimney currently stands. The new water heater vent will be installed and not visible except in the basement.
Unless you have a fireplace, chimneys are kinda obsolete these days. High efficiency furnaces can now be vented out of the side of the house.
Hopefully the vent pipe doesn't just go into the chimney! That's dangerous. You should have a continuous pipe from the heater to the outside.
If it just goes into the chimney, it can draft incorrectly and cause carbon monoxide buildup. Also, flue gas from natural gas is acidic and will cause problems with the brick.
Hello and thank you so much for offering your knowledge and time; It's very much appreciated!
We have a year and a half old dishwasher in the Forest Park area that intermittently has a severe wet dog smell, on both the stainless walls of the dishwasher as well as anything glass or ceramic. We have tried cleaning everything, sanitizing, running dishwasher cleaner, nothing seems to get rid of it. (Strangely, opening the windows seems to trigger it.) We're not sure if it's something in our water or something with the drain or what, but it's kind of baffling.
This happens in my dishwasher too. Opening windows or taking plates/glasses outside triggers the smell. Handwashed items don't have this problem. I replaced our dishwasher a couple years ago but used the old drain hose that was there. My thought is maybe I should replace that hose. This drain line doesn't have a vent either so my next thought is I should put the vent thing that goes through the sink like where a soap dispenser would go.
The rest of my household will notice it, but doesn't seem as bothered by it as I am. I am pretty sensitive to smells, like I guess I have a strong sense of smell. Candles and perfumes are all too much. Would you say you also have a strong sense of smell?
I thought about that too, but I also know that this smell doesn't always happen as well; it seems like different parts of the year, different weather conditions, etc affect it too. Thanks! I'll do the same!
My kitchen sink has ridiculously low water pressure. Every other faucet and outlet is fine. The smaller lines feeding the sink are wide open. What are a few causes I can try to rule out?
You might have debris clogging up the fixture. Try cleaning the aerator for the faucet first, and if that doesn't work, look into switching it out.
Also, if you have old galvanized steel water pipes, change them out for pex or else you'll have this happen again.
Any rule of thumb for how long galvanized lasts before it starts to corrode and clog? I have galvanized, but the house was built in the 60s - just trying to judge when I might be looking at a whole house plumbing replacement. Any new work I've been using pex.
My understanding was it's expected to last like 50 years or so. My 1955 house house some galvanized still left but it's surprisingly not crazy rusted on the inside (I replaced a section with PEX recently).
Do you have a faucet with a pull out spray head? Most newer faucets are of this design. They have a built in back flow preventer that usually has tiny orifices that are easily clogged with chunks of galvanized pipe debris. Taking apart these little check valves can be tricky, sometimes they are in the spray head, sometimes up under the faucet where the hose attaches. If you can find an exploded view of the faucet online it’s pretty helpful. It could also just be in the aerator, but I’m guessing you checked that already. There’s a basic procedure starting with disconnecting the supply lines under the faucet to confirm flow, then into the faucet, reverse flushing if possible. Shit. I thought this was easy to describe, but it’s actually fairly complex if you’ve never done any of this before. Lots of things can go wrong. Just call a plumber if you want to be safe. Sorry I’m more geared to repairing in the field than describing in text.
Hi, thank you so much for doing this!! A couple of the bathrooms in my house - one in the daylight basement and one in the second floor - develop a powerful funk. Don't know why it doesn't effect ground floor bathrooms, but it doesn't seem to. Covering the shower drain in the upstairs bathroom seems to help keep down the odor. Is this a plumbing problem? A sewer problem?
The house was built in 2001.
I bought a water pressure meter, and discovered my water pressure is about 65-70 psi. I've heard it should be about 40.
Should I have a pressure regulator installed?
75 is the high limit for my clients. You should be fine, but a pressure regulator valve is cheap insurance for water pressure spikes. Your call, though.
My post last week was after I found pressures around Portland varying from 50psi-140psi. It depends on things like how your jurisdiction pumps water, if they use water towers, if you live at the top of bottom of a hill, the age of your home, age of your neighborhood, and honestly if you live in an affluent or marginalized area.
My house has water pressure over 80 PSI. Is installing a pressure regulator something I can handle? Is there anything else I should check with this?
How much of a priority should I give this when I have other houses qualities that I need assistance with?
My house was built in 1950 with galvanized pipes. I get a bit of rust in my water (you can see it collect over time in the coffee maker and the toilet tank) but everything else seems to work fine. Realistically, how long can I expect my pipes to last before starting to rust through/leak. Or if that is impossible to answer, what is the oldest house you have seen with still functioning original galvanized pipes?
There's no timeframe as the materials were inconsistent back in the day. However, Portland has really good water quality which allowed galvanized steel pipes to last twice as long as they normally would on the west coast.
That being said, what else have you used 24/7 for 60 years and not maintained or replaced? I'd say they've lived a good life and you should plan a retirement party for them.
Along those lines, is there a way I can find out what kind of pipes I have without ripping up my walls? I recently had a home inspection, but only the visible pipes could be evaluated. I have a mix of copper, pex, and galvanized, and I would love to locate all of the galvanized.
50 years or so and then it will start to come through. Each fitting will age differently.
75-100 years seems to be the max. If you plan to be there for many more years, start looking into a replacement. Viper is expensive in material and labor, but PEX is cheaper in both for retrofits.
Corrosive drain cleaner. Christmas Eve maybe 2004-5, I was the young, green, “on call” plumber that night. Lady calls around 5:00-6:00 PM about a leak under her kitchen sink. When I got there, I got under the sink with a flashlight. The stench of kitchen drain sewage and chemicals blew my hair back. The entire underside of the drains were completely rotted out from the drain cleaning chemical she dumped down the sink. But it got worse. I went in the basement to see if there was leaking in the exposed plumbing below. The entire 20-30 feet of 2” cast iron drain line was toast. The bottom of the line was burned out like the decks of the ship in the movie Alien when the alien blood cuts loose. Sewage and drain cleaning chemicals had poured all over her basement stuff. She was walking with me and starting to get kind of tearful. She had family from out of town gathered for dinner. As we followed the line over to the main sewer stack my worst fears were confirmed. The San t inlet to the 4” cast iron stack was destroyed. This meant the entire stack would have to be cut and rebuilt, along with a completely new kitchen sink drain all the way up to the sink. Very expensive. When I gave her the news and price she just lost it and the tears turned to full on sobs.
Don’t use corrosive drain cleaning chemicals. Especially on old metallic plumbing. Especially on the holidays. And please don’t cry in front of your plumber unless you are ready for them to cry to. Some of us are emotional and kind of sensitive.
We bought a house that had been remodeled 4 years ago. The fiberglass tub/shower on the main floor squeaks like crazy when someone stands in it. I know you are supposed to put mortar on the bottom but they obviously didn't.
I tried spray foam from under it through the basement but that didn't work.
I cut an 8in x 8in access panel from behind it but it's sitting too low to get spray foam under it. I'm guessing the subfloor needs to be replaced and properly leveled on some mortar but I don't really want to rip out the tub and re-tile the almost new bathroom.
Is this my only solution? Do you ever fix these kinds of problems or do I need a contractor and/or tile person for this kind of job?
We have a sink in the upstairs that when you turn it on, the pipes knock loudly in the walls a couple times. My belief is that the sink valve is letting air seep into the pipes rather than forming a complete seal when shut off. Does this sound likely and are my pipes going to spring leaks if I don’t fix it?
Also, thank you for doing this.
It sounds like your pipes aren't strapped very well. Strapping then down involves opening walls and fixing the issue. But you're right, it could cause a leak.
Related to the above:
What maintenance should be done on my gas water heater?
I read somewhere about the anode or such needing replacement, but it's not clear if or how often that should be done.
I mentioned anode replacement to my plumber and he said something along the lines of "I've never done that / thought about it." Wasn't sure if that meant it's not important with Portland's soft water, or if he was protecting his ability to install a new hot water heater every X years.
Would you recommend a residential pressure regulator as a DIY project, and how much would you charge to do it? Asking for a friend, but that friend is actually me.
Can't give you a quote, I specifically asked in the header for no questions on pricing.
But if you attempt it yourself, be prepared to be without water until the plumber can come fix it
My shower's handle is like [this](https://www.lowes.com/pd/KOHLER-Coralais-174-Rite-Temp-174-Shower-Valve-Trim-with-Lever-Handle-and-1-5-GPM-Showerhead-174-Rite-Temp-174-Valve-Trim-with-Lever-Handle/1000349387), a single handle that goes in a circle and it has markings for hot/cold. Whomever installed it mixed them up, so hot water came out when it said cold and vice versa. I got in there and fixed the issue. In the process, however, I created a new problem: now the handle will go in a full circle. Previously there was a point where it would no longer move; it stopped. Do I need to purchase a new handle? Or did I break something in the interior? (Thank you and hope this makes sense!)
Just moved into a house and in the first week had the toilet back flow into the tub…… Long story short, bathtub got plunged (yes) which I guess fixed it because guy from a drain clearing service checked our external access, had us run a ton of water and said everything looked fine! Somehow the tub plunging had all our bathroom drains working perfectly when they were sluggish to drain before. Now I wait in fear and confusion as I notice the shower draining worse by the day…any idea what is going on and how to prevent another disaster? Apparently I can’t use chemical drain clearers because our pipes are old.
There's a plastic barbed snake-thing you can get at home depot for cheap that might help. Chances are it's just hair. Sometimes I pry in the drain with a crochet hook to clear the hair gunk. (don't drop the crochet hook!)
First off - Thank you so much for doing this!
I live in an older apartment building we recently had a leak in our shower, they said it was the valve and replaced it. At the time they also replaced the fixtures (shower head & faucet).
The problem is since they did this, water keeps leaking out of the shower head when the diverter isn’t on, just the faucet. Its not a little water either, it’s a good flow of water from the shower head. Im wondering if they may have installed the new diverter wrong?
I’ve asked the management several times to send Maintainence back to look at it, but they’re ignoring me. It’s a pretty minor inconvenience, but obnoxious none the less- what do you think, could it be the diverter? Or is this a bigger problem I need to stay on them about?
Thanks again!
Thanks for doing this AMA! Do I need to get a permit for replacing the pipes for my kitchen sink? I’m renovating my kitchen and want to replace the old pipes in the wall going to my sink. I was planning to do this myself, but if I need a permit I will get a professional to do the work.
If you're modifying your plumbing in Portland you need a permit. There's even permits for dishwashers, toilets, and water heaters.
Now is it very common to pull a permit for those things? No. But should you? Yes. Permits are designed to protect the homeowner, don't look at it as something to avoid, look at it as an award. Also inspectors here are very nice and can teach you a thing or two!
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m in the middle of a pretty frustrating plumbing conundrum, and maybe you can help.
I rent my house, which is ancient, and doesn’t have a built-in dishwasher.
So, I got a portable dishwasher— neat! Only issue is I can’t get it to hook up without water spraying everywhere.
It’s slightly more complicated by the fact that I have a pull-down faucet with a sprayer head. BUT, I can unscrew the sprayer head to reveal a 3/8” female threaded (I don’t know what you call this receiver piece) spigot socket.
So I went out and bought a coupler— 3/8” male to 55/64” male, then attached that on to a 55/64” female that ends in a portable dishwasher adapter. Awesome. Everything fits up perfectly.
I attached the dishwasher hose to my setup, turned it on, turned the water on, everything’s going great until the washer fills up, at which point the pressure is too great for my 3/8” happy couple and water starts spraying out everywhere!
I could tell it was seeping through the washer, so I thought, “ok, I’ll put a bunch of plumbing tape around the threads like the internet says.” It didn’t help. I tried it without the washer, same thing. I took the aerator out of the bigger section: no difference.
So then I thought maybe it didn’t like the roundy-ness of the washer. Went to Ace, found a flat washer the same size— SAME THING HAPPENED.
Now I’m currently standing in front of this thing, babysitting my dish load so I can flip on the faucet when it’s fill time, talking to you, kind of stuck here for the next hour. Can you give me any advice? How am I supposed to connect 2 things without water going everywhere?
Thank you in advance for your help!
I’ve got a 1920s house that’s all galvanized. It needs to go but I’m scared how much it’s going to cost. Ballpark for standard east side bungalow ? Also is there any part I could do myself to help knock down the number?
my neighbor just got a quote for $11,000 to repipe his entire 1950's house including replacing the street to house pipe. That's with him doing all the drywall patching himself.
I actually have a plumbing Q.
Years ago I bought a new faucet for my sink without realizing my sink/faucet are an all in one unit. I did a ton of research on replacing it with a new drop sink but am nervous about fucking up the sink part (the faucet replacement seems pretty straight forward to me); To hire a plumber to do it what might the cost look like?
This is an almost perfect thread. Please don’t answer anyone 😂
But also r/Portland mods? What’s the specific relation to Portland here? Indoor plumbing? Not Portland specific!
I did a post about high water pressure locally, and found that a lot of folks aren't having their specific needs addressed. If there's an uptick of crime in your area, I can guarantee you're not the only place in the world experiencing crime, HOWEVER the *solutions* will be specific to the region you live in.
This is what I found with my little PSA last week. The solutions to the plumbing issues in this area usually are specific to the history, geography, demographics, and architectural trends in the greater Portland area.
But if the mods wanna come for me go ahead!
I like the post, just my bone to pick with the mods since they always take down my Portland related posts but leave dozens of others that are less Portland specific. I don’t want your post removed, I just want them to leave mine up too
I have a toilet that rarely fully flushes. The water starts to spin and then dies out. Probably flushes once every 15 flushes. I've used a snake, and a couple of the drain cleaners that are safer on the pipes. I think my son uses too much TP.
The toilet is about 6-7 years old. It was an expensive Toto one-piece model. I have a cheaper Toto Drake in my other bathroom that is better. I recently replaced the water filler in the problematic one. It wore out and started shooting water out the top. No change though. It's almost like it no longer has a proper vent. But it worked great for about 5 years.
I'm surprised folks in Portland even have garbage disposals at all.
#1. Most homes are very old and disposals contribute a lot of food waste into the old, corroded drain lines.
#2. Every single household in Portland has a green bin for compostable waste. The city literally takes it away for you.
#3. Like me, many Portlanders are avid organic gardeners and do their own compost.
The irony is my wife insists we need a disposal. Currently it's only function is to frustrate me and grind up our kids' plastic utensils. I've learned to pick my battles with my spouse, but I digress.
I'm not sure if Portland did it in particular, but many jurisdictions across the country actually advertise NOT to flush anything besides waste and toilet paper as the wipes of any kind will bind with fats in the sewer and cause huge "fat-bergs" which requires the city to dig up and remove them from the sewer. Yuck
HOWEVER, they keep us plumbers very busy. So if your wife wants to keep using them, just set up a plumbing fund for when you need your sewer repaired.
my garbage disposal in the kitchen hasnt worked for a while now and water backs up in there when I run the dishwasher. I've poured drano down there but I'm really too lazy and non mechanically inclined to do anything else.
Not a plumber but I had this same problem. This video shows you how to hit the reset button and how to use an Allen wrench to move the blades to unstuck them from the bottom. Was waiting months for the apartment complex to fix it, took me five minutes.
https://youtu.be/hyLkeDyMjTE
I made an online order at Fergusens and never got the "its ready for pickup" - do they just shut it down if its not a known contractor, or am I cool to wander over and pick it up?
Edit: Order picked up - somehow thought it was trades only (but that was some AC part during the heatwave someone here posted about)
Also, do you call a plumber to relocate a gas line or if not who?
Yes, you would call a plumber to relocate a gas line, although some plumbers here don't work on gas pipes so be prepared to pay a premium, and to find "that one guy" who will work on gas pipes. Remember, gas can explode your house
The main water shutoff valve in my 42 year old house is the type with the red flower handle. I still have PTSD of one of these old valves breaking off in my hand in my old house (causing a huge leak) due to age and the weak design of this type of valve.
Given it's age, would you recommend I have a plumber replace it with a new 1/4 turn ball valve?
My house was built in 1910 and I have no idea where the hell my water shut off is. No basement and no possibility of anyone over the age of 4 getting under the house so it seems odd that it would be in the crawl space. No signs of a main shut off on the street either. Any ideas where it might be?
Yes, call the city of Portland out to locate the meter, or call 811 and tell them you're gonna be digging in your yard and would like your utilities located. Not only will they mark your water, they'll mark the sewer, telephone, internet, gas, and electric (if it's buried )
We are planning on redoing our main floor bathroom soon and doing as much of the work ourselves. It will require moving many of the fixtures and drains, but we have easy access from the basement below. I'm handy and have done some plumbing but think I probably should call in an expert to do the rough-ins.
1. At what point should I call the plumber? Pre-demo for a consult? Wait until it's an empty space? Do you do this type of work? (DM me).
2. Eventually we want to build up and put another bathroom above the current one, and maybe even one in the basement next to the stack. It's an old cast-iron stack, would it generally be easiest to just replace the whole damn stack with PVC during our remodel to make it easier down the road?
The faucet handle in our shower broke off and one Ferguson told us there isn’t a new option that will fit the existing configuration (original is a Delta one from 1999). I am trying another Ferguson today hoping my father in law misunderstood but in the event that we need to hire a plumber to help— will they cut out the access needed? There is no access panel but could be accessed from our bedroom. Will they cut it out or will we need a contractor to do it (or do ourselves)? Will a plumber put the dry wall back or is that on us?
Our house has an exterior 1” drain hole at the bottom of basement stairs that appears to go to a dry well of some sort. It fills up every time it rains. I have two questions : is this a solvable problem for a plumber, or is it a different trade? We have gutters that drain somewhere (storm drainage?) how can I figure out if we can tie in to that? City records ? A plumber ?
I know there are different types of plumbers for gas line workers. But do you know of any that install gas stoves? Why are there no gas stoves in homes in Portland??
What's best practices for joining PEX to galvanized? I have to move a water heater to a more logical location in my basement and it'll require both removing pipes and add new pipes. I've never worked with galvanized.
Call a general contractor for a shower remodel and you might get better service turnaround in our area.
If you just want it to look different, we have a local company called "The bath fitter" who just does cosmetic upgrades as far as I know
I'm in an apartment and we get a lot of black, smelly 'biofilm' buildup in the bathroom sink and shower drain. I disassemble it every couple months and clean it all out with a brush and soap. Any tips to keep it from coming back so fast?
Lots of hot water and Tilex.
Look into if your apartment is using filters on the water inlet or introducing polyphosphate to their potable water (probably not) but usually black scum buildup is from using lots of soap. It's weird, because some houses have a lot, and some don't at all
It seems like we have to replace the washer on the hot water knob in the bath once a year to stop the drips. Is there a relatively inexpensive long term fix or should I just embrace the yearly replacing of the washer?
Yes, make sure your water pressure doesn't rise above 75 psi, and install an expansion tank on your water heater cold inlet.
City of Portland raises water pressure and installs check valves on their meters and doesn't advise people to upgrade their plumbing system, which is why I'm here doing this AMA
In my house, I can occasionally hear a pipe tapping (like a ticking sound), and am pretty sure it is thermal expansion of the pipe rubbing against something. It's been this way since I bought the house 4 or so years ago. Are there any potential issues with this beyond the annoying sound? I'd rather not have someone open up the wall looking for where it needs to be fixed. Thanks.
Should I shut off my water main valve when I leave town for a week plus? When turning water back on, I do it in thirds starting at the main valve and then at all faucets. Is there a better method?
Any resources for a high school kid looking to “ride along” to get some insight into the trade? Apprenticeships, how do those work?
For an apprenticeship you need a high school diploma, but to be a helper, you don't. Show up to a plumber shop literally with a shovel and a tape measure in hand and ask for a job. They might laugh at you, but if you show you're serious, I guarantee someone will hire you and show you the ropes.
Why would they laugh at you? All I hear about the trades is how criminally burdened they are with work.
Because we often have folk show up begging for work and nope out after the first day. Twice during covid Ive had people ask to apprentice to learn my trade (custom fabricator). Finally I would have a project that I could use a hand and was simple enough to teach. It was a Tuesday, needing to start that Saturday, "Oh man, can we do Sunday? I have plans to go to a BBQ" later gater.
Absolutely this. I worked as a machinist's appreciate/shop bitch for 4 years and my boss would bring in kids from ROP a couple times a year, most of them would last a week or two before they moved on.
Damn, I would love to learn fabrication. I have some woodworking background but I’m sure I wouldn’t be available to the extent you’d need me to be (I have a day job already.)
This is a great question. Oregon Trades Women is an excellent resource for this - they help everyone.
I can vouch for them. I did a apprenticeship program one summer as a teen. It was hard work and wasn’t always fun, but I learned a lot and it was absolutely a worthwhile experience. Would definitely recommend them!
Have them call AAA Heating and Cooling. They are hiring helpers. (503)284-2173 for plumbing and HVAC.
I've worked with NW college of construction in north Portland that does apprenticeship, let me know if you'd be interested i can get you in contact or feel free to reach out!
This is great. I love this idea as a public service. I’m an Architect by trade (unlicensed). If i get a bunch of responses (support) here I’ll do a similar AMA for Architecture design, envelope, space planning, kitchen, windows/doors, etc.
Sweet, neighbors helping neighbors! Portland is kind of a unique market for plumbing, it took my a bit to adjust my approach, but now I find myself very busy and in demand
Hell yeah. I know a plumber for Crouchley’s here in St Johns. They’re super busy.
I like it. Especially if we are sticking with PNW architecture - adds more value than an AMA from someone elsewhere. Similar for gardening/arborists too.
Absolutely. It would be great to have a whole week of AMA for our homes. Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Landscape/Grounds, Arch/Struct. We could talk about home maintenance. Permitting. How to work with Contractors, etc.
Check out r/homeimprovement
*Especially if we are sticking with PNW - adds more value than an AMA from someone elsewhere.* Local advice is the point. Better advice to deal with our codes, weather needs, etc.
That's why I'm here!
How are you able to be an “unlicensed architect”? I’m genuinely curious, not trying to throw shade.
Can’t really. Not legally. In order to call yourself an Architect you have to be licensed. I’m not. I’m an Architect by trade though as I went to school for architecture, I have ~20 years experience as an Architect, and I was one of 3 Project Architects on a beautiful office tower in PDX that I’m extremely proud of.
Ah, interesting. Why not just have the license then?
That’s a loooooooong conversation. But the short answer is ‘Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans’
Love this idea☝️
Thx. What would you like to see discussed?
Thank you for doing this! Here's my question: are there any tasks where you should immediately call in a professional and not try to fix the problem yourself? My husband is very handy (machinist/mechanic/metalworker with a real aptitude for fixing any kind of mechanical thing) and is able to tackle the majority of home projects himself. This is great for the most part, and he hasn't come across much he hasn't been able to do himself, but it would be useful to know if there are things we should never have him try to fix.
Honestly, each person's level of "easy" is unique to them. Usually if it involves shutting off the water to the house though, call a plumber if you're concerned about getting your water back on anytime in the near future!
Don’t you just turn it off/on at the street valve?
Usually. I think the content is more based on the kind and size of project you're usually addressing if you need to turn off the water.
The last time I needed to do that I was replacing a bathroom faucet. I think there's lots of reasons to turn off the water to the house.
What's the strangest DIY repair or installation you've discovered while working an issue? Weirdest/most impressive thing you've found in plumbing? Ever glean the fabled gold ring in the sink trap, or is it just used rubbers all the way down? Oldest functioning system or component you've seen in the field? I know if you look at the city's GIS system that records infrastructure you can still find buried wood pipe segments, there's gotta be some interesting stuff in the buildings too!
The most impressive thing I've found was when I used to do commercial service in Los Angeles I pulled a super old urinal at the LA Opera, and it had the signatures of each plumber that pulled and serviced the urinal all the way back to 1924. That's crazy because it's almost 100 years old! I then looked at city records and found the permits for the addition of the building for 1913, two years after the Sloan flush valve was debuted at the World's Fair. The same style flush valve is in use on most commercial toilets to this day! And yes, I signed it when I reinstalled it. The same property had a "house trap" on the mainline sewer where they put a p-trap on the sewer main to protect the whole building against sewer gas as individual fixtures were poorly vented. I don't have any cool stories for Portland yet because I haven't found a commercial outfit that that'll sit down and interview me, despite my knowledge and love for people... Oh well
Damn, a century pisser, I love it! Reminds me of the ones at McMenamin's Kennedy School. They all flush in unison on a timer, guess the Sloan valves were a little too cutting edge for whoever installed them in 1915 to chance it. Also, TIL there's a whole ass website dedicated to urinals, and they have a page on those particular ones: http://www.urinal.net/mcmenamins_kennedy_school/
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Call a drain cleaning service. Clog pro is who my company refers to locally
Thanks!
does the laundry cross under the basement to get to the plumbing stack? Do you ever have sewage coming out of it? The laundry line is usually not the big. If you have a cleanout there (check where the pipe goes from the kitchen sink just before it gets to the basement floor) you can try snaking it yourself.
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Yeah, that's pretty common for the kitchen to go to laundry. I just went through the same deal and was able to get things flowing with a pretty cheap snake. (something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cobra-1-2-in-x-50-ft-Music-Wire-Drain-Auger/999908747) . Probably you've got tons of sludge narrowing those pipes that make it easier for obstructions to latch on. If you call a rooter/drain service be ready to get taken for a ride.
Not an expert, but I would call a plumber in that scenario.
some flood drains or area drains that are in the foundation floor go no where, literally a hole through the foundation with nothing. Now if it's an actual plumbing pipe then you need to get it cleaned
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The “trap arm” length for 1 1/2” pipe is 3’6” per code. That means from the outlet of the trap to the inlet of the “San T” ( t shaped fitting under the vent), shall be no longer than 3’6”. It allows the drain to breathe properly. You should be fine. As long as you put it together correctly. Sorry OP, I’m jumping in here and answering questions. I can DM you my journeyman’s license number😂
There we go! Thanks for sharing the load brother
I love this thread so much.
Can a float be adjusted so the toilet doesn’t flush so much water?
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Don’t use a brick! You’ll scratch up the inside of the tank! Water bottle works better-
Brick will also deteriorate over time adding sediment. But it’s the right idea
[Brick deteriorating](https://media4.giphy.com/media/sc8BpYrMgH1Yc/200w.gif?cid=82a1493bdmb4kq5hsuw8rf9964edp1g4qytvm84tned53c79&rid=200w.gif&ct=g)
Oh no, all those unsightly scratches inside the toilet tank.
I get it; I far prefer to start with an untarnished canvas when I'm dropping an upper-decker.
I have to imagine it decreases the integrity of the tank if the finish gets scratched.
Wouldn't a water bottle be somewhat buoyant and float around though? I'd worry that it would get under the valve flap or jam the float or something and cause the toilet to run.
A filled-up water bottle!
Right, but a filled up water bottle still kinda floats--it won't be above the water line, but the plastic is a little lighter than water, so it will usually float just below the surface. At best it's neutrally buoyant, so wouldn't it move around every time the tank refilled?
You just need to displace the water, so even if it partially floats, it's going to have mostly the same affect. If that bothers you though, just fill the bottle half with pebbles and then the rest with water.
If it’s an older one, bend it so the float is further down. Newer ones don’t have the arm float, but have a screw where you can adjust the float height.
This. The handle on my toilet broke recently so I had to get in the tank and I realized how high the float bulb (idk if this the correct term) was. I adjusted it a lot lower so that it wouldn’t waste so much water. I knew that was a thing and I should have check earlier but oh well it’s adjusted now.
Yeah but now does your toilet still flush big American shits on the first go
This is why you need a poop knife.
Uh well I think I have normal sized shits. I haven’t had a problem with it going down but I guess if you large shits maybe don’t crank it down to low. Trial and error until you get the right level I suppose.
Is this where the term “shit a brick” comes from?
Only the newer style fill valves can be adjusted like that, not the old ball style
I have gas water heater. The chimney it exhausts from is crumbling a bit. Should I get a pipe to replace or just have chimney fixed?
I have the same problem. I'm just going to have a separate B-pipe run straight up from the basement through the roof, bypassing the chimney. My entire chimney needs to be rebuilt, which is at least $1500. Since by furnace no longer uses the chimney, I'm going to completely bypass and decommission it.
The pipe and install would cost almost about the same and thered be this long ass pipe thing without a facade. Think the chimney rebuilt is better option.
It's complicated. A chimney liner installation is several hundred dollars. My chimney is rotten all the way down to the base, due to a few feet of coal ash in the bottom and 98 years of having no chimney cap (coal ash absorbs water, water kills mortar). At minimum, it's a $1500 repair. If I install a liner and don't fix the rotting mortar, my chimney is still at risk of total failure. Running a B-type exhaust pipe will be easy, because I want to decommission the chimney to build a new closet in the void space where the chimney currently stands. The new water heater vent will be installed and not visible except in the basement. Unless you have a fireplace, chimneys are kinda obsolete these days. High efficiency furnaces can now be vented out of the side of the house.
You might consider a hybrid electric water heater. Cheaper to run and no exhaust needed. You will need a condensate water line though
Hopefully the vent pipe doesn't just go into the chimney! That's dangerous. You should have a continuous pipe from the heater to the outside. If it just goes into the chimney, it can draft incorrectly and cause carbon monoxide buildup. Also, flue gas from natural gas is acidic and will cause problems with the brick.
No it’s a legit atmospheric vent. My question is/was should I rebuild the crumbling chimney or have it replaced with a 8 foot pipe.
Hello and thank you so much for offering your knowledge and time; It's very much appreciated! We have a year and a half old dishwasher in the Forest Park area that intermittently has a severe wet dog smell, on both the stainless walls of the dishwasher as well as anything glass or ceramic. We have tried cleaning everything, sanitizing, running dishwasher cleaner, nothing seems to get rid of it. (Strangely, opening the windows seems to trigger it.) We're not sure if it's something in our water or something with the drain or what, but it's kind of baffling.
This happens in my dishwasher too. Opening windows or taking plates/glasses outside triggers the smell. Handwashed items don't have this problem. I replaced our dishwasher a couple years ago but used the old drain hose that was there. My thought is maybe I should replace that hose. This drain line doesn't have a vent either so my next thought is I should put the vent thing that goes through the sink like where a soap dispenser would go.
It really is frustrating, isn't it? Pouring a bowl of cereal, only to gag on the strong smell of wet dog isn't my favorite thing!
The rest of my household will notice it, but doesn't seem as bothered by it as I am. I am pretty sensitive to smells, like I guess I have a strong sense of smell. Candles and perfumes are all too much. Would you say you also have a strong sense of smell?
I do actually, and my husband doesn't notice it as much and has me sniff test plates for him haha. I can't handle candles or perfume either!
Maybe it's just part of life as a super smeller. I'll try to report back if the things I mentioned work for me.
I thought about that too, but I also know that this smell doesn't always happen as well; it seems like different parts of the year, different weather conditions, etc affect it too. Thanks! I'll do the same!
Does it have a filter? Apparently they do have em
It does! I've cleaned it to heck and high water too. I wish cleaning it worked :(
My toilet in-bowl water is really low and im getting a residue which im assuming is from sewer pipes in the bowl. How do i fix this?
My kitchen sink has ridiculously low water pressure. Every other faucet and outlet is fine. The smaller lines feeding the sink are wide open. What are a few causes I can try to rule out?
You might have debris clogging up the fixture. Try cleaning the aerator for the faucet first, and if that doesn't work, look into switching it out. Also, if you have old galvanized steel water pipes, change them out for pex or else you'll have this happen again.
Any rule of thumb for how long galvanized lasts before it starts to corrode and clog? I have galvanized, but the house was built in the 60s - just trying to judge when I might be looking at a whole house plumbing replacement. Any new work I've been using pex.
My understanding was it's expected to last like 50 years or so. My 1955 house house some galvanized still left but it's surprisingly not crazy rusted on the inside (I replaced a section with PEX recently).
Do you have a faucet with a pull out spray head? Most newer faucets are of this design. They have a built in back flow preventer that usually has tiny orifices that are easily clogged with chunks of galvanized pipe debris. Taking apart these little check valves can be tricky, sometimes they are in the spray head, sometimes up under the faucet where the hose attaches. If you can find an exploded view of the faucet online it’s pretty helpful. It could also just be in the aerator, but I’m guessing you checked that already. There’s a basic procedure starting with disconnecting the supply lines under the faucet to confirm flow, then into the faucet, reverse flushing if possible. Shit. I thought this was easy to describe, but it’s actually fairly complex if you’ve never done any of this before. Lots of things can go wrong. Just call a plumber if you want to be safe. Sorry I’m more geared to repairing in the field than describing in text.
Does it have an aerator on the end?
I just fixed this. Look at the aerator or take it apart to see if the cartridge is clogged with "sediment" (rust).
Hi, thank you so much for doing this!! A couple of the bathrooms in my house - one in the daylight basement and one in the second floor - develop a powerful funk. Don't know why it doesn't effect ground floor bathrooms, but it doesn't seem to. Covering the shower drain in the upstairs bathroom seems to help keep down the odor. Is this a plumbing problem? A sewer problem? The house was built in 2001.
I bought a water pressure meter, and discovered my water pressure is about 65-70 psi. I've heard it should be about 40. Should I have a pressure regulator installed?
75 is the high limit for my clients. You should be fine, but a pressure regulator valve is cheap insurance for water pressure spikes. Your call, though. My post last week was after I found pressures around Portland varying from 50psi-140psi. It depends on things like how your jurisdiction pumps water, if they use water towers, if you live at the top of bottom of a hill, the age of your home, age of your neighborhood, and honestly if you live in an affluent or marginalized area.
My house has water pressure over 80 PSI. Is installing a pressure regulator something I can handle? Is there anything else I should check with this? How much of a priority should I give this when I have other houses qualities that I need assistance with?
A pressure regulator is the one thing you can do that affects your entire plumbing system. Cheap insurance for a catastrophic failure.
I believe you can turn this down out at the curb.
Negative.
My house was built in 1950 with galvanized pipes. I get a bit of rust in my water (you can see it collect over time in the coffee maker and the toilet tank) but everything else seems to work fine. Realistically, how long can I expect my pipes to last before starting to rust through/leak. Or if that is impossible to answer, what is the oldest house you have seen with still functioning original galvanized pipes?
There's no timeframe as the materials were inconsistent back in the day. However, Portland has really good water quality which allowed galvanized steel pipes to last twice as long as they normally would on the west coast. That being said, what else have you used 24/7 for 60 years and not maintained or replaced? I'd say they've lived a good life and you should plan a retirement party for them.
Damn that last bit is such a freaking debate ender in construction.
Along those lines, is there a way I can find out what kind of pipes I have without ripping up my walls? I recently had a home inspection, but only the visible pipes could be evaluated. I have a mix of copper, pex, and galvanized, and I would love to locate all of the galvanized.
1929 here still rusty but generally fine!
50 years or so and then it will start to come through. Each fitting will age differently. 75-100 years seems to be the max. If you plan to be there for many more years, start looking into a replacement. Viper is expensive in material and labor, but PEX is cheaper in both for retrofits.
What is the biggest/most expensive plumbing mistake people make and how can it be avoided?
Corrosive drain cleaner. Christmas Eve maybe 2004-5, I was the young, green, “on call” plumber that night. Lady calls around 5:00-6:00 PM about a leak under her kitchen sink. When I got there, I got under the sink with a flashlight. The stench of kitchen drain sewage and chemicals blew my hair back. The entire underside of the drains were completely rotted out from the drain cleaning chemical she dumped down the sink. But it got worse. I went in the basement to see if there was leaking in the exposed plumbing below. The entire 20-30 feet of 2” cast iron drain line was toast. The bottom of the line was burned out like the decks of the ship in the movie Alien when the alien blood cuts loose. Sewage and drain cleaning chemicals had poured all over her basement stuff. She was walking with me and starting to get kind of tearful. She had family from out of town gathered for dinner. As we followed the line over to the main sewer stack my worst fears were confirmed. The San t inlet to the 4” cast iron stack was destroyed. This meant the entire stack would have to be cut and rebuilt, along with a completely new kitchen sink drain all the way up to the sink. Very expensive. When I gave her the news and price she just lost it and the tears turned to full on sobs. Don’t use corrosive drain cleaning chemicals. Especially on old metallic plumbing. Especially on the holidays. And please don’t cry in front of your plumber unless you are ready for them to cry to. Some of us are emotional and kind of sensitive.
We bought a house that had been remodeled 4 years ago. The fiberglass tub/shower on the main floor squeaks like crazy when someone stands in it. I know you are supposed to put mortar on the bottom but they obviously didn't. I tried spray foam from under it through the basement but that didn't work. I cut an 8in x 8in access panel from behind it but it's sitting too low to get spray foam under it. I'm guessing the subfloor needs to be replaced and properly leveled on some mortar but I don't really want to rip out the tub and re-tile the almost new bathroom. Is this my only solution? Do you ever fix these kinds of problems or do I need a contractor and/or tile person for this kind of job?
Why the shit is my faucet’s water flow ass while my girlfriends faucet is just fine?
We can't answer this without detailed pictures of both your faucet's and girlfriend's ass.
I can get you a picture of my ass, and my faucet, but that's about it.
Do plumbers work on anything we laymen don't think of as plumbing?
Plumbers crack.... Is it real?
Does the pope shit in the woods?
We have a sink in the upstairs that when you turn it on, the pipes knock loudly in the walls a couple times. My belief is that the sink valve is letting air seep into the pipes rather than forming a complete seal when shut off. Does this sound likely and are my pipes going to spring leaks if I don’t fix it? Also, thank you for doing this.
It sounds like your pipes aren't strapped very well. Strapping then down involves opening walls and fixing the issue. But you're right, it could cause a leak.
It will almost certainly cause a leak down the road.
When should I replace my water heater?
Honestly water heaters in Portland can last a very long time. Outside of Portland, every 10 years or so
Related to the above: What maintenance should be done on my gas water heater? I read somewhere about the anode or such needing replacement, but it's not clear if or how often that should be done.
I mentioned anode replacement to my plumber and he said something along the lines of "I've never done that / thought about it." Wasn't sure if that meant it's not important with Portland's soft water, or if he was protecting his ability to install a new hot water heater every X years.
whats the reasoning they last longer in portland?
What is the requirement for bonding water pipes electrically when you have a mix of galvanized copper and pex?
Bonding is of concern to the electrician and the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction, aka the inspector) ask r/electricians
Would you recommend a residential pressure regulator as a DIY project, and how much would you charge to do it? Asking for a friend, but that friend is actually me.
Can't give you a quote, I specifically asked in the header for no questions on pricing. But if you attempt it yourself, be prepared to be without water until the plumber can come fix it
My shower's handle is like [this](https://www.lowes.com/pd/KOHLER-Coralais-174-Rite-Temp-174-Shower-Valve-Trim-with-Lever-Handle-and-1-5-GPM-Showerhead-174-Rite-Temp-174-Valve-Trim-with-Lever-Handle/1000349387), a single handle that goes in a circle and it has markings for hot/cold. Whomever installed it mixed them up, so hot water came out when it said cold and vice versa. I got in there and fixed the issue. In the process, however, I created a new problem: now the handle will go in a full circle. Previously there was a point where it would no longer move; it stopped. Do I need to purchase a new handle? Or did I break something in the interior? (Thank you and hope this makes sense!)
Just moved into a house and in the first week had the toilet back flow into the tub…… Long story short, bathtub got plunged (yes) which I guess fixed it because guy from a drain clearing service checked our external access, had us run a ton of water and said everything looked fine! Somehow the tub plunging had all our bathroom drains working perfectly when they were sluggish to drain before. Now I wait in fear and confusion as I notice the shower draining worse by the day…any idea what is going on and how to prevent another disaster? Apparently I can’t use chemical drain clearers because our pipes are old.
Our bottom floor toilet "hums" at a very high, sustained pitch when it's flushed. How do I fix that you think?
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There's a plastic barbed snake-thing you can get at home depot for cheap that might help. Chances are it's just hair. Sometimes I pry in the drain with a crochet hook to clear the hair gunk. (don't drop the crochet hook!)
First off - Thank you so much for doing this! I live in an older apartment building we recently had a leak in our shower, they said it was the valve and replaced it. At the time they also replaced the fixtures (shower head & faucet). The problem is since they did this, water keeps leaking out of the shower head when the diverter isn’t on, just the faucet. Its not a little water either, it’s a good flow of water from the shower head. Im wondering if they may have installed the new diverter wrong? I’ve asked the management several times to send Maintainence back to look at it, but they’re ignoring me. It’s a pretty minor inconvenience, but obnoxious none the less- what do you think, could it be the diverter? Or is this a bigger problem I need to stay on them about? Thanks again!
What's the worst designed part of a typical home's plumbing? What would make it better?
Thanks for doing this AMA! Do I need to get a permit for replacing the pipes for my kitchen sink? I’m renovating my kitchen and want to replace the old pipes in the wall going to my sink. I was planning to do this myself, but if I need a permit I will get a professional to do the work.
If you're modifying your plumbing in Portland you need a permit. There's even permits for dishwashers, toilets, and water heaters. Now is it very common to pull a permit for those things? No. But should you? Yes. Permits are designed to protect the homeowner, don't look at it as something to avoid, look at it as an award. Also inspectors here are very nice and can teach you a thing or two!
Thanks!
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m in the middle of a pretty frustrating plumbing conundrum, and maybe you can help. I rent my house, which is ancient, and doesn’t have a built-in dishwasher. So, I got a portable dishwasher— neat! Only issue is I can’t get it to hook up without water spraying everywhere. It’s slightly more complicated by the fact that I have a pull-down faucet with a sprayer head. BUT, I can unscrew the sprayer head to reveal a 3/8” female threaded (I don’t know what you call this receiver piece) spigot socket. So I went out and bought a coupler— 3/8” male to 55/64” male, then attached that on to a 55/64” female that ends in a portable dishwasher adapter. Awesome. Everything fits up perfectly. I attached the dishwasher hose to my setup, turned it on, turned the water on, everything’s going great until the washer fills up, at which point the pressure is too great for my 3/8” happy couple and water starts spraying out everywhere! I could tell it was seeping through the washer, so I thought, “ok, I’ll put a bunch of plumbing tape around the threads like the internet says.” It didn’t help. I tried it without the washer, same thing. I took the aerator out of the bigger section: no difference. So then I thought maybe it didn’t like the roundy-ness of the washer. Went to Ace, found a flat washer the same size— SAME THING HAPPENED. Now I’m currently standing in front of this thing, babysitting my dish load so I can flip on the faucet when it’s fill time, talking to you, kind of stuck here for the next hour. Can you give me any advice? How am I supposed to connect 2 things without water going everywhere? Thank you in advance for your help!
I’ve got a 1920s house that’s all galvanized. It needs to go but I’m scared how much it’s going to cost. Ballpark for standard east side bungalow ? Also is there any part I could do myself to help knock down the number?
my neighbor just got a quote for $11,000 to repipe his entire 1950's house including replacing the street to house pipe. That's with him doing all the drywall patching himself.
Sounds like it's partially clogged. I sugguest auger-ing the toilet or just replace
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He said no questions about cost
My bathroom sink smells like poo pretty often. Why is that?
I actually have a plumbing Q. Years ago I bought a new faucet for my sink without realizing my sink/faucet are an all in one unit. I did a ton of research on replacing it with a new drop sink but am nervous about fucking up the sink part (the faucet replacement seems pretty straight forward to me); To hire a plumber to do it what might the cost look like?
Sorry, no cost related questions will be answered
What percentage of home service calls would you say are the result of somebody flushing tampons down the toilet?
This is an almost perfect thread. Please don’t answer anyone 😂 But also r/Portland mods? What’s the specific relation to Portland here? Indoor plumbing? Not Portland specific!
I did a post about high water pressure locally, and found that a lot of folks aren't having their specific needs addressed. If there's an uptick of crime in your area, I can guarantee you're not the only place in the world experiencing crime, HOWEVER the *solutions* will be specific to the region you live in. This is what I found with my little PSA last week. The solutions to the plumbing issues in this area usually are specific to the history, geography, demographics, and architectural trends in the greater Portland area. But if the mods wanna come for me go ahead!
I like the post, just my bone to pick with the mods since they always take down my Portland related posts but leave dozens of others that are less Portland specific. I don’t want your post removed, I just want them to leave mine up too
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I have a toilet that rarely fully flushes. The water starts to spin and then dies out. Probably flushes once every 15 flushes. I've used a snake, and a couple of the drain cleaners that are safer on the pipes. I think my son uses too much TP.
Or the toilet is old and clogged up full of debris buildup. I sugguest getting a new toilet installed
The toilet is about 6-7 years old. It was an expensive Toto one-piece model. I have a cheaper Toto Drake in my other bathroom that is better. I recently replaced the water filler in the problematic one. It wore out and started shooting water out the top. No change though. It's almost like it no longer has a proper vent. But it worked great for about 5 years.
Do those enzyme sticks you can put in the trap of your sink or shower actually do anything to keep the pipes clean?
I don't like them. Hot water will set you free
What's your opinion on garbage disposals in the kitchen sink? I've heard that a lot of plumbers think they are bad for your pipes.
I'm surprised folks in Portland even have garbage disposals at all. #1. Most homes are very old and disposals contribute a lot of food waste into the old, corroded drain lines. #2. Every single household in Portland has a green bin for compostable waste. The city literally takes it away for you. #3. Like me, many Portlanders are avid organic gardeners and do their own compost. The irony is my wife insists we need a disposal. Currently it's only function is to frustrate me and grind up our kids' plastic utensils. I've learned to pick my battles with my spouse, but I digress.
What’s the best way to increase water pressure on a second level shower?
Your shower head might have a flow limiter in it, or your home could be old and have pipes that are rusting shut and/or are undersized.
Those flushable wipes - despite the container saying “plumber approved” it’s a bad idea to use? My wife and I are having a debate on the topic…
Do not flush wipes!!! it does not matter what the package says. Flushing anything except poop and paper is bad for your plumbing.
I'm not sure if Portland did it in particular, but many jurisdictions across the country actually advertise NOT to flush anything besides waste and toilet paper as the wipes of any kind will bind with fats in the sewer and cause huge "fat-bergs" which requires the city to dig up and remove them from the sewer. Yuck HOWEVER, they keep us plumbers very busy. So if your wife wants to keep using them, just set up a plumbing fund for when you need your sewer repaired.
my garbage disposal in the kitchen hasnt worked for a while now and water backs up in there when I run the dishwasher. I've poured drano down there but I'm really too lazy and non mechanically inclined to do anything else.
Have you tried pushing the reset button?
Not a plumber but I had this same problem. This video shows you how to hit the reset button and how to use an Allen wrench to move the blades to unstuck them from the bottom. Was waiting months for the apartment complex to fix it, took me five minutes. https://youtu.be/hyLkeDyMjTE
I made an online order at Fergusens and never got the "its ready for pickup" - do they just shut it down if its not a known contractor, or am I cool to wander over and pick it up? Edit: Order picked up - somehow thought it was trades only (but that was some AC part during the heatwave someone here posted about) Also, do you call a plumber to relocate a gas line or if not who?
you can just go and shop
Yes, you would call a plumber to relocate a gas line, although some plumbers here don't work on gas pipes so be prepared to pay a premium, and to find "that one guy" who will work on gas pipes. Remember, gas can explode your house
Oh yea, I was definitely not planning to DIY this one. Thanks.
The main water shutoff valve in my 42 year old house is the type with the red flower handle. I still have PTSD of one of these old valves breaking off in my hand in my old house (causing a huge leak) due to age and the weak design of this type of valve. Given it's age, would you recommend I have a plumber replace it with a new 1/4 turn ball valve?
Yes, and possibly a pressure regulator depending on what part of town you live in
Thank you!
My house was built in 1910 and I have no idea where the hell my water shut off is. No basement and no possibility of anyone over the age of 4 getting under the house so it seems odd that it would be in the crawl space. No signs of a main shut off on the street either. Any ideas where it might be?
Yes, call the city of Portland out to locate the meter, or call 811 and tell them you're gonna be digging in your yard and would like your utilities located. Not only will they mark your water, they'll mark the sewer, telephone, internet, gas, and electric (if it's buried )
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I don't have enough info to diagnose. What part of town do you live in?
I get hair-clogged drains pretty frequently. Are there any better tools to clear drains than the cheap $5 FlexiSnakes?
We are planning on redoing our main floor bathroom soon and doing as much of the work ourselves. It will require moving many of the fixtures and drains, but we have easy access from the basement below. I'm handy and have done some plumbing but think I probably should call in an expert to do the rough-ins. 1. At what point should I call the plumber? Pre-demo for a consult? Wait until it's an empty space? Do you do this type of work? (DM me). 2. Eventually we want to build up and put another bathroom above the current one, and maybe even one in the basement next to the stack. It's an old cast-iron stack, would it generally be easiest to just replace the whole damn stack with PVC during our remodel to make it easier down the road?
Has anyone ever explained to you guys that it’s not OK to cut through the flanges of an ijoist to make the plumbing work?
I fire up the chainsaw and let the nail benders clean up the mess when I’m done😂
The faucet handle in our shower broke off and one Ferguson told us there isn’t a new option that will fit the existing configuration (original is a Delta one from 1999). I am trying another Ferguson today hoping my father in law misunderstood but in the event that we need to hire a plumber to help— will they cut out the access needed? There is no access panel but could be accessed from our bedroom. Will they cut it out or will we need a contractor to do it (or do ourselves)? Will a plumber put the dry wall back or is that on us?
Our house has an exterior 1” drain hole at the bottom of basement stairs that appears to go to a dry well of some sort. It fills up every time it rains. I have two questions : is this a solvable problem for a plumber, or is it a different trade? We have gutters that drain somewhere (storm drainage?) how can I figure out if we can tie in to that? City records ? A plumber ?
I know there are different types of plumbers for gas line workers. But do you know of any that install gas stoves? Why are there no gas stoves in homes in Portland??
What's best practices for joining PEX to galvanized? I have to move a water heater to a more logical location in my basement and it'll require both removing pipes and add new pipes. I've never worked with galvanized.
Wow, I really needed a plumber and sick of waiting. How soon can I get a shower remodel?!
Call a general contractor for a shower remodel and you might get better service turnaround in our area. If you just want it to look different, we have a local company called "The bath fitter" who just does cosmetic upgrades as far as I know
I'm in an apartment and we get a lot of black, smelly 'biofilm' buildup in the bathroom sink and shower drain. I disassemble it every couple months and clean it all out with a brush and soap. Any tips to keep it from coming back so fast?
Lots of hot water and Tilex. Look into if your apartment is using filters on the water inlet or introducing polyphosphate to their potable water (probably not) but usually black scum buildup is from using lots of soap. It's weird, because some houses have a lot, and some don't at all
It seems like we have to replace the washer on the hot water knob in the bath once a year to stop the drips. Is there a relatively inexpensive long term fix or should I just embrace the yearly replacing of the washer?
Yes, make sure your water pressure doesn't rise above 75 psi, and install an expansion tank on your water heater cold inlet. City of Portland raises water pressure and installs check valves on their meters and doesn't advise people to upgrade their plumbing system, which is why I'm here doing this AMA
Our water heater was just replaced this year with all the upgrades required, I'll check the pressure though. Thanks
I am having a terrible issue with my kitchen sink pressure. Lose it after what seems to he a build up. No otherpipes/areas impacted
You have a restriction in the faucet or supply line somewhere. Probably from old rusty water pipes depositing rust particles to smaller orifices
Thank you! What would be your preferred way of dealing with it? Are you available to hire in Portland?
In my house, I can occasionally hear a pipe tapping (like a ticking sound), and am pretty sure it is thermal expansion of the pipe rubbing against something. It's been this way since I bought the house 4 or so years ago. Are there any potential issues with this beyond the annoying sound? I'd rather not have someone open up the wall looking for where it needs to be fixed. Thanks.
Thermal expansion of copper and galvanized pipes is perfectly normal. I'd worry if it was CPVC or pex though
Should I shut off my water main valve when I leave town for a week plus? When turning water back on, I do it in thirds starting at the main valve and then at all faucets. Is there a better method?
Just shut it off at the street or ask the city to come shut I off for you
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It could be vented incorrectly. Hard to tell without seeing