I’m blessed to be able to use this column to share my knowledge. It allows me to empower you to do many jobs you might never think of doing yourself. In the past, working with water lines required a decent amount of experience. You had to know how to solder copper tubing. I recorded a…
Ask the Builder: Sources of Sewer Gas
Two months ago I received a desperate text from a young woman who’s the cantor at my church. All of a sudden she was smelling noxious sewer gas in her condominium. She had moved in just two months before and for weeks there had not been a problem. If you’re a new reader, you may…
What Are the Most Common Plumbing Problems?
By Paul F. P. Pogue From Ask Angi Like electricity and HVAC, plumbing is one of the most critical parts of your home whose infrastructure you rarely see. Behind your walls, hundreds of feet of pipes serve as the blood vessels of your home, delivering hot and cold water at the turn of a tap….
How Your Plumbing Pipes Work
You may wonder how I got my start as a builder. The hook was set in Boy Scouts, when I obtained my home repairs merit badge. I then helped pay my way through college working on the weekends and during the summer for a man who restored old homes that he bought out of foreclosure….
Quiet Your Plumbing System
Dear James: The water pipes are loud in our house, especially at night; they make a knocking sound when we shut off a faucet. What causes this loud noise and how can we stop it? — Deborah G. Dear Deborah: The loud noise you are describing is called “water hammer” because of the knocking sound….
It Is Easy to Install PEX Pipe
Dear James: We are remodeling our garage into a family/entertainment room. It has a faucet with copper pipes now, but I plan to add a sink. Is using PEX piping a wise choice? — Karen D. Dear Karen: Your project is one of the most cost-effective ways to get extra living space. A garage lends…
How Plumbing (Not Vaccines) Eradicated Disease
Vaccines get all the glory, but most plumbers will tell you that it was water infrastructure – sewage systems and clean water – that eradicated disease, and they’re right. Disease Before Plumbing After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europeans despised all things Roman, including bathing. There was a widespread belief that getting wet caused…
Using the Humble Plumbing Loop Vent for Kitchen Islands
Have you heard the old saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know”? It’s an axiom homeowners should always keep in mind when thinking about the mechanical and structural systems hidden behind the plaster or drywall of their homes — especially the plumbing drain and vent system. I’ve been a master plumber since 1981, and…
Ask the Builder: Solving Sewer Gas Mysteries
I’ve always loved doing plumbing work because it’s a true three-dimensional puzzle. I’ve been a master plumber since 1981, and I always say if you have a daughter, son or grandchild who wants to have a rewarding career that provides significant income, point them to a trade school that teaches this craft. Today I want…
Custom Shower Stall Plumbing Puts You in Total Control
By Ed Del Grande From Tribune News Service Q: Ed: My old shower mixing valve and shower stall has reached the end. I’ll need to install a totally new shower stall complete with new plumbing and fixtures. My old valve did both water flow and temperature mixing. Is that still possible? — Jim, Michigan A:…
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