@#$@#! Plumbing!

[crokett]

I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it. And the biggest reason is crap like what happened last night. I helped a guy with his shower project. 3 weekends ago we did the initial pressure test and it passed. 10 days ago we did the final install of the shower, etc and did our tests, they passed. He calls me yesterday evening to say there is a leak somewhere. I stopped by on my way to work. Of course the friggin' leak is in the wall between the shower and the half bath on the other side. So I may have to open the wall up. I will start by pulling the faucet handle and trim ring. I sure hope it is not the drain.

This was a retype on this post - the forum censor is pretty good.

[cabinetman]

I couldn't resist showing you this. Take heed!!!
.

[crokett]

That was a great one Mike! I will be a little more reasoned than that. I am thinking it is possible we caught the supply line with a finish nail. One of the last things we did was put the baseboard up.

[bruffc]

Agree

I'm kind of going through the same thing right now. I bought the house new 9 years ago and all of a sudden the master shower is leaking onto the basement ceiling. After months of tying to avoid cutting holes in the wall by regrouting the shower, waiting, sealing the grout, waiting, test the shower, still leaking, waiting for ceiling to dry, caulk around shower doors, test the shower, still leaking, wait for ceiling to dry, etc, etc - I finally cut a hole in the drywall to trace the water lines - a screw from the shower door hardware pierced the cold water line (This was done during the build).

I'm assuming the screw finally rusted enough that it's leaking. JB Weld didn't work (or I didn't get the JB Weld properly seated onto the copper pipe) so now I'm thinking about replacing a section of the pipe. I don't think I can put a pipe clamp on the hole because it's about 1/4" from the subfloor - not much room.

UUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHH

[jussi]

I'm finishing up my bathroom remodel. I hated everything about it especially having to re-pipe both the supply and waste lines.

How / what do you use to pressure test your lines?

[jussi]

I'm kind of going through the same thing right now. I bought the house new 9 years ago and all of a sudden the master shower is leaking onto the basement ceiling. After months of tying to avoid cutting holes in the wall by regrouting the shower, waiting, sealing the grout, waiting, test the shower, still leaking, waiting for ceiling to dry, caulk around shower doors, test the shower, still leaking, wait for ceiling to dry, etc, etc - I finally cut a hole in the drywall to trace the water lines - a screw from the shower door hardware pierced the cold water line (This was done during the build).

I'm assuming the screw finally rusted enough that it's leaking. JB Weld didn't work (or I didn't get the JB Weld properly seated onto the copper pipe) so now I'm thinking about replacing a section of the pipe. I don't think I can put a pipe clamp on the hole because it's about 1/4" from the subfloor - not much room.

UUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHH

If you can find them, get the pre-soldered connections. They're more pricey but easier to work with. I usually only use them when working in tight spots.

[crokett]

How / what do you use to pressure test your lines?

The water itself. We roughed in all the connections and put caps on the cold supply to the water heater and where the shower head goes, then cut the water on. All the fittings held (after I changed out two new ones that failed ). After the shower enclosure was installed and the heater hooked up we tested again. Passed again. So either the drain is leaky, a leak started at the faucet or I manged to put a finish nail through the pex.

[jussi]

The water itself. We roughed in all the connections and put caps on the cold supply to the water heater and where the shower head goes, then cut the water on. All the fittings held (after I changed out two new ones that failed ). After the shower enclosure was installed and the heater hooked up we tested again. Passed again. So either the drain is leaky, a leak started at the faucet or I manged to put a finish nail through the pex.

Ahh I see. I thought you had some fancy compressor type device and testing if there was any psi loss or something

[germdoc]

I agree--I hate plumbing!

BTW, thought you might enjoy this clip:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WWJJswuRqVY

One of my favorites!

[docrowan]

We just had to deal with an invasion of drain flies due to the former homeowner's fascination with Draino. We began having drain flies - tiny flies that we found out can breed in kitchen drains and sewers - YUCK!

We began to be very scrupulous in cleaning our sinks and drains, putting food away right away, sucking up the drain flies that congregated around our lights with a shop vac, etc, but they kept coming out in more and more numbers. Finally, one morning I was making coffee and felt something wet on the kitchen floor. I found water draining out of our undersink cabinet. The trap under the kitchen sink had developed a crack due to corrosion, and had been leaking into our cabinets for a long period of time, but because it was a slow leak it drained into the area between the bottom shelf of the cabinet and the floor. My wife found about three empty cans of Draino when we moved into our house almost two years ago. I had already had to replace the trap in one of the bathrooms. Once again the trap was eggshell thin and brittle when I pulled it out. It snapped in half when I pulled on it with one hand. Because of the odd plumbing under the sink, I had a devil of time cobbling together the right combination of fittings to replace it.

[pelligrini]

Crockett, I thought it was funny that you really hate plumbing, but you helped someone do their plumbing.

Are you just a masochist at heart?

[crokett]

Crockett, I thought it was funny that you really hate plumbing, but you helped someone do their plumbing.

Are you just a masochist at heart?

No. I hated it less before this job. Before, it was a mild hatred. Now it is more like an absolute detestation. He is just that good a friend, and that helpless around the house. Now he is a little less helpless. Plus, the beer was good and cold.

[JimD]

My house has 4 1/2 bathrooms, 2 1/2 by the builder and 2 by me. I got one done while the house was under construction, I did one later when I finished the basement. I paid the plumber to rough-in the one I did before we moved in and to rough in the drains for the one in the basement. The upstairs bathroom went pretty well, doing the finish is not real hard, but this is the first time I had used CPVC supply lines. After the fact, the builder asked if I had tightened the screw-in fitting into the valve for the shower/tub control real tight. They were pretty tight, I didn't want to split the plastic, and I asked if he had pressure tested like I asked after I did the installation. He mumbled something and wandered off. Of course he had not tested and they leaked. Fortunately, I made a hole nice and big, just small enough for the trim to cover, and I was able to cut the supplies (first it was only one that leaked, then the other), put a new nut in as tight as I could get it, and re-glue the supply. I did the first side twice before it held. I could get access from behind but it meant cutting the drywall in our new MBR so LOML was not wanting me to do this.

Basement was different hassles - drains were far from where they belonged and I had to jackhammer the floor out to move them.

All the bathrooms now work but I keep toilet parts around because they develop problems regularly. 5 toilets for two people and a cat are, in retrospect, a bit much.

Jim

[crokett]

Well I found the leak (I think). The shower valve is a universal roughin and includes an outlet for a tub spout. We capped it and it is leaking at the cap. Of course I have to open the wall on the other side to get to it.

I hope that is the only leak. My other thought was the drain is leaking at the rubber seal around the tailpiece but there is water sitting on the seal. If it were leaking I dont think there would be water there.