Homeowners Can't Identify or Replace Basic Plumbing Parts
Many homeowners are experiencing frustrating and unexpected plumbing issues, including toilets malfunctioning, water temperature inconsistencies, leaks, sand in their water supply, and difficulty replacing parts. These problems often require costly repairs or create significant inconvenience.
SOURCES (60)
“Hi, When our bath is emptied, the shower trap gurgles/spits, I'm suspecting a missing or broken AAV on the waste stack. See 2 pics: The grey 110mm waste goes to a toilet, which is the highest part of this stack in the house, and this…”
“My kids were bullshitting around the kitchen and knocked the pressure relief valve tubing off (water heaters less then 2 years old) but its worn out i screwed it back in but dont want to have issues with it does this look fine? It doesnt go anymore then that submitted by /u/Flashy-Expression211 [link] [comments]”
“So, it looks like there is a slow leak at the top that’s trickled down. Do I need a full replacement or can I just replace fittings? submitted by /u/silverhair01 [link] [comments]”
“I have a 1-1/4 Zurn PRV. A plumber tested my water pressure today and read just under 80 PSI, so on the high end. Since this PRV is rated for 50-75 PSI, it may be failing. I learned that there is a repair kit that is pretty easy to use, but it's still fairly expensive. It will definitely be cheaper than replacing the whole PRV, but I'm worried that the repair kit is a half-step that doesn't actually fix the problem, and I will end up spending a chunk on the repair kit only to find th”
“Is there any reason why that would be missing a cap? I had bought the condo like this and maybe someone told previous owners to leave that opening like that without cap?”
“I want to replace my 30yo pump and pressure tank. Should I hire a professional? Can I just replace it with same equipment and should be fine? submitted by /u/AffectionateWall3265 [link] [comments]”
“I have a PRV, my pressure is set to 70 PSI which as I understand is below the maximum of 80 PSI, I have water hammer arrestors installed on my washing machine, and yet water hammer still happens. I don't think the pipes are loose either, if that matters. What would the next steps be?”
“Thank you! Ive been looking at state and rheem. We have pretty hard water, unsure of ph, so we are going to add a softener as well. do you think that will help with the longevity of the water heater?”
“Top of the line is HTP or Rheem Marathon. Otherwise the Bradford White is a decent heater for the money.”
“Fillvalve. Get a Fluidmaster pro45. Very basic job, easily achieved if you're moderately handy. If you call a plumber, don't put your cat away. Sometimes a kitty or a pup makes our freaking day.”
“hey guys, I need your help! so yesterday the toilet been working normally until I tried to install bidet and failed. I don’t know what happen but the only thing I did was shut off the water pressure then tried to unscrew the water plug on side of physical toilet but it was too tight that I gave up. I then restarted the water pressure and now this problem appeared. what do I do? Did I break something? thank you! submitted by /u/Numerous-Bowler-8677 [link] [comments]”
“i have to tap it manually for it to refill. i've already tried adjusting the fill level and that hasn't worked. is this something i can/should fix myself or have the apartment maintenance fix? submitted by /u/irlmoss [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I'm fairly new to homeownership and about a week ago I was having some problems with my shallow well. It ended up being a bad bladder in the pressure tank which I went ahead and put a new 20 gallon tank in and it fixed that problem. If it helps my well pump is the Drummond 1hp well pump/5 gallon pressure tank combo from harbor freight, the green one. I didn't touch the suction line from the bottom of the well to the pump, I only touched the pipes and fittings the water goes from t”
“There should be water in the pipe, it’s the ptrap doing its job. If it’s slow draining it could be a partial blockage in the main. If you pull your toilet and see water that pipe then there’s an issue.”
“The true answer here is the toilet manufacture sux All that is needed here is another washeh gasket and nut secured on the bottom of the tank not the bowl so when the tank ever comes loose it will not flood the house. How fucking stupid are these toilet manafactures! I do that to all my toilet installs for added protection for the home owner”
I put another rubber washer on the underside of the tank also.like sandwiching the hole,double protection and it’s worked for me.
“Hi All, I just moved into a new to me house, built in 06 in north Texas. The water psi has been measured at the outdoor hose bib at 88 (city utility guy) and then at 98psi by a plumber. Plumber tried locating the PRV but was unsuccessful and honestly not sure the house even had one being 20 years old. I have a box out front of the house that “should” be the main house supply box but when we dug down in there, all we found were some bricks. Maybe the PRV is below that? Based off where the main ci”
“So yes that's getting the gasses from the sewer not just your own. If it was supposed to be for an aav it needs to be higher, I'd suspect an aav if it's an island sink. But like others have said contact the builder but in the meantime you can glue a aav on yourself since the gas isn't good for you. I'd also be very concerned about that supply line. A kink like that will definitely leak at some point.”
“That's not a hole in the bladder issue, that's a check valve issue. A hole in the bladder wouldn't let it hit the pressure switch. The pump would just constantly run. And yes, that short cycling will burn a pump up faster than a continuously running.”
“Hello - thanks for all your comments! Can you explain how a water softener install would normally be done? I don't know if they should have found the main before doing the install and if the main wasn't close by, should we have been consulted about if cold hard in most places was OK? I just don't know what work is normal to include when doing a whole house softener in the original fee. Will having the hot side soft help a lot if that's all we can get? We were hoping for all soft”
“I had a water heater do this last year, the plumber told me same thing once it leaks inside the tank it's done for.”
“If the shut off valve is leaking, you’ll need to replace it. It appears to be a compression fitting, so you’ll need to grab one at your preferred plumbing supply store(or Lowe’s or Home Depot or wherever). Then shut the water off at the main, open some fixtures to drain the water down more, unscrew the existing valve and replace it with the new one. Absolutely recommend pipe dope on the threads of the new valve to cover your butt and ensure a better seal. Also screw that guy who’s making fun of”
“I just discovered that this gate valve in our control box has sprung a leak; no idea how long it’s been like this. How impossible would it be for me as non-pro to carefully remove it and the PRV to which it’s connected without breaking the PVC pipes they’re attached to in order to replace the busted valve? I know just enough about plumbing to know all of the parts, but unsure of the size of the job and wondering if it’s a reasonable DIY fix. Thanks in advance fix your thoughts! submitted b”
“Hey everyone, I replaced 2 of my old toilets internals with some of those Fluidmaster all in one kits. One toilet seems fine but the other runs for a few seconds at a time intermittently throughout the day. Im sure I messed something up in the install but no idea what, everything looks fine and I followed the instructions. Any ideas on where to start troubleshooting? submitted by /u/AdEnvironmental3706 [link] [comments]”
“The outside pressure reads 80 on the meter, measured at a tap before the PRV. The inside pressure also reads 80 regardless of how I turn the screw. Yes, I'm opening the faucet after changes to make sure the pressure can equalize. The PRV is a Wilkins 70XL from 2011 according to the tag. When I open the faucet in the kitchen (near this meter), the pressure drops to around 45, and when I close it you can see it climb back up. There's no other leaks in the house, except occasionally the pla”
“Private equity. The PRV Pressure Reducing Valve is MAYBE a couple hundred if you have a crappy relationship with your supply house. It takes 30 mins to replace.”
“so, moved into my home 4 years ago, (26yo) and it’s time to replace the hot water tank. been looking online, and i’m pretty convinced Bradford White is the way to go. is this a preferred brand? i see it’s a contractor specialty and if i want one and do it myself, i need to get it from a warehouse… voiding manufacture warranty. things i have done in this pic: replace pressure tank, switch, and fittings (bladder was leaking) replace old water filter with a.o. smith, added mount to the wall. replac”
“Thank you. I’ll give that a try. Also, I just posted a pic of the inside of the tank under another comment.”
“If it's above 75 then it has already failed since that is the max on a normal residential PRV. So either way they need a new one installed, wasting time looking for one to adjust is useless and seeing how they just had a plumber there that suggested to install a new one should tell you they don't have one currently.”
“Hi, Starting after moving into a new house last year to deal with urgencies. I'm in the UK. This toilet runs the water about every 10 minutes for 10 seconds. Like it is leaking and refilling. The whole of the bathroom it is in is pretty damp (small ensuite with ceiling fan, no windows) and even so, putting toilet paper to the refill pipe at the bottom right comes away dry. Otherwise, I would say it is leaking and refilling. Additionally if this is any clue, the push buttons when pushed, will”
“No no, unscrew the kitchen faucet head off. Leave as is, water all hooked up, and turn it on. I just want to see if it’s the aerator in the head that’s gummed up and blocking all flow. That can happen after working on galvanized lines”
“Hey op, when you remove the kitchen faucet head does water come out when you turn it on?”
“You have the water level set to high. It looks like it’s overflowing into the pipe before it can lift the float. Try turning the adjustment screw down (clockwise normally) all the way. If it still overflows there is a plastic ring on the stem that you slide up, doing so allows you to freely raise or lower the entire fill valve by quite a bit. After you get it to the height you want it at, slide the plastic ring back down to lock it in place. And just make sure nothing blocks the float from being”
“6 year old PRV, no matter what setting (and oriented the correct way) was showing 90 psi. I opened the hot water and the cold water and it goes to the pressure it is set to, and when I shut them off it goes straight back to 90 in under a minute. I shut off the valves to the water heater and main cold supply before the water heater after the PRV, same issue. I thought it was because they eliminated the expansion tank, but this can’t be the issue because it happens in isolation. I replaced the com”
“With what parts? That's what you dont get. Then, when the entire valve needs replaced because you cant get parts, that's where the headache begins. Dude, you've been told the same basic thing by several plumbers. I've been a licensed plumber for decades. Retirement is in a few years. You can do whatever you want. Its your money. All I can do is try to prevent you from making a mistake. You seem dead set determined to make that mistake. By all means... Just remember, you were warn”
“Its in a cleanout fitting. Figure out which way the side that apears to leave the pipe on the right of the image faces. Youll need to open up that side of the pipe because that is a screw in one. I see anouther reply talking about them having a chain that is not what this style is. Youll also need a 2" cleanout plug to replace what you unscrew so water isnt just pouring in the wall.”
“As I was preparing to install a bidet on my new apartment toilet (as I have many time before in other places) I noticed a little late that this toilet has a stiff water hose that I can’t hook my bidet into. So no problem, I assemble it back the way I found it… except now I have a very slow leak from this nut on the valve, that I can’t tighten more than it already is. So did I just cause a whole issue I now have to fix or is it something as simple as getting some flex seal and separating this pup”
“The recirculating pump should not be running all the time, I would check that first. Really it only needs to run for a minute or two when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed. you know at times when your hot water needs are peak”
“I don’t use the water heater much due to constant travel but I check on it occasionally and today there’s a little bit of water pooled in the pan with sediments. The pressure release valve works, not dripping from the side. The thing is that the valve empties into the drain but also drains back a bit into the pan. So I clean up the pan but water started pooling from the bottom of the heater (not sure if I didn’t soak up enough or it’s slowly leaking). Turned off the water supply and heater. I no”
“Currently trying to install a wall hung toilet in our basement as we can’t put a traditional toilet. I’m having a leaking issue from the tank connection. Right now my wall is open until I’m sure. My first test leaked enough and then I tightened it more and I thought it was fine. I recorded a video and when I watched it I saw a small leak. Took it all off. so difficult. Checked the seals and seems fine. Leaked way worse that try. Thinking I will make a wooden support to hold it up to maybe ensure”
“Someone needed an extra gasket so they put down a "deposit" on that toilet and then returned it minus a little somethin.. usually the mounting hardware or wax ring are snatched. I didn't need either of those this time. Sorry, i thought i wrote on the box "no mo gasket".”
“Hello I am a first time home owner and never had a well/septic system growing up, so it's been a learning experience. We noticed recently that our pressure switch wasn't always kicking on once it reached its threshold, so I went out and bought a new one. Problem is, it's a 40/60 and im pretty sure my old one was a 30/50 (will supply picture but the lable is a little rubbed off and difficult to read). From what I've read, its usually not a problem and just requires adjustment of t”
The average homeowner doesn’t have hemp fibre and plumbers paste
“That pipe is just fine. Don’t get in the habit of hanging items on your pipes. Is the pipe wet? If not no action required. If it is take that plug out, brush the threads of both the plug and pipe with a plastic brush, wet the threads and reinstall. It looks like maybe there was a back up a long time ago and someone used that as an access point to auger the drain. They didn’t clean or tighten it well.”
“Hi all! Looking for suggestions on how to fix this toilet. It isn't registering the float and overfills and will keep running. We've tried adjusting the float up and down and no luck there submitted by /u/Dizzy-Heart7232 [link] [comments]”
“AAV should be at least 12 inches above the flood rim, and getting air from the outside is what you need to figure out here.”
“This is on the hot side of the water heater. Not sure why they have a shut off. Does it have to be replaced now? submitted by /u/Pay_ur_rent [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone - looking for a little advice. My partner has just moved into a new flat and there's something we're trying to figure out about the toilet. When liquid enters the toilet, there's the usual sound of water hitting the bowl and the water IN the bowl - but a few seconds after the liquid hits the bowl, there's another sound - it sounds like water dripping onto another surface, somewhere nearby - like the dull thud sound of water hitting plastic tarp. In this video of me po”
“I picked up this vintage marbleized American Standard for free. It had quite a bit of rust in it from where it was but I cleaned it up by soaking it and the tank in citric acid for a full night each. I soaked the bowl upside down to get the rim submerged. I put all new parts in it, Fluidmaster fill valve and flapper valve. But I'm having trouble getting it to flush well. It does fine with liquid waste but if it's solid waste, it barely seems to finish, sometimes not finishing at all. On”
“Okay, new home owner here. I realize there is no thermal expansion tank installed in my hot water tank, and make things worse PRV never been calibrated. When I checked water pressure was 80PSI. I calibrated PRV to 60 PSI. Now waiting expansion tank to install which is 4 weeks away. This was like this since 2019 )when the house was build) My question: should I be worried that high water pressure last 7 years damage my pipes? There is no leaks or anything What you guys think? Any suggestions?  ”
“Moved into a new place recently and one of the toilets kept running after it was flushed the first time. I discovered that there was a red o-ring just floating around. Seems like it had come off the underside of the flapper. I put it back on - there are some grooves on the bottom of the flapper and I pushed it past those and it seemed to be just fine, but it keeps coming off when the toilet is flushed. The o-ring seems fine, does not appear to have any cracks or warps, so I'm not sure why it”
“Trying to understand how this PRV is attached to my main water line. Starting from the bottom, I'm thinking I can loosen the black arrow (union nut?) that will free the connection, my assumption is that the red arrow (coupler?) is fixed to pipe underneath. From there, trying to remove the PRV, I'm thinking the green arrow (coupler) is fixed and that I can rotate the PRV around that male thread (nipple?) to remove. Past that, trying to figure out how to replace. I'm thinking I can get”
“You gotta put a little muscle into pressing down to flush this one toilet in the house I just moved into. Is there something wrong with it or is it just this design? submitted by /u/rbpete828 [link] [comments]”