Plumbing Oddities Behind the Drywall Leave Homeowners Guessing
13 posts across 2 communities in the last 30 days; 92% from r/Plumbing.
“I have old fridge that's been in the house we bought several years ago. It's been non functioning since we bought the house but removing it was never a priority. I just moved it to get behind it and clean up and now the line behind it leading to our water heater is leaking and…”
“Flex water heater connectors have gaskets, so why does just about every water heater connection I've seen have Teflon tape or pipe dope on both sides of these connections?”
“This is a second floor condo with a wd closet on the balcony. I in bought this 2 yrs ago. There's this pipe in the wall for the outgoing water and I'm wondering what it is, is it removable, etc. I'm asking b/c the w/d is a small capacity stackable and I want to buy the next size…”
A recurring theme involves homeowners struggling with plumbing installations, repairs, and unexpected issues like unusual cables, fridge water filters, and stack identification. Many are seeking advice and solutions for these challenges.
SOURCES (60)
“I bought a new house and there is this on the wall. Not sure what it actually is or what it does? Does anyone have any insight? When I turn it on, the fan in the spare bathroom turns on. Ty. submitted by /u/Green_Brick_3035 [link]…”
“Looks like a freeze free water spicket connection, [re: Bathroom demo - what the heck is this pipe]”
“What could this be connected to in my bathroom cold water connection. This is the hookup for my sink. Evap cooler use to be on roof around here. 1980s house. submitted by /u/No-Toe-1516 [link] [comments]”
“I am nothing short of a hack when it comes to home repairs, but can anyone tell me why this is here? I have my cold and hot lines going, and there’s this bypass or connecting line right there. Why? And what’s its purpose? submitted by /u/Latter_Contract4105 [link] [comments]”
“Believe or not, ice makers used to get copper water lines to them. A big loop up, so you can pull the fridge out & all is well. The ones that has a braided line attached to the end of the copper (why??) seem that the stiff braided line is just going to accelerate the breaking of the copper.”
“https://preview.redd.it/gkfjtupkkush1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec72d4e9bc8f6cbb6878bcab684a21a7f3101c8f”
“https://preview.redd.it/7cgwgxnjkush1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a766cda4311effd53f858f3f066284dbef6958ce”
“Friend of mine wants to plug his fridges water connection. We went and bought some fitting from home depot. Closest we found to match he thread were 1/8 x 1/4 FIPT, but the thread won't screw in. I'm guessing it's a different type of thread. Hose thread? Fine thread? Not sure all. I'd really appreciate it if someone could help identify them. Thank you very much. submitted by /u/Kumanogi [link] [comments]”
“Hi, thank you for your reply! I didn't say it very clear. I was thinking about taking off the valve and cap the pipe, because I never use water from fridge.”
“You can point the tee straight away from the wall, short piece, and a 90. Just leave some clearance for your outlet.”
“I bought my home in 2024 and since then I see this in my garage. I am assuming this is a water supply outlet. Behind this wall there is a store room. Whats your recommendation what should I do with this ?? submitted by /u/Acrobatic_College_31 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, I need your help here. I am looking to add a laundry waste line here. The 1.5 pvc on the right bottom through the wall stud was connected to a sink and laundry before and although it did not cause any issues, i wanted to fix the lines and bring them to code. the 1.5 in running from the top going down is waste from the 1st floor kitchen. NY state says laundry should be on 2in pvc with 2 in trap running into a 3 in pvc which goes into the main. Correct me if I am wrong as I am just a homeo”
“Hi Reddit, I need some advice. In short, our builder didn’t connect the water pipe running from the fridge to the mains (he ran a pipe under the floor & didn’t connect it to the mains) & it’s now inaccessible. As a resolution he’s now ran a water pipe outside, above ground with barely any insulation. He insists it’s correct and it will not freeze during the winter. I have a feeling he’s not even put in an isolation valve on the feed from the mains water supply (there is an isolation valv”
“Hello all, I'm having a water softener put in because I live in a hard water area. They ran these two copper studs through the exterior wall to loop with the main and are connecting it to Plex through the attic to the softener. I'm thinking I should insulate the area and just put an access panel in the sheet rock incase we ever need to get to the lines for repairs or do you think I should just cover it up with sheet rock? Crossposted in r/insulation for insulating suggestions. subm”
“I have old fridge that's been in the house we bought several years ago. It's been non functioning since we bought the house but removing it was never a priority. I just moved it to get behind it and clean up and now the line behind it leading to our water heater is leaking and with my minimal plumbing experience I have no idea how to remove this and cap it. It appears to be pierced into the line in a way that I've never seen before. Does anyone know what parts I'll need to close”
“Let's say, hypothetically... if the cold water pipe was 10 inches higher, would this section in red still need to be present? Trying to tell if that's a "heat trap" per the manual or if it was just done since the cold water line was lower then the connection. Thanks! submitted by /u/Ok-Shower-4338 [link] [comments]”
“What is the point of this blue pipe coming out of kitchen drain here? Edit: thanks everyone for answers and after your answers I went there and took a closer look and confirmed its electrical conduit. At my first look they twisted the white electric cable in such a way that it looked like a part of drain pipe and blue conduit shoved into it. submitted by /u/moomango [link] [comments]”
“My landlord ran the new clear tube to the ice maker in the fridge. Seems like he just tied into the cold water supply for the kitchen sink which is the white tubing coming from the main labeled pipe. Just wondered if anyone could tell me if this is a bad setup or not. submitted by /u/Impossible_Reply6013 [link] [comments]”
“The dip tube on top fed water heaters always have a hole in it, so the vacuum breaker can be argued. I always install them just so there is no headache with the OHJ, but it is technically not needed if your code states that and IPC definitely states that.”
“Flex water heater connectors have gaskets, so why does just about every water heater connection I've seen have Teflon tape or pipe dope on both sides of these connections? submitted by /u/AlphaSuerte [link] [comments]”
Is that of any concern? submitted by /u/djito49 [link] [comments]
“Any person who answers “what it could be for” by a single picture has no idea what the fuck they’re talking about. I don’t know what it’s used for. It could be a loop feed run that ties networks together. It could be a radial single phase run that feeds a transformer. It could be a dead piece of cable. It could be one phase of a three phase run that feeds a wye wye transformer bank. But what I do know…without a doubt in my mind is… that is a high-voltage direct bury underground cable. So stay aw”
“It’s not missing it’s insulation, the concentric wires on the outside are for grounding the insulation is the black sheath underneath the concentrics”
“You are far braver than I am. If I see what appears to be a 1" diameter electrical cable missing its insulation and covered in water, I'm getting the fuck out of there.”
“I had to repair an underground water leak out near the street in front of my house and I found a large cable next to my main line. It was about 3 1/2 feet down. Any idea what it could be for? submitted by /u/TheBlobsquatch [link] [comments]”
“For the life of me after visiting multiple plumbing supply and hvac shops around me I can not find a wye piece. Is it reasonable to place a t connecter but higher up so that I get that angle to 45 degrees?”
“I purchased a refrigerator from Lowe’s and they told me that the delivery personnel will not touch the water line if it is just a copper line and no shutoff valve. What would you recommend that I do so they will attach the water line when they deliver the fridge? submitted by /u/eholyak [link] [comments]”
“I will have it replaced in the next few months (the water valve). Should I wait for the plumber to show it to them? Just in case? Or does it not matter?”
“Got a new fridge and I forgot to disconnect the old supply line. The water inlet and fridge inlet seem to need a different size I bought a 1/4 inch compression. What do I need to adapt this existing refrigerator water connection to a 1/4-inch female compression refrigerator hose. I need 1/4-inch male compression on this side. submitted by /u/BurnorRAI [link] [comments]”
“Did you try sticking a magnet to it? Sch40 copper pipe is rarely used in residential homes.”
“Looks like a rubber radiator hose connection that you’d put a jubilee clip or a specific hose clamp/clip on behind that ridge. You sometimes find them in certain boilers”
“Hey that's code I agree with you on your logic but you got to follow code unfortunately”
“Water is conductive - just use that. No need to pull wire though pipes like conduit. Super effective if you happen to have hard water!”
“I’d like to replace my water pipes with PEX from about a foot after the meter onward. Not entirely sure what I need to do with these solid copper wires or what they are for. One copper wire goes from my panel to a water line, one goes from a pipe on one side of the water meter to a pipe on the other side of the meter, and there are a couple that come from the top of the foundation/ground to water pipes. Any help is greatly appreciated. submitted by /u/smoothie112 [link] [commen”
“Currently in the middle of a kitchen remodel where I’m moving the refrigerator to a different location. My current plan is to rent a pro press and run 1/2 in copper to the new fridge location from my sink line. Once I opened the wall I saw that the vent pipe was directly in the path to my new fridge location. Any recommendations on getting past the vent pipe? Would I be better off using Pex to bend around the vent or sticking with copper and going around somehow? In the picture I will be moving”
“unscrew the part at the wall using that notch and a spanner/multigrips to reveal the 1/2 bsp connection you're looking for”
“the one i showed a bracket like that. scree in a stud bring pex to it 1/2 Female x 1/2 pex ti trart from the tank and a T on the cold line. you can do it all in pex. the copper 12-18 inches only apply to GAS atmospheric heater not electric.”
“Super amateur here, but what should I do when the shower arm fits the same measuremnt of the outlet pipe? submitted by /u/Conscious-Duty-2792 [link] [comments]”
“A Home Depot appliance installer left a refrigerator water-line connection loose, causing a slow leak and water damage over several weeks. A plumber documented the active leak and confirmed tightening the connection stopped it. The claim is being handled by Sedgwick as a third-party liability claim. We have mitigation estimates, moisture photos/readings, asbestos/lead testing, confirmed mold, and are still getting abatement and reconstruction estimates. My main question is about matching. The fl”
Backstory: I am located in Ontario, Canada, and recently had a plumber install a fridge line for us. Something about how this installation was done hasn't sat right with me, and so…
“That’s poly b. You would need a poly b tee fitting. And to cut into that line before the shutter and crimp on a tee and another shutoff per code in my area. Just a heads up as well as most generic bidets don’t meet code requirement for cross connection protection.”
“Just get a quarter inch union throw away the nuts and Ferrells use the centerpieces a coupling”
“Black 2 inch pipe capped that comes from basement wall next to water meter. I'm assuming some sort of drain not in use/future use? If it can be used to drain, I would love to be able to have my dehumidifier drain into it. Have a 10ft endoscope that shows it slopes strain away from the wall. Edit: For more context, pipe in question is in basement wall. We just moved into the home in December. Home built in 2004. I have no idea if it was previously used in an older drainage system. submi”
“Pretty much the title. I’m not sure if I just need to add tape around the hump to help with the seal? That “hump” on the copper is 100% where is it dripping. submitted by /u/juice2771 [link] [comments]”
“Looking for chrome sleeves for over the pex under my kitchen sink basin. I’ve seen stub out sleeves for bathrooms. Do they make longer ones for kitchen plumbing? submitted by /u/63Rambler [link] [comments]”
“Where I'm worried is that tracpipe or black iron pipe inside walls are highly resistant to standard homeowner damage. Some kind of glorified vynal pipe? Not so much.”
“Wanting to put a water filter under my kitchen sink, unsure about that this “cap” is? TIA submitted by /u/lwood71 [link] [comments]”
“This is a second floor condo with a wd closet on the balcony. I in bought this 2 yrs ago. There's this pipe in the wall for the outgoing water and I'm wondering what it is, is it removable, etc. I'm asking b/c the w/d is a small capacity stackable and I want to buy the next size up but this pipe limits my w/d size. What is it? Why is it jutting out? Can it be removed or replaced with something less intrusive? TIA any answers are helpful as I just don't understand what this is. Fo”
“Not pretty but is it going to work? Replaced bottom of cabinet after previous owner let it rot and corroded galvanized pipe to copper connection. Added dishwasher, new sink and faucet. Faucet, fridge line, and spigot on cold. Faucet and dishwasher on hot. Dishwasher drain is high looped. Please let me know what I messed up and ill fix it submitted by /u/Captain-Boob [link] [comments]”