Knowing Your Home:
Plumbing 101
Latin: Plumbum (Lead)
What Could Go Wrong?
• Lead Poisoning
• Mold/Mildew
• Structural Damage
• Wasting Money
• Wasting Valuable Resource
How Do You Know?
• Sights
• Smells
• Sounds
Stain:
1. Stop Leak ASAP
2. Repair Leak
3. Let Dry Completely
4. Use Stain Blocking Paint
5. Finish with Ceiling Color
Black Mold:
1. Stop Leak ASAP
2. Remove Contaminated Materials
3. Clean/Treat Those Not Removed
4. Repair Leak
5. Let Dry Completely
6. Finish Work
This is Why You Trust Your Nose!
Keep Looking!
Anticipate Problems
• Cast Iron: 75 - 100 Years
• Galvanized Steel (Installed through ‘50s): 20 - 60+ Years
• Copper: 50+ Years (Depending on Water Chemistry)
• PEX/Plastic: Predicted 50+ Years (30+year History)
• CPVC: Eternity IF Perfectly Installed. But…
Detour: Galvanic Corrosion
• Dissimilar Metals, in Presence of Electrolyte, Exchange Atoms. Over
Time, Less Conductive Metal is Corroded.
• Water = Electrolyte. Rate of Corrosion Depends on Water Chemistry,
Speed, Temperature. (Hard Water—High Mineral Content—is Worse.)
• A Great Deal of Debate on This Among Plumbers.
• Teflon Tape, Pipe Dope, Sealant Compound Will Slow.
• Dielectric Coupling—Code—Even Slower.
• Plastics are Non-Conductive, Non-Corrosive. But…
• Note: Ground Wire Must “Jump” Any Conductive Break.
Detour: Valves
Ball ValveGate Valve
Three Systems
• Storm Water (Surface Water and Roof—Footer Drains)
• Sanitary (or Waste or Soil or Drain or…)
• Supply (Potable Water)
Storm Water System
• Downspouts, Drain in Driveway
• Footer Drain: Circles House at Base of Foundation
• 4” Clay or PVC, with Holes
• When Blocked or Collapsed, Leads to Water in Basement
• Realm of Professionals … and it’s Expensive
• Regular Maintenance
• Keep Gutters Clean
• Root Killer (Copper Sulfate) 4x/Year
• Open/Clear with Sewer Snake
Sanitary System Features
• Gravity
• Ventilation
• If Drain Runs Slow, It May be Poorly Vented
• Siphons Sewer Gases To Outdoors
Sanitary System Materials
• Cast Iron
• PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): Schedule 40
• Polypropylene Plastic (Traps & Small Pipes)
• Metals (Steel, Brass, Chrome Plated)
Sanitary System Fails
• Show Up as Leaks and Smells
• Interior Corrosion
• Impact
• Joints
Sanitary System Repairs and
Costs
• Exposed (Sinks, Toilet): Often Easy and Inexpensive
• Under/Behind Walls: Moderate to Difficult & Costs Moderate
to High, Depending
• Plumbing AND Finishing Costs
• Can be Hard to Estimate Until Uncovered
• Replace Stack (2-Story): $1,500 - $4,000+, all in
• Replace House to Sewer: $50 - $100/linear foot, depending
Troubleshooting Toilets
• When Clean, It Shouldn’t Smell
• Tank Condensation Can Lead to Mildew, Mold
• Decrease Tank Volume
• Flush Less Often
• Ventilation
• It Shouldn’t Move (Don’t Over-Tighten Bolts!)
• The Base Should Be Dry and Odor Free
Supply System Features
• Under Pressure (Supplied by Source; 40 - 80 psi)
• Pressure Shared Throughout System
• Shut-Offs
• Connections Have to Work
• Threaded
• Glue
• Compression
• Lots of Fittings! Special Tools! Sometimes Counterintuitive! Foreign Language(s)!
• You Can Learn a Lot on the Internet
• Experienced Hardware or Plumbing Supply Staff
Supply System Materials
• Ductile Iron (Water Main): Cement or Polymer on Cast Iron
• Galvanized Steel: Zinc Coated/Lead
• Copper: Lead in Solder Through 1970s, In Fittings
• CPVC: Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (Leaching?
Solvents? CA Approved.)
• PEX: Cross-Linked Polyethylene (MTBE? CA Approved.)
• PP: Polypropylene. “The Future of Waterpipe”
Detour: On Polypropylene
• “The Future” has 30-year History in Europe
• Rigid Pipe Joined by Heat (Not Solvents)
• No Chemical Leaching Concerns
• Extremely Durable
• Material Costs: 3xPEX though 50% Less Than Copper
• Installation Requires Expensive Specialty Tools and High-Level
Skillset. System Install Very Expensive.
• New? Gut Rehab? Extreme Chemical Sensitivity? Money No Object?
Detour: Filtration?
• Lots of Options.
• Lots of Price Points.
• Calculate Cost(s) Over Life of Filter System
• It’s Only Good if You Maintain It
• Balance That Info Against Your Level of Concern(s)
• FYI: #2 at CWD Uses Tap Water & Brita Filter
• FWIW: I Lean Toward Kitchen Sink Filters
Supply System Repair &
Replacement Costs (Kinda)
• Assume 1500 square feet, 2 Baths:
• To Replace Supply with Copper: $8,000 to $10,000
• To Replace Supply with PEX: $4,000 to $6,000
• Costs Include Materials and Labor (Including Finish Work)
Working With Copper
• $2.85/foot. Many, Expensive Fittings.
• Torch, Solder, Flux, Brushes, Cutters, etc.
• Dependent on Good Technique (Learn, Practice)
• Work in 8-foot Lengths
• Rigid
• Flame in Proximity to Wood in Tight Quarters
Working With CPVC
• $.50/foot. Many, Inexpensive Fittings.
• PVC Saw, Solvents
• Dependent on Consistent Technique (Easy)
• Straight Cuts
• Too Much, Too Little Glue = Problems
• Need Good Ventilation
• Work in 8-foot Lengths
• Rigid
• Joints Susceptible to Shock/Vibration
Working With PEX
• Tube Cutter, Insertion Gauge, Crimpers (?)
• Dependent on Consistent Technique (Easy)
• Straight Cuts
• Full Insertion into Fittings
• Source to Use Lengths
• Flexible
• Fittings Should Match Pipe
Supply System Replacement
DIY• Know The Plumbing System You’ve Got, Up and Down
• Stay Inside Conditioned Air Envelope
• AVOID EXTERIOR WALLS!
• First Story: Work From Basement Up
• Second Story Plus: First Up, Then Sideways
• Look For Course(s) to Higher Stories (As Few as Possible)
• Space Beside Stack? Laundry Shute?
• Are You Removing First Floor Plaster For Another Project?
Supply System Replacement
DIY
• Think the New System Through
• Be Creative
• Trunk and Branch AND Manifold?
• Mix Materials?
• Be Detail Oriented, In Planning And Execution
• Be Patient
Quality Counts
• Goal: A New System that Lasts as Long as the Old One
• YOU DON’T GET WHAT YOU DON’T PAY FOR!
• Research Vendors. Get Detailed Recommendations.
• Be Sure to Ask: Who Does Finish Work?
• DIY: Use Quality Materials & Fittings
• PVC, CPVC: Charlotte Pipe
• PEX: PEX, Viega, Wisbro, Sharkbite
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