Post Tricks of the Plumbing Trade Here. - Page 8 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

MDFinestKid · 09-06-2008, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a1plumbingyakim

when draining water heaters, disconnect the hot side and put your 3/4" gas test gauge on the dielectric nipple and with your compressor force the water out of the water heater through your hose hooked to the drain.

sioux chief makes what's called a no putty gasket, use it in place of plumbers putty, works great baskets don't spin while tightening $.48/ea

another sioux chief product....plastic closet bolts....they are cool...

I use plastic bolts on every toilet because the plastic bolts wont RUST and cause rust damages to the toilet flange.Also easy to cut with pipe cutters under 3 seconds, and reduce the risk of damaging the bowl..

MDFinestKid · 09-06-2008, 08:08 PM

Trying to open a clean out thats been rusted for years, and got no WD40? Use some poroxide, let sit for few minutes and give it a nother try.

MALCO.New.York · 09-06-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDFinestKid

Trying to open a clean out thats been rusted for years, and got no WD40? Use some poroxide, let sit for few minutes and give it a nother try.

PEROXIDE (H2O2 20 volume) works?

MDFinestKid · 09-06-2008, 08:28 PM

Trick of the Trade for insulating water supply pipes. About 80% of inexperiance people who insulate there pipe insulte wrong. when people insulte the pipes they never insulate the corners were its more vonable to freez! The trick that i been using for some years is mitering my corners with 45 degrees. Just like finish trim around a door. Take this in mind when insulating pipes, it makes you look like a top of the line plumber and you will never have froven pipes!

MDFinestKid · 09-06-2008, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MALCO.New.York

PEROXIDE (H2O2 20% by volume) works?

yeah the stuf in the brown bottle we use for cuts. it foams up just like it does on the skin

nhmaster3015 · 09-06-2008, 08:55 PM

Here's my tip

Having problems understanding and solving your plumbing problems?
4 years and 600 hours of apprentice school along with 8000 hours of on the job training will let you take and hopefully pass the journeyman plumbers test. Then 10 to 40 years as a Master Plumber and you will know almost (but not quite) all there is to know about plumbing.

KillerToiletSpider · 09-06-2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhmaster3015

Here's my tip

Having problems understanding and solving your plumbing problems?
4 years and 600 hours of apprentice school along with 8000 hours of on the job training will let you take and hopefully pass the journeyman plumbers test. Then 10 to 40 years as a Master Plumber and you will know almost (but not quite) all there is to know about plumbing.

The hell you say.

Grumpyplumber · 09-07-2008, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhmaster3015

Here's my tip

Having problems understanding and solving your plumbing problems?
4 years and 600 hours of apprentice school along with 8000 hours of on the job training will let you take and hopefully pass the journeyman plumbers test. Then 10 to 40 years as a Master Plumber and you will know almost (but not quite) all there is to know about plumbing.

...OR...announce to the world yer a "plummer", bid jobs real cheap, then go online and ask DIY forums as you go.

Proud Plumber · 09-15-2008, 09:28 AM

Plummer- LOL Thats Funny

CA PLMBR · 09-15-2008, 04:35 PM

Have you ever wanted to make sure you had to check a posi-temp valves hot and cold to be sure the cartridge is installed correctly and didn't have hot water to feel the difference (yeah guys I know the cartridge is marked...read on)?
I found this handy on new construction and the rough-in goof did not paint his left boot red (so he could remember that hot is on the left). After setting trim my protocol is to H/C test all fixtures by shutting the water heater off then going to check the faucets. As most of you know on a posi-temp valve you need 2 ports of pressure to move the balancer spool in order to get any water. To test your tub/showers H/C you merely have to turn the valve ALMOST (2-6 degrees from inline) off at the cold side. Then go to the posi-temp valves. Turn on the valve slowly pausing at cold position you should have pressure then continue to the hot position slowly as you get to hot it should peter out. If you initially turn the valve on and it does not give you pressure at cold and just peters out your rough-in man piped you in reverse. If so flip the cartridge 180 degrees and reinstall. Valaaaaaaaaaa!
I hope that wasn't too drawn out but it has helped me in the past from having to go to homeowners houses because they were getting H/C reversed yet the cartridge was in right.

CA PLMBR · 09-15-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitnerdun

In some cases, using a copper strap, or a coupling cut in half lengthwise,soldered in place to patch a pinhole leak. Works when cutting pipe is not an option.

Cutting the pipe is always an option if this is the type of fix that you are going to make. No plumber with a conscience would ever repair a pipe in such a way. If you have enough room to get 1/2 a coupling on I would suggest getting some repair couplings (no hub) and cut right at the nail hole. If you cannot shift pipe the 1/2" to get the coupling on try using 4-90s. I do not like extra bends but a hell of a lot better than 1/2 coupling. I would suggest you stop doing this or you'll be posting as "gitner-re-dun", lol jk I couldn't resist. Hope this helps.

AJX4 · 09-25-2008, 09:03 PM

to get accrurat measurments on levelin' heaters or anything plumbing that goes on a floor that's off. take plumber's putty and push it against the leg and it forms an impresson and form there you can cut it pretty close

gitnerdun · 10-02-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CA PLMBR

Cutting the pipe is always an option if this is the type of fix that you are going to make. No plumber with a conscience would ever repair a pipe in such a way. If you have enough room to get 1/2 a coupling on I would suggest getting some repair couplings (no hub) and cut right at the nail hole. If you cannot shift pipe the 1/2" to get the coupling on try using 4-90s. I do not like extra bends but a hell of a lot better than 1/2 coupling. I would suggest you stop doing this or you'll be posting as "gitner-re-dun", lol jk I couldn't resist. Hope this helps.

I'll be sure and call you before attempting anything. It is not meant to be a fix for every pinhole. Just on the occasion of no other option. You must have a wealth of info to share, more than the Posi trick I hope. Open your mind. I would probably react the same way you did if I were to read or hear someone else suggest this type of repair. I guess you just gotta know me before you judge me. After 25 years as a plumber, that's not "combined" years, I have learned when to save a customer from a lot of extra labor charges and when not to.

protechplumbing · 10-13-2008, 10:36 PM

Why not?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonny

Take some duct tape and wrap it around the end of your plumbing

snake - about the size of a golf ball - now start ramming that grease

remove snake & run super hot water - Never & I mean Never pour

sulfuric acid down the drain

protechplumbing · 10-13-2008, 10:54 PM

Got somthin even slicker. Fish 2 20ft lengths of pex down the hot and T/P ports. Pull a siphon on both. Drains FAST! Workin on a big 120 gal electric? Pull the top element when the level gets down to it and pull a 3rd siphon with 3/4 pex. It'll drain that big boy before you can get the new one brought in next to it.

No window near by? use sharkbites to add lengths of pex. Disassemble when done. No special rigs needed. (I'm in Fl, no basements here. Wont work if heater is below ground level with nothing to drain it into)

Here's another. What do you do when you have a heater in an attic or up on a shelf and you have no one top help you get it down? Pull both elements. Get a sawzall blade that is about 18-20tpi. Insert it into the element hole and cut horizontally all the way around (you may have to stop to spin the heater) until you have cut the heater in half. Works great on heaters that a slap full of sediment too. Once they’re open you can just scoop it out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by westcoastplumb

if the tank has a leak, this won't work, but I have a fail safe, i use a 3/4 ips ball valve, a 3/4 a 3" nipple and on the other side, install a 3/4 mip x 3/4 hose bibb adapter, vapor lock the water heater, remove the drain, have a hose on the adapter loosly with ball valve open, screw in the nipple, once in, close valve, tighten hose and then drain with a flex line off to let air in the top. Takes about 10-15 mins total to drain a 40-50 gallon, done it inside houses, outside, do it a few times and you will become really good at finding the hole

AJX4 · 10-18-2008, 02:41 AM

Never have I used 3/4 but today I didn't have a 1/2" and all I did was take some emery cloth and wrap it around one of my larger screwdrivers and worked great. [YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

pipingplumber · 10-22-2008, 11:18 PM

Most service guys don't work out of a gang box, but if you do here is one that eliminates the need to fit the key through the square hole with two fingers then into the lock:

Cut a scrap of copper (3/4 or bigger) lengthwise, pound it flat, shine it up. Take your brass padlock key and shine up the rounded head end, lay the head on the copper so the business end sticks past the copper enough to get it in the lock. Solder it up dropping the solder around the outline of the head of the key. Shape the copper with a grinder (round shape always is good) and drill a new hole in the copper to fit on your keyring.

Sturdy Key Extender. I think I've been using mine for 6 years.

WT Thacker · 12-01-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitnerdun

Cut those closet bolts with bolt cutters before you install them. Measure and practice, it beats that little mini hack.

Get a pair of klien side cutters cuts closet bolts w/ one hand in a jiffy

BKLOOGER · 12-02-2008, 03:32 AM

i use hydrochloric acid to clean dirty copper ready for silver soldering,the higher the % of silver in the solder the easier it runs under heat. also silver solder will not stick to copper marked with a lead pencil,. im assuming you guys do the same as us down under

brad

plumber1a · 12-30-2008, 09:10 AM

Stainless steel can be drilled with a very sharp bit or hole saw if you trigger on and off your drill rapidly, you will see it cuts faster by going slower as the bits don't get so hot that it dulls them fast, faster is not always better, also for all those trying to cut closet bolts, simply put channel locks upward over the excess threads, just above the nut and force the excess front to back, just above the nut, they break off very easily. Ever find yourself trying to shut down a meter without a key, try disassembling a 24" pipe wrench, the notch where the jaw went through fits over many 3/4 & 1" meter core cock heads, an additional wrench can be used to turn it, also don't forget to loosen the nut on the bottom of the cock and hit it on the side with a hammer till it drips.