Q. A realtor told this to my fiance on a house. Rather than going ahead and paying an inspector, what does this mean? What does "new plumbing" entail?

A. Well it depends on WHAT he told her....if he said new plumbing then he probably means new water AND drain lines......that would be a repipe of both systems.....but if he said new kitchen lines or bathroom lines then he meant just that......find out EXACTLY what her told her....NOW after saying that i would STILL get the inspector bacause he doesnt just check plumbing...he looks at the WHOLE house.....the framing and support.....electrical.....plumbing....foundation......roof......walls....EVERYTHING....so i would definitely get the inspector that way u will know everything thats needs fixing and not just the plumbing

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Q. I once saw in a magazine that you can add plumbing without cutting into the slab. Yet I have not been able to find anything else on it. It was in a contractors magazine. If anyone knows anything please let me know.

A. They make rear discharge toilets that would allow the drain to be run thru a wall to the main. Don't know but they may make a set-in-place toilet and pump unit that would provide an above-the-slab forced main to the main. Check with a quality plumbing supply house. The next answer mentions a sewer sump pump but that is a big job [think a 3' dia. hole about 3' below the slab for the sump] and would involve cutting some concrete. but it would allow you to locally set fixtures and pump up to the sewer main, so it wouldn't mean cutting a long line.

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Q. We have a gas water heater and we would like to have an electric w.h. instead. How hard would it be to switch, and what do we need to do to change it over?

A. Its not too difficult... You'll need to run a circuit to the new heater, from your panel box...so that means wire, and a circuit breaker. (it should be on a circuit by itself, straight from the panel box, not run from something else). Plumbing wise, you'll just need some standard fittings/adapters to connect to your existing plumbing....for example, you may need to extend the plumbing (or cut it back) to match the connector on the water heater. You'll also need a cap on the gas line. (I'd just tape over the exhaust stack opening from the old heater with aluminum tape, or duct tape) Have Fun

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Q. I have a shower and the plumbing runs up from the floor. On the wall the containing the plumbing, on the opposite side, is an electrical switch and outlet. What is the minimum safe distance between the electrical lines and the plumbing so that a plumbing leak doesn't result in someone being killed or hurt?

A. There is no NEC (national electric code) restriction on this. The supply pipes and electric wire and box could actually all be on the same stud.

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Q. I can't find any good diagrams/photos on basement plumbing, below slab. I know about vents, slopes and tying in. I just want to see diagrams. Thanks in advance.

A. Did you check with Lowes or Home Depot? They usually help people out with diagrams of kitchen and bathrooms. When we put our bathroom in our basement, we had to build a platform for the plumbing to fit under. Good Luck.....Wish I could help more.

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Q. I have a friend who has a home that has copper plumbing. The residence was built in 1988, and she was told by a neighbor that copper plumbing is bad and has to be removed/replaced in order to keep the value of the home for resale. This doesn't seem to make sense and the home DOES NOT have any plumbing issues to date. The neighbor cautioned that copper plumbing can burst. Is there any ring of truth to this or is the neighbor thinking of something else. A home built in 1988 doesn't seem that old to me. Please help. All answers are welcome. Thanks. Additional details. Here is the suspected issue: Different metals or types of pipe: copper and galvanized iron, were directly connected in the potable water supply system From this point of view, we are told the entire plumbing in the home needs to be changed. Can this be right?

A. If the copper pipe is stressed, it will create a leak, but only if stressed. By this I mean thin wall, kinks, etc. I have never heard of copper pipes devaluing a home. If anything, copper will add value compared to CPVC or galvanized. If there are no issues with leakage or significant corrosion, leave it.

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Q. I have a problem. I always flush my cig butts down the toilet and now there is a plumbing problem in my apt building. They will be turning off the hot water for repairs. Will It get traced back to me?

A. Only cold water it routed to the toilet. Flushing drains the water to the sewage pipe. Hot or cold bears nothing to this, its all sewage.

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Q. I cut a chase in sub-floor to change plumbing from a tub to a shower, i covered sub-floor with 1/4 durarock,then cement for a solid base,morter mix to slope floor towards drain i was then going to install a membrane when customers tile installer said it had to be removed and replaced that i installed it incorrectly. It was my understanding that after the membrane he was to install thinset over membrane and then tile ? can someone please help answer my questions i still am not sure if i made any mistakes i was trying to ensure a good base for durable longevity

A. The membrane goes behind the durock, and under the mortar bed, the idea is that the membrane holds all the water in and is the last defense between the wood and durock/mortar bed, thinset wont bond to the membrane, it is meant to be attached to concrete of some form whether durock or the mortar bed...putting a membrane in between will keep the the thinset from attaching properly and in turn would cause a horrible tile job, you will need to rip out everything you did and start over from the frame work, dont be surprised if this customer doesn't call you back for anymore work. i would suggest hiring a sub-contractor who knows how to do the job properly and eat the cost if you want to maintain any kind of reputation. and dont take jobs that you aren't 100% sure you know how to do. i dont suggest shoving the membrane under the mortar bed or making an attempt to "make" it work...if its not done right and it leaks you can face a law suit for future water damage because of poor installation of membrane. It has to be done right.

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