Practical Plumbing

Plumbing. Just the word can strike fearinto a homeowner’s heart. It’s a mysterious system, full of pipes and fittings that
cause problems ranging from odd noises to
catastrophic failures. Touring the plumbing
aisles at your home center won’t exactly
help your anxiety, considering their confusing array of connections and valves.
This chapter guides you through the confusion to help you solve some of the most
common plumbing fix-it problems.

Introduction to Plumbing :

Depending on your home’s age, a combination of cast iron, galvanized
steel, copper, or various types of plastic piping may form your plumbing
system. Although copper’s durability still makes it a popular choice, plastic
pipe is gaining ground. It’s flexible, easy to cut and work with, and
doesn’t require soldering. Be sure to check local building codes to ensure
they allow plastic piping.
Copper pipe can be cut with a hacksaw (use a blade with 18 to
24 teeth per inch) or with a pipe cutter (which makes cleaner cuts and
is relatively inexpensive). When measuring pipe for cutting, go from the
bottom of each fitting that the pipe will slide into so that you include
the length of pipe that will slide inside the fitting.
Soldering copper joints goes beyond a fix-it job, so repairs in this
chapter focus on joining copper pipe without soldering (compression
joints), or using plastic pipe. A variety of fittings is available to join
various types of pipes together. The best way to determine what you need
is to take a sketch or photo of your setup along with your pipe diameter
measurements to the home or plumbing center, and find a good staff
person. They should be familiar with local building codes and will let you
know what will work within those codes. One thing that you should never
do, however, is join two different types of metal pipe together—unless you
use a dielectric fitting between the two. Otherwise, the metals will react,
corroding the joint and resulting in leaks.

Compression Fittings :

Compression fittings join two pieces of pipe by squeezing a union
fitting against rings that are slipped over the pipe. First, make sure that
the ends of the pipe are cut square, and clean (debur) the ends by
running a pipe reamer or file around the inside of each end of pipe.
When you cut the pipe, remember to take into account the ½ inch
needed for the pipe length that will slide into each side of the
compression fitting. Slip a compression nut and then a compression ring
over both ends of the copper pipes you wish to join. The nut’s threads
need to face the cut end of the pipe. The ring should be located so that
the union fitting will fit onto the pipe over it.
Rub a small amount of pipe joint compound over the ring, and slip
the union fitting over the pipe so it meets the compression ring. Loosely
screw the nut over the fitting’s threads. Repeat for the other piece of
pipe. To tighten the nuts, hold the fitting in place with a wrench while
you tighten each nut with another wrench. Check for leaks by slowly
turning on the water.

Plastic Pipe :

There are three types of rigid plastic pipe: PVC, used for drain and
vent pipes; ABS, used for drainpipe; and CPVC, used for both hot and
cold water. The main difference in working with these is that ABS doesn’t
need a primer prior to gluing it, while PVC and CPVC do.
Plastic pipe can be cut with a hacksaw or pipe cutter. To clean up
the edges, run a utility knife around the end of the pipe. Once you’ve
measured (twice!) and cut the pieces of pipe you need, it’s essential to
test fit them together without using any glue. Once they’re all together,
mark the joints with a felt-tip pen so that you’ll know how to put the
pieces together when you’re gluing them. Take them apart, laying them
out in the order in which you’ll put them together. Rub the contact
surfaces of the pipes and fittings that will be glued together with an
emery cloth.
For CPVC and PVC pipe, prime the surfaces of the pipes and fittings
that will be glued together, and allow the primer to work (usually just
fifteen seconds) according to its instructions. (Primer isn’t necessary for
ABS pipe.) Coat the surfaces with pipe glue to match your pipe type.
Firmly press together the two pieces of pipe with the alignment marks
offset by about 2 inches, twisting the pipe pieces as necessary to match
up the marks. Hold them in place for thirty to sixty seconds. You should
wait about five minutes before gluing the next joint onto either piece that
you’ve just glued.

TIP : You must be prepared to work quickly once you’ve applied the
glue; it sets up within a minute, and if the pipe pieces aren’t in
alignment by then, you’ll have to start again. If you’ve never
worked with this before, practice on a few scrap pieces of plastic
and some extra fittings (they’re not expensive).

Installing Shutoff Valves :

Shutoff valves installed on individual fixtures, such as sinks and toilets,
allow you to shut off the water flow while you work on that fixture
without having to shut off the water to the entire house. If you’re working
on a fixture without shutoff valves, your first job should be to install them,
usually where the water supply comes through the wall. If you buy the
type that work as compression fittings, they’re easy to install.
Buy a flexible water supply tube that will fit between the shutoff valve
location and the fixture itself (whether it’s a hot or cold supply for a
faucet, or a cold supply for a toilet). Flexible braided steel or nylon pipes
are excellent but must be bought to fit, because they can’t be cut.
Once you’ve shut off the water supply to the house, removed the
existing water supply tube(s) between the wall and the fixture, and
bought replacements and shutoff valves to fit, you’re ready to go. Slip a
compression nut (threads facing the pipe’s cut end) and a ring over the
pipe where it comes through the wall. Add pipe joint compound over the
ring, slide the shutoff valve over the ring, and tighten the nut.
Braided water supply pipes incorporate a threaded end that can be
screwed directly onto the shutoff valve. If so, go ahead and tighten it
over the valve. Otherwise, slip a nut and ring over the water supply tube,
apply pipe joint compound to the ring, and slide the tube down into the
shutoff valve. Tighten the nut over the valve first by hand, and then by
holding the valve in place with a wrench and turning the nuts with
another wrench. With the valve closed (remember that you haven’t
connected the water supply tube to the fixture yet), check for leaks by
turning on the water. Tighten the nut further if necessary, but avoid
overtightening.

FACT : These instructions apply where you’re working with copper pipe
coming through the wall and a metal shutoff valve. For joining
other materials, it’s the same theory, but check with home center
staff for the correct shutoff valve.

Repairing Leaky Faucets :

The biggest problem with fixing leaky faucets is identifying which type of
faucet you’re working with. There are four basic types—compression, ball,
cartridge, and disk—but endless variations. Even if you think you’ve figured
yours out, it’s best to take the faucet apart before heading to the home
center for the replacement part. Take the old parts with you so that
finding the exact replacement won’t be a guessing game.
For all faucet repairs, first shut off the water supply to the faucet
either at the shutoff valve or at the house supply. Open the faucet to
drain the water. Put the plug in the sink, and line the sink with a towel
to protect it. Wrap pliers with masking tape to avoid scratching faucet
surfaces. As you remove faucet parts, examine them to see how they’re
seated within the faucet, and lay them out on a paper towel in the order
you removed them.

Compression Faucet :

Remove the cap from the handle so that you can undo the screw
holding the handle in place. The handle should lift off, but it’s often
seized. If so, use a tool called a handle puller that fits over the handle
and applies pressure using a screw-down handle.
Use groove-joint pliers to remove the stem assembly from the faucet.
To access the O-ring and the stem washer for replacement, take the stem
assembly apart: Remove the stem screw, and unscrew the retaining nut
from the spindle. Replace the O-ring (the old one can be cut off with a
utility knife), stem washer, and stem screw, coating the new items with
plumber’s heatproof grease. Sometimes, you’ll find packing string instead
of an O-ring; in that case, wind new packing string in its place.
Before reassembling the faucet, check the valve seat. If it feels rough,
use a seat wrench to remove it and replace it with a new one. If it can’t
be removed (some can’t), smooth it instead by rotating a valve seat cutter
(available at home centers) clockwise within the seat for several turns.

Ball Faucets :

For a dripping faucet, try a quick fix by tightening the faucet cap with
groove-joint pliers. If this doesn’t work, the culprit is probably the ball,
valve seats, or springs. For leaks around the base, replace the O-rings.
Frankly, once you have the faucet apart, it’s easy (and not expensive) to
replace all of these items at once.
Use an Allen wrench to undo the setscrew on the handle, and take
off the handle. Use groove-joint pliers to unscrew the faucet cap. You’ll
see the stem of the ball sticking up through the cam and cam washer.
Remove the cam and washer, and then the ball. If the ball is worn, buy
a new metal one (longer lasting than plastic). With the ball removed, the
valve seats and springs are accessible. Pry them out with a small
screwdriver or awl.
Lift off the spout (you may need to twist it while pulling up). Cut off
the old O-rings with a utility knife and install new ones, first coating the
new ones with plumber’s heatproof grease. Reassemble the faucet with
new valve seats, springs, and cam washer. When you’re placing the cam
in position, look for the slot on the faucet that matches the tab on the
cam. Turn the faucet on, and then restore the water supply slowly to
check for leaks. If leaks occur, reseat the ball and tighten the faucet cap
and screw as needed (don’t overtighten).

Cartridge Faucets :

Replace the O-rings to fix leaks at the base of a cartridge faucet;
replace the cartridge to fix dripping spouts. First, pry up the access cap
so that you can remove the screw in the handle, and then the handle. If
there’s no access cap, look for a clip and an Allen screw on the handle;
remove both.

Use groove-joint pliers to remove the retaining nut or ring
combination, holding steady the assembly below it with an adjustable
wrench. Look for a retaining clip, which may or may not be holding the
cartridge in place, and note the position of the cartridge. Carefully pull
the cartridge straight up and out, using groove-joint pliers. Buy a
replacement cartridge to match, and insert it in the same position.
At this point, to replace the O-rings at the base of the faucet, lift the
spout up and off. Cut off the old O-rings with a utility knife. Replace
them, first coating the new O-rings with plumber’s heatproof grease.
Replace each piece of the faucet, and turn on the water slowly to check
for leaks. If leaks occur, go back and tighten the nuts and screws slightly
(don’t overtighten).

Disk Faucets :

Disk faucets rarely need repair, and when they do, it’s usually to
clean or replace their neoprene seals or to clean the openings in their
ceramic disks. First, remove the setscrew in the handle so that you can
lift off the handle and the escutcheon cap. This allows you to unscrew
the mounting screws and lift out the cylinder that contains the ceramic
disks; make sure to note the cylinder position so that you can replace it
the same way. Pry out the neoprene seals from the openings in the disks,
being careful not to scratch the disks.
Clean the seals, the disk openings, and the water inlets in the faucet
body with a dish scrubber that’s safe for ceramic surfaces (i.e., not steel
wool). Reassemble the faucet, and turn it to its “on” position. Because
the disks can crack if water surges against them too suddenly, turn on
the water supply very slowly. If the faucet’s still leaking, install a new
cylinder, again noting the position of the old cylinder so that you can
match it.

Replacing Faucets :

Sometimes—especially if the faucet is older—it’s easier and faster to
replace the faucet rather than repair it. To choose a replacement faucet,
first measure the distance between the centers of the two holes where
the faucet pipes (the tailpieces) come down through the counter below
the sink, and the diameter of the two holes. You’ll need to buy a faucet
that matches these measurements.
Check to see if the new faucet comes with supply tubes; if not, buy
them. Also check for shutoff valves on the old supply tubes—if there
aren’t any, now’s the right time to install them (see the previous section).

Removing the Old Faucet :

Label the water supply so that you’ll know which pipe carries hot and
cold later on (identify the hot-water supply by running hot water—the pipe
will warm up); then shut off the water supply to the faucets, either at the
individual shutoff valves or the house supply .

The toughest part of the installation will likely be removing the old
supply tubes, which will have mounting and coupling nuts that are often
corroded. A shot of penetrating oil should help loosen them, but you can
also cut them off. Pull up the old faucet, sliding a putty knife between the
faucet and the sink to loosen the old sealing putty if necessary. Clean the
sink of any remaining putty.

Installing the New Faucet :

Read the installation instructions for the new faucet, and test-fit the
faucet and supply tubes by holding them in the existing holes. If all is
okay, remove them, and put the gasket (contained in most new faucet
kits) on the bottom of the faucet so that it will sit between the faucet and
the sink. If there’s no gasket, or the sink is uneven, line the bottom edge
of the new faucet or gasket with silicone caulking. Insert the faucet so
that the tailpieces go through the holes and the faucet is lined up in
position on the sink, and press firmly. Clean up any caulking that
squeezes out from under the faucet.
If the faucet has supply tubes attached, the faucet is held against the
sink with a gasket, retainer ring, and a locknut that you need to place
over the threaded tailpiece. Then, attach the supply tubes to the shutoff
valves, matching the hot and cold water tap supply tubes to the pipes that
you labeled as hot and cold.
If the faucet doesn’t have supply tubes attached, it’s held against the
sink with a friction washer that’s placed over each tailpiece, followed by
a mounting nut. The supply tubes are then attached to the tailpieces with
their preinstalled coupling nuts, and to the shutoff valves, matching hot
tap to hot supply, and cold tap to cold supply.