Shower Pan Portland Cement Problem

Ugggg. I think I might have made a serious mistakes in putting down the Portland cement mixture for the base of my shower pan. I thought I had read everything, but now I’m finding that I should have made it to the consistancy of wet sand. Mine was more like peanut butter. I have gotten to the point where I have installed the Oatay Flexible shower pan liner and am now ready to pour the top coat. Can I continue and do the final pour of portland and make it the consistancy of wet sand or do I need to tear it all up. It’s just a small shower area, approximately 2″X4″ with a bench seat. Also, should I mix anything in the the bag of Portland?

There could be a problem with the definition of what you need.

Potland cement is a very, very fine powder that can be mixed to a mortar or grout, depending what you use as a filler, stabilizer.

Portland cement and water can be mush.

Portland cement, sand and water can be very strong and support high loads, is stable and will not shrink and crack. This will be like grout or even concrete.

There is a big difference between cement (dry powder) and grout/mortar (cement, sand and water).

leaking washing machine

my washing machine is leaking in the front right corner, the only way to see anything is by turning the washer upside down. none of the panels on the front or back can be removed. when i found that the pump is in that area i thought maybe it was the problem and i replaced it. the washer is still leaking. all the hose look good . any other suggestions?

Go on craigslist and get a new washer, this is the best I can do. This is a plumbing help area only.

only drips in the morning

I can hear a dripping sound from under my sink only in the mornings after the sink hasn’t been used all night. The dripping sound disappears after 15 minutes. There are water marks on the floor below.

I have had a couple of plumbers come out and none could find anything wrong with it. They suggest just ignoring it because they would have to open up all the walls in the kitchen otherwise.

My theory has been that there are minor cracks/holes in the pipe that dry out overnight and maybe seal themselves after the water has been running. Is this plausible at all???

You need to put a pressure gauge on your hose bib over night with a needle that tells you the highest pressure in your system. Some times when everyone goes to bed at night in your area, there is less demand on the city water and your pressure will go up, and causes a leak. In La Jolla I have seen 215 PSI.

clogged sink with bottle top

My daughter dropped a coke bottle top in our sink and we cannot get it out. It is clogged up. Anyone have any suggestions how to get this coke bottle top out?

Try a shop vac or you will have to start taking pipes apart.

Roof Vents

OK, long story short, we were gone for the weekend, I set the thermostat to 75 (which is still much, much cooler than it is here in Jackson, MS) instead of the usual 70 or so that we keep it. When we got back, there was a really strong smell in the house. I have searched high and low and can’t find anything rotting, mold or mildew, anything dead, etc. Under the house, we have an old duct system that is missing some insulation, so it condensates a bit, but still no smell. No smell coming from the atic either. It is really only bad in a few rooms. After some reading, I think I am having a sewer gas problem, like a poster a few threads back, but all my drains/traps keep some water in them b/c they are used daily. The only thing I can think of at this point are the vents on the roof. I was up there today and I couldn’t find any that had a smell coming from them, but using a long pipe snake, I checked all 5 of them. All of them seemed to be pretty dry, but I found one that came up a little funky. It didn’t feel like it was clogged, but it did indeed have some type of build up, looked like stuff from a kitchen sink or dishwasher.

My question, other than any thoughts anyone might have on the situation, is… Do the vents on the roof need to have water in them? Also, should the vent that has some gunk (again, I don’t think it feels clogged) be clean?

Vents don’t have water in them, you could take a garden hose and run some water down them if you have some crud or buildup in them.

The smell could be coming from many things even the AC unit not running as much as usual, you have togo through a process of elimination to find the source.

shower problems

Hi,
I’m trying to help my parents out with a problem they’re having.
The house they live in is about 50 years old. It has mostly copper piping. My Dad has had a stroke and can no longer bathe himself so my mom now has to. They had a hand held shower installed to make this easier but Dad complains that the water runs hot then cold then hot then cold, etc. No matter how many times Mom adjusts the water temperature it never stays the same. When my Mom asked my sister about it my sister said it’s been that way for a long time. (My folks are bathtub people so never noticed the problem.)
They live in a soft water area of Vancouver, B.C. so it probably isn’t lime or scale deposits but is it possible that simply over time the pipes have become clogged? If so, what can they do to correct the problem?
Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

What type of water heater do they have

If it is a tankless water heater they might not be getting the flow through that low gallon per minute head on the hand held shower, you could try running the sink faucet on hot next to the tub at the same time that the hand held shower is being used. This would increase the gpm’s needed to keep the water heater running during bathing. I know no one likes to waste water but try this and let us know in detail what you did and if it works.

Riser Diagram

I applied for a permit and the plumbing official stated “Riser diagram must be in accordance to N.S.P.C. 2006″. I have done many plumbing permits with a riser diagram and have read the code but cannot find a riser diagram according to above code.

Is there a website illustrating this riser diagram or any other help is appreciated.

They should be able to show you typical illustrations or be able to tell you where you can find that in a code book, in the reference section of your local library. Are you a licensed plumber

Another thing you can do is what architects and engineers do when they submit plans around the country and that is back vent every fixture with the correct size vent pipe, this design will pass every code that applies in the USA that I know of.

Sump Pump Going Off

My sump pump goes off all the time. It goes off every 2 minutes and stays on for 20 seconds. My problem is that it even goes off in the middle of summer when it hasnt rained for two weeks or so. I know that the sump pump is working because i see the water coming out of line about 15 ft from house. Had the city come over to see maybe it was there water. They tested it and said it wasnt. Dont know what my options are and if there is something to do. So one told me that it could be a spring dont know if that is something i can fix.

If you live in a single family home where the homes have average side set backs of 20′-30′ you might have a natural spring under your house and the best thing todo is use the water for lawn and garden watering, don’t fight it just use it wisely and always keep your sump in good working order to avoid flooding of your basement.

Air in the System

For the last 12 months I have had Air in the hot water system in my home.
I have sent for Plumbers, and all they say is that it will go in time and then charge me for coming out, but after 12 months I am brassed off with it.
I have left taps open for hours, I have back fed the hot water by connecting the mains cold water to the hot tap to flush out the air.
It works for a short time but then it is back again. I have no leaks that would also allow air in.
Can anyone please help?

Aerators at faucets introduce additional air to the water and when collected in a glass the agitated water appears milky or cloudy.
Additional air can be introduced to city water supplies at the pumping station when air is pumped into the water mains to increase pressure.
In private well water systems, artesian pressure can cause air entrapment.
When water utility companies switch from one deep well source to another, excessive air can develop in the system.
Underground temperature changes in water sources (particularly in spring and fall) cause air to expand.
In these examples, the oxygenation causing the discolored water is unpleasant to look at but clears up in a short time. If not, the water company should be consulted.

Bathroom Sink Replacement

I replaced my sink in the bathroom and needless to say the old plumbing pipe pieces aren’t correct. I have about a 1.5″ gap when I try to connect the sink tailpiece to bathroom drain. I was told to cut the tailpiece and that should solve the problem. It did not, so I’m wondering what I should do as there do not seem to be connector pieces I can add to plastic PVC pipes. Although that could just be becuase the so-called plumbing experts at Home Depot are not aware of how to fix it.

Although that could just be becuase the so-called plumbing experts at Home Depot are not aware of how to fix it.

Let me ask you something,

If a person knows anything at all about plumbing doesn’t it stand to reason they would be working for a plumbing contractor either as helper or journeyman making $15- $45 per hr rather then working in a big box store stocking shelfs?

There are 11/4 double CP Brass offsets or possibly swivel trap or extension tail pieces with slip nuts or 11/4 CP brass waste bend.

I am assuming the waste of the basin is 11/4 not 11/2″

Try going to a plumbing supply not a stock clerks hang out