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

https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/resources/