HowToDoThings.com Recent Plumbing Articles

How To Solder

fester1 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:41:57 -0500

How To Replace a Toilet

ramb37 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:14:59 -0500

How To Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger

handeeman — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:06:15 -0600

This is a simple and easy way to get a toilet to flush fully without using a plunger. It works about 70% of the time. Also use this technique if you THINK the toilet might clog (you can see the signs if things are not going down the way they should). If your toilet always plugs, it could be the sign of something wrong with the wax O-ring under the toilet, or a sign that the toilet is cracked somewhere.

How To Implement Heating Efficiency Ideas

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:52:31 -0600

Saving money on your water heater is a great idea. There are so many different things you can do to save hundreds of dollars per year with very little work. Let's review some things to look for when dealing with the different types of plumbing parts associated with water heaters.

How To Remove Sediment from a Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:06:19 -0600

All water that enters into a water heater contains natural minerals of some kind. Heating the water causes the minerals to separate and fall to the bottom of the tank. Usually this sediment build-up is made of calcium carbonate. One sign of sediment build-up is a sulfur (or rotten-egg) smell around your water heater. With gas water heaters, sediment problems may cause the entire heater to become noisy while on.

How To Implement Safety Tips for Water Heaters

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:06:16 -0600

Much of the maintenance work on a water heater will have to be performed by an electrician or plumber. But some maintenance and improvements can be done by a homeowner. However, if you are not comfortable with performing such tasks, always call a professional. Here are some safety tips to follow before working on your water heater:

How To Decide Whether to Buy a New Water Heater or Stick with Your Old One

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:31:32 -0600

The information in this article only applies to tank-type water heaters (gas or electric). It does not include information on solar water heaters or tankless water heaters.

How To Upgrade Your Water Heater's Drain Valve

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:58:34 -0600

The drain valve is located near the bottom of the water heater tank. Many water heaters come with drain valves that are prone to leaks or breakage. Plastic cone valves (these have a cone-shaped handle) and plastic faucet valves often drip, freeze and/or clog with sediment. Even after only one use, plastic valves often leak. Also, because the drain valve is made of plastic, the threads on the valve are easy to cross-thread when attaching a garden hose to it.

How To Keep Your Electric Heating Elements from Failing

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:41:51 -0600

The following applies to electric water heaters only. The heating elements in an electric water heater are susceptible to sediment buildup, burnout and sudden failure. Learn how to clean and inspect the heating elements in your electric water heater.

How To Prevent Rusting in a Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:17:10 -0600

What Are Plastic-Lined Nipples And Why Do I Need Them?

Pipe nipples are small fittings that connect two pipes together. Many pipes and pipe nipples are made out of brass or copper because these metals are “noble” metals. This means that brass and copper do not chemically react with oxygen—the cause of corrosion or rusting—as much as other metals do (such as steel). The hot and cold water lines on top of the water heater are usually made of brass or copper. Unfortunately, most water heater tank linings and pipes are made out of steel. If these different metals touch each other, the brass or copper will actually promote rusting on the steel tank while the brass or copper remain rust free.

How To Inspect a Leaky Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:41:57 -0600

Inspect your fittings. Don’t know which fittings you need to inspect? Check all of the following; make sure the fittings are tight and dry. Use a cotton swap or Q-tip to wipe around the areas to make sure they are free of moisture and rust.

read more

How To Shrink Power Bills by Conserving Energy with your Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:37:39 -0600

This article teaches you how to save money by instituting all the following devices: Electric temperature controls, heat traps, low-flow shower heads, pipe insulation, recirculating system controls, vent dampers and water heater blankets.

Electric Temperature Controls (Electric Water Heaters Only). An electric temperature control allows you to shut down the water heater when no one is home or when everyone is asleep. This will reduce heat loss and save you money. Call your utility company or a plumber to help you install this device.

How To Save Yourself from Cold Showers by Knowing More About Dip Tubes

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:43:59 -0600

Standard Dip Tubes. A dip tube is a long, straight plastic pipe attached to the cold water inlet, above the water heater, and into the tank of the water heater itself. Its purpose is to ensure that new cold water enters the tank at the bottom. Hot water naturally rises above cold water, so the hot water will be used first since the hot water outlet is at the top of the tank. If the dip tube breaks, cold water will enter at the top of the tank and will be immediately sent through the hot water outlet. This results in a cold shower or bath.

read more

How To Handle Corrosion Problem Spots in a Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:57:01 -0600

Corrosion can cripple the life of your water heater no matter if you have a tank-type, commercial or solar water heater system. Learn where the 7 trouble spots for water heaters are and how to protect your water heater from corrosive elements.

How To Operate Electric and Gas Water Heater Temperature Controls

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:30:09 -0600

Gas Controls

Gas water heaters have a thermostat inside the water of the tank, which is then connected to the front control at the bottom of the water heater. On the front control there is a dial with three settings: ON, OFF and PILOT. Above the dial is a knob with a recessed screw which controls the gas flame. Below the bottom of the dial are three tubes. The largest tube, always in the middle, is the natural gas supply tube. The medium-sized tube, usually the one on the right, feeds natural gas to the pilot light switch. The smallest tube, usually the one on the left, is called the thermocouple. The thermocouple allows you to control the amount of gas fed to the pilot after it has been lit, therefore controlling the size of the flame. Lastly, the burner assembly is attached to the tubes and control; it can be removed for cleaning, but do not take apart the control itself.

How To Repair Broken Pipe Nipples on Water Heaters

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:14:37 -0600

Many pipes and pipe nipples (small fittings that connect two pipes together) are made out of brass because brass is a noble metal. This means that brass does not chemically react with oxygen and cause corrosion or rusting as much as other metals, such as steel. Unfortunately, most water heater tank linings and pipes are made out of steel. If the two metals touch each other, this causes the less noble steel to corrode or rust. To prevent this, many heaters use a plastic lining in the tank, which allows the brass plumbing to touch the steel water heater tank; the plastic interior will not rust or corrode. If you have steel plumbing, you should not install a brass pipe nipple.

How To Consider a New Water Heater for Your Home

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:06:09 -0600

Gas or Electric Tank Water Heaters.

Tank water heaters are the most common type of water heater installed in American homes. You will have a gas-powered water heater or an electric water heater depending on what power source your house runs on. If the rest of the house is powered by gas you will have a gas-powered water heater; if it runs on electricity, you will have an electric water heater. Because of this, trying to compare the two is somewhat impractical. However, you can compare gas to gas or electric to electric.

How To Clean and Remove Sediment from a Commercial Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:43:47 -0600

Commercial water heaters have several features that differ from residential water heaters. To begin with, commercial heaters produce a minimum of 75,000 British thermal units whereas residential heaters residential water heaters produce anything less than 75,000 British thermal units.

Also, commercial heaters have a clean-out port on the side of the water heater; residential heaters must utilize the drain valve and require specialized equipment in order to clean them. With commercial gas water heaters, there is more than one gas flue and automatic ventilator, and with commercial electric heaters, there is often an ignition feature.

One other difference is that on a commercial water heater, the cold water inlet is at the bottom of the tank instead of the top. This allows cold water to enter the tank at the bottom—a definite improvement over residential heaters.

How To Install, Inspect and Evaluate Anode Rods in Water Heaters

johnnyhayneser — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:31:41 -0600

An anode rod is necessary because it prevents any corrosion of a water heater's metal lining. As long as a serviceable anode rod is installed, the metal of the rod will wear away instead of the water heater lining. The anode rod produces an electro-chemical reaction within the water, which protects the water heater.

Anode rods are attached to the top of the water heater with a ¾ inch hex head screw. Most rods are approximately 3 feet 8 inches in length: just a few inches shorter than the water heater itself. The core of an anode rod is a steel wire framed by one of three different metals: aluminum, magnesium or zinc. All anodes are made from one of these three metals, and each type of rod has a particular use.

How To Unclog a Toilet

Brian263 — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:24:27 -0500

Are you tired of reporting to your building repairman or housemate that “someone” clogged the toilet? Most of us hate to admit when we clog a toilet, mainly because we fear what others might think of us, but also perhaps because we don’t want to believe we’re capable of such a thing either. And yet at some point in our lives, whether due to our diets, the person who used the toilet before us, or simply the temperament of our mutual porcelain friend, we’re all bound to encounter a clogged toilet at some point in life.

How To Install a Sump Pump

fester1 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:28:48 -0500

The two types of household pumps that are the most common for homeowners to deal with are sump and ejector pumps.

How To Install a Stainless Steel Sink

fester1 — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 16:39:32 -0500

There are a two basic types of stainless steel sinks: undermount and self-rimming. The undermount is used in installations where the countertop material is the same all the way through such as granite or a solid surface (i.e. Corian). It's usually installed by the countertop fabricators because of the liability in drilling the counter material for the anchors that will be used to mount the sink. After the undermount sink is attached to the c-top, the rest of the install is the same as the self-rimming sink, which is the type of installation that will be described here.

How To Thaw a Frozen Pipe

Vanessa264 — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:48:00 -0600

Years ago my ex-husband and I lived on a houseboat. Because our water pipe ran along a dock, we had to keep an eye on the pipe in the winter.....if it got too cold, we would shut the water off at shore and empty the water in the pipe so as to prevent it from freezing. On borderline cold days, we would leave the faucets in the houseboat on in a slow drip to prevent the water from freezing. But every once in a while, if we didn't shut the water off in time and forgot to leave the faucets dripping, the water in the pipe would begin to freeze.

How To Use a Sump Pump

Staff468 — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 16:23:00 -0500

Sump pumps really aren't very complicated devices compared to some of the other things you have in your home. And yet their service can save you thousands in water damage, should flooding occur. Yes, the sump pump is the unsung hero of our basements.

Sump pumps generally fall into two categories: submersible and pedestal. Both of these models serve to pump water out of the sump and away from where it can harm your property. Both kinds of sump pump sit at the bottom of your sump and activate based on a float switch that tells them when the water level has risen to a certain height. In fact, the parts of a sump pump are pretty much standardized these days. The main difference is that the pedestal sump pump has a motor that sits atop a pedestal, which stretches out of the pit and in plain view. This motor is supposed to remain dry, and the visibility can make repair a bit easier.

read more

How To Find Corrosion Control Products

Staff468 — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:19:00 -0500

Corrosion is the deterioration of materials, usually metal, due to reactions with the environment. While corrosion can occur anywhere, it is the corrosion of a home's pipes that is the cause for the most concern, as it can lead to the toxicity of a family's water supply.

Before using a corrosion-control method, conduct a test to estimate the degree of corrosiveness. There are a couple of simple ways to determine if your pipes are corrosive. For one, if you see blue-green stains in your sink or the same stains along the joints of the copper piping, corrosion is present. Rust stains will appear when iron corrosion is present. Toilets with blue, green, or rust stains indicate corrosion as well. If the tap water tastes bitter or metallic, corrosion may be the culprit of that, too. Sometimes corrosion also gives off an odor.

read more

How To Cut a Hole in a Sink

Grace170 — Tue, 09 May 2006 09:35:00 -0500

If you are renovating your home, you may consider redoing your kitchen. Part of this renovation might entail redoing your countertops. The sink is an integral part of your countertop design, and should be considered a focal point of your kitchen. Choosing a sink that matches your kitchen décor is important, as well as finding accompanying fixtures such as faucets, handles, sprayers and soap dispensers. When you choose a sink, you will need to install it. One of the most important parts of installation is cutting the holes you will need for the faucet and any other attachments. Here are the steps you should take to cut your sink with professional results.