Відео

Thank you for the comment! It is possible that the internal mechanism of the faucet is stuck and not permitting the water to come out even when the handle is on. Some brands of frost proof faucets have more complicated internal designs for backflow prevention and are more likely to do that. It is possible the faucet can be rebuilt with new parts depending on the quality of the faucet and the nature of the malfunction. Woodford Brass is one of the more common brands that is rebuild-friendly. If not, the frost proof assembly may need to be replaced.

@@LegacyPlumbing Thank you for this information

If a bird is stuck in the exhaust vent for your gas water heater, a licensed plumber should be able to take care of this for you. It is also important to inspect the vent cap and make sure it is suitable to minimize this kind of occurrence.

@@LegacyPlumbing thank you

Certainly! When you apply the thread seal tape clockwise as shown in the video, it helps prevent the tape from unwrapping itself when you are threading the shower head onto the shower arm. A good rule of thumb is that you want to always apply thread tape in the same direction that you need to turn the part to screw it onto the pipe.

@@LegacyPlumbing thanks. Had a tenant thinking her water heater was bad because her hot water ran out so quick in the shower. I cut little circles out of some mesh screen and referred her to your video so she can adjust the number of restrictors to suit herself

@@zimmermanlandscape9287 No problem! If the flow out of the shower head is very slow, it can take a while for the hot water to travel all the way from the water heater to the shower. Removing a flow restrictor would help with this because the hot water will travel to the shower faster if there is more flow. (On a side note, if the water pressure is low across the whole house, it would be a good idea to see if there is a pressure regulating valve that needs service or replacement.) On the other hand, if hot water makes it to the shower and then just doesn't last for very long, this may be cause by too much flow. If the water heater is small or low-performance, a high-volume shower head (especially with high pressure at the home) can empty the tank very quickly. In this case, you would want to: add a flow restrictor, reduce the pressure across the home, or improve the performance of the home's water heater.

@@LegacyPlumbing Hmm. Reduce the pressure across the board. Hadn’t thought of that thank you. I set the well tank to 38 psi and it had awesome pressure while I was cleaning her gutters.

She is the first one to use that heater and I remembered removing that restrictor because it was clogged and then didn’t put it back after adding a whole house filter. She told me the problem and I realized it was probably dumping the whole tank right away.

So you've isolated the irrigation system and the house piping system to find out you have a leak in the yard? Do you have any mushy spots, greener grass, or other symptoms of a leak along the probable path of the water line from the water meter up to the house? If there are no other symptoms of a water leak in the yard, it's a good idea to verify your isolation tests before you start digging up the mainline in various areas. Even if you shut off the main house valve and the irrigation supply valve, it may still be possible that a leak is not on the main water line if the valves didn't shut off all the way. Older valves (especially gate-style valves), may appear to shut off all the way and still leak a little through. We often confirm our tests with pressure gages, but you can also just proactively replace the valves with good ball valves if there is strong doubt about the old valves. It also may be possible to open up a faucet downstream of the old valve and see if it keeps dripping continually even after the valve is supposedly turned off. This is just a tip. Always a good idea to double check your tests... especially if there's old plumbing involved. If you live in the North Dallas area, feel free to give us a call. We'd love to come out and help you get this issue squared away.

@Legacy Plumbing thanks for the reply. Very cool. So when I turn on the shutoff to my main line, the meter leak indicator will start turning, but Only a very slow turn. Then I cut it off and it stops. So I know the leak is with the irrigation. The 6 valves are spread out in the yard. I put it in 25 years ago. I do have one valve that the valve that wouldn't shut off. So I took it apart and cleaned it. Now it turns off but slowly. That one could be leaking. So I'm going to re-clean it again.

@Legacy Plumbing I thought about installing a few shut off valves in the main line, just ahead of the various valves. That would help me illiterate a significant portion of the mainline. Work my way back to the beginning to see when it shuts off. Then work on that section.

@@nbt3663 Okay, you are talking about the main line for the irrigation system! That's good news; it is usually more straightforward to resolve an irrigation leak. If you have zone valves with bleeder screws, it may be a good idea to purge all of the zone valves to make sure one isn't slightly stuck open. ua-cam.com/video/7bnldOsIA10/v-deo.html But it sounds like you've already confirmed the zone valves are working. Since you know the path of the lines, it may be helpful to probe along the path of the lines to see if there are any areas were the soil is more damp. Good luck!

Thank you for your comment, Gerald! No, we do not typically have to pull a toilet for this test. In this area, the majority of homes have double-cleanouts, as shown in the video. The test seal can be placed in between the cleanouts to monitor test height through one cleanout and confirm the integrity of the seal through the other cleanout. Did you have any more questions about this process?

@@LegacyPlumbing thank you for the reply and answer.

Thank you for your comment, Hivicar! They aren't common in the North Texas area. Did you have a question about them?

Thanks for the comment! Trashcans are certainly an option. Even better would be composting so that it doesn't end up in a landfill.

Thanks for your comment, Terry! Plumbing terminology varies quite a bit across the country. The test shown in the video is commonly referred to as a "hydrostatic test" by plumbers in the North Texas area. The test shown in the video IS NOT a hydrostatic test with a 10 ft head, which is commonly required for new construction or major alterations to the system. I believe this is what you're referring to. Due to the large expense that is involved in setting up a 10-ft head test on an already operational house, it is not commonly done. A simple slab-grade hydrostatic test as shown in the video is sufficient to identify any concerning sub-slab leaks on the sewer system. How do you use the term "hydrostatic test" in your circles? Are you only referring to a 10-ft head test?

@@LegacyPlumbing hello sir thank you for your reply. Hydrostatic test here in Tennessee are used to put large amounts of psi into welded pipes and sometimes copper lines to ensure their are no leaks in the system. The test usually run to at least 200 psi for a period of time to ensure the system is functioning as intended. I understand your terminology in using it but it seems to imply pressure testing. It’s okay though, no debate needed. Everywhere does things differently

Thanks for the question, Elijah! It really depends on what kind of what heater you have. Do you have any more specifics? All gas water heaters produce exhaust gasses. All have to follow certain rules to make sure they don't start collecting in the living space of a home. In warm parts of the U.S., gas tankless water heaters located outside the home on the exterior wall are common. These typically don't have any sort of additional venting installed. They just vent directly to the outdoors. However, there are certain installation requirements that restrict the location of one of these units so that it isn't close to a house vent or window, and etc... For a tank-style gas water heater outdoors, there are still code requirements on running additional venting if the water heater is next to the house. This is to ensure that the exhaust gasses are released in an area where they cannot get into the home. As always, check with your local building code inspector to make sure your installation abides by local requirements.

Thanks for the comment, Daniel! There are some reasons why you may want to replace a missing flow restrictor. You may be running out of hot water too quickly or just have a water bill that is too high. If the old one was removed by removing a rubber o-ring, than the same sized o-ring will need to be snapped back into the plastic housing inside the shower heat. If the old one was removed by pulling out the entire plastic housing, it should be able to be snapped back into place in the reverse of removal. If the pieces are missing entirely, you can either purchase a new shower head or purchase "flow restrictor adapters' that they sell which will install between the shower head and the shower arm. Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any more questions.

Thanks for the comment, Delphine! These keys can often be purchased from the local hardware store. If they are not in stock, try a dedicated plumbing supply company that sells to the general public. There are a variety of styles. The one in the video is the type we have found easiest to use. There are smaller ones as well that do not have the "t" handle.

@@LegacyPlumbing OK Thank you so much for answering 😊

Thanks for the comment, Andrei! Unfortunately, it does sound like you need to bring your water heater venting up to code. Back-drafting appliances can result in carbon monoxide inside the home, which is a dangerous situation. Because atmospheric vented gas appliances rely on the natural buoyancy of hot air to carry the exhaust out of the home, having a water heater vent by itself into a masonry chimney will often cool the exhaust down too much before it has a chance to exit the home - effectively blocking the vent with it's own exhaust. When a licensed, local contractor does the work, I highly recommend having the new vent inspected by your municipality's building inspector.

@@LegacyPlumbing thank you very much for your reply. Would you recommend tankless or power vent tank?

@@andreilesiuk9538 Those are both good options, but there are pros and cons. In either case, the PVC venting would have to be run to the exterior and terminated properly. The ease of that depends on the layout of the space and where the heater is located. Tankless heaters are more efficient with gas usage over time, but they require a much higher instantaneous gas demand than tank-style water heaters. This typically means some gas piping needs to be upgraded or installed to make it work properly and not starve other gas appliances in your home. Again, the difficulty of this depends on the existing layout of your gas system and the location of the heater. If your existing tank water heater is pretty new, it may make sense to invest in upgrading its vent system instead of the potentially higher expense of moving to a different style of water heater. If your existing tank is pushing 10 years or more, or if you have other long-term reasons for switching, it may be better to look at different options at this point.

@@LegacyPlumbing this was very informative! thank you !

Thank you!

First off, definitely check with your local city's building code official to make sure that you are following all locally adopted codes. They do vary from region to region. It's hard to get a good grasp of your particular situation without seeing it, but here are a couple of things that may be relevant: - Modern gas water heaters are FVIR rated. This means they have safety features that prevent the flame (both pilot and burner) from spreading outside of the combustion chamber if there is a gas leak or flammable fumes. Typically the space does not need to be fireproofed as long as manufacturer-specified clearances are followed for the water heater venting. - Water heater venting (installed properly and up to code) prevents carbon monoxide from leaking and filling up the space where the water heater is located. Different codes dictate where the water heater is located and whether it can draw air from the space around it not. If an atmospheric water heater is located in a sealed room, then ducts will need to be added to bring fresh combustion air in from the outside. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out!

@@LegacyPlumbing Thank You !

Thank you, Brittany! We're glad you found this helpful. We can't give you an officially endorsed list of supplies for this test, but if you wanted to perform the tests shown in the video you would need: * A rubber test ball pipe plug that is the correct size for your sewer line (typically 3" or 4") * A test plug extension hose of sufficient length to go down into the horizontal pipe below the cleanout (typically less than 4 feet) * A standard bicycle air pump * Some PTFE plumber's tape to seal the hose connections (might not be necessary) * Some soapy water to test the house and test plug connections for leaks * A flashlight to look down the cleanouts and aid in positioning the test ball plug * A garden hose to add water to the system. * A water pressure gauge with hose thread adapter to check water pressure at the garden hose faucet * A water meter key to shut the water off to the home if a separate isolation valve isn't accessible All of these products can probably be acquired from a local big box home improvement store. If not, they certainly can be ordered online or purchased from a plumbing supply store. As a heads up, there are a lot of little things that an experienced plumber will take into consideration when perform this test in order to make sure it is accurate and there are no issues. An overfilled system, for example, can cause water to back up in the house at failed toilet wax rings. So this is a necessary disclaimer that this test should be performed by a licensed, experienced professional. Let us know if we can help you. Good luck!

@@LegacyPlumbing Awesome of you to actually detail what a DIY'er would need.

In the video at 2:20, the water he's talking about is just rain water. If the roof/vent doesn't have proper sealing, then every time it rains water will leak into the home through the place where the vent goes through. If you are not having rainwater issues, than you are probably seeing condensation, like you thought (unless the dripping is coming from some weird leak that is entirely unrelated to the water heater vent). The exhaust gasses from a water heater contain a lot of moisture, because H2O is actually one of the byproducts of the combustion reaction. If those exhaust gasses cool down a lot, the condensation will form inside the vent and drip down. This is more common when it is cold outside, but there could be other factors at play. If the water heater is being used heavily and having to heat up a full tank of cold water frequently, this increases the likelihood of condensation. In addition, if the vent is especially long or there is air conditioning blowing on the vent, that can be a potential cause as well. Hope this helps!

If I'm understanding the question right, it sounds like you either had a faulty hose on the shower attachment and/or the water pressure to the house is too high. The water pressure to the home should be between 40-80 PSI. You can check that with a simple water pressure gauge available for purchase at your local home improvement store or online. If the water pressure to the home is too high, installing a flow restrictor right before the sprayer hose may help, but it certainly isn't the best solution! If the water pressure is good, then the hose probably just failed because it was faulty.

That's awesome!

@@LegacyPlumbing Yes, what a relief, we bought the house a year ago and had no idea what that weird smell was, I know what sewer gas smells like and it wasn't quite that, finally it backed up completely which is the only reason we figured it out.

There are some good solutions for indoor compost bins on the market now that reduce smell. For outdoor composting, there are devices like compost tumblers that speed up the process. Just remember that if you have a garbage disposal, it does need to be operated on a fairly regular basis. Otherwise, residual food particles will collect and lead to clogs. And, lower quality grinder chambers will tend to rust and seize up.

Are you referring to back-draft or "spillage" of vent gasses from non-sealed vent system like the one in the video? If so, this is definitely an important topic! Back-drafting can be caused by a few different things, but it is usually pretty easy to check for. I would recommend following these instructions for how to perform a "spillage" test: globalimageserver.com/FetchDocument.aspx?ID=a3c298fd-975c-42eb-80b1-afbc7565361a This is a technical service bulletin published by Rheem, one of the largest water heater manufacturers in the U.S. If there are plastic collars around the water inlets and outlets on top of the tank, these will oven be melted or show signs of discoloration where they are closest to the vent if the water heater is back-drafting or experiencing spillage. If you have any specific questions about this, feel free to reach out!

Although often recommended, most residential gas ranges are not required to be installed with a vent to the outdoors by most local codes. It still a good idea though for safety and to help clear cooking fumes. Check with your local code official for the authoritative word in your location.

Thank you for the comment!

Thanks for the comment! From an environmental standpoint, putting food waste down the disposal is better than throwing it in the trash. When it goes down the drain, those nutrients eventually make it back into the ecosystem. If it is thrown into the trash, it often ends up in a landfill. Yes, composting is almost always a better alternative than either of these. But if someone does want to use their disposal for food waste, then it is important to keep the water running for the reasons mentioned in the video.

Thanks for you comment! The cities around here have mostly adopted the IRC standards with a few amendments. This code does indeed state that gas appliances should not have a manually-operated damper. (See section G2427.13 of the IRC for more details.) Now most fireplaces around here are built to accommodate a wood-burning firebox. Gas log inserts are installed after the fact. In order to be code-compliant, these kits come with a "lock" that is installed on the damper to keep it from closing. However, these locks can be taken off just as easily as they are installed. Many homeowners actually do this so they can make their home more energy-efficient during the long summer when the fireplace is not in use. That is why it is very important to check that this damper is open like what was stated in the video.

@@LegacyPlumbing Section G2427 of the IRC deals with the venting of appliances such as a gas stove insert. A fireplace is not a gas appliance, although it may service artificial gas logs or a log lighter. Since your video shows an open fireplace with gas logs, the IRC code Section G2427 that you quoted doesn't apply. If you look at Appendix D of the IRC, it states that "for gas logs installed with a damper, verify that the fireplace damper is in a fixed-open position." In addition, according to the California Building Energy Efficiency Code, Chapter 7: "When a gas log, log lighter or decorative gas appliance is installed in a fireplace, the flue damper shall be blocked open." (Since my business is located in California, I'm more knowledgable about California codes although most states have similar codes to protect homeowners.) Every manufacturer of artificial gas logs states specifically in their installation instructions that the damper must be locked in a fully-open position. The only exception would be for ventless gas logs which are not allowed in California and many other states and municipalities. Since we are professional installers, if we don't install the damper lock when we're installing artificial gas logs, we could be held civilly liable if the homeowner forgets to open up the damper and they die as a result. Their heirs would sue us into oblivion, and rightly so. Most homeowners don't know or don't remember which way the damper is open or closed. The damper clamp is for the safety of the homeowner so they can't make that mistake. If they make that mistake, they could lose their life. Simply advising the customer to check the damper is not enough to protect you, the professinal, in a court of law. Admittedly, having the damper locked open will result in energy loss from the home, but that's why there's the energy code which now require glass doors for fireplaces to prevent the energy loss.

@@tpocock2238 Thanks for sharing!

If you have a "log-lighter", then you want to turn that off after the wood logs catch. Log lighters were not designed to be on continually. If the logs are fake and fireplace was designed to run on gas, then the gas will be left on during operation.

Thanks! Good luck on your project!

The short answer is that it depends a lot on the situation. If you are replacing a normal gas tank water heater like the ones in the video, you usually will not have to run new vent pipe unless the old pipe is damaged or incorrectly installed. The double wall venting is pretty standard. If you are moving a water heater or installing one in a different location, there are a lot of possibilities depending on the setup, but the plumber will often install all of the vent piping up through the roof - including cutting a hole through the roof decking and installing a flashing under the existing shingles. However, if the roof is a steep pitch, difficult to access like above the second floor, or made out of specialty materials, you will probably have to hire a roofing company to install the roof flashing. Of course, if you are moving the water heater to a different location, then you will have a hole through the roof where the old water heater vent went through. So you will probably need a roofing company anyway to take care of that.

Do you have a log lighter or a faux log fireplace insert? If you have the insert and you smell gas while it is running, check to make sure the logs are stacked correctly. If they are not, sometimes gas can escape without catching fire and result in a gas smell while the fireplace is on.

I have this same issue in the home we moved into about 6 months ago. It has logs in it so how do i know if they are stacked correctly?

@@debbiewalloch5521 Every manufacturer is different, so I would look for manufacturer's information somewhere on the unit and contact their support. Often there is a sticker near the controls and pilot lighting mechanism.

Yes! They have models that are designed now with very realistic "glowing embers" for gas fireplace log sets.

There are different styles of gas fireplaces. The one that you're referring to is probably a faux log insert kit that has a standing pilot. If this is the case, usually the pilot will be lit at the beginning of the season (it is usually very similar to our video on lighting a water heater pilot: ua-cam.com/video/FD7-FScooQI/v-deo.html ). After the pilot is lit, either a manual switch or automatic remote control will turn the flames on and off. Check with your manufacturer's instructions for specific details.

Were you able to isolate the irrigation system to be sure the leak isn't on the potable water system? Start by establishing a baseline: check all above-ground fixtures including outdoor hose faucets and toilets to make sure none of those will throw off your tests, then check your water meter and find out what the leak rate is. After that, isolate the irrigation system by shutting off the isolation valves at the double check assembly. You should then be able to have a much better idea of whether the leak is on the irrigation or the main house plumbing. If you have determined for sure that the leak is on the irrigation system, the best next step would probably be checking all of the solenoid valves serving the wet area to make sure none of them are stuck open. We do not work on irrigation systems, but if you determine it is leaking on the main water system, we would be happy to help! Call us at (972) 801-9798.

Sorry to hear that! An electric water heater will not be burning anything during normal operation. If you are smelling something that resembles a burning smell, you need to address that right away. If it smells more like a sewer smell, then there might be sewer gas leaking through a broken vent pipe or dried p-trap near the water heater. Oftentimes the water heater is located near the laundry washing machine, and that drain pipe may be the source of the sewer smell. Sometimes, the water heater T&P relief valve and/or drain pan can run to what is called an "indirect waste" which is a hub designed to drain any leak at the water heater directly to the sewer system. If that indirect waste is connected to a P-Trap, then the sewer smell could be coming from there. I hope this helps. Bottom line is there should NOT be a sewer smell coming from a properly maintained and functioning plumbing system, so it is probably a good idea to follow this up until it gets resolved. Again, if you are ever smelling a burning type smell coming from the electric water heater, that needs to be addressed urgently as it could possibly be a fire hazard.

What specifically would you like to know about gas water heater venting?

@@LegacyPlumbing like the previous post I thought there was some type of apparatus for seeing if my water heater was venting properly. Like a smoke machine to follow the air flow. Mine is about eight years old and we can smell smoke in the basement. I turned it off yesterday morning and the fumes smell is gone. Going to check the chimney to see if animals build a nest.

@@Doc02864 Definitely sounds like something that needs to be looked into. I would recommend following these instructions for how to perform a "spillage" test: globalimageserver.com/FetchDocument.aspx?ID=a3c298fd-975c-42eb-80b1-afbc7565361a This is a technical service bulletin published by Rheem, one of the largest water heater manufacturers in the U.S. If there are plastic collars around the water inlets and outlets on top of the tank, these will oven be melted or show signs of discoloration where they are closest to the vent if the water heater is backdrafting or experiencing spillage.

@@LegacyPlumbing Thanks. Definitely have spillage. The plastic collars are warped with suit-sout everywhere. I placed a candle a couple inches away from the vent and it looked perfect. The flame tilted about 25° towards the vent. I fired up the furnace, bathroom vent and kitchen hood and it still looked good. Very puzzling to say the least.

@@Doc02864 Sometimes these issues can be tricky to pinpoint because there are many variables which may make it an intermittent issue. I'm assuming this is an atmospheric vent, natural-gas fired tank-style water heater? If you are seeing black soot buildup around the vent on top of the water heater, that is another bad sign. If a water heater is combusting improperly and producing soot, that is frequently associated with excessive carbon production which can be dangerous if it is venting into the house. There could be multiple issues at play here with the venting, combustion air, and burner function of the water heater.

That varies based on several factors such as vent size and roof pitch. You can read chapter 24 of the IRC for more information. (The IRC is the one of the more widely adopted residential construction code standards.) Here is the specific section that deals with gas appliance vent terminations. up.codes/viewer/texas/irc-2015/chapter/24/fuel-gas#G2427.6.3 Of course, check with your local jurisdiction for the final word. In general the vent will need to have an overall minimum height of 5 feet above the top of the water heater itself and will likely extend from 2 feet to 5 feet above the roof itself depending on the roof slope. If it is closer than 8 feet to a vertical wall, it may have to extend up above that wall. as well.