Recent content by JohnCT

That does sound like a classic tree root problem. The tree roots infiltrate the seams and cracks in the sewer pipes and snag stuff like TP slowing the flow to a crawl. Sometimes, a blob of TP and other effluent will break free and the drains will run fine until the next time the roots snag...

I wouldn't use it, but then, the thought of that pipe buried underground would keep me up nights. Here's why - as you said, you didn't have any excessively hot water, excessive water pressure, UV, or chlorine exposure to get the yellow blotching - all things which supposedly contribute to...

I built my house in 1993 - my Whirlpool reefer and stove are original - never had a problem with either. The fridge has an American made compressor in it - most these days have Chinese compressors and power saving inverters (for multi speed) that last 5 years tops. Sure, I'll save $150 in...

Under contract, I wouldn't worry. If they can't fix it - they'll replace it. But calling them on your own starts at $150 to ring the bell then $50 every 15 minutes. The odds of getting a guy who actually knows what they're doing isn't great although you might get lucky and get an old retired...

Good luck with that. I would have checked to see if there were any locally owned appliance guys working your area first. Too many stories of Geek Squad showing up, collecting 20 percent of a grand (don't know if we can talk prices here... LOL) and saying the machine wasn't worth fixing, then...

Are you the GC? Back when I did security systems, there were things I couldn't do that wasn't in the code ( I think) like running a wire across a hallway shoulder height.. Most codes overlap each other to a great degree IIRC, but it's been years. Did the plumber have the plans and is the...

My only well problem was low pH, so I don't have any specific advice except to say that any UV water treatment won't affect your PEX as long as UV light doesn't hit the pipes directly. UV *treated* water will have no effect on PEX. If you put in a filter that would remove chlorine, then you...

Didn't know drain flies was a thing? Regional?? I've seen several solutions that are totally organic and seem to do a great job of removing organic materials from drains and pipes. Green Gobler is one that Home Depot sells and it's got good reviews. In fact, I found this review of the...

Fly killer in the drain? In any case, there are no PEX drains or there shouldn't be. John

The reason they want a minimum of four inches is that connections made too close can leak and that four inch sample will guarantee that the expansions weren't too close and the cause of the failure. In your case, it's clear the pipe is prematurely aged and has nothing to do with how close the...

Yes, one leak can be an aberration, but two leaks means your pipe isn't compatible with your home and and three years in service has aged by a factor of at least ten. Your closeup pic shows pipe starting to literally fall apart. But here's where it gets ugly - if you want Uponor to pay for...

I haven't done all that many expansions (amateur plumber - personal real estate work), but I've never had a leak. I use a Milwaukee expander and automatic expansion heads and have never used the manual expander. Additionally, I made about 6 expansions with Zurn B 1/2" on a small project as an...

Copper does indeed fail - it did on my house after 25 years (not bad really but copper can last 100 years), but after I started getting pinholes, I discovered the real cause was low pH. An acid mitigation system FIXED the cause. Scientific tests show low pH water dissolves copper. Will a...

If that's the reason the Uponor is failing. Is it? Maybe. It's as good a guess as we have right now, but there's no definitive scientific study that concluded what the failure mechanism of Uponor pipe is, and Uponor certainly isn't saying (assuming they even know themselves). But as you say...

What gnaws at me is that if the CPVC is failing there, there's a good chance it will be failing everywhere. If I was planning to stay there, I'd repipe with something other than CPVC. It's probably just me but I don't trust that product at all. John