Shower Remodel
* old shower valve was leaking, old tub was rusty, and old tile needed to be replaced
* we removed the tub then opened up the floor and moved the drain also upgraded the size from 1.5" to 2"
* new shower valve & Moen dual-head shower installed, new acryllic shower pan, new tile
I think this came out pretty good!
nice and level (and then we fixed the floor as well)
the extra copper vertical components on the right and left of the shower valve help eliminate water hammers
Repipes
* after 50 years copper pipes have to be replaced otherwise you'll have never ending leaks sometimes doing tens of thousands of dollars in damage. The good news is that this is an opportunity to pipe the house properly for recirculation and to add a loop for a water softener.
* my special way of piping hot water makes for the fastest recirculation possible. Rather than running "tees" from the ceiling to each fixture, I bring the entire trunk line down as close as possible to each fixture and then back up again. The final return back to the water heater should be done in 3/4" pex not 1/2" for fastest flow. This system uses only a small amount of extra pex and the price is negligible (about $200 extra on a 1800-square foot home). But the end result is hot water at each fixture usually within 1 or 2 seconds. I wish every builder would pipe the hot water in this manner.
removed a wall, repiped the hot & cold water, added a new laundry box, vented everything properly
new drain line for laundry box and laundry sink
These lines used to go straight up through a partition wall. We removed the wall and excavated then ran the new lines underneath until we came up the side wall.
Replace Plastic Water Shut-offs & cheap plastic supply hoses
* this is one of those jobs that shouldn't have to be done. Building methods should be improving, not regressing!
* builder installed these plastic fittings in an expensive home. These only have a 10-year warranty.
* The difference in price between the plastic stuff and the good stuff is maybe $5-10. But if it fails, and you have wood floors, you are looking at over $10,000 in damage.
* We removed the plastic and replaced with the highest quality stainless steel 1/4-turn ball valves & stainless steel supply lines. We found around 14 of them in the home, even one behind the refrigerator. Now the home is safe.
These plastic fittings from "Flowtight" only have a 10-year warranty. Many have failed in the last few years, but builders continue to use them, even in very expensive homes. They are easy to install, you just push them on, no other tools required. But chlorine & minerals in our water can cause them to fail. And when they fail, hundreds of gallons of water can come out in a short amount of time.
we install the highest quality stainless steel 1/4-turn ball-valve shutoff. We use stainless steel braided supply hose, with stainless steel connection at each end. No short-cuts!
hot & cold plastic water shut-off valves replaced under the sink, aso plastic supply hose replaced with stainless steel braided hose & stainless steel connections at each end
We replaced 14 angle stops in total, even found this one hidden behind the refrigerator.
Residential Kitchen Faucet - Garbage Disposal - Charcoal Water Filter - Cabinet Repair
* Old kitchen faucet snapped & already replaced once. Time for a new fixture.
* Leaking sink drain destroyed the garbage disposal & rotted all the wood under the sink
* New drains & new garbage disposal installed. Also new supply lines & new angle stops
* New charcoal water filter is economical & fast; removes impurities but keeps the healthy minerals.
* New wood on the floor of the cabinet, and nice looking rubber matt installed as well.
old faucet broken & corroded beyond repair
the leaking faucet & drain did much damage. All the floor wood was rotted. Replaced with fresh plywood and covered with rubber mat. New Garbage disposal and drains. Installed charcoal water filter which is much cheaper than reverse-osmosis, is fast, never runs out of water, and some folks say is actually better for you because it retains the magnesium & calcium that your body needs.
To do this job I had to pull the sink, which was a 140-pound cast iron sink. Indestructible, but heavy! Because the old faucet was completley rusted out, there was no way to unscrew it from underneath. I had to pull the sink, turn it upside-down on some saw-horses, and cut the old faucet out. Reinstalled with fresh caulking, looks as good as new. I'm a really big fan of the charcoal-water filters, and they cost under $100. Compare that to the nearly $1,000 price tag of reverse-osmosis
Roman Tub Faucet Repair
* high quality but old Roman Tub Faucet was leaking
* no access panel means entire tub would have to be pulled to change the faucet, which would cost over $500 plus price of a new faucet (and these aren't cheap)
* we completely rebuilt the valves- all new seat washers, new valve seats, new bonnet washers, re-grease assembly
* now the faucet is as good as new, does not leak and works very smoothly.
* Total cost was about $75
old leaking Roman tub faucet, not easy to replace because no access panel. Entire tub would have to be pulled costing at least $500 plus parts, and these faucets typically run $250+ brand new
we removed the valve stem, then remove the whole valve. We disassemble the valve, and then remove the valve seat.
new bonnet washer, and fresh high temperature plumber's grease won't dissolve in hot water, makes the handles turn very smoothly
look at the old seat on the right, you can see a notch in it, that is where water was leaking, no matter how tight you turn the handle. The new seat makes a good seal with the new washer.
look at the old seat washer & screw on the left, it was destroyed. We put a new higher quality washer and screw. The type of washers I use are even better than the factory original. This is the part that contacts the valve seat when you turn the knob. Now it will work as good as new, or maybe even better!
Commercial Faucet - Drain - Tankless
* faucet & drain completely rusted & rotted
* New Rheem 29Amp single-faucet Tankless Heater
* New faucet, drain, stainless steel braided hose
old single-faucet standard tank water heater was 12 years old and not performing well; commercial faucet & drain was rotted and rusted.
New Rheem single-faucet Tankless Water Heater installed. 29Amp unit is more powerful than 15A, and makes as fast a flow as expected from standard tanks. New commercial faucet & drain; new stainless steel supply lines. Significant space savings.
ready for another 30 years of service!