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I need help!  I have an extremely small bathroom that has the lavatory plumbing on the side, not the back.  I don't like the cabinet (you can sit on the toilet and wash your hands at the same time) and want to get rid of it, but I have not been able to find a pedestal sink or other cabinet to replace what's there.  Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  And no, the plumbing cannot be moved.   

Hi! I was watching a home show, "Beyond the Box," and there was a segment about an architect who build a wall-sized bookshelf out of heavy-duty plumbing pipes, wood planks and cable wire (the kind you see on staircases). I only got about a 20-second look at the thing, but it looks wonderful --very funky and industrial, but clean. I've never seen this before and would love to make one for my home office, but have no clue how to do it from that one video. Has anyone seen/built this sort of thing? Can anyone offer advice about how this might work? I'd be grateful for any help you can give. Thanks!

Here you can see a "The Boy Mechanic" idea, a Lathe you can make with Plumbing Material!

Help! We just moved into a new house and the water pressure seemed pretty high, especially at the bathroom sink (it sprays everywhere when turned on full).  I tested the pressure at an exterior hose bib and it measured at 81 psi.  It also measured at 79 psi at the cold water supply valve for the washing machine.  I sent the pictures listed here to my father-in-law, who seems to believe that I can adjust the pressure with the current plumbing system.  I looked everywhere for a pressure regulator in the line, but couldn't find one.  The only thing I can think of is that he believes the gray valve above the meter is a glob valve and can be used to throttle down the pressure.   Any help would be appreciated!

I'm installing a new heater for a spa and am having trouble hooking up the plumbing. I am using 2" PVC and have built the whole manifold from the filter to the heater and to the return to the spa, but I can't figure out how to hook it up to the existing pipe that returns the hot water to the spa. It sticks up about 5" out of the cement pad where all the equipment is located, but it's not a standard size/shape. It's shaped like a car radiator's hose nipple with a bulge between two narrower bits so that you could put a hose over it and clamp it behind the bulge but i'm trying not to do it that way since the hoses that are used with PVC aren't meant for pressure or heat. That is how it was originally hooked up but when I took it apart the hose was all deteriorated on the inside. None of the exposed part is a standard size where I could just cut it and bond a coupling on. I was thinking about trying to use a radiator hose but don't know what the spa chemicals would do to it.?

Shark bite, proline, etc.    They seem to work fine in places that have plenty of room... the sort of places that I'd have no trouble with a solder fitting. But in locations that I almost have to work by braille, places so tight that getting a torch in is nearly impossible, the places that an $8 press fit elbow seems suited for,  in those locations, the press fittings  leak like seives!  Then the release tool wont release the fitting, and it is a huge headache to tear apart. Do they leak if pushed in too far?  if slightly out of alignment?  and if one is in a location where precise alignment isnt gonna happen, Then what to do?

All other plumbing works great, this one backs up with new washer water volume during spin?  Can I run a snake down the vent? Any other suggestions?  I ask this because there doesn't seem to be an open airwary when draining high volume of water.  When washing machine stops draining the water flows down the pipe.  It is just when it is too much volume that the problem occurs.  Probably a gallon of water ends up on floor.   Need some advice. Note that adjacent to laundry room is half bath and plumbing there is working fine, also kitchen sink and dishwasher are  within 15 feet and no problems from them.  Looking for advice.

I need instructions on how to remove an old bathtub faucet that no longer diverts water to the shower properly. I also need instructions on installing a new bath faucet.

To clarify... the leak is between the bottom of the toilet and the floor....

Had a guy snake kitchen drain and still did not drain until he took off the mechanical air vent, so he said to replace the vent, after replacing the vent there was no change, the drain is very slow with the vent on, if the vent is off it drains fast, I have tried 2 vents they are the black cheaper vents. any help would be appreciated. Thanks the sink is a double

Im moving the kitchen sink to other side of room.  There is a vent pipe from basement bathroom running just under where the sink will be.  Can I attach the drain to the vent? I was going to use a cheater vent for the new sink.  If  I have to run the drain to the old (kitchen) drain, this will mean a new ceiling in finished basement room.

Hi, Does anyone know how I would go about making a simple switch from a plumbing valve? Some examples of what I mean: http://www.etsy.com/listing/78574050/wall-lamp-beer-bottle-plumbing-pipe http://www.etsy.com/listing/114113272/industrial-steampunk-pipe-lamp http://www.etsy.com/listing/109439911/unique-galvanized-pipe-desk-lamp-wclock Thanks in advance, Adam

My shower throws off very little hot water. The cold water is almost shut off when I shower. I had a new hot water heater installed. The water is hot everywhere it should be except in the shower. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am obviously plumbing challenged.

Hello my question is why dose the glue spin when it is dripped in water?  I work for a small plumbing and sewer company and I have noticed that every time the glue drips in a puddle it spins on the surface. It is pretty neat and I was curious as to why it dose that. 

My shower pipes "scream" when the faucet is on. Is there a way to fix this without tearing apart the wall and calling a plumber?

Is it simply a case of using piping and connecting it to your central heating? (I have visions of shaped copper piping with hot water running through it.)

Can anyone point me towards an instructable for fixing leaky pvc pipe? Thank you

The pressure to the sink in the same bath is fine. What could be the problem for the reduced flow to the tub/shower but not the sink? I've tried changing shower heads but this didn't help?

Dishwasher discharges water used in each separate cycle through overflow pipe on sink and not through disposal into drain pipe. The dish-washing cycle is normal. How can I fix this so used dishwasher water leaves dishwasher via water drain rather than through overflow located on top of sink?

Hi all, The metal casing connecting the shower head to the tap has come away. The rubber tubing is still in perfect condition,  with no leaks. What sort of product could I use to rejoin the two pieces of metal? I've included a (lowres) picture to clarify things a bit. Many thnaks in advance!  Jason

I have a spigot like the one pictured. The bottom connection is a male 5/8 inch garden hose connection. It is leaking pretty badly around the handle/pretty much through it when opened. Any ideas on how to best fix it, or perhaps what to replace it with if replacement is a better idea, would be more than welcome. Thanks. Boris.

We are having a plumbing problem with the  kitchen sink draining. The dishwasher ( for the most part) drains, but the kitchen sink does not. We have  tried the regular drain cleaners with no success. Then on the Internet it said to try sulfuric acid. When he went to Lowe's to get the acid, the Lowe's man suggested another really good drain cleaner and we tried it, it was something that you put so much in for 3 days. It didn't work. Last night we tried the sulfuric acid, sink still not draining. Or I should say , it drains very very very slow, pretty much takes several hours to drain. He has also been up on the roof checking to see if there was a bird nest or something blocking the vent. He didn't find any obstruction. He used a plumbers snake and he could put it down through the vent until it reached water. However , the plumbers snake did come loose from the handle, and now it is in the vent. We don't know how to get it out, or if it will be a problem in the vent. ....and he did not take a hose up to the roof and run water into the vent. That is the only thing I see that we have not done yet. He has taken all the pipes apart under the sink and run the snake under there as far as he can, there is no clog under the sink that we can find. Those drain pipes are all put back together. The plumbing in the rest of the home all works properly.

Currently I have some "silverbrite 100" and it is 99.6% lead free.  NOW, this is plumbing solder and it is for potable water.  Its made of copper, tin, and silver.  I also notice how some people comment on how "weak" a solder joint is........ I never have that problem!  

I need to know what to call the piece of threaded  pipe that comes out of the shower wall a little above head height.  It's the pipe that I screw the shower head onto.    This has got to be an easy question for someone here.

 We live in a house built in 1979, and the builder subbed a drain pipe in the basement concrete for a wet bar.  They installed it far too close to the wall to build a bar, but too far from a wall to be useful in any way.  We have enclosed it in a small room behind a fish tank, and we want to make a small utility sink to drain the tank.  It doesn't have a water source, and it is awkwardly positioned in the room, even in this application.  I was looking through a home improvement book and saw a photograph of a basement subbed for a bath and it showed a sink vent.  Our drain most certainly doesn't have a vent.  Is this an issue?  Does every sink/drain need venting, or is it enough that (hopefully) the other drains in the house are vented?

I have a leaking main valve and am wondering what the knob on the side does and if it can stop it from leaking.

Bulkheads are so expensive.  I have heard some people use electrical conduit to make bulkheads, even valve shut offs..  Does anyone have instructions for this?  I need them with my pond project.

I am looking to build a sealed gravity dispenser similar to this one.... http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/household/bar/liquor-log-booze-dispenser.asp I'm trying to figure out the best route to take, I have a beer tap I will be using. My problem arises with running plumbing in a solid piece of wood without cutting it in half. I plan to use pvc and but that means I need a 90 degree angle in the block of wood or log. Is it possible? My best idea is to drill my holes and cut a chunk out of the back that can be glued back. My next question is. How to attach a bottle? Obviously I have to have the bottle upright and place the dispenser on the bottle and flip it. But how to get a seal on the bottle that will work with different bourbon or whiskeys. Thanks on advance for any help.

I am doing a science project to test the difference in number of suds between different types of foam sponges and nylon loofahs. At my booth, I would like to demonstrate the difference in suds by having water available and adding soap. My question is: Does anyone know of a way that I can build a system that would allow me to dump and filter/recycle the soap water into clean water so that do not have to keep running to the bathroom to get fresh water? Any help is appreciated!  Thank you!!

I hate that I cannot find a picture of the valve to show you exactly what I mean but I have a 1/4 in compression fit water valve in my utilities closet that leads to the evaporative cooler above.  When I went to turn the handle it turned but the central part that is actually the valve stem (the part that screws in/out) did not.  It is one of the older types with a flat handle and seemingly hollow central stem.  Is there any way to turn the valve on without completely replacing the valve? edit: Sorry.  Somehow I always forget one important detail.  It's a valve on 1/4 in copper tubing.  I got some pictures but they look crappy because there wasn't really enough room for the camera so I took them with my phone and found my phone's usb cable.  The valve was there first and the heater and water heater were installed later, leaving very little room to work. I also tried the vice grip idea.  The brass stem cracked and  part of the stem is gone now. Even if I do just end up replacing it, I thank you for your input.

Hey guys, new here. Been looking around for parts for my project for a while now and so far have come up pretty empty handed. I am looking for some parts, or even some information on if anyone has a specific place for parts when it comes to household plumbing. i am trying to source out Variable water valves of the analog variety in 1/2" or 3/4" inlets (preferably in brass) to be controlled by an Arduino. They need to be able to handle a PSI range of 80-100psi and in a N/C state. $0-$30/each preferably Without fully giving away my project idea I basically am looking to switch out manual hot/cold water taps with electronically controlled ones. I need to be able to adjust how open the valves are so I can vary the temperature between the two pipes so that I can get an Arduino to control (with other sensors) and get a water temperature out the drain that is equivalent to bath water. (Hence why I need them to be variable and not just on/off) I have have checked local shops, asked plumbing friends, alibaba, and (of course) Google. And I just can't seem to be able to punch in the proper keywords to find exactly what I am looking for. The closest thing I can find is automatic sink tap solenoids but they require a manual set up and only output at that mix ratio, So I'm hoping that someone has a plumbing supplier to direct me to, I'm pretty much out of ideas. thanks in advance!

Here's a quick photo-essay about my Sunday afternoon: An outside hose bibb was leaking around the handle, so I decided to replace it. * I couldn't remove the old hose bibb from a piece of galvanized pipe, so I removed the pipe too, and found what looked like a brass fitting inside the wall. * Once I had installed a new length of pipe and hose bibb, I turned the house water back on, and heard it leaking inside the wall. Thinking I hadn't tightened it enough, I really beared down and gave the bibb/pipe combo a good crank to seal the connection in the wall. That's when I felt a pipe inside the wall break, and heard water start blasting inside the wall. *Fortunately, I have access to the other side of the wall through the garage, so I cut a hole and installed a valve upstream of the break. I didn't have time to do a full repair and re-route the pipe outside, so that's where I've left it for now. It took three separate trips to Home Depot -- represented above by *'s -- which seems about average for me and plumbing disasters. Things I could have learned: try to remove the broken item before going to get parts. That would have saved one trip to get the additional length of pipe. I don't think I've ever soldered copper pipes in a non-emergency setting. Last time, our hot water heater failed the day before my parents arrived for a week's stay. If you'd like to do your own plumbing, I strongly recommend learning to solder on a project that doesn't require the water to the entire house to be off.Thanks to zachninme for taking photos!2008-08-31 Update: Since I know everyone is dying to know how this turned out, I've add a few more pictures. With the right tools and parts in hand, I replaced everything from the broken copper pipe out to the hose bid, and removed the valve inside the wall. The tricky part was mounting a brass 1/2 NPT female to copper 1/2 elbow. Originally, this piece was nailed into a stud and then the copper was soldered on before the walls were finished. I didn't want to make a big hole in the stucco on the exterior wall and I couldn't safely get my torch into the confined space, so I soldered some copper elbows onto this brass elbow and then mounted it with machine screws coming in from behind through the stud (screw heads on the inside where I could access them through the hole in the drywall, and bolts on the other side with the brass elbow where I positioned and tightened them by feel).Having opened a plumbing battle on this front, I decided to fix a bunch of other plumbing problems around the house, which I'll write about shortly in an Instructable.

 Hello everyone,           I have an issue with our families upstairs shower. When I turned the shower on this morning it seemed that the cold water was very low on pressure, luke warm was normal, and hot water was also very low. The sink was working just fine. I was walking around the house and all other sinks, appliances and showers were working just fine. There are no pipe bursts to my knowledge. Does anyone have any idea what on earth is going on?

I've read god knows how many tutorials on making steampunk goggles, and i've got it down pat. i really want to start making my own, but i can't find metal rings for the lenses. i'd really like to use real metal rather than other stuff (plastic, cardboard) painted with metallic paint. srsly, i've looked around. mason jars can be used, but i can't find them. i've also been told that threaded couplings are good but they look more like tubes rather than rings. what do you think i should use? maybe you guys could try and help name some motorcycle / car / plumbing parts that you think are suitable. i'd like something that looks as heavy-duty as the rings on these: https://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles-2/ maybe if i knew what part EXACTLY i'm looking for, maybe it'd be easier for me to look. seriously i'm an idiot when it comes to this; i've only found out what a "threaded coupling" looks like recently. also we don't have hobby lobby or any of your fabulous hobby stores here, so yeah. i'm also an idiot when it comes to cutting metal parts, so maybe suggest parts that don't need much prep. thanks!

I am in the process of renovating a bathroom that hasn't been used since before i was born, which currently lacks a water heater. Being poor, it is very unlikely that i will be able to buy an on-demand heater for this bathroom, and i know how inefficient normal water heaters are, so i am looking into solar water heaters. I live in a sub desert climate, so catching sun is not a particularly big issue, but i am looking to find out what type of heater is most efficient, both as far as heating water, and cost. would i be better off with a passive, or active system, and what other recommendations do you have for solar water heating?

My idea was being energy conscious of some how incorporating thermal heat from the heating system of my house to power LED Lights in the rooms where there is radiators. I need to find a way to incorporate a make shift kit using peltier modules heat from the radiators and a natural way to cool in a bid to reduce the electric during the winter months. Advice is welcomed and opinions also taken onboard as regards to its productivity and if it will be able to do its designed task. Thanks.

I am working on some experiments with pneumatics, and i'd like to find an inexpensive way to swap one air source to at least six different outputs, with the hope of eventually automating it. i'm dirt poor, so i can't afford to use sprinkler valves for each output, so i was wondering if anyone knew where to find a diverter valve that would do it. Thanks in advance!

This issue is with the left side of a double kitchen sink, which will not drain at all. The right side drains fine. We do not have a garbage disposal or dishwasher. Liquid drain cleaners have not worked. My husband used a snake in the sink, it only went in about an inch and it felt like it was hitting something very hard like metal all th way around. What could be the problem?

Is this a plumb bob? If so what kind? What is the purpose of the rectangular opening? Tightening the screw make the rectangular opening smaller. Thanks.  

An odd question, I know - but how do I make a hole in the bottom of an old toilet bowl without breaking it? It doesn't need to be a neat job...

I salvaged an AC motor from an old water pump I found on the side of the road and want to use it to make a simple lathe for turning green wood bowls and cups.  I was thinking about using a floor flange as the face plate, a nipple for the shaft and pillow bearing blocks to support it.  This assembly would be driven by a v belt and controlled by the speed controller from a jig saw.  I attached pictures of the components and a simple cad drawing of the assembly. Do you think this would be functional? Any recommendations?        

I would like to ask a couple of questions about joining two external water storage tanks. The tanks have a capacity of 1,500 litres each and my plan is  to connect the two tanks with one inch pvc piping. The domestic water inlet is low pressure (and that's being kind!) but tank A is usually full. My question is will there be enough pressure in tank A to feed water through the one inch pvc piping and into tank B without using a pump? If you consider the water pressure to be high enough to transfer water from one tank to the next, how many tanks could be connected in this way (I am thinking of four tanks)? The outlet from the water pump feeds 9 washing machines in a small launderette. Sorry about the awful drawing. Thanks for any advice in advance.

I just bought this money pit of a house....I had this horrible smell coming from the laundry room. I bought new appliances and as soon as they removed the old ones the smell was gone. The new ones are hooked up and the smell seems to have returned. It's not as strong as it was before, but it's back none the less. I was hoping that the smell went with the washer but sadly it has not...I am wondering if it could be something in the drain? If it were the pipes wouldn't the entire house smell each time I used the water??

These lamps made by Kozo Lamps in Israel with bits of plumbing are pretty inventive and cool. I'm not a fan of stuff made with plumbing normally, but I do have to admit that the knob light switches are a nice touch. Thanks to Tool Using Animal for finding the source. Kozo Lamps via Core77

I'm wanting to build these microphone props for a play , but this Instructable is really vague, only providing a loose list of components and no sizes. The one thing I can't figure out for myself, however, is what the outer circle is made of. I figured those curved bits were PVC, but a search through Lowes didn't turn up anything that looked like that. What are those things?

I am looking to heat water to a boil in a pipe, using nichrome wire. the nichrome wire will be wrapped around the pipe. my problem is i don't want to short circuit the nichrome wire, so i need to insulate it, but i need it to still transfer as much heat as possible to the pipe.   any suggestion would be great, including other ways to, using electricity, bring water to a boil within a pipe. *UPDATE: does anyone know of an affordable insulating paint or coating?                     i found some (called Glyptal) but it cost $50, which is too much for me                    rust-oleum is an enamel paint. will it insulate?

Any plumbers out there? I know that to some this sounds pretty gross, but I would like some ideas on how this might be done. I am not aware of all of the possible pipe fittings and combinations and ways of hooking things up. I have a homemade "sink" that I made out of one of those plastic storage containers and I have a hose bib as my faucet. As a side note, anyone know of an affordable but efficient "on demand" water heater, for the purpose of washing various shop related things? Anyway, I was thinking that there might be a way to maybe put a 45 degree fitting below the drain and run it out to a point to where it would be easily accessible. I would think that just running the water down the drain would sort of clean the pipe, and I would just have to maybe fill a cup with water and pour it down the 45 after using it to clean that part out. Meant to mention that I'm a man. I'm sure that's a useful piece of information! Also, meant to say that I have the pipe drain going down through the floor of the shop. It's then connected to a 90 and it runs the length of the building underneath the ground. I had drilled holes every inch or so along that whole length so that some of the water etc goes out all along that length and seeps into the ground and not just all the way to the end. Thanks for any ideas.

I have a vanity sink just right beside our bathroom, so this vanity sink is pretty much useless. i'm planning to convert this sink into table without removing all the plumbings, etc? I'm thinking maybe i'll just cover it with a plyboard on top, but i want to make it nicer as well. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.