r/Plumbing

Is it possible to tap into the white PVC for a basement urinal? We only have (1) bathroom in the house. It would be very easy to run a water source as well.

Is it possible to raise this tub p trap so it doesn’t extend below the joists? Joists are 2x8s if it makes a difference. If so, how would I do it?

Over the last couple of months, our water bill has steadily increased, while we have not changed our habits. I started checking all toilets, outdoor spigots, bathroom faucets. No sign of leak or drip anywhere.

Our outdoor irrigation is shut off too.

We have a water softener (4 years old, Aquasure Harmony), and that has been running backwash much more frequently.

I changed it from meter based to time based, for the sake of the test I was going to do:

Last night, I took a picture of the meter and told my wife not to use any water until I checked the meter again this morning. It says roughly 2 gallons were used overnight. That seems like a lot for it to be just a leak. I mean, if it’s been leaking at that rate for months, we would have noticed it by water damage.

Is there a chance the water softener is using water somehow? Does anyone have any more tips on where to check for potential leaks?

I want to preface this by saying, my plumbers screwed up so many things in my new construction that I don’t trust their knowledge anymore. Fortunately/Unfortunately, everything is under 4 year warranty.

I have a split level house with 2 apartments. Total fixture count is pretty high so I have a 1.5inch main. Code in my area(according to the plumbers) requires an RPZ so I have a giant watts 1.5 inch RPZ.

Every time we turn on a single fixture we get a high pitch whine coming from the RPZ but if we turn on two fixtures it stops.

The water pressure is terrible too. We’ll have great flow for like 30 seconds then choppy low flow. They said it’s nothing they can do to fix it, the only fix is to remove the RPZ altogether. Any experienced plumbers wanna chime in?

Isn't this not up to code? Can't this erode the foundation and cause mold? It seems like he does this a lot...

Not sure what happened as I haven't ran the shower since yesterday. The drain cover has been pushed off too.

I was quoted $800 and found the part for $20, how hard could it be... The answer was a major pain!

Hey Plumbers,

**Problem and Ask: I can't wrap my head around which valve to buy. Is it possible for you to identify which one I need based on my pictures? Full details of my research at the bottom.**

IT guy here really needing some help trying to swap out a PRV. Had a plumber come out here and diagnosed that my PRV is needing replaced (Home pressure is about 110 PSI, yikes). For him to do it, it was going to run $1100 dollars.

I would like to try to do it myself to save some money. If I need him to do it I will, no pride hurt here. But my understanding it seems straight forward if I have the right PRV.

THANKS!

* I believe I have a double Union Zurn NR3XL based on serial numbers and pictures

* When looking up the model, Google comes back with a variety of prices ranging from $90 to $250

* When looking at those parts - it looks like there are model number sub codes and the Zurn website identifies about 15 different ones (SU, NU, DU, etc)

* Zurn Website: [https://files.zurn.com/spec-sheets/reg-nr3xl.pdf\](https://files.zurn.com/spec-sheets/reg-nr3xl.pdf)

* Home Depot $220 - Single Union - [Link](https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Wilkins-3-4-in-NR3XL-Pressure-Reducing-Valve-Single-Union-Female-x-Female-NPT-Connection-Lead-Free-34-NR3XL/202642501?g\_store=&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&fp=ggl&pla&utm\_source=google&utm\_medium=vantage&utm\_campaign=123203&utm\_content=126148&mtc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-Multi-Multi-NA-GEARWRENCH-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-FR26A222DXHG-123203-NBR-3313-NA-VNT-FY26\_Q1\_Q4\_Apex\_Tool\_Group\_GEARWRENCH\_D25H\_OAM\_BAU\_Opportunity&cm\_mmc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-Multi-Multi-NA-GEARWRENCH-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-FR26A222DXHG-123203-NBR-3313-NA-VNT-FY26\_Q1\_Q4\_Apex\_Tool\_Group\_GEARWRENCH\_D25H\_OAM\_BAU\_Opportunity-23560462996--&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad\_source=1&gad\_campaignid=23560466365&gbraid=0AAAAAolLu99fUHLljvGjaMuBJawTSSVR-&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7cLOBhDmARIsAGsuA0kGMZH8LHWXA5s1oNzXr5cMHcY08iGARlLokCFMxFn2MrRMacDejV0aAk5XEALw\_wcB)

* Lowes - Double Union (only know when I dig into the product details - $100 - Lowes did have one last night but I can't find it for 3/4 in

* ALL THE PICTURES LOOK THE SAME ON EACH SITE

* I tried to have ChatGPT help with a picture scan but didn't help

There were a bunch of other issues in the house but this one was the highlight.

I’m hoping someone here can help me with this. I am replacing the cartridges on this wall mounted Newport Brass faucet. I found these cartridges online (1-091 and 1-092) and they looked like a perfect match however the stems on the new ones are slightly larger than the old ones which doesn’t allow the extension piece to fit on the top. I cannot find any others that look exactly like these and I’m starting to wonder if they redesigned the cartridges or if they’re discontinued and impossible to find. Any help is greatly appreciated

Local plumbing supply remodel on the display shower. Pretty happy with how it turned out. Will be all onyx panels and a plexiglass panel for the backside of the knee wall to showcase how each valve connects and works. Will update once the walls and trim gets installed. Hope yall enjoy some soldered copper!

Last spring I noticed a spot in my yard which was way wetter than the rest, but it was a relatively dry winter/spring so it wasn't THAT bad. I chalked it up to that area being lower than the rest or maybe a soil issue. This winter/spring has been unbelievably wet, and now I realized this is my sump pump discharge line, which I tested by putting some coloring in the water and watching it pump out. This area is now extremely soft, and as you can see, I can step on it and it will push water out both sides. It's a relatively big area, but concentrated especially in the area without grass. I'm worried about this turning into a literal sinkhole. What are the odds of something like this happening? We're getting even more rain tomorrow, so it's going to continue to pump tons of water here.

Is it normal for this much water to be discharged back into the pit each cycle?

.

I’ve got a trough-style (linear) shower drain where the channel sits really close to the 2" outlet, and I ran into a surprisingly annoying problem:

Pretty much every off-the-shelf strainer either:

• didn’t fit at all
• barely sat in place
• or felt like it could fall straight down the drain if it shifted

The original basket strainer technically worked, but:

• it was a pain to clean (big, deep, gross)
• the tiny side hooks didn’t inspire much confidence
• and it looked, well, not great

I checked a few plumbing supply stores hoping for a better option and came up empty, so I ended up designing a simple alternative and 3D printing it.

Design goals were pretty straightforward:

• fit tight-clearance 2" drains (~52mm OD, ~59mm tall)
• no basket; just wipe debris off instead of pulling out a hair trap
• geometry that prevents it from dropping into the drain
• low profile and not ugly

I also used hex-shaped openings instead of round ones to increase open area (~10%). It handles normal use well; I tested it with two shower heads running without backup.

That said, it’s still a surface strainer, so if hair builds up, flow will drop off faster than something deeper like a basket. Regular quick cleaning (just wiping it off) seems to keep it working well.

Printed in PETG for heat/moisture resistance, and so far it’s been solid.

Curious what you all think:

• Any obvious failure points I’m missing?
• Long-term concerns with soap buildup or flow restriction?
• Is there a better off-the-shelf option for this kind of tight clearance that I missed?

Cheers.

I live in Wisconsin and we just started spring so the water table is pretty high. I just bought the home October (first time home buyer). I had noticed the sump pump running a lot the past two days and upon inspection I noticed water returning to the pit after the pump runs. It’s not a lot of water but I’ve read some water return can be normal or it could be a faulty check valve. Problem is, I don’t see a check valve anywhere. Does my sump pump set up look normal? Is the water return normal (water table is high right now) or am I looking at trouble?