Crawl Space

Discussion in 'Home Improvement' started by Ken Anderson, Jul 11, 2018.

  1. Bill Boggs

    Bill Boggs Supreme Member
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    Taking the bad with the good when buying an old place is not always easy, especially when working in tight quarters. I'm sure your bad was worse and harder than most. Revquires determination and hard work. Glad that part is behind you.
     
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  2. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @John Brunner

    When building our own house, all construction work done by only my wife & I ('ceptin' the septic tank!), I wondered aloud when assembling the various plumbing fixtures: faucets, drains, etc., all purchased from either Home Depot or Lowe's. Some assemblies could not POSSIBLY not leak, I could see, as they were designed half-assed. Some I hade to modify; some could not be used. I pictured thousands of D.I.Yourselfers struggling with this junk, only to wind up with totally unsatisfactory installations. Often I questioned if it were me. Wife's father, sick of hearing me bemoaning everything, grabbed a faucet hookup, said "gimme that!", proceeded to hook it up. It leaked like a sieve......he blamed faulty instructions......

    Frank
     
    #17
  3. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    My house had been on the market for the land only (51 acres) because of the condition of the house. Then the lisiting went away. I figured the guy sold it. Then it returned some months later with the house refurbished. I really wish I had caught it sooner and built new (there is zero insulation left in the walls.) I would freeze without my wood stove.

    I had been in here for a couple of years and by chance went under the crawlspace when I was doing a load of laundry. The place was flooded with water and suds. It seems that the plumber just shoved the drain pipe into the vent coming from the washing machine and did nothing to seal the joint...he just held the drain pipe up there with plumbers strap so it wouldn't fall out. Well, water pressure did the rest.

    I was working and didn't feel like messing with it, so had a plumber come fix it. When he was done, I ran a load of laundry and soapy water went all over the place!!! The guy just shoved the drain back into the vent and added more plumber's strap to "hold it better." I called the company, told them to not bill me, went to Lowes to get the parts and fixed it right myself.

    I installed a water softener and a couple of whole house filters about 6 years ago. I had never worked with Pex (sweated plenty of copper), but you better believe I figured it out and installed the thing myself. Over 45 joints and not a single leak, except where the NPT-to-Pex adapter went into a 3/4" NPT fitting on the filter housing. It seeped maybe one drop every 5 minutes. Just enough to be annoying. Yeh, I took it apart and fixed it. Needed more joint compound. That's why we do our own work, right?

    And I did the drain on the double sink I had installed with the new countertop. Yes, the stuff is cheaper than cheap. I'm surprised hot water doesn't melt through.
     
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  4. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @John Bender

    Good story, thanks! Was not very familiar with PEX as before everything done was sweated or brazed copper. House we now live in, factory-built, is all PEX. Built 2002. First incident, within a year of moving in, entry line from outside, 1" PVC, separated under the house. Installers had left long run of horizontal pipe hanging unsupported, going upwards through elbow at end, up into house. Elbow separated.

    Then leak at shut-off valve in entryway. That was where PEX began. Replaced with:

    [​IMG]
    These things are bullet-proof, using O-ring seal under compression, stainless toothed spring to prevent pull-out, releasable by compressing spring using tool.

    Last failure was under the house, again, as I have aged and become more un-agile. Cut hole through floor sheathing for whole-body access

    [​IMG]


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    [​IMG]
    The failed PEX part. Of course, the house, 80 feet long, has access to crawl space at end opposite to leak: many obstacles, ducts, etc., plus original rocky ground to crawl over on belly. A tough chore for even a young man.

    Frank
     
    #19
  5. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I can relate to crawlspace access. I've never lived in a home with a real basement. Since 1963 it's been doing the belly crawl to run wires for new outlets, fix frozen pipes, etc. I really wanted a house with a basement when I moved here in 2010, but I got this place with a lot of land at such a good price, I could not pass it up. If I hit a small lottery of sufficient amount (a few hundred grand), I'll build new. Until then, I'll crawl as best I can.

    I've seen those connectors you used. I believe they're called Shark Bites. Interesting technology. Lots of folks around here like them. I prefer a solid connection I can see, but that's an emotional thing, not a comment on their reliability.
     
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  6. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @John Brunner

    Shark Bite is one brand; several others are available of similar concept. Having worked first time with the spring-locked quick disconnects on gasoline lines on EFI vehicles, I got a good "hold" on their design and use. For 60 psi+ gasoline pressure (quite dangerous) on millions of vehicles, I decided it must be a pretty reliable concept. One of the frequent complaints and questions on auto forums concerns fuel filter replacement: they can't get the danged disconnect apart! Usually, they buy cheap plastic tools which are barely adequate to open the spring fingers. I use a metal tool, but even so once had a truly stubborn one refusing to open. I cut a short length out of a 9mm brass pistol cartridge casing, slit it lengthwise, it just fit into the connector, that stretching the spring open, after which my tool separated it no problem.

    Frank
     
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  7. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    Shop talk, I like it even though I don't know diddly squat what everything is.:D
     
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  8. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I have heard of "shark bite" connectors because they used them on our RV plumbing. :D
     
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  9. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Von Jones

    Every little detail you can pick up may aid you when the time comes to "see through" a hard sell delivered by some "skilled trades" Plumber, for example. No wool to be pulled over YOUR eyes!

    Frank
     
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  10. Maggie Rose

    Maggie Rose Very Well-Known Member
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    Oh yuck for you! I have a partial crawl space too. It's been a real challenge over the years.

    There were a lot of houses around here built like that years ago and all of the local plumbers now know it. When you go to hire a plumber and then you tell them you have a crawl space, suddenly their calendar is full or the price increases dramatically. I hate having a crawl space! I'd give just about anything for a finished basement.

    Over the years we've moved just about every plumbing fixture in the home. From the gas lines (stove and fireplace) to the kitchen and bath sinks, the bathtub and shower, even the laundry and the water heater. We've relocated everything in this home at one time or another. The plumbers have earned $$$ a few times. crawl spaces, geez!@Ken Anderson
     
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  11. Maggie Rose

    Maggie Rose Very Well-Known Member
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    You've got more guts than me! I'm not getting under there. I picture all of the garden snakes, maybe rats, mice, or spiders. No way! You go Mary! @Mary Robi
     
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  12. Maggie Rose

    Maggie Rose Very Well-Known Member
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    Way to go John! I wish I had the guts to work in the crawl space but I don't. It sounds like you did a good job!@John Brunner
     
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  13. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Maggie--to save yourself a little effort, when you use the quote in a reply there's no need to add the "@"username to the post. Quoting someone automatically gives them an alert. Just FYI!! :D (The @ is useful if you are addressing someone but not quoting them.)
     
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  14. Maggie Rose

    Maggie Rose Very Well-Known Member
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    Yes, Teach me these things lady! LOL thank you
     
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  15. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Since we're teaching, if the usernames do not auto-suggest after typing 3 letters, it's because you did not put a space between the last word and the @ character. If you don't type the username as a separate word, the system just sees one long word and does not notify the member that you have tagged them.

    I think I've seen a couple where it looks like you didn't precede the @ with a space, and you just continued the preceding word or sentence. You can tell you've tagged someone properly because it auto-suggests, and the name turns blue when you Post Reply, just as any link does.

    Here's what an auto-suggest list looks like after typing the first 3 letters:
    How to tag.jpg
    Continuing to type refines the list further.

    Remember:
    -If you quote someone's post, they'll get an Alert that you have done so.
    -If you tag someone (or tag a list of members), they will get an Alert you have tagged them.
     
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