should i solder joints or call a plumber?
So I discovered the problem with the tub. After removing the drywall I could see the pipes and fixtures from the business side. I watched the fitting and joints and yelled through the wall for Katie to start the tub spigot only...thunk...a little water hammer and the surge of water going in the pipes put no leaks...good.
I asked then to turn on the shower and put my face up the joint I thought would leak to see better. Immediately I felt like I was in a U-Boat in the North-Atlantic under depth charge attacks. I was getting sprayed with ice cold water, thumping noises were drowning out my screams for Katie to turn off the pipes...found the problem.
The previous homeowner did his own "renovation" and royally screwed up his solder joints from the anti-scald faucet to the copper shower riser pipe. When the shower is activated, about 30% of the water goes up the pipe like it should, the other 70% sprays all over the back of the tub and drains to the bedroom ceiling/light below.
Awesome, but I can't fix it with a simple vise-grip...i need to get a pipe cutter to remove the messed up pipe then sweat or solder a new pipe back in...I've only seen this done, I've never actually done it. I've welded big sheets of iron, and I've soldered little electronics. I've never tried to solder a copper pipe, especially when it’s against a flammable stud and woodshavings...
I think I'll shell out $100 bucks for a plumber to cut off the old pipe and put in a new one.
One more thing, last night Katie was washing clothes, as I walked into the laundry room I noticed the walls were sweating and it was super humid and hot. Apparently our previous owner has a new level of ghetto style home repair. He attached the exhaust vent for the drier with double sided insulation tape…idiot. It’s like he went out of his way to do things the dumb way. He didn’t save any money. The tape would have cost more than the clamp to attach it correctly….I need to post pics of what he’s done….
I asked then to turn on the shower and put my face up the joint I thought would leak to see better. Immediately I felt like I was in a U-Boat in the North-Atlantic under depth charge attacks. I was getting sprayed with ice cold water, thumping noises were drowning out my screams for Katie to turn off the pipes...found the problem.
The previous homeowner did his own "renovation" and royally screwed up his solder joints from the anti-scald faucet to the copper shower riser pipe. When the shower is activated, about 30% of the water goes up the pipe like it should, the other 70% sprays all over the back of the tub and drains to the bedroom ceiling/light below.
Awesome, but I can't fix it with a simple vise-grip...i need to get a pipe cutter to remove the messed up pipe then sweat or solder a new pipe back in...I've only seen this done, I've never actually done it. I've welded big sheets of iron, and I've soldered little electronics. I've never tried to solder a copper pipe, especially when it’s against a flammable stud and woodshavings...
I think I'll shell out $100 bucks for a plumber to cut off the old pipe and put in a new one.
One more thing, last night Katie was washing clothes, as I walked into the laundry room I noticed the walls were sweating and it was super humid and hot. Apparently our previous owner has a new level of ghetto style home repair. He attached the exhaust vent for the drier with double sided insulation tape…idiot. It’s like he went out of his way to do things the dumb way. He didn’t save any money. The tape would have cost more than the clamp to attach it correctly….I need to post pics of what he’s done….
posted by Mike at
7:56 PM
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