That Old House!!!
Today I finished installing the tub/shower faucet in the house we are repairing for the fourth time. Every time I fix one problem, the next problem comes to the front for resolution. All of the work is done in a small closet with the access panel to the tub, and you have to deal with fiberglass insulation in addition to other irritations. You also have to work while kneeling which is no fun for your knees or leg muscles.
The last time I turned on the water there was no evidence of a leak, but I won’t say it’s fixed until tomorrow when I’ll check again for leaks. If it is still dry I will put things back and seal the access again.
It is jobs like this that make you fall in love with CPVC pipe. Threaded ½-inch galvanized is not your friend unless the new parts are exactly the same as the old parts, which almost never happens.
Update: After I found the fixture, put in a working bulb, properly wired the switch, and put on a cover plate, I was able to turn on the light at the end of the tunnel and escape. I’m done with it.
3 comments
when I lived in San Jose, CA,. A 1916 craftsman house, fear occurred each time you chased a plumbing issue. The worst being the shock I got showering whenever the clothes washer changed modes. When I finally got rid of the asbestos wrapped FUSE box and over half the knob & tube wiring that problem resolved itself.
Then came the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Yea, verily, I commiserate the plumbing blues.
No galvanized pipe left in these parts. Hard well water ate it to pieces long ago, and it got replaced with copper. Copper’s not the easiest thing to deal with, but it’s hella easier than galvanized. I’d rather use tubing cutters and sweat fittings all day long than ever stick a piece of galvanized into a pipe threader ever again.
They have a few Craftsmen houses down here and they stand up to the storms, but if you want to enjoy living in one it has to be re-plumbed and re-wired. Both the water system and the electrical system in the design reflect the early days of indoor plumbing and electricity in the home.
One of the places I lived you definitely didn’t want a roommate flushing the toilet while you were taking a shower.
Copper has a big advantage over CPVC if the job requires an odd change of direction because you can deal with it using the flexible copper tubing. Once they came out with the lead-free solder copper became a good choice. I plumbed the master bathroom after my friend bought the house with copper, but most of the house still uses the original galvanized.