Plumbing Q&A Flashcards
Q. “My garbage disposer smells! Is there anything that I can do besides buying a new one?”
A. Generally the simple solution to this is to clean the disposer by having it grind up a few cups of ice and some table salt. This helps to cut the grease and slime off the sides of the disposer. Then flush it out with cold water followed by half of a lemon or lime to deodorize.
Q. “I’ve heard that garbage disposer waste harms septic tanks. Any truth to that?”
A. We have yet to read any study that reflects that. Some cities have banned disposers and then, later changed their minds and allowed them, such as New York. From what we know, food disposer waste gets consumed by bacteria in sewage treatment plants and septic tanks.
Q. “I have a hole in my kitchen sink for an air gap. I’d like to use it for a faucet. Can I just by pass that air gap?”
A. You could but we absolutely do not recommend that. Air gaps have an important (health safety) function and should be kept on the deck of the sink or kitchen counter.
Q. “What are the new California Energy Commission water efficiency standards and how does this affect me?”
Sold after January 1, 2016:
Public lavatory faucets & aerators must have a maximum flow rate of 0.5 gallons per minute or less (at 60psi)
Kitchen faucets & aerators must have a maximum flow rate of 1.8 gallons per minute or less (at 60psi) - dual function faucets may have an optional temporary flow of 2.2 gallons per minute
Toilets must use a maximum 1.28 gallons per flush or less - or a dual-flush effective flush volume of 1.28 gallons per flush or less
Wall mounted urinals must use a maximum 0.125 gallons per flush or less
Other urinals must use a maximum 0.5 gallons per flush or less
Sold after July 1, 2016:
Lavatory faucets & aerators must have a maximum flow rate of 1.2 gallons per minute or less (at 60psi)
Shower heads must have a maximum flow rate of 2.0 gallons per minute or less (at 80psi)
Sold after July 1, 2018:
Shower heads must have a maximum flow rate of 1.8 gallons per minute or less (at 80psi)
Q. “What is a pre-rinse faucet?”
A. Pre-Rinse faucets are normally used in commercial dish washing applications to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. With the long hoses, Fisher pre-rinse faucets provide a variety of convenient uses, including cleaning hard to reach corners in sinks, drain boards & back splashes.
Q. “How does a grease trap work?”
A. A grease trap works by slowing down the flow of warm/hot greasy water and allowing it to cool. As the water cools, the grease and oil separate and float to the top of the grease trap. The cooler water (less grease) continues to flow down the pipe to the sewer. The grease is actually trapped by baffles, which cover the inlet and outlet of the tank, preventing grease from flowing out of the trap.
Q. “Why does my grease trap back up and overflow? If I buy a new one from you will it backup and clog less?”
A. Grease traps back up either because they need to be cleaned or because of an outlet blockage. Buying a large unit would mean you’ll need to clean it less often as there is more storage capacity of grease. But please understand that all grease traps will clog if you don’t clean the grease regularly.
Q. “Does a grease trap prevent blockages and stoppages?”
A. Grease traps do help prevent stoppages after the trap but blockages can (and do) occur as a result of insufficient (not frequent enough) grease trap line maintenance. A grease trap or drain line which is not periodically maintained (you must take the grease out of the trap) will eventually clog.
Q. “Yesterday I had our grease trap pumped clean and today the trap overflowed. Why did this happen”
A. Hopefully you had it pumped before it was stopped up. Pumping the grease trap alone does not prevent stoppages down the line. While pumping grease, grease can get into your main line if the pumping is done wrong. Also, if you had it pumped because you had a stoppage and so assumed it was due to the grease trap, it might be that you had a partial stoppage already in your main line.
Q. “What is a widespread faucet?”
A. A widespread faucet includes three separate parts that measure from 8 to 16 inches from center to center.
Q. “I really like the new “designer” finishes, but I’m wondering if they are as durable as chrome. What do you recommend?”
A. In our opinion, nothing beats triple plated chrome for a lifetime of durability. That being said, however, many manufacturers have worked hard to make their other finishes more durable and long-lasting, so it really is a matter of personal preference and use. Additionally, many manufacturers now offer special care/cleaning guides with their products to help you maintain the new designer finishes as long as possible.
Q. “What is the difference between a flushometer and flush valve?”
A. A flushometer is a metering valve for commercial toilets and urinals. Basically, a flushometer is a commercial flush valve. A flush valve is a component in a tank style toilet.
Q. “Is there anything to be aware of when using high volume flush valves on low consumption china?”
A. Yes, be careful when using high volume flush valves on low consumption china. The higher pressure and shear volume may vent thru the vacuum breaker assembly. If so, then use the V651 vacuum breaker repair kit instead of the V551 vacuum breaker repair kit. When using the shut-off valve screw as a throttle, you also upset the balance of the valve and its self-cleaning feature. The rubber bumper on the back-check stop will also wear much faster as it is spring loaded and you will be forcing it closer to the seat, then throttling the valve. Flush valves that are throttled require more conditioning and attention because they often foul more frequently. The opposite would also apply when using a 1.6 gpf on a 3.5 gallon flush toilet.
Q. “How does a Sloan valve operate?”
A. A Sloan valve works by equalizing pressure in the chambers over and under the diaphragm. Basically, the water will run until the top chamber is filled. This is the ‘flow timing;’ you can adjust the timing with a ‘flow-ring.’ A flow-ring is the plastic ring directly under the diaphragm. Sloan and Zurn both make flow rings in 1.0, 1.6, 3.5 and 4.5 gallons per flush designations.
Q. “What is a ‘dual flush’ valve?”
A. Dual flush valves give the user the choice of flushing with the maximum amount of water allowed by law (1.6 gpf in the United States) or a flush that uses less water.
Q. “What is a squat toilet?”
A. A toilet that is used by squatting instead of sitting. They are widely used in China, Japan, and South East Asia.
Q. “What are the most commonly replaced toilet parts?”
A. This depends on several factors; each time you use your toilet the trip lever, flapper, and fill valve are operated. You will find, however, that the flapper and fill valve are the parts most exposed to water and will be the first ones to wear out in most cases.
Q. “Why does my toilet continue to run after flushing?”
A. If, after flushing, you find that the toilet continues to run, and you have discovered that by jiggling the handle it will stop; then the problem may be that the chain controlling the flapper is too long. When installing your flapper, you want the flapper chain’s S-hook in the hole closest to the handle with very little slack in the chain itself. By doing so, when the toilet is flushed, the chain will fall behind the flapper where it won’t snag and cause problems such as keeping the flapper from closing properly. Check to make sure that the flapper has enough clearance to close, i.e. not hitting the float ball when the water level drops. You also want to check to see that the toilet’s flush handle (aka tank lever) is installed securely so it can’t rotate too high, hitting the tank’s lid or other parts and sticking.
Q. “I have a lot of scale, stains and mineral buildup inside my toilet bowl. Is there anything that you recommend to get rid of that? To make my toilet bowl look good as new?”
A. If you have rust spots, using phosphoric acid generally will help remove them. If you would like to try the gentlest approach maybe try using some Coke on the rust first. No, we aren’t kidding, Coca-Cola contains a trace amount of phosphoric acid. To try this, drain the toilet bowl to below where the rust marks are. Then pour on some Coke. Wipe with a soft cloth and then more Coke, over and over, etc. If that doesn’t do the trick then use Naval Jelly which contains a lot more phosphoric acid (be sure to read the directions and safety warnings first!). Naval Jelly is what we here at PlumbingSupply.com® use to get rid of rust stains and it’s readily available at most hardware stores.
Q. “How are the lengths of toilet fill valves measured?”
A. The toilet fill valve measurements we show are measured from the inside bottom of the tank to the top of the fill valve. The threaded water supply shank that fits through the bottom of the tank is not included in this measurement.
Q. “What’s the best way to replace my toilet flapper?”
A. Generally, with most toilets: turn off the water supply and flush the toilet. Reach in and unhook the ears of the flapper and unhook the chain from the trip lever. Install an identical flapper to the original that came from the factory. Do expect to get your hands dirty from the old flapper. Simply reinstall the new one in reverse order. Note that should you have very old brass pipes inside of your toilet, be careful not to be rough on them. They can easily break and end up leaking. After you have replaced your flapper, and the toilet tank bowl has refilled, the water fill valve should not leak (be going on and off in cycles). If it does, then we recommend putting some food coloring into your tank. This can help diagnose the problem. The colored water should not be going into the bowl (unless you flush the toilet of course). If the food color does go into the bowl, then possibly the flapper is not the correct one, the surface where the toilet flapper sits has eroded (feel below where the flapper touched the toilet and see if you can feel erosion/groove), or you may only need to add some slack to the chain.
Q. “How do I tell what type of mount my trip lever is?”
A. There are several ways trip levers are mounted; the style will depend on the manufacturer’s shape of the tank, and the location of the flush valve. The styles are angle mount, side mount, front mount, right-hand mount, and offset. The angle mount typically has a 45° angle in the arm so that it can reach the flush valve located near the center of the tank. The side mount trip lever is for toilets that need a trip lever on the left side of the toilet tank (when standing and facing the toilet). Front mount toilets are one of the more common styles, and are mounted on the left/front of the tank (unless it is noted as “right hand mount”). Right hand mount is located on the right/front side of the tank. The offset trip lever has a long arm, and is angled to work around a less commonly angled tank shape.
Q. “What are trip levers usually made of? What’s the best kind?”
A. Some trip levers have a metal handle and brass arm; however, as more and more homeowners opt to replace parts themselves, plastic replacement trip levers have become more readily available as a less expensive alternative. The metal trip levers are of superior quality when compared to plastic, and will far outlast them. Unfortunately, plastic trip levers are more likely to deteriorate than the all metal ones, making replacement more likely, more often. Additionally, brass levers are easier to adapt to odd tank shapes if you can’t find an original tank lever, as you can simply bend the lever to place it where you want it. Note, however, that bent or altered trip levers cannot be returned.
Q. “I’ve replaced the ‘bad’ wax gaskets on my toilet a few times, and my toilet still leaks! What else can I do?”
A. Generally wax doesn’t “go bad” on a standard floor-mounted toilet, as its function is not to prevent leaks. Wax on a floor-mounted toilet is there to prevent odors. If you are experiencing a leak coming from underneath the floor-mounted toilet, you probably have a partial (or full blown) toilet stoppage down the drain line (or the toilet is cracked in the bowl). Also, make sure the leak isn’t coming from above and dribbling down the back of the toilet, as this is a “typical” undetected problem. If you aren’t sure where the leak is coming from, try putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and waiting a few hours.
Q. “Which material do you feel makes a better seat, plastic or wood?”
A. The pressed wood seats that are manufactured today are generally well made. Wood seats don’t tend to “wiggle” much and should last 5 - 20 years (depending on usage and cleaning methods). If you drop the seat’s lid a lot, the paint will wear off. Plastic seats come in many grades and thicknesses. The lower priced ones tend to “wiggle” and move around while you are sitting on them. If you are going to buy a plastic seat, we strongly suggest that you pay extra and get a thick seat. The paint won’t wear off and a good quality, thick plastic toilet seat can’t be beat. They are more expensive but worth the price.
Q. “What does S.J. stand for?”
A. S.J. is known as “slip joint” to some. It is the same size as 1/2” female thread that comes with many faucets and is standard 1/2” pipe thread, but it is non-tapered. (Be aware, though, that the SJ flexes might not work well on threaded PVC fittings, as the wall of the PVC fittings might be too thick.)
Q. “What about electrolysis and stainless steel?”
A. Using stainless steel connectors can be somewhat helpful. Stainless (like brass) is an alloy metal. The electrical characteristics of alloys seem to make them a bit less prone to dielectric action than pure metals such as copper or iron. The more non-corrosive the alloy components (stainless for example has nickel - a very non corrosive metal) and the wider the electrical potentials of the components of the alloy, the less dielectric problem there seems to be. The alloy materials don’t prevent the results of dielectric action, they just spread it over a greater area. There is less corrosion build up at the point of connection with stainless steel, than is seen when a copper adapter fitting is attached to a galvanized nipple or fitting.
Q. “I’m not clear what the difference is between standard washing machine hose connectors and S.J.?”
A. The standard washing machine hose connectors are 3/4” female hose threads, exactly like what is used outside for garden hose threads.. S.J. is simply 1/2” standard pipe thread - female threaded that fits onto most standard 1/2” male pipe threads. (SJ connectors might not work well on threaded PVC fittings, which may sometimes be too thick.) The only difference is that, unlike standard fittings that screw onto 1/2” male pipe threads, s.j. isn’t tapered. There’s no need to use pipe compound or Teflon™ (PTFE) tape to help make the seal on the threads, because the rubber/neoprene cone will make the seal instead against the inside rim of the threads that you are attaching the connector onto.
Q. “I’m hearing a lot about lead-free these days. What does that have to do with plumbing products and how does the new lead-free legislation affect me?”
A. Basically, the laws implemented Jan. 1st, 2014 require plumbing products that come in contact with drinking water to be “essentially lead free” (less than 0.25% weighted average). For further information about how the law determines what is “lead free”, rules regarding which plumbing products must be “lead free”, and who these laws will affect,.
Q. “What does tubular mean?”
A. Tubular pipe is a thin walled pipe most commonly used under sinks to attach sink drains to the house drain. Slip joint nuts and washers are used to seal fitting connections and allow many adjustable connection options for the installer. The tubing is measured by the outside diameter and by being light weight yet durable, it is much easier to install compared to direct hard line connections.
Q. “Are the black tubular drainage parts all ABS as well as are the white tubular parts all made of PVC?”
A. No, the black and white tubular drainage parts are mostly made of polypropylene plastic, colored black to match ABS piping or colored white to match PVC piping. There are some parts made of ABS and PVC so those specific parts can be glued (solvent welded) to the stub outs of the type pipe, ABS or PVC being used in the house drain. Color choice is usually based on customer preference to match the type of piping in their house drain systems.
Q. “I read somewhere that turning your water heater down to 120°F can help you save energy and money on your utility bill. Is this true?
A. In a word, yes. However, it is important to bear in mind that many of the people and websites promoting this tactic are not plumbers (who understand how hot water systems work) or doctors (who understand how germs work). Setting your water heater at 120°F may help you save money or energy, but that temperature also creates a prime breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria. We strongly recommend keeping your tank-style water heater set at 140°F or higher to ensure that disease-causing bacteria like legionella (which causes Legionnaires’ disease) cannot grow in the tank or in the pipes as the hot water circulates. If you are concerned about the risk of scalding due to the higher temperature, we suggest installing thermostatic mixing valves either at the hot water tank or at key delivery points in your plumbing system to help mitigate the risk of burns.
Q. “Why would anyone need an expansion tank?”
A. Water is incompressible. Unlike air, it’s impossible to squeeze any quantity of water into a smaller volume. Where that matters is in “closed” water systems such as a water heater with a check valve (pressure regulator and the like) ahead of the heater. When the water gets heated it expands and that extra volume has to go someplace. Without an expansion tank the pressure could rise to a dangerous level in a closed system. A diaphragm type of expansion tank (such as what we sell) is a pressure vessel that contains a flexible membrane totally separating the water from a captive volume of air. Air compresses and as the water temperature rises, creating extra pressure/space, the air in the vessel accommodates that increase. Thereby preventing a potentially dangerous pressure rise.
Q. “I have a sulfur odor smell coming from the hot water side of my faucets. A friend of mine told me that it might be caused by my water heater anode rod. Is that true and if so, if I remove the anode rod will the odors go away?”
A. Removing your anode rod will not cure the odor problem, will cause damage to the water heater tank much sooner than normal and will void your warranty. In many cases the odor is hydrogen sulfide gas. The source is sulfate reducing bacteria which is present in many water systems. That bacteria in most cases is harmless but thrives in the hot water environment. Water temperatures of about 140°F - 170°F makes for a rich growth medium. This type of anaerobic bacteria feeds off the hydrogen gas produced by magnesium anode rods. Periodic flushing of the tank with bleach solution will reduce the problem. Because there are so many factors we can not guarantee that the odor will be eliminated, but if you have no odor on the cold side of a faucet and only the warm side generally (not 100%), replacing a magnesium anode rod with one of our Aluminum/Zinc/Tin rods can help solve the problem. Some water heater manufacturers’ claim that softened water causes the problems, but that is not a proven fact. Removal of the bacteria will also solve the odor problem. Sanitizing the water heater (with safe levels of bleach, etc), will eliminate the odor but only for a variable (relatively short) length of time. A trace amount of H2S gas in the water is another cause of hot water odor but removal of the anode rod will not cure that odor problem either. It is best to always have an anode rod in your glass-lined steel water heater tank.
Q. “Can PTFE thread sealing tape be used in all applications?”
A. Per Wikipedia: “Overuse or misapplication of thread tape may be a hazard. Excess application of PTFE tape can prevent mating threads from fully engaging, reducing the shear point of the threads. Combining thread-seal tape with a pipe dope compound can also overload threads. Also, internal overhangs of loose material may constrict a joint or slough off and form a foreign body that could jam a valve seat.. Therefore, use of PTFE tape as a thread sealant is generally not considered appropriate in fluid power (hydraulic) systems.
Q. “Any tips on using PTFE thread sealing tape?”
A. First, with plastics try to avoid using a female threaded adapter because it is very easy to split when over tightened (with thread sealing tape it is easy to over tighten). Wrap your PTFE thread sealing tape “with” the treads - that is… pipe in left hand, PTFE thread sealing tape right, roll on clock-wise. Generally at least 3 times. Sometimes adding thin coating of a good quality thread compound on top of the PTFE thread sealing tape helps seal joints even better. Caution: Do not over apply, excessive tape may actually weaken the connection.
