ShareThisBy ED DEL GRANDE
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Q: Ed, I read your column and watch your TV show all the time and I'm starting to understand plumbing, but I need advice with my tub. When we run the water for a bath for the kids hardly any water comes out ... just a trickle. The rest of the house is fine. So I used what you taught me through other questions and surmised that my tub faucet is the problem and not my water heater or plumbing system. It's the older three-handle style tub and shower valve. Should I replace this valve or can it be fixed? Help! At this rate my children will be adults before I get a full tub of water. _ Mark, Texas
A: Hi, Mark. Thanks for being one of Ed's faithful "Plumbers Helpers" by learning from my column and TV show and putting the information to good use! And congratulations, it sounds like you made the right call in pinpointing the problem.
As I always mention if everything else in the house runs fine except for one fixture, chances are the problem is not with the plumbing system but with that fixture itself. Since you do have an old tub filler that's probably original to the house, a number of problems could cause the restrictions. It could be anything from water deposits choking off the piping and valve to broken or worn out parts within the valve and diverter.
The bad news is that even if you took the time to find the problem, chances are you will not be able to find repair parts for the old valve. My advice, for two reasons, is to have the old valve removed and a new one-handle tub-and-shower mixing valve installed.
The first reason to replace instead of repair is that when you fix an older valve you add no value to your bathroom. Installing a new, up-to-date fixture will add an investment value to your bathroom. The second reason, and it's the more important one, is that most new one handle mixing valves will offer safety mixing features for the tub and shower and that can provide hot water protection for your family while bathing. Most old style two-handle tub fillers offer no such protection. Make sure your new one handle valve has the anti-scalding feature included and make sure you turn your water heater down to manufacturers recommendations (under 120 degrees F).
Finally, you've probably already figured out that the new valve will not fit in the old valve wall holes. This is why you will have to consult and work with a plumber. Completely replacing a shower valve, especially to a new style may require a permit and certainly will involve some structural work on the wall to remove the old valve and install the new valve and piping. This is one of those projects that can be a little costly, but you can't put a price tag on doing your best to protect your family.
Q: Hello, big Ed! I need some of your plumbing advice on the best way to dig up and replace water pipes buried in concrete. It seems the person who installed the pipes through the concrete floor did not protect them and now leaks are developing. Could you please help me! _ Dave, Illinois
A: Ouch! Sorry, Dave; you will have your hands full with this one! Whenever a copper water line is installed through a concrete slab or foundation the pipe needs to be sleeved.
When you sleeve a pipe you use a plastic covering, insulation or hard PVC pipe to cover the copper pipe and create a barrier between the concrete and copper piping. If concrete comes in direct contact with copper water lines, chemicals in the concrete will, over the years, corrode the copper and leaks will develop. There is not really any other way to correct your problem other than the obvious solution that we all want to ignore.
The water will have to be shut off and the concrete around the pipe will have to be carefully broken away with enough room to cut out and replace the section of bad piping. The new piping needs to be sleeved and concrete poured back around the pipe. This is a very labor intense process that may warrant some outside help unless you are very handy.
I've had to do slab piping repairs many times and, believe it or not, it's a common problem. So I'm telling everyone out there, if you ever put water piping in concrete don't forget to sleeve your water lines or you may end up loosing your shirt!
(Master Plumber Ed Del Grande hosts Ed The Plumber on DIY Network and Contractor stories on HGTVpro.com. Always follow local codes. Visit Ed at eddelgrande.com and send questions to: edtheplumber(at)diynetwork.com.)
