Q. We have a gas water heater and we would like to have an electric w.h. instead. How hard would it be to switch, and what do we need to do to change it over?

A. Its not too difficult... You'll need to run a circuit to the new heater, from your panel box...so that means wire, and a circuit breaker. (it should be on a circuit by itself, straight from the panel box, not run from something else). Plumbing wise, you'll just need some standard fittings/adapters to connect to your existing plumbing....for example, you may need to extend the plumbing (or cut it back) to match the connector on the water heater. You'll also need a cap on the gas line. (I'd just tape over the exhaust stack opening from the old heater with aluminum tape, or duct tape) Have Fun

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Q. I have a shower and the plumbing runs up from the floor. On the wall the containing the plumbing, on the opposite side, is an electrical switch and outlet. What is the minimum safe distance between the electrical lines and the plumbing so that a plumbing leak doesn't result in someone being killed or hurt?

A. There is no NEC (national electric code) restriction on this. The supply pipes and electric wire and box could actually all be on the same stud.

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Q. I added 3 plumbing fixtures to my garage without permit but didn't finish yet. I need to sell my house so I would like to stop working on plumbing and get the inspection. Can I just cap the pipes? Or do I need to remove pipes from the garage? Or Do I have to remove all pipes from the basement I installed?

A. Just apply for it & will get

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Q. I have a friend who has a home that has copper plumbing. The residence was built in 1988, and she was told by a neighbor that copper plumbing is bad and has to be removed/replaced in order to keep the value of the home for resale. This doesn't seem to make sense and the home DOES NOT have any plumbing issues to date. The neighbor cautioned that copper plumbing can burst. Is there any ring of truth to this or is the neighbor thinking of something else. A home built in 1988 doesn't seem that old to me. Please help. All answers are welcome. Thanks. Additional details. Here is the suspected issue: Different metals or types of pipe: copper and galvanized iron, were directly connected in the potable water supply system From this point of view, we are told the entire plumbing in the home needs to be changed. Can this be right?

A. If the copper pipe is stressed, it will create a leak, but only if stressed. By this I mean thin wall, kinks, etc. I have never heard of copper pipes devaluing a home. If anything, copper will add value compared to CPVC or galvanized. If there are no issues with leakage or significant corrosion, leave it.

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Q. I have a problem. I always flush my cig butts down the toilet and now there is a plumbing problem in my apt building. They will be turning off the hot water for repairs. Will It get traced back to me?

A. Only cold water it routed to the toilet. Flushing drains the water to the sewage pipe. Hot or cold bears nothing to this, its all sewage.

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Q. I had a main sewer back-up. A plumber came and snaked more than 125 feet away from my building and pulling not only baby wipes, diapers but also sweaters, plastic bags, duct tapes, which were impossible to come from tenant's toilets. He said my main sewer was 125 feet long, and there were such garbage so it takes time to clean. Then he said he had to jet water. I asked him if it would really solve the problem. He said yes. So I asked him to do it. I had used this plumber several times. When he came for the first time, he had told me his company would not charge with no result. He and his partner were jetting water for a long time. His partner was saying "Why so much sand and dirt coming out?" Another one was saying "because the main sewer to the city connection is 125 feet, it takes a long time to clean." It was already late at night. They wanted come back next morning. I asked if it would really solve the problem or something might be wrong with the main sewer, because how can that take so long to clean. They still said, if they jet water for two more hours, the main sewer would unclog. So I told them to come back next day. The next morning, the big plumbing company sent two different plumbers. They immediately said it must be a case of a broken main sewer even without trying to snake or jet water. The plumber said because there were so much dirt and soil in the pit, it must come from the crack in the pipe, any plumber would suspect it. Then they inserted a snake and told me that they felt there was a crack 5 feet away from the pit. They said they did not think my main sewer was 125 feet long but 20 feet to the connection to the city sewer, and that they would show us if it was a case of a broken main sewer pipe. Then they started to jet water, but not 125 feet away, but just 5 feet away from the pit. Water shot up from the dirt area on the street. They said "It was a case of broken main sewer pipe. Cleaning does not solve the problem. There is no charge for this job, you should call an excavation company because we don't do replacement of main sewer pipe," and left. A Plumbing/excavation company replaced the main sewer. During the excavation, everyone saw my main sewer was not 125 feet but 20 feet. All the workers and EPA inspector told me, "Any plumber in right mind would not think your house line is 125 feet, in this crowded neighborhood in NYC and when there is city sewer running just in front of the house." Then I saw a charge on my credit card nearly $2,000 for cleaning job for the water jet job. I called customer service only to be screamed, "We don't work for free!!" I said, "But your worker had told me your company don't charge for no result," She said, "Water jet is different!" I said, "He did not say that," She said, "He should have told you so!" The plumber who jetted water for hours to no avail called me. I asked him why he did not suspect main sewer was broken when his co-workers who came next day immediately could tell. He said he could not see the dirt in the pit because it was dark, (I don't buy it because the basement is always dark and he was using portable light.) somehow he came to believe my main sewer was 125 feet and tried his best to clean. About him having told me "They don't charge with no result," and not saying "But water jet was an exception," He admitted and apologized but said he could not reverse the charge because he was not in the accounting department. I filed dispute with my credit card company. They told me to get a letter from the plumber who replaced the pipe stating what the first plumber did was wrong. I got the letter stating, "the main sewer was not 125 feet but it was only maximum 30 feet and it was broken, we replaced the pipe," A customer service said the letter was perfect, reversed the charge and told me the plumber could not re-reverse the charge. Then someone else from the bank called me and said "The plumber's lawyers disputed the letter did not say what they did was wrong so they are offering $750 refund, Do you agree or not?" I could not make sense out of what was being told so said how I can't just agree when you are saying something completely different from the first customer service who called me? Then $2,000 charge is back on my credit card. I feel the plumber is no entitled to this fee. I understand they worked. But why did they have to work until the bill is $2,000? They could have just suspected the main sewer was broken before accumulating charge nearly $2,000. If they did not tell me that my main was not broken but 125 feet long that was the reason why they had to clean for a long time but it would unclog only if they kept doing, I would not have told them to do it. What should I do?

A. Nop·

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Q. I am just now starting to finish my basement. When we built 2 yrs ago we had it prepped for a bathroom and a wet bar. We are starting at the bathroom, do we put the walls up first and have the plumber out before the walls go up? Do we want the sink/tub/toilet there for him or is that not necessary? I guess my question is what steps do I take and in what order? Thanks in Advance!!

A. Do your framing for the walls, then call the plumber to have him install the pipes that will be hidden inside the wall. The bathtub etc can also be installed at the same time. Install the water faucets after the room is finished/walls installed so they will not be accidentally damaged during construction. Hint: Tape the drains & cover the toilet while you work so construction material, nails etc won't fall into the drain. 1 nail lodged in the drain, add some hair/sludge equals a real problem to fix later.

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Q. I cut a chase in sub-floor to change plumbing from a tub to a shower, i covered sub-floor with 1/4 durarock,then cement for a solid base,morter mix to slope floor towards drain i was then going to install a membrane when customers tile installer said it had to be removed and replaced that i installed it incorrectly. It was my understanding that after the membrane he was to install thinset over membrane and then tile ? can someone please help answer my questions i still am not sure if i made any mistakes i was trying to ensure a good base for durable longevity

A. The membrane goes behind the durock, and under the mortar bed, the idea is that the membrane holds all the water in and is the last defense between the wood and durock/mortar bed, thinset wont bond to the membrane, it is meant to be attached to concrete of some form whether durock or the mortar bed...putting a membrane in between will keep the the thinset from attaching properly and in turn would cause a horrible tile job, you will need to rip out everything you did and start over from the frame work, dont be surprised if this customer doesn't call you back for anymore work. i would suggest hiring a sub-contractor who knows how to do the job properly and eat the cost if you want to maintain any kind of reputation. and dont take jobs that you aren't 100% sure you know how to do. i dont suggest shoving the membrane under the mortar bed or making an attempt to "make" it work...if its not done right and it leaks you can face a law suit for future water damage because of poor installation of membrane. It has to be done right.

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