Category Archives: Plumbing

Plan and install plumbing system

Lowering the Tub Drain

Posted on March 15, 2016 by ellen

I had to break out the concrete around the tub drain to get the elbow low enough to provide a slope on the tub drain. I had to reveal enough pipe to glue on the elbow under the floor surface. … Continue reading →

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Thinking about the Tub Drain

Posted on March 7, 2016 by ellen

Sometimes my brain just trips over itself when trying to solve a problem. I happened to have a lift and turn sink drain from the granite vessel sink installation that I realized had a long enough stem to use for … Continue reading →

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Tub Drain Problem

Posted on March 4, 2016 by ellen

I have two problems with the tub drain. First the nice quality Moen drain that I bought is too short to reach through the hole to a pipe below the tub. It is only 1 1/4″ deep and the opening … Continue reading →

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Our Roman Tub

Posted on March 2, 2016 by ellen

I looked for installation instructions for the used tub that I bought on Craigslist and found this very similar if not the same tub at The Bath Works. This one costs over $6000 and it is cast of “Silacore” a … Continue reading →

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Toilet Drain Adjustment

Posted on February 24, 2016 by ellen

No wonder I feel bogged down.  Installing the offset toilet drain took me several hours across two days. Not predicting well how much standing drain pipe I needed, I cut a little bit of pipe at a time using a … Continue reading →

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Bogged Down in the Bathroom

Posted on February 18, 2016 by ellen

Sometimes I just feel totally bogged down. While Dave has been busy spreading composted manure he got from a local horse farm and potting/topsoil from a marijuana growing operation–they deliver it for free–on the gardens and flower beds, I have … Continue reading →

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Ultra High Efficiency Toilet

Posted on February 16, 2016 by ellen

Our next inspection will be the plumbing rough in so I’m working on the master bathroom. I had purchased all the faucets and fixtures except for the toilet. When I was at the Sustainability Fair in Fort Collins, I heard … Continue reading →

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Craigslist Vanity and Doors

Posted on January 3, 2016 by ellen

I sometimes wonder how the things I like will come together in one coherent style. I have called the kitchen post industrial rustic. I think the new master bathroom vanity fits that description. I know I like a tall vanity … Continue reading →

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Plumbing Inspiration!

Posted on December 17, 2015 by ellen

My guilty pleasure is watching home improvement shows on TV. I usually watch one each evening. I mix it up with a different series each night so they are not too repetitive. I have Netflix and lately they have been … Continue reading →

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New Tub and Faucet

Posted on October 12, 2015 by ellen

Another amazing Craiglist find; thank goodness people in the Denver area use it regularly. I did not see so many and such variety of offerings when I lived in Arizona. Although it seems that most of the city’s best deals … Continue reading →

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Temporary Bathroom

Posted on July 17, 2015 by ellen

I picked up another free toilet. This one is also a Glacier Bay but it is a dual flush. It is currently selling at Home Depot for $98. Since I broke the first one I got for free, I promptly … Continue reading →

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Used Energy Star Dishwasher

Posted on October 28, 2014 by ellen

Inherently a lazy housekeeper, I am a big fan of dishwashers. I started researching portable models because they are in a covered cabinet and our log cabinets are open below. Our style seems to be a variation on new age … Continue reading →

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Washer/Dryer Temporary Install with Dryer Repair

Posted on August 20, 2014 by ellen

We are now washing and drying clothes in our unfinished house. Of the appliances that came with the house; dishwasher, stove top, and built in oven, the washer and dryer are the only items that we didn’t donate to Habitat … Continue reading →

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Hot Water Recirculation Problem

Posted on August 20, 2014 by ellen

Earlier when I had trouble with the hot water circulation pump breaking the boiler flow control, I decided to install a pressure regulator/reducer between the pump and the cold water input for the hot water side of the boiler and … Continue reading →

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Mang Ox Water Filter

Posted on September 3, 2013 by ellen

The well water test came back with questionable news about the water. The stains in the plumbing already indicated rust and lime (calcium carbonate) in the water and the new boiler/water heater requires that the water not be high in … Continue reading →

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Water Loop in Action

Posted on April 17, 2013 by ellen

The water supply trunk loop is connected and stubbed out. This is the longest above the concrete connection. The pipe near the wall will connect the washing machine and the other connection will run to the guest bathroom. This long … Continue reading →

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Structured Plumbing

Posted on January 21, 2013 by ellen

We are interested in wasting as little water as possible and to that end, we designed a structured plumbing system that allows for the hot water to circulate within a loop system of pipes to deliver hot water at the … Continue reading →

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Passing the Underground Rough In

Posted on December 26, 2012 by ellen

Signed Sealed Delivered. 12/10/12 It was not easy to pass the plumbing inspection. Not because the inspector was difficult or picky, quite the opposite. Our inspector was VERY helpful and wanted to see us pass and recommended wet venting the … Continue reading →

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Plumbing Disaster!

Posted on December 9, 2012 by ellen

Construction is exhausting work. Sometimes being tired at the end of a work day will lead to an error of judgement that causes a “disaster”. Unfortunately this happened while pressure testing the new drains for the first time. It was … Continue reading →

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Courtesy Inspection

Posted on December 8, 2012 by ellen

Laying the drains and vents for the house took several days. We had hoped to have an inspection after only 3 days of layout and gluing but after 3 days we ended up asking for a courtesy inspection instead of … Continue reading →

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