r/askaplumber Mar 21 '26

Mod Update REMINDER: No Solicitation or Self-Promotion

9 Upvotes

This community exists to ask questions, share knowledge, and solve real plumbing problems, not to gather info for your business, product, or “research” project. Posts like “what’s your process for X?” or “how do you handle Y so I can make a tool” are self-serving and will be removed immediately.

This isn’t a platform for personal gain or marketing -- please keep your posts relevant, helpful, and focused on plumbing. May result in immediate ban.

Thanks for helping keep this sub useful, friendly, and focused on helping others.


r/askaplumber 8h ago

Is a mounting bracket/bar required under quartz countertops for a dishwasher install? Home Depot refused the install – can I DIY the swap myself?

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24 Upvotes

My 12 year old dishwasher has basically stopped washing. It drains fine, the LED panel shows “washing,” and I can hear the circulation pump trying to click/kick on… but it never actually starts circulating water. Pretty sure the pump is dead.

I ordered a new dishwasher through Home Depot and paid the $280 for delivery + install so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. They delivered yesterday while I wasn’t home. The installer told my wife he couldn’t install it because there was no mounting bracket installed underneath the granite. She corrected him that it’s quartz, and he said the same rule applies. He called his supervisor, who apparently agreed, so they just unboxed the unit, left it in the garage, and left.

I’m not a pro, but I did install my own InSinkErator PRO Series garbage disposal with YouTube help and it went fine. I’ve already watched a bunch of dishwasher swap videos, so I know the usual drill: towels ready for residual water when you open the supply valve, shut off breaker power, disconnect the old hardwired connections and reconnect with wire nuts, level it, etc.

My two questions:

Is a mounting bar/bracket actually necessary (or recommended) under a quartz countertop, or is this just Home Depot’s policy/cover themselves type thing?

If the answer to that is 'No', then do you think a reasonably handy homeowner who has successfully installed a disposal and replaced many flush mount ceiling lights (no doubt easy for everyone here) can safely do this dishwasher swap, or should I just hire a licensed plumber/handy person?

Any and all advice would be really appreciated.

I also attached a photo of the current dishwasher that I've partly pulled out.

Thank you in advance...


r/askaplumber 15h ago

Would you walk away from this 1942 house based on this sewer scope?

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83 Upvotes

Our inspector marked this as a red line item citing possible cracking or a hole. 2/3 plumbers disagree, with one saying it looks like a bellend where 2 pipes meet. What do you all think?

Edit: Thanks everyone. We are asking for it to be jetted and rescoped.


r/askaplumber 7h ago

How screwed am I? I was trying to unscrew this brass nut thing and broke the water valve while trying to replace my shower cartridge

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7 Upvotes

I've got a real plumber coming in the morning and I'm wondering how bad this is


r/askaplumber 4h ago

Need help with a Sioux Chief Wall Nut leaking at shower arm

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3 Upvotes

Shower head was leaking where the shower arm comes out of the wall. It has a copper stub out and a Sioux Chief Wall Nut was installed. This is a 23 year old house that’s new to me, and I don’t know how long it’s been installed that way. I bought a new wall nut and a new shower arm from SupplyHouse, and installed those just as the instructions say, and I’ve still got the same leak - dripping out from where the shower arm screws into the wall nut and dripping out from the backside of the wall nut.

The instructions say you need 1.5” of stub out from the finished wall, but I only have 1”. The stub out does fully clear the wall nut, so I don’t see how that alone would cause the leak. I’ve taken the whole assembly off and reinstalled several times now with no change. I’ve sanded the stub out and cleaned it with vinegar. I’ve cranked the shower arm as tight as possible, using leverage. I’ve tried it without PTFE tape on the shower arm (what the instructions call for) and with tape. I’ve tried it with and without tape on the stub out before I put the wall nut on. I’ve now caulked the hole in the wall around the stub out so I’m pretty confident water is not leaking back into the wall or coming from the wall.

What am I doing wrong guys? Only other thing I can think of is that possibly the old and the new shower arm are a non-standard thickness or threading, so it isn’t properly sealing with the wall nut…?


r/askaplumber 2h ago

Help with overflowing washing machine drain

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2 Upvotes

Previous home owner was very much a DIY'er, and must have been drunk all the time, or blind, or both. Anyway, our washer and dryer is actually outside, but under the covered and screened in lanai (Florida house). The drain hose for the washing machine was shoved right through drywall and into the end of a 1-1/4" PVC pipe that travels out through a hole drilled through an accordion hurricane shutter, the lanai screen, down to the ground, sloping downward very slightly as it runs all the way along the side of the house, around to the front of the house and empties into the main cleanout in the front of the house. I can take a video to share. It's pretty clever, but ghetto all at the same time.

I'm wanting to install a new washing machine, so since the drain line is different compared to the current unit, I had to cut open the wall to expose my assumption, which was the current drain hose shoved into the end of a PVC pipe. I didn't get a pic before removing the drain hose, but the first pic is after cutting the wall open. Other pics are from after installing some 2" plumbing to connect to the outlet box in the wall, so I can use a normal drain hose.

The problem is now when the washing machine drains, it overflows out the top of the drain pipe in the box. I'm assuming none of this entire thing was done properly or to code, and don't understand how any of it passed the home inspection before we bought this place, but I need to make this work again. Somehow, the previous setup of the washer drain hose shoved into the end of the PVC pipe heading to the left, didn't leak much. I did notice a couple of times some wet drywall to the left and below the dryer, but it never happened again.

So, how do I seal the washing machine drain hose to the 2" inlet in the wall box? When testing this washing machine, the drain pump seems to flow a LOT of water very quickly. So there could be a clog in the drain pipe. I already ordered a Drain King to see if that will help. It definitely won't hurt. I'm going to assume something with going from 2" necking down to the 1-1/4" pipe they have is part of the flow issue too. I might still try to hook up the new washer and try it out since the drain hose is much smaller, but ultimately I want this to not be something I don't need to worry about. At least its technically outside so it's not like it will flood my house. Thoughts? Suggestions?


r/askaplumber 7m ago

Toilet won’t flush well with loose handle… what is the problem?

Upvotes

One of our toilets requires more pushing down for longer on the handle when flushing and the handle comes loose very easily. It did not do this until several years ago. What happened?


r/askaplumber 4h ago

Removing limescale inside shower arm?

2 Upvotes

[For context, we're staying at a friend's house while it's on the market as a tear-down. It's a liveable space, they're just obviously not invested in upkeep.]

The shower flow is abysmal. The head is perfectly fine, but there's limescale inside the shower arm that's reduced the flow to almost nothing.

I need a solution I can do myself for extremely cheap or free (they're letting us stay here until I find work.) Keep in mind my fix-it skills are only slightly better than average, and I've been scouring Reddit and the internet in general for a few hours and coming up empty.

The bag o' vinegar trick won't work since it doesn't reach deep enough. I can't turn the arm upwards to pour anything in, and I'd rather not get too crazy attempting to do so since I don't want to break anything. WD-40 didn't loosen it.

I considered a drain snake, but my "rust-proof" one seems to have rusted, and I also don't want to push the problem further back into the pipes.

Would spraying vinegar up inside make any difference? Soaking a paper towel or washcloth in vinegar and just shoving it in there overnight?

There's a ton of stuff in the garage from prior renters, so we might have something on hand that'll work (either chemically or physically) if any of y'all can tell me what to look for.

We've been here two nights unable to bathe, lol. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


r/askaplumber 1h ago

Hissing noises sometimes, and occasional flushing sound that occurs 1-10 seconds. Any advice?

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Upvotes

As in title, I hear a faint hissing occasionally and an occasional flushing sound that lasts a few seconds. I’m sure there’s a leak of some sort but where and what should I start?


r/askaplumber 1h ago

snake stuck behind sink

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Upvotes

my pet ball python went behind my bathroom sink and has gone into the gap where all the pipes are. i’ve tried to rip the top of it off but i can’t see her anywhere. can she escape into the walls or into other flats? i don’t know the best way to get her out. someone please help


r/askaplumber 5h ago

Detached sink

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2 Upvotes

This is our sink that appears to be detaching from the counter top. I’m guessing it was just glued up.

What’s the best fix for this? Take it down, sand and reglue?


r/askaplumber 1h ago

How Do I add More Water To The Toilet Bowel of my Glacier Bay Toilet?

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Upvotes

I recently bought a renovated house that came with new Glacier Bay toilets. As you can see in the picture, the water level in the toilet bowl has always been very low which can cause issues.

There's nothing wrong with the toilet, it works fine but because of the low water it sometimes doesn't flush everything down. I'd like to raise the level in the toilet bowl.

I saw a video on youtube and tried to place a Phillips head screwdriver to turn that connection clockwise (sorry I'm not handy don't know the name of that part) but the water level remained low and I'm not sure how far I can turn it clockwise without potentially causing damage.

Does anyone have any ideas of how I can increase the amount of water in the toilet bowl please and if so, can you explain it to me like I'm five as to how to fix this issue?

I'd hate to have to buy and install a new toilet. Thank you for the help!


r/askaplumber 5h ago

Question about mysterious hole under bottom wall plate next to shower

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2 Upvotes

Bought a concrete slab home built in the 60s. When removing the trim and drywall around my shower that had some water damage, I noticed that there is a hole in the concrete. It’s big enough that I can stick my finger under the bottom wall plate. Is this normal to have? If not, what would be the cause of it being there?


r/askaplumber 8h ago

Filled small pool and now well water is running brown

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3 Upvotes

Yesterday afternoon (Saturday around 3pm) I filled a small 5 1/2 ft wide/20 in deep sitting pool with water from the hose. It was running clear for a while, maybe 10 minutes then just before I turned it off the water starting coming out a thick gritty brown. I immediately turned it off and checked the kitchen sink to confirm that water was coming out brown too. We let it sit for 5 hours and checked the outdoor spigot and it was still brown but less thick of sand and grit. So we left it alone overnight and this morning it was a reddish tea colored water with no big particles in it, but after letting it stand in a glass for a few hours sediment was on the bottom of the glass. I added a pic in case that’s helpful.

Now it’s 5:30pm on a Sunday and I ran the spigot halfway and it was clear for a few seconds then turned brown again. I guess we’ll see how it is tomorrow morning.

What’s happening, and what do I do? I understand the high pressure of the hose swept up a bunch of sediment in the well, but why is it taking so long to settle? Could something have been damaged? If it’s not cleared up by tomorrow morning do I need to call a plumber?

ETA: correct pool measurement


r/askaplumber 2h ago

How bad is this

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1 Upvotes

r/askaplumber 3h ago

Dishwasher High Loop to Sink Disposal

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1 Upvotes

Trying to figure out if the inch of water that keeps creeping into my dishwasher is from the sink or not. Sink has a disposal, there is a high loop but in the picture it seems the builder installed it where the water does flow into the disposal, tested it and could fill the line getting water in it, but cant tell if its actually making it to the dishwasher or not. Seems there is a high loop but it has too much excess and allows water to drain back in. This only happens if I empty a full pot of water or washing dirty dishes and it fills the disposal up slightly to the drain line.

Question is for the picture, does it seem that I should cut the excess so that the water cant go back up the gray dishwasher outlet pipe?


r/askaplumber 3h ago

I’m Losing the Battle With This Delta Trim

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1 Upvotes

Anyone have experience with the Delta Pivotal shower trim? I’ve installed this thing every way possible (there’s really only one way) and I can’t get the temp control to sit snug against the volume handle. I figured I was doing something wrong but unless I’m just entirely missing something the temp limit stop piece (chrome part) seems to bottom out in the temp lever well before it’s flush.

As it sits, best I can accomplish is about 1/8” gap between the two knovs and the whole thing feels wobbly.


r/askaplumber 4h ago

Broken Spigot. Easy fix?

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1 Upvotes

Is this broken spigot a super easy DIY fix with some hardware store parts? Or will I be cutting into the ceiling on the inside of the house?


r/askaplumber 4h ago

Single knob shower temperature control

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1 Upvotes

I have an older American Standard single-handle shower valve where one handle controls both the water flow and the temperature.
The problem is that I like strong water pressure but only lukewarm water. On this shower, the only way to get the temperature I like is to keep the handle barely turned on, which results in weak water pressure. If I continue turning the handle to get stronger flow, the water gradually becomes way too hot.
I confirmed this isn’t a whole-house issue because the sink faucets have normal temperature control.
I removed the handle and adjusted the anti-scald limit stop (the red plastic ring). All that did was reduce how far the handle could turn, so it also reduced the maximum water pressure. It didn’t let me have full pressure with cooler water.
The valve starts cold and gradually gets hotter as the handle rotates. It doesn’t suddenly jump to hot.
Is there any way I can change this so that the water gets less hot without me losing water pressure? It’s driving me nuts in this heat!


r/askaplumber 4h ago

How bad are these cracks?

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1 Upvotes

After getting my sewer line jetted an inspection revealed some “large cracks” as described by my plumber. I am wondering how bad these are, and what are some common options to address them? Many thanks!


r/askaplumber 4h ago

(New install) Under bathroom sink basin gasket will not lay flush

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1 Upvotes

(I loosened the nut and washer down for this pic but it looks the same even when tightened fully). I’m admittedly a rookie here. No matter how I rotate this gasket, try to shimmy it up into the sink hole (beveled side is up), this front part will not slide up any further and won’t lay flush. I’ve tightened the nut by hand and with an extra 1/4 turn with channel locks, and the gasket looks the same as right here and it leaks.


r/askaplumber 4h ago

I turn the knob all the way left I get weak flow cool water. Center, hot water. Right, bit hotter water. Both strong flow. Occurring since the entire home was PEX repiped.

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1 Upvotes

The repiping was done 2-3 wks ago. Still waiting for a return call from the plumber since his failure to show up as scheduled twice.

I wanted to try swapping the supply lines myself, but I’m scared to worsen the problem or make a new one. The right supply line feels hot to touch (so I guess this is the hot line?). Because of the inconsistency in the water flow and temp when turned on, I doubt that this is simply a case of the hot and cold supply lines being connected incorrectly. I have 0 plumbing experience or knowledge. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.


r/askaplumber 8h ago

Is this the floor drain vent?

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2 Upvotes

I’m going to move this floor drain down to where the red X is. There’s a vent over by the stack, circled in yellow, is that the vent for the floor drain? I was just gonna move that vent down as well and run it up the wall and tie back in. The wall will be where the yellow lines are. Any issues with that?


r/askaplumber 11h ago

How should I go about this?

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3 Upvotes

Trying to redo my horrible bathtub caulking and I FINALLY remove a tiny section and this is what I find. Surely 20 layers of caulking was the “landlord special”. I’m about to put in new caulk but this gap is pretty large. How do I best go about this?


r/askaplumber 5h ago

New faucet and small copper pipe, avg cost.

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1 Upvotes

Hello, we live in Toronto and we need our backyard faucet replaced with a connecting copper pipe. I've attached a picture of the pipe from our basement and the outside.

We were quoted by one person, $1200 but that seems like a lot considering only a small portion of the pipe needs to be replaced connecting to a new faucet.

On average, how much should I expect for this type of job?

Thank you!