I have a two-story fifty room hotel and I have a hot water recirculating pipe that gives instant hot water in any room at any given time. The mechanical room is located in one end of the building but somehow I constantly get pinhole leaks on the opposite end of the building, in almost within same rooms or area. Why not in different rooms?

–Sanjay

Sanjay, your pipe is corroding as well as eroding. Failures typically occur in the recirculation line first because it’s smaller in diameter and it’s receiving constant flow through it (which actually erodes it). Your problem is not unusual at all, typically the hot water line is looped around (in your case, it would be in your last units) and then returns as your recirculation line. If you want to avoid repeatedly replacing or patching this pipe, epoxy pipe lining will prevent corrosion and erosion.

-Brian

I’m considering making an offer on a house, but there’s an issue with the main sewer line. I’ve been told by the realtor that the owners have been having to have the line snaked every two months because it keeps clogging and backing up. What could be causing this? If I do make an offer on this house, I definitely would not be interested in continuing to have this done again and again. What possible pipe repair solutions are there? How much would you estimate it would or should cost to replace the sewer line? The house is about 10 feet from the street.

-Joseph

Joseph, having your sewer line snaked out that frequently is an unnecessary expense and hassle. My guess is that one of three things is happening:

• [tree] roots are penetrating the line (snaking would trim the roots in the pipe, but they’d just keep growing back),

• the pipe is not graded properly (waste isn’t moving downhill) sediment will start building up as soon as it’s cleaned out, or

• the pipe is broken and some parts have shifted, this would create areas where sediment will start building up as soon as it’s cleaned out.

While a visual inspection would help you figure out what the underlying problem is, I don’t know that the added cost of the inspection would be worth it. If the line runs under grass (no asphalt, trees, other obstacles), it should run between $150-200/ft. to replace it. An alternative to replacement would be sock-lining. It’s usually less-expensive than replacement, but you should get an estimate (should be free) to make sure. I don’t know what the current owners are paying for the snaking, but a new line ought to pay for itself in no time.

-Brian

My walls in the upstairs bathroom are extremely hot. Don’t know if it is plumbing or HVAC. The bathroom is over the utility & HVAC system downstairs. Can you shed some light?

-Carol

Carol, you should try to measure how hot “extremely hot” is and see if there is anything that changes the temperature such as the time of day, or if any appliances are running such as the furnace or hot water tank. Your domestic hot water lines should not cause the walls in your upstairs bathroom to get noticeably hot -even if your hot water pipes are placed directly against them. It’s possible that it could be some electrical problem, but I think with more than one wall affected, that would be unlikely. Your HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) being directly below the bathroom could be a culprit. Whether your HVAC system is new or old, there could be something wrong with its vents. But what I think it most likely is that you may have a vent from your HVAC system, hot water tank, or other appliance going through the wall up to the roof. These vents are often installed without enough clearance around them as they go up to the roof (e.g. too close to a wall in your bathroom).

-Brian

I’m wondering if ABS pipes will leach chemicals into water or soil if they are in contact with them for awhile (i.e a month) and if these chemicals will react with nitrate, ammonia and/or phosphate (or nitrogen and phosphorus in general). The pipe and soil will be kept at room temperature or colder and distilled water will be used, although the water will pick up other compounds as it passes through the soil. This is for a master’s project studying leaching of fertilizer through soil samples taken with sections of ABS pipe.

–Miranda

Miranda, There is a possibility of leaching small amounts of styrene monomer from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) when in contact with water for a long time, but I would expect it to be at very low levels, so unlikely to interfere with the fertilizers. To get the the least amount of leaching try to get ABS pipe that meets ANSI/NSF Standard 61.

-Dr. Dave

When you’re restoring the pipe network, what do you do with air chambers that are buried in the walls and are installed in the pipe network during sand blasting and epoxy lining?

-Tom

Tom, it’s best to locate the air chambers first, remove them and then reinstall later (or replace with new ones –maybe a mechanical type if acceptable in your jurisdiction). If they are missed you may [continue to] get rusty water.

-Brian

Could you please tell me how much is a reasonable amount for a licensed plumber to charge for re-piping a 3 bed/1-1/2 bath, 1500sq/ft ranch style home? Including hot water tank installation.

-Richard

Richard, it’s difficult to give a quote without knowing greater detail about your plumbing system (e.g. number and types of fixtures, types of pipe material involved, local code requirements, etc.) and actually making a visual inspection. For that matter, are you sure you need to repipe the entire system? There may be sections that it would be cheaper to epoxy line instead of replacing and the lined sections could be made as good as new. A typical price to repipe can range from $400.00 to $1000.00 per fixture depending upon scope of work, where you live and condition of home.

-Brian

What is the best feasible way to cut sewer taps in the field?

- Billy

Billy, the first thing you need to do is excavate down to the pipe and determine the pipe type. Depending upon what kind of pipe it is and if it’s being used all the time (continuous flow), you have a couple of options: you can either cut a section of pipe out and add a fitting with a “Y”, or you can chip a hole or drill it out and add a saddle (confirm a saddle is approved in your jurisdiction). The saddle method is not always a good idea as the pipe may splinter forcing you to replace that section.

-Brian

I have a home that had tree root problems and was causing the sewer to back up. We snaked out the sewer line and it runs ok. The problem is the sludge and gray water that has built up. It has clogged up in a pipe that has branched off the main. Snaking does not help because it sludgy. A plumber suggested jetting out the entire system with a power jet, but this is too expensive for me and might crack my clay tile. Is there any other alternative to fix this problem? ( e.i a chemical or some other method.)

–Steve

Steve, if snaking isn’t helping, your only hope of clearing it out is hydrojetting. And if that doesn’t work you’ll need to replace the pipe. Instead of digging up and replacing, you could contact companies that do trenchless pipe replacement. They offer various types of less intrusive (but costly) solutions that eliminate the need to dig up the pipe, including pipe bursting or sock lining with a CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) method.

-Brian

Can you use PVC pipe for the hot water as well the cold in a house? If so, what exactly should I be looking for as far as the hot water goes?

–Charles

Charles, PVC is used for water service lines to homes and buildings and comes in sizes larger than CPVC pipe which is more often used for internal plumbing. CPVC is an option for use with hot and cold water, but I’m not a fan of plastic pipes for domestic water as there are some potential issues if not installed properly, such as pipe expansion, gluing of the fittings and being near electrical wires. Whether you’re installing pipes in a new home or replacing your existing pipes, I would recommend either copper (which is more expensive) or PEX.

PEX is one of the most versatile, easy-to-use plumbing systems on the market today:

• You can use it with hot or cold water.

• There are adapters that let you connect it to existing galvanized, copper, and other pipes.

• Most plumbing leaks and system failures occur at joints in fittings. But since PEX can bend around most corners without a coupling or fitting, it requires fewer fittings which means opportunity to leak and installs faster.

• PEX flexibility also allows it to expand and contract more than other types of pipe. Increased capacity for expansion makes PEX more burst resistant.

• Complete, easy to use repair kits are available for all PEX systems.

• Much like a circuit breaker for your plumbing system, PEX systems have a shut-off valve at each supply line. Having a shut off at each line allows the repair person to leave the rest of the system operational while working on one line.

Here’s a link to a great short video, Working with PEX Piping with Plumbing and Heating Expert Richard Trethewey, This Old House television.

-Brian