Leaky bathroom pipe - need a plumber!
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Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,491
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From: Northern Arizona
Leaky bathroom pipe - need a plumber!
Do you guys have a recommendation for a reliable, honest plumber near Diamond Bar?
I just discovered a leak in my upstairs bathroom. I think it's the line going to the toilet, probably a copper elbow. When I shut off the toilet valve water continued to seep from behind the wall. My home was built in 1986 so it's plumbed in copper.
I may get gutsy and tear open the wall behind the toilet water valve and have a look-see. Plumbing repair is not the kind of work I am willing/prepared to undertake.
I just discovered a leak in my upstairs bathroom. I think it's the line going to the toilet, probably a copper elbow. When I shut off the toilet valve water continued to seep from behind the wall. My home was built in 1986 so it's plumbed in copper.
I may get gutsy and tear open the wall behind the toilet water valve and have a look-see. Plumbing repair is not the kind of work I am willing/prepared to undertake.
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,398
Likes: 317
From: Whittier, CA
I don't have a plumber recommendation. But if you decide to tackle it I have the torch and solder to repair it.
I would suggest you open the wall to see what you are dealing with. Even if you hire a plumber, doing some of it yourself should save some money. Pull the commode, it's a lot easier to work and they are not hard to pull and reset. Open the drywall, and find where it's leaking if you can.
Make sure it's not just the bonnet on the valve, too.
I would suggest you open the wall to see what you are dealing with. Even if you hire a plumber, doing some of it yourself should save some money. Pull the commode, it's a lot easier to work and they are not hard to pull and reset. Open the drywall, and find where it's leaking if you can.
Make sure it's not just the bonnet on the valve, too.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2007
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Hey Russ, i'm no plumber, but it's not that hard..Bill threw out some great advice and here's my $.02..
Patching the wall takes more skill than sweating the copper..Go to creepo depot and get the little torch, solder,flux, emery cloth kit they sell..Get a new valve for the toilet while you're at it..Older valves seem to always leak after you touch them..Open the wall up and find where it's leaking from..Shut off the house water and let it drain by taking the suppy line off of the toilet valve...Dry pipes are much easier to work with..I also like to shut of my water heaters while I have the water off..Heat up the leaking fitting until you can pull it off..I would use new copper from the leak to the valve..For me it's quicker and more reliable..Lightly sand each end of your joints, smear on some flux, and heat it up until it sucks in the solder..You want to apply heat to the outside/female fittings..Don't use the torch flame to melt the solder..Heat the copper and it will melt/suck it into the joint..Don't light the wall on fire..If you're not sure, buy a short piece of copper and a few couplings or elbows and practice before you go for the fix..
Patching the wall takes more skill than sweating the copper..Go to creepo depot and get the little torch, solder,flux, emery cloth kit they sell..Get a new valve for the toilet while you're at it..Older valves seem to always leak after you touch them..Open the wall up and find where it's leaking from..Shut off the house water and let it drain by taking the suppy line off of the toilet valve...Dry pipes are much easier to work with..I also like to shut of my water heaters while I have the water off..Heat up the leaking fitting until you can pull it off..I would use new copper from the leak to the valve..For me it's quicker and more reliable..Lightly sand each end of your joints, smear on some flux, and heat it up until it sucks in the solder..You want to apply heat to the outside/female fittings..Don't use the torch flame to melt the solder..Heat the copper and it will melt/suck it into the joint..Don't light the wall on fire..If you're not sure, buy a short piece of copper and a few couplings or elbows and practice before you go for the fix..
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,398
Likes: 317
From: Whittier, CA
I would be happy to help you solder, if you get it opened up and ready. William is right, it's never worth reusing any copper fitting. Once you've seen the process, soldering is very easy. The only time it's really difficult is when you can't stop the water, like below grade.
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Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Northern Arizona
Thanks for the advice and offer of assistance! I've sweated copper fittings back in the day for swimming pool plumbing. Never liked it much and doing that inside the home is intimidating. Definitely don't want to burn the home down trying to fix a leak!
She who must be obeyed stated we will have a plumber fix this as she does not want to hear my inappropriate verbiage if/when the job does not go as planned, and they rarely do it seems!
The plumber is on the way so I'm off to remove the porcelain throne and linoleum flooring. The wood is wet underneath there and will need some time to dry out.
Not the Sunday I had planned!
She who must be obeyed stated we will have a plumber fix this as she does not want to hear my inappropriate verbiage if/when the job does not go as planned, and they rarely do it seems!
The plumber is on the way so I'm off to remove the porcelain throne and linoleum flooring. The wood is wet underneath there and will need some time to dry out.
Not the Sunday I had planned!
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,398
Likes: 317
From: Whittier, CA
Sounds like you have SWMBO trained well, or maybe it's just that she has seen this before.
Good luck with it. You can watch the Lakers while the smell good plumber does the cursing. Oh wait, is Bubba coming?
Good luck with it. You can watch the Lakers while the smell good plumber does the cursing. Oh wait, is Bubba coming?
Lead Driver
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Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Northern Arizona
The valve for the toilet was leaking slowly and the copper elbow in the wall was leaking as well. Neither leak was bad but just enough to soak the outside wall and part of the bathroom floor. Luckily it appears that it just started leaking within the last few days so there's no mold or mildew. I tore up the linoleum so the floor would dry out quickly. It's all repaired and dried out now. The plumber replaced the elbow and I replaced the toilet valve and line.
Just got to repair the hole in the wall, replace the linoleum, and my Charming Bride will be pleased!
Maybe I'll get a special reward for my efforts.....
Just got to repair the hole in the wall, replace the linoleum, and my Charming Bride will be pleased!
Maybe I'll get a special reward for my efforts.....
Thread Starter
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Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,491
Likes: 5
From: Northern Arizona
I called TV Plumbing and a guy named Paul, the Owner, answered the phone! He called his on-call plumber and the guy was at my home within 1 1/2 hours. The other place I called had an answering service and they still have not returned my call.
TV responded so quickly that I didn't need to call your friend. I certainly appreciate the reference and have his name/number recorded for any future plumbing issues that I don't care to tackle on my own!
Thanks again to everybody for offering advice and assistance. 
If you ever have any swimming pool or jacuzzi related problems, let me know!
TV responded so quickly that I didn't need to call your friend. I certainly appreciate the reference and have his name/number recorded for any future plumbing issues that I don't care to tackle on my own!
Thanks again to everybody for offering advice and assistance.
If you ever have any swimming pool or jacuzzi related problems, let me know!
