A Plumbing We Will Go...

So if I need a change in career, I can now consider plumbing as an option. Monday morning just before I leave for work, a flush of a toilet resulted in a very loud rattling/shaking sound. Ok, I think, I'll have to check on that when I get home. Later in the morning, Cindy starts to do laundry and the rattling/shaking starts agin, but even louder/stronger. She "Sherlock Holmes" it down to near the main valve for the entire house. So I'm checking the Internet for possible causes, she's checking with neighbors to see if they've had the same experience and also to get a recommendation for a plumber. So after getting home late in the afternoon I try to drain all the lines and then refill the lines to ensure there isn't any air pressure issue. No dice. So, off to Home Depot to talk to one of their plumbing experts. A quick explanation and Mike immediately says it's probably the water pressure reducing valve (PRV). But before spending the $50+ on that replacement, he suggested I buy a water pressure gauge to verify. Told that the pressure should measure between 60 and 80 psi, I take readings varying from 85 psi to over 100. Back to Home Depot to again talk with Mike who lines me up with all the supplies I need: a new PRV, tape, and 2 new pipe wrenches.


Water off, I start the process. Other than a bit of grunting getting the first few turns started, the old PRV came off relatively easy. So after taping up the threads, I started putting on the new PRV. Oh look - the bell housing containing the diaphragm is significantly more protruding than the old one. Added a bit of challenge given the distance from the wall (really, the insulation "wall") and the very small copper line wrapped around the main pipe. But there was give to everything, so no issue. But there wasn't much give in the length of the pipe, as I found out that the dimensions of the new PRV from the inbound pipe to the outbound pipe was also different. Suddenly, I have too much pipe to deal with and I couldn't stretch the pipes apart enough to make the seal. So...back to Home Depot.

Couldn't find Mike, but another guy (let's call him Steve) took a look at my problem (including the pictures on my camera that I carried into the store with me) and suggested I might have to cut the pipe to finish the job, but he'd send over Curtis since he was the real expert. Probably 15 minutes later, Keirs (not sure about the spelling, but that's how he pronounced his name). Sure enough, he confirms that my best bet is to cut out some excess pipe to fit in the replacement PRV. Great, I am imagining me sawing pipes, having to do some soldering, and then threading the new ends. But alas, Keirs says, I could use a Shark Bite. Uh huh.... (I start to feel like Noah, as Bill Cosby portrayed him - "Right...what's a cubit?"). Explanation left me needing more, so I had to have a quick demonstration. No sodering, no threading, and guaranteed to do the job. Home with a few more materials and away I go with more destruction.

This actually turned out to be the easiest part of the entire process. The pipe cutter was quick and easy and didn't require (or risk) me sawing off a finger. Because I had already tightened both connections on the PRV, it was a simple process to slip one end of the Shark Bite onto the pipe where the meter was, and then line up and slide it down onto the incoming line pipe and done.

Now, the test to see what happens when there is actually water flowing thru the pipes. A few anxious moments later, approximately 2 1/2 hours combined of driving, explaining, learning (from 3 HD sales guys), labor, and a $115 investment in parts - all is well, and we have flowing water in the house again. Good thing because I was not looking forward to digging an outhouse in the dark, plus I'm sure our HOA would have a less than favorable opinion of it as well.

Maybe I'm jumping the gun on that plumbing career, but I am a few drips smarter now than I was when I first got home tonight.