Monday, December 10, 2018

Phister shower 0x8


















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I BELIEVE YOURS POINTS AT 9 O'CLOCK, RIGHT?


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THAT MATCHES WHAT I SAW YESTERDAY.
EVEN WHEN I OPEN THE SHOWER JUST A LITTLE, THE WATER SEEMED WARM.     NO  COLD ONLY.

CANNOT GET ONLY HOT WATER.   ALL YOU GET IS THE MIX OF HOT/COLD SUPPLY LINES.

IF THIS IS INDEED THE CASE,  THEN  HOT AND COLD CONNECT TO THE TRUE SHOWER AND TUB SPOUT PORTS,  

WHICH WOULD MEAN THEY ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER, EVEN WHEN THE SHOWER VALVE IS TURNED OFF.

MEANING:   WIDE OPEN CROSSOVER.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Lukewarm shower: Crossover in Pressure Balance

ABSTRACT Crossover allows the unintended flow of hot water into the cold water system, and vice versa, and may have a significant impact on energy losses in the system, particularly in central DHW systems in multifamily and commercial buildings. In a CEC funded study of over 100 multifamily buildings throughout California, over 50% exhibited crossover failures in their central DHW distribution. This occurs most often when a cartridge in a shower or faucet’s mixing valve wears out and is no longer able to effectively control the mix of hot and cold water at a fixture or point of use. Many times these issues are asymptomatic and the effects not readily felt by the user. 

[aceee.org

The Eatherton method, which is properly named after Mark Eatherton, the plumbing engineer who created this particular procedure, consists of testing each fixture individually, beginning with the shower valve in the housing unit that is experiencing hot water issues The faceplate of the shower valve is removed, leaving the shower’s mixing valve exposed. The hot side of the shower valve is heated by turning on hot water until the user gets the hottest water and then turning the shower valve back off. A nearby lavatory hot water faucet is then turned on, while the user feels the hot side of the exposed shower’s mixing valve. If there is crossover, the shower mixing valve will rapidly cool down because the lavatory is pulling cold water through the shower mixing valve, thus rapidly cooling down the hot side of the shower mixing valve. If no crossover exists, the shower mixing valve will remain hot, because cold water is not crossing over, and thus the shower valve will remain heated. 

Pressure balancing failure crossover: PRICE-PFISTER SHOWER VALVE!!!!! 
[www.youtube.com

Is it possible for a faulty shower to pump hot water back into the cold water supply line? 
Yes this is possible if the pressure balanced valve or thermostatic valve goes bad. A bad valve could create a hot and cold crossover which will force hot water back into the cold water line. 

A plumbing cross over is a condition whereby cold water is allowed to flow into the hot water system. The plumbing system in a home is divided into two sub-systems, the hot water supply and the cold water supply. ... A plumbing cross-over can cause a complaint such as 'water not hot enough'. 

Crossover is a term that is used when the hot water “crosses over” to the cold or the cold water “crosses over” to the hot. The frequency of customers calling in with these symptoms is increasing. Having some hot water mixed with your cold is not necessarily an urgent situation, but it does indicate that there is a problem and it is certainly not energy efficient. Having cold water crossing over into your hot water lines often results in a lukewarm shower and that usually gets everyone’s attention! 
[www.bcpsi.com

Single handled shower faucets have a mixing area inside valve where hot and cold come together before going into sink. 
This mixing valve can have crossover where the hot and cold can pass through to each other even when faucet handle is off. When single handle faucets get old, this can happen. 

How it happens: 
For example another faucet is turned on inside house, and pressure differential between hot and cold causes hot water at shower handle to pass through mixing area and into cold water line. or vice versa 
[www.fixya.com]

Repair a Shower Anti-Scald Pressure Balancer - This Old House

https://www.plbg.com hot water only lukewarm - faulty valve?

Image result for pfister pressure balance valve exploded diagram disassembled

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Mouse Wars




She saw at least 3 mice running around the house.
They tripped 2 traps on the credenza and the counter.

Lots of poop and shredded kleenex under the sofa.

Funny how all 3 got stuck on the same  sticky trap--albeit the large size.
2-3 other sticky traps in the area.

Monday, October 1, 2018

How pool pump valves should be set

How a Jandy 3-Way Valve Works


the Jandy 3-Way valve is one of the most confusing valves on swimming pool equipment. The reason it is confusing is you can't see the stopper inside the valve so the only way to know where the valve is sending water (if your pipes weren't labeled) is to turn the handle and then go to your pool to see where water is coming out. And when you turn it to the center, the position that people mistake for "OFF" water comes out both places!

Image result for swimming pool pump ball valves positioning
The picture shows the normal operational position for the suction valve. With the handle place halfway between the left and right port, water is allowed to flow freely from both ports through the inlet port to the pool pump.

http://www.inyopools.com/HowToPage/how_to_install_a_diverter_valve_on_the_suction_side_of_a_pool.aspx

http://www.inyopools.com/HowToPage/how-to-set-up-pool-diverter-valves-for-a-basic-system-suction-port.aspx

Pool & Spa combination plumbing diagram


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Friday, September 28, 2018

Kenmore dishwasher 665.12783 K312

SER  F34705587

drain motor   separate from  circ motor.
seems to have a high loop

no apparent check valve



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Dishwasher: Won't drain

If water remains in the dishwasher after the cycle ends, check the kitchen sink drain to make sure it's not clogged. If there's no clog, try pressing the Cancel button; most dishwashers run the drain pump when the Cancel button is pressed.
If these tips don’t help, a broken drain pump, damaged check valve, clogged drain path or control failure (timer or electronic control) could be preventing the dishwasher from draining water. A clog in the upper pump assembly or chopper blade area can also prevent water from draining. Some dishwashers use the same pump for circulation and draining, so you may need to replace the pump assembly in that type of dishwasher.
Make sure that water drains through the kitchen sink drain because a clogged sink drain won’t allow water to drain from the dishwasher. If the kitchen sink drain is clear, check the drain hose for clog and clear the drain hose if it’s clogged. Our Dishwasher Not Draining Video shows how to check the drain hose.
The drain hose on many dishwashers includes a check valve that prevents water from backing up into the dishwasher sump through the drain hose. The check valve in some dishwashers is located in the upper sump assembly or next to the chopper blade assembly. If the check valve is damaged, water may initially drain out of the dishwasher while the drain pump runs but then flow back into the dishwasher after the drain pump stops. Examine the check valve and replace it if it’s damaged.
Water flows down to the drain pump through the upper sump assembly on some dishwashersA clog in the upper pump assembly can prevent water from reaching the drain pump. Check the upper sump assembly for a clog and clear any debris that blocks drain water flow.
Some dishwashers have a chopper blade that shreds debris as the circulation pump runs. The chopper blade sometimes fails to break up large debris and some items such as jar labels and glass. When the chopper blade area gets clogged with debris, water may not reach the drain pump so the dishwasher won’t drain out the water. Check the chopper blade area and clear any debris from that area of the sump.
If the drain path is clear, a failed drain pump or bad control could be preventing the dishwasher from draining. If the drain pump doesn’t run or doesn’t pump out water when activated, replace the drain pump. If the timer or electronic control doesn’t activate the drain pump during the drain portion of the cycle, replace the control device.
Some dishwashers use the same pump to circulate water through the spray arms and drain the dishwasher. The pump runs one direction to move water through the spray arms and the opposite direction to drain the water. If the pump doesn’t run in the drain direction when activated, replace the pump assembly.

Repair the dishwasher upper circulation pump assembly

Upper pump assembly
Some dishwashers have a portion of the circulation pump assembly that can be accessed and repaired from inside the dishwasher tub (from the top of the circulation pump assembly). A clog, a foreign object or a failed seal can prevent the water from flowing to the spray arms. A clog or failed check valve can prevent the dishwasher from draining. Remove the lower spray arm and the top of the sump to inspect the upper circulation pump when spray is weak or the dishwasher won’t drain. Clear any clogs and replace any damaged parts to restore water flow to the spray arms or drain pump.

Monday, September 3, 2018

KitchenAid dishwasher: diverter motor seal leak Model kude48fxwh5



 Model kude48fxwh5


diverter seal

http://orchidborealis.blogspot.com/2017/03/kenmore-dishwasher-leaking-diverter.html


motor around $50
seal   around $20

They dont sell the seal by itself.   doesnt come with the diverter motor.

Entire sump  runs  over $100

Notes:  disconnect water first underneath.   The drain hose is short.   Some guys disconnect at the air gap to make more length.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Monday, March 26, 2018

Vent chimney






hole in ceiling is not tightly sealed


connection to chimney stack is not tight

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Monday, January 15, 2018

Campbell pruning


high thorny branches cut down;  large bowling balls removed

shaped this bush;   trimmed the lantana

cleaned up the camelia hedge;   clear the walkway


clear the walkway on the side

clear orange tree near roof

thinned out by deck

clear the brick pathway

push the orange tree back off the deck

also trimmed the corner tree back

blow the courtyard and the driveway.