The Key to Ease of Maintenance: Easy Access

I am not anticipating that I will ever have to do maintenance on the plumbing for the upstairs bathroom, but having had to do it in previous homes, I took a few precautions when building this cottage.

Trying to remember where the pluming is, and then cutting a hole to get access tends to be a messy job, and that's if you get the location right the first try.  More often than not the first try is a miss and another hole needs to be cut.

With a better safe than sorry perspective, I installed hatches at each location under the bathroom where there were key plumbing fixtures. The hatches are held in place using a spring-loaded lever.  All that you do is cut the hole about an inch smaller than the hatch cover, insert one end of the hatch and hold the spring lever while you "lower" the other side of the hatch over the hole.

The spring keeps the the hatch cover firmly in place even in a ceiling. These hatches work great in ceilings and walls and come in various sizes to fit the size of hole you need to cover.  While not invisible the hatches have a nice smooth finish and hence are not at all offensive.

Now I hope I never need to open the hatch!

Search Amazon.com for Access Hatches

;-)

Silicon versus Latex Caulking

...or this could be titled:

Shower Installation: Lesson Number 2...

Yes! there is a difference between silicon and latex caulking. Read your shower installation guide carefully. Silicon DOES NOT stick to some materials well. It fact it is rather poor at adhering to Polystyrene - this material from which many shower walls are made.

I discovered this in shower number one... Used the silicon stuff, in spite of reading the instructions to the contrary - and it did NOT stick forever! Six months later it came unstuck.

So in shower stall number two, latex caulking was used.

In fact I rather enjoy using the latex caulk much better for the following reasons:

• It is paint-able
  
• It cleans up with water
• Does not smell as bad
• Is not a pain to remove - and you will eventually have to remove it.
  

What has been your experiences with silicon or latex caulking? Which do you prefer?

;-)

Planning for Great Basement Drainage

Creating great basement drainage starts way back in the planning stages.

This is the almost finished drain cover in the future laundry closet - in the basement. I was quite pleased with myself as the location was almost exactly where it needed to be.

Unless you are prepared to crack the concrete floor and install a drain, it is best to map out where your rooms are and where the plumbing needs to be BEFORE the basement floor is poured.

With plan in hand you can rough in all the needed drainage pipe - and do it with a reasonably amount of confidence.

TIP: Be sure to have enough pipe material sticking above the concrete - it is easy to cut it shorter - but a real pain in the butt to cut it longer...

Related Posts:
Plumbing tip: don't mix pipe types
Houston, We have a Concrete basement Floor...

;-)

3 Tips for creating a Pex Water Control Panel

Setting up a control panel for the cold water system is quite easy. Imagine doing this in copper! The soldering would be a nightmare... Pex pipe is definitely a DIY'rs dream

What we did is create a shut-off for each separate line to each location. In this case we have a separate line for each of:

• Each toilet (2)
  
• Upstairs shower
• Bath Tub and Sink (for upstairs)
• Kitchen
• Downstairs shower and bathroom sink

A few tips:

1) Use ball valve with 1/4 turn shut-off. With these you can see at a glance which are on and which are off. All in the picture are in the off position. The lever is in line with the pipe in the 'on' position.

2) Use a manifold that has the right number of nipples. This one has six, which is exactly what we needed.

3) Be sure to factor in a system drain. This is the cottage after all. If you are closing down the cottage for the winter it will be hugely helpful to have an easy way to drain the system for winter. In our setup the bottom pipe provides a means (off the picture) to drain the system.

Related Posts:
4 reasons why pex is a diy plumber's dream!
Pex versus copper piping: pros & cons

;-)

Home Depot & Viqua: Amassing Waranty Service!

Two weekends ago the power supply for my TrojanUVmax UV filter just stopped working, for no apparent reason. I went through all the troubleshooting steps in the manual - still kaput! I disconnected it and brought it home with me, confident that with a five year warranty I was looking at a no cost replacement.

At first I thought I was about to get the warranty run-around between the manufacturer and the dealer. You see I purchased the UV unit through Home Depot online. The manual and warranty stated I should call Trojan, which turned out to be Viqua, a Trojan subsidiary. So call I did.

I didn't wait long on the phone and I was speaking with a a real person at Viqua. A polite fellow, Marc, took all the details, serial number, part number, and asked where I got it. Then I got a bit worried. He stated that it was their policy that all warranty requests need to be processed through the dealer from which I purchased the unit, in this case, Home Depot online.

So I went to the Home Depot website, searched and found a telephone number to call. After another short wait I was greeted by a spunky gal, in customer support at homedepot.ca. Discovering that I have purchased the unit almost a year ago, she informed me that Home Depot only handles warranty returns only for the first three month.

Then I got a bit concerned! Was I about to go into warranty limbo, tossed between the various supply chain players?

I was then pleasantly surprised when after being put on hold for a time, a long time actually (I was getting even more worried), the Home Depot gal came back on the line. She had been speaking with the Viqua people, Marc to be specific, and had solved the issue, right then and there. Marc would be calling me back with a solution.

Sure enough, Marc called two days later, and said they would be replacing the unit, but that it might take a bit as they were low on parts, but expecting a shipment by the end of November. Then I was put on hold... Turned out it was a worthwhile wait, as Marc informed me they had been able to find one.

Marc then apologized that I would be responsible for the shipping cost for me to return the damaged unit but that I would receive a new unit ASAP. I was pleased to pay for the shipping!

ASAP really did mean ASAP!

I packaged the damaged unit up, and after giving Canada Post $11.99 sent the registered and insured package last Thursday - late in the day.

I was totally surprised, and delighted to no end, when I received the new replacement first thing on Friday morning. Now that is ASAP service! The two packages must have past each other in the system...

I quickly opened the box to discover that Vique had sent the new model of power supply as a replacement. Basically does the same thing but in a nicer, more user friendly format. On further inspection the power cord was not in the package - I had sent the one I had with the damaged unit.

I quick call to Marc at Viqua, and the problem was resolved - a new power chord would be sent ASAP - and again it was - Monday morning it came! Plus Marc emailed me the manual for the new model.

This is how service should be!

Here are my observations:

1) Both Home Depot and Viqua took responsibility
2) Home Depot took the lead resolving the impasse, but Viqua delivered
3) It was fast!
4) The people were very pleasant and very service oriented.

As a result, both Home Depot and Viqua (Trojan) will have a fan and champion - I tell everyone about my great experience.

Coming Up:
This weekend I am up to the Cottage - the task at hand is to continue installing the basement bathroom: vinyl floor, toilet, plumbing for the shower and sink. Subsequent trips will address: installing the shower stall, the molding for the baseboards, door and window, and also a cover for the basement jack post.

Related Posts:
Creating Clean Water at the Cottage
;-)

10 Tips for Installing the Kitchen Sink

This was my third kitchen sink that I had installed -- so it was becoming old hat...

But no time to become cocky!

Still it is important to be very fearful of what you are about to do... That is cutting a big hole in the counter-top that you just paid big bucks for and painstakingly installed. One wrong measurement, a slip of the saw and all that $$$ could be down the drain... so to speak.

Here are a few tips that make for a mistake free, prefect cut::

1. Use the supplied cutting template that comes with the sink. My advice is if one didn't come then take it back and upgrade to a higher quality sink (and supplier)
2. Mark the center line of the template and line that up perfectly with the gap between the two doors in front of the sink. Or if there is only one door measure to the center of that door.
3. Center the template so that the front and back of the template clear the support infrastructure for the counter-top (in the base cabinet). It is very difficult to cut through both the counter-top and the structure under it PLUS you would be weakening the support for the counter-top.
4. Draw the line around the template with a permanent marker - a nice 1/4 inch line... Believe me you will appreciate it with all the saw dust you are about to create...
5. Remove the template and use painter's tape to protect (the stuff that comes off easily) the outside of the line you just made. I would suggest at least 1-inch wide. This is so the jig saw doesn't mar the surface.
6. Dry fit the sink - but upside down on the counter-top. Does the sink have enough clearance at the back against the splash? Enough clearance at the front? Does it look centered?
7. Use a 5/8" or 3/4" drill bit to make pilot holes for the jig saw blade. Drill these holes on the inside of the line! Don't be stingy drill a hole in each corner...
8. Support the piece you are about to cut before it comes crashing down.
9. Make sure to have at least two jig saw blades - you are going to break at least one!
10. Wear eye protection!
    

Related Posts:
Installing a kitchen countertop: a few tips...
;-)

Making Space in A small Cottage Bathroom

Sometimes space is at a premium in a Cottage. A good example is the bathroom.

We are in the middle of adding a second, much smaller bathroom to complement the two bedrooms in the basement. Our checklist included:

• Toilet
• Sink/Vanity
• 38" x 38" Shower stall

In a 6' x 7' space this could be a tight fit.

Fortunately we were able to final a low profile sink and vanity combination. As you can see in the (rather poor) photograph we have used vanity which is only half as deep as the more common versions. To provide the same sink real estate the bowl sticks out over the vanity.

The effect is fabulous!

It provides a full function vanity and sink taking up only half the usual space. The room feels positively airy

Suppliers:
We purchased the vanity/sink combination from Home Hardware. The faucet we purchased at Home Depot.
;-)

Snow Shovel time! and Chrismas bells are ringing...

The weather was actually beautiful for this time of year (this past weekend) up at the Cottage. It was an unseasonably warm 15 to 17 degrees Celsius -- short sleeve weather!

Still I needed to do a bit of shoveling to clear the ramp and the stair up to the front door.

...and of course it was natural act to just to leave the shovel by the front door -- after all I will likely be needing it the next time we are up to the Cottage.

Another sign of the season is the preparation and decoration leading up to Christmas. As you can see in the picture to the right I put up a traditional spruce bow Christmas wreath to keep the shovel company.

Coming Up:
In the next few trip up the Cottage I intend to complete the downstairs bathroom. That will involve pretty much the same installation as the main bathroom - just in a small space and without a tub.

I will be installing:

• A shower stall,
• Toilet,
  
• A sink/vanity, and
• vinyl flooring.
  

Related Posts:
The Snow has Arrived: November 7th
;-)

Safe Water at the Cottage: Reverse Osmosis - Part 1 of 3

In previous posts I have outlined the various filters I have installed. At the risk of sounding like I went overboard - and I probably did -- I installed one final water filtering system under the kitchen sink.

The system is a complete system called a reverse osmosis water filter. In part 2 of this series I will describe how reverse osmosis - as well as the other components of the system -- work.

In the picture to the right you can see two facets running. The one on the left is delivering water filtered by the main filter system I have describe in previous posts. The facet on the right delivers water that is filtered through the reverse osmosis system.

The water from the reverse osmosis system has actually flowed thought 9 filters - 4 belonging to the house water filtering system and 5 more associated with the reverse osmosis system installed under the kitchen sink.

So which was cleaner water?

Well it turns out - I tested both - that the water through the main water filter system is prefect - not bad stuff at all.

So yes it appears the reverse osmosis system may have been over kill.

Still I get great reviews from visitors about how good the water tastes...

Coming Up:
In part 2 I discuss how reverse osmosis works

Related Posts:
Creating Clean Water: Adding a Sediment Filter
Creating clean water: ge household filter
We Have Water!
Creating Clean Water: UV Filters
;-)

Creating Clean Water: 3 plus 1 Filters

The basic purpose of filtering water is to take all the nasty stuff out of the water that will make you sick, and to make it platable.

Our set up employs four filters in total:  3 filters that 'filter' stuff out of the water and one which zaps the water with UV radiation killing anything that made it through the first two filters.

Filter 1:
This is a a VU-FLOW filter, which contains a reusable 100 micron filter.  This filter takes out all the big stuff (a technical term used in the water filtering industry), so that the next two filters do not get plugged up too fast.

Filter 2:
This is a 30 micron filter.  It employs a GE Household water filtration unit, with a 30 micron filter in it.  This filter takes out anything larger than about 30 microns so as not to plug up the next filter in the chain.  By the way I do not necessarily use GE brand filters as the pricing is fairly competitive amount manufacturers and they all fill each others units.

Filter 3:
Her we use a 5 micron carbon activated filter.  As you can guess it takes out stuff bigger than 5 microns.  But it also has the function of taking out nasty flavours in the water.  It uses the same GE filter body as the previous filter.

At this point the water is pretty clean!  But I have taken the added safety measure with the fourth filter.

Filter 4:
This filter doesn't filter it kills stuff in the water.  It employs a high dose of UV radiation to kill stuff in the water.  The UV source, a special light, needs to be replaced every year to ensure the high dose of radiation is maintained.  This is the most expensive part -- each new light source is about $90.

After 4 filters the water is very kill and essentially disinfected.  Tests have shown zero counts of evil bacteria.

If you wish to know more about each of the above filters check out the previous posts list below or the supplier links embedded above.

Related Posts:
creating clean water: uv filters
creating clean water: ge household filter



;-)

Creating Clean Water: UV Filters

I mentioned in the previous post that we draw our water from the Lake rather than a well. This presents an additional risk from thing that grow in lakes - in particular I was concerned about bacteria and viruses including chlorine resistant cysts such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia - no beaver fever for me!.

After a bit of a Internet search I settled on the systems manufactured by Trojan, built right here in Canada. In particular I purchased the TrojanUVMax D4.

The folks at Trojan have a great selector tool for determining which of their models fit your specific needs.

The key features I appreciated are:

1) User Interface

• Lamp timer display starts at 365 and counts down the days to annual lamp replacement
• Mute button allows you to silence an alarm

2) Lamp/Sleeve Combination

• Lamp and sleeve are removed without the use of any tools
• Lamp and sleeve remove from the UV chamber as one piece ensuring you are aware of any build up of minerals on the sleeve that may interfere with the proper UV dose being delivered to the water

3) Advanced Lamp Technology

• Low pressure high-output lamp technology provides higher UV output for better water purification in a system approximately half the size of conventional systems - saving space and making installation simpler

4) Constant Current Electronic Power Supply

• More energy efficient
• Withstands fluctuations in voltage that can cause low UV output and damage to the lamp

5) Safety Cap & Special Lamp Plug

• Safety cap prevents children from accessing the lamp or electrical components. It also prevents the lamp plug from accidentally being disconnected. Lamp plug design ensures that no one can power the UV lamp if it's not in the UV chamber. This prevents damage to eyes and skin from UV light.

;-)

Creating Clean Water: GE Household Filter

We draw water from the lake, hence, it has a bit more potentially bad things in it than well water so an effective filtration system is critical. Part of the system I have employed uses two GE filters that are rated for an entire house.

The model I used, GXWH20F, has some great attributes that make it easy to use:

1) the cartridge cover (this is called a sump) is clear so you can see what is happening to the filter.

2) 3/4 inch connections which fit our system perfectly

3) Pressure relief vent which makes filter changes easier

4) Filter reminder light which provides an alert when to change the filter cartridge

Installation Tips:

1) Install shut off valves on either side of the filters - so that you can stop the flow while changing filters

2) Install so that you can get at the sump covers easily to change the cartridges.

3) Install it as close to the source as possible so that you are protecting all of the system.

Coming Up:
We talk more about the UV filter

;-)

Creating Clean Water at the Cottage

Clean and drinkable water is very important!

Perhaps I went overboard but I put quite a lot of effort in to ensuring the water at the cottage is clean and drinkable.

Here you can see the first iteration of the water filtration system that I installed - starting from the left edge of the picture:

1) Pressure switch - the blue box is the pressure switch which controls the pump in the lake. It is attached to the pressure tank (not shown)

2) Two Whole House Filters - These are the two filters in the middle of the picture. The left most one uses a 30 micron filter. The right one holds a 5 micron carbon filter. The 30 micron filter is a first stage, removing the larger material from the water. The 5 micron filter has two purpsoes: a) to take out the small material that gets byt the first filter, and 2) takes out some of those nasty tastes.

3) UV Filter - This is the stainless steel filter to the right of the whole house filters. This filter uses a high powered UV light to sterilize the water as it passes by. The model used here is rated to treat the water for the whole home, eliminating 99.99% of bacteria and viruses including chlorine resistant cysts that are not tested for in routine water tests (such as Cryptosporidium
and Giardia - no beaver fever for me!).

4) PEX Manifold - This is the copper manifold on the right of the picture with all the PEX pipes connected to it. It`s purpose is to distribute the water to the various locations in the Cottage

Coming Up:
In the next few posts we will dig in to the parts of the water purification system in a bit more depth.

Products used:
Trojan UV MAX D Filter
GE Household Filters
PEX

Related Posts:

We Have Water! - Apr 28, 2009

Cottage on the Edge: Installing the Water System: Materials Purchased - Oct 03, 2008

4 Reasons Why PEX is a DIY Plumber's Dream! - Nov 04, 2008

PEX wins Hands Down! - Sep 20, 2008

;-)

Create Easy Access Hatches for plumbiung, Electrical

It is critical to maintain access to key parts of the water and electrical systems. I discovered a really simple approach.

In the picture I have used a 12-inch square access hatch. It fits in a hole cut in the drywall with a spring-loaded mechanism. Easily installed and easily removed for access.

Where did I get them? Well I got this one at Home Depot but I have seen them or a similar approach at RONA, Home Hardware and Canadian Tire.

;-)

Start Planning for the Shower Before you build the Bathroom

The installation of the shower is pretty much one of the last things you are going to do in the bathroom, however, just about everything you do and build in the bathroom will impact the shower stall. Here is a few things to plan for:

1) Layout of the Bathroom
Make sure they is enough room between and among the various facilities in the bathroom - the tub, the shower, the toilet and the sink. Keep in mind a window is a good thing, and make sure that there is sufficient ventilation....

2) Shower Drain Position
Each shower stall has a very specific location for the drain in the shower base. YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS VERY PRECISE DIMENSION WHEN IN STALLING THE WASTE PLUMBING. get it wrong and the base of the shower just won't fit!

3) Insulating the Water Supply
If the shower will be in an exterior wall ensure there is plenty of insulation to keep the pipe warm in the wall... TIP: create a false wall in the inside of the normal and insulated wall to house the piping...

4) Installation of the Shower Stall
Each shower has unique installation process. For instance the base of the shower stall we installed was inset in to the drywall so the walls when installed overlap the lip on the base - to create a water seal.

Advice: Buy your shower stall before to install the plumbing, and read the instructions first!

Related Posts:

Five More Tips for Installing a Shower - May 23, 2009

Installing a Shower: Part 1 - Oct 12, 2008

4 Reasons Why PEX is a DIY Plumber's Dream! - Nov 04, 2008

Plumbing Tip: Check twice, three times before soldering... - Oct 23, 2008

;-)

Five More Tips for Installing a Shower

Where I made the greatest number of mistakes is in the series of tasks that end up making the shower...

Fortunately all of the mistakes were recoverable.

Here is a Few tips so as not to follow my blundering ways:

1) Check, and then Check Again!
When it comes to soldering in any component, especially the key shower faucet, be sure to check that you have everything oriented the right way. Once you solder it all together... fixing the mistake, is a frustrating exercize as I described in a previous post:

Plumbing Tip: Check twice, three times before soldering... - Oct 23, 2008

2) Test before you Bury Your Mistakes....

Plumbers know they can't bury their mistakes like Doctors can... They won't work or worse leak...

It turns out that even though I fixed the orientation of the shower faucet... it did not work.
Fortunately, I had the smarts to check the faucet before I installed the shower stall. If I had then I would have had to rip it all out to replace the faulty faucet.

3) Installing the Stall is a Two Person Job.
Don't be a loner... unless you have a third arm! There is just two many parts to align, square and level...

4) Use the tight Caulking
Pay attention to the kind of caulking that the shower stall manufacturer recommendations for sealing the edges. Silicon does not stick well to certain kinds of plastic - so you will have to get a latex-based caulk for those locations.

Silicon caulking with a fungicide in it is still the best for wet locations but they are not much use if they don't adhere.

Also, pay attention tot he colour of the caulking. I found that a set of three tubes of caulking worked perfect: white latex, white silicon and clear silicon, worked best.

5) Put the shower head higher than the tallest person you know....
I just hate having to bend to have a shower... Most shower heads seem to be placed about 6 inches too low! I recommend placing then at least 78 inches from the floor of the shower (not the floor of the bathroom), and going to 7 feet (84") would not be unreasonable.

Related Posts:

Installing a Shower: Part 1 - Oct 12, 2008

Cottage on the Edge: How to make Sh#t Flow Up Hill! - Jun 15, 2008

4 Reasons Why PEX is a DIY Plumber's Dream! - Nov 04, 2008

Plumbing Tip: Check twice, three times before soldering... - Oct 23, 2008

;-)

Ahhhh! A Shower with HOT Water!

Three weekends ago i was able to complete the installation of the shower, however, I wasn't able to 'test' it that weekend -- the caulking needed to cure at least 24 hours.

Or that is what the instructions said on the side of the tube...

Anyway... with great self control I waited until the next weekend - which turned into two weekends because we attended our golf course's opening weekend tournament.

Suffice it to say the next Saturday morning I was in the shower and enjoying the first shower at the Cottage....

Coming Up:
-Tips for installing shower stalls

Related Posts:

Installing a Shower: Part 1 -Oct 12, 2008

4 Reasons Why PEX is a DIY Plumber's Dream! - Nov 04, 2008

Plumbing Tip: Check twice, three times before soldering... - Oct 23, 2008

;-)

We Have Water!

Over the past two weekends I completed installing all the water systems and tested it. The pump in the lake started with no problems, and other than a few loose connections there were no leaks.

I discovered that the shower faucet is not working properly so this coming weekend the task of fixing or replacing that is a high priority.

I also install a reverse osmosis filter under the kitchen sink... and it all appears to function without a problem.

I took water samples from before and after the reverse osmosis filter to test the potability of the water.

Coming Up:
In the next few posts I will explore:

• The structure of the water system I installed
• The filtering system installed
• The outcome of the water testing
  

Related Posts:
Cottage on the Edge: Installing the Water Pressure Tank
Bosch 2400ES Tankless Water Heater: Sneak Peek
Installing the Water System: Materials Purchased
Installing the Tankless Water Heater
11 Rules for Venting a Tankless Water Heater (Gas)
6 Criteria for Sellecting a Tankless Water Heater
Cottage on the Edge: PEX versus Copper Piping: Pros & Cons
5 reasons to use tankless water heaters

;-)

3 Reasons to Use Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST)

We roughed in the propane gas line the previous weekend. This was necessary so that we could frame and drywall the ceiling bulkhead in the basement.

We used corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST).

We love the tubing because:

1) Easier to route
The tubing is reasonably flexible, so running the tubing through walls and the bulkhead was very eaily

2) Fewer Connections
Because it is flexible you can make tight turns. We actually have only two connections and those are the ones on either end: 1) the one shown in the picture - which is the external connection, and 2) the second connection will be to the appliance itself.

3) No Special Tools Required
We required no special tools. The connectors art each end are attached easily with just two pipe wrenches.

To find more about corrugated stainless steel pipe here are a few links:

• www.gastite.com - a manufacture of CSST
• Installation Guide from Gastite
• An alternative to traditional threaded black-iron gas piping
• Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing: A Good Choice for the Short Run

Future Posts:
I future posts I will be exploring my travels with installing the gas line and its connection to the tankless water heater.

Related Posts:
11 Rules for Venting a Tankless Water Heater (Gas)
Installing the Tankless Water Heater

;-)

Installing a Dryer Vent - Thinking Ahead

We will have a clothes dryer - eventually.

So it was necessary to think ahead and install the vent, as we wished to drywall the ceiling in the laundry room. It was a relatively easy task, given the ceiling and joist space were still open. Doing it later would have surely been a nightmare.

Not sure what the dryer nor what vent opening would be I opted for an nice large 5-inch vent pipe. If the exhaust from the dryer is smaller I can always get an reducer pipe.

Related Posts:

;-)