4 Years ago today

[Bassbob]

On your personal feelings and words? Is okay. No issues on my end. We all have different ways and needs sometimes. I personally dislike grief counseling, chatting and sitting with others with similar loses, While maybe fine for some people, but found for me it was almost more like pouring salt on an open wound. I didn't and don't need that depressing scenario. Cure, if any? It takes time. Sometimes more than others, usually the more loved, usually the longer. We all have our own paces.

On the remodel? Have done a few. Always fun stuff. Thinset under tub/shower enclosures is always a good idea. Some enclosure use preinstalled foam. Thinset's better, mortar works. Do not use drywall mud. Works, but can disintegrate if gets too wet. Usually double up on joists underneath too. Helps protect against sudden urges and extra weight? Tubs are better set with ledger boards under tubs outer rim for extra support too. Have sweated enough pipe/tube too. Lot of tricks there. Am thinking of using plastic PEX tubing in the future for water supply instead of copper though. Longer runs, less joints. Plus soft and hard copper prices aren't really coming down any. Take care.

I won't use Pex or shark bites. All supply lines should be copper. Shark bites fail. I've seen it happen. And Pex, depending on the specific type of pex, is affected by UV light. Plus it's plastic. I would only use it if I had to and then only where it is accessible.

 

[Bassbob]

Copper is up pretty good right now. Which is good for me. I am in the business of removing and replacing copper gas service lines. There are 280 copper pigtails just in the neighborhood I am currently working in. Hundreds of thousands of them in the STL area. And they all have to come out.

The best is a long service ( main across the street from the house) in the city. When we abandon those, and in the city of STL there are a lot of buildings being torn down, we pull the 1" copper back out of the casing pipe ( old steel 1 1/2" service lines) and insert 1" plastic service lines through them. Usually 75-100' of 1" copper comes out. Plus brass cocks ( shut off tee's buried in the yard in a box). Lots of extra mad money comes from those "Viking raids".

 

[BobM]

I won't use Pex or shark bites. All supply lines should be copper. Shark bites fail. I've seen it happen. And Pex, depending on the specific type of pex, is affected by UV light. Plus it's plastic. I would only use it if I had to and then only where it is accessible.

Understandable on any plastic pipe. Was my main concern. Plastics of almost any sort, like lead, can leach into water supply and have is concern too. Some plastic piping have UV inhibitor built in. Like white PVC (It does leach by the way.) for plumbing doesn't have UV inhibitor and should be painted if exposed to sunlight, while gray plastic electrical conduit has UV inhibitor in it. Plastic pipes charactoristics are numerous. PEX is relatively new to me. Polybutylyne, the gray plastic pipe, has had a lot of misapplications. Usually by being installed with not enough pipe to allow for expansion/contraction and pulling joints apart. To me, my opinion, copper is best for water supplies.

 

[Bassbob]

Understandable on any plastic pipe. Was my main concern. Plastics of almost any sort, like lead, can leach into water supply and have is concern too. Some plastic piping have UV inhibitor built in. Like white PVC (It does leach by the way.) for plumbing doesn't have UV inhibitor and should be painted if exposed to sunlight, while gray plastic electrical conduit has UV inhibitor in it. Plastic pipes charactoristics are numerous. PEX is relatively new to me. Polybutylyne, the gray plastic pipe, has had a lot of misapplications. Usually by being installed with not enough pipe to allow for expansion/contraction and pulling joints apart. To me, my opinion, copper is best for water supplies.

Yep. Copper for supply lines, schedule 40 PVC for drains. I replaced every single electrical wire, main and sub panel and service entrance, along with every single bit of plumbing from the well head in and every drain all the way out to the septic tank in 2017. I know way more about electrical and plumbing than I ever wanted to. I dislike it, but I had little choice. I needed it done and done right and I knew the only way to insure that was to do it myself.

 

[BobM]

Copper is up pretty good right now. Which is good for me. I am in the business of removing and replacing copper gas service lines. There are 280 copper pigtails just in the neighborhood I am currently working in. Hundreds of thousands of them in the STL area. And they all have to come out.

The best is a long service ( main across the street from the house) in the city. When we abandon those, and in the city of STL there are a lot of buildings being torn down, we pull the 1" copper back out of the casing pipe ( old steel 1 1/2" service lines) and insert 1" plastic service lines through them. Usually 75-100' of 1" copper comes out. Plus brass cocks ( shut off tee's buried in the yard in a box). Lots of extra mad money comes from those "Viking raids".

Understand that one pretty well. Have done a few re-pipes over the years. The scrap bin comes in handy.

 

[BobM]

Yep. Copper for supply lines, schedule 40 PVC for drains. I replaced every single electrical wire, main and sub panel and service entrance, along with every single bit of plumbing from the well head in and every drain all the way out to the septic tank in 2017. I know way more about electrical and plumbing than I ever wanted to. I dislike it, but I had little choice. I needed it done and done right and I knew the only way to insure that was to do it myself.

"I dislike it, but I had little choice. I needed it done and done right and I knew the only way to insure that was to do it myself." Are my usual thoughts too. General rule of thumb? Figure if someone else can, another can as well or better.

Spouse asked me a question one time while I was sleeping about installing water heaters. She said I was right on about gas and electric. Possible side effects of that? Don't do anything stupid or spouse will likely know quicker than you know what hit you?

 

[Bassbob]

"I dislike it, but I had little choice. I needed it done and done right and I knew the only way to insure that was to do it myself." Are my usual thoughts too. General rule of thumb? Figure if someone else can, another can as well or better.

Spouse asked me a question one time while I was sleeping about installing water heaters. She said I was right on about gas and electric. Possible side effects of that? Don't do anything stupid or spouse will likely know quicker than you know what hit you?

In my case she already knows.

 

[ScottJ]

Yep. Copper for supply lines, schedule 40 PVC for drains. I replaced every single electrical wire, main and sub panel and service entrance, along with every single bit of plumbing from the well head in and every drain all the way out to the septic tank in 2017. I know way more about electrical and plumbing than I ever wanted to. I dislike it, but I had little choice. I needed it done and done right and I knew the only way to insure that was to do it myself.

In a previous life, way back in the Navy, I started out as a Hull Tech (used to be called Shipfitters), and plumbing was part of the job. I remember we used 6040 CuNi (copper-nickel) Schedule 40 for most of our routine plumbing, and used Grade 3 silver braze to connect the fittings. Some fittings had the grade 3 ring in them and we would "pull" them using the torch. Long story short, I hated the plumbing part. Recently had a new kitchen sink installed, and I had installed the previous one, but I let the store install this one. I gladly paid the install fee these days.

 

[the obsrver]

Another little story for you Bob.
My wife is upset, because I will always do for others and if I need help, nobody can be count on.
I told her, you know the bible says to give cheerfully and to not expect anything in return.
Well that helped cheer her up, but she was still pissed.
So I told her, often when I feel like I am being tested, I think to myself, that I must be being tested because I am in consideration and that has to be a good thing right? She understood that.

 

[BobM]

Another little story for you Bob.
My wife is upset, because I will always do for others and if I need help, nobody can be count on.
I told her, you know the bible says to give cheerfully and to not expect anything in return.
Well that helped cheer her up, but she was still pissed.
So I told her, often when I feel like I am being tested, I think to myself, that I must be being tested because I am in consideration and that has to be a good thing right? She understood that.

Bob? Likely dozen here!
Regardless, know the feeling, my wife's thankfully a bit different, but understand.
Was brought up to help others and do. But, there are some differences like when asking for help?
Help? - Help in some peoples vision is an extra hand or advice, that's generally my idea and thoughts.
But, when some others ask for "help" and expect it all done w/o them pitching in anything and sometimes that's fine.
I draw the line on some. Payment? Depends? Cup of coffee, smile or dinner from an older person is sometimes fine.
When they have resources and are just cheap is another? To me, it all depends on who, what and what scenario. We all have our up's and downs. Help is one thing, taking advantage of someone is another whole other issue? There's a difference. Life's full of all sorts of tests. Testing patience is just one of them? Sounds like you may be another Bob in the making?

 

[Annihilator]

Bassbob adding a "like" or "sad" to your original post just wouldn't seem appreciate to me. Your personal losses are more than anyone should bear. I hope your faith has allowed you to find the strength to make it through each day. I lost my wife last year after 45 years. God doesn't give you a lot of answers, but you and I are still here and maybe in the scheme of things that's part of the plan. God bless.

Sorry to hear this Recusant.