Dunbar Plumbing Forums - Northern Kentucky's 1st DIY Plumbing Forum

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WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES OF JOPLIN MISSOURI AFTERMATH
 
 
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-201_162-10007861.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Video of the tornado aftermath in Joplin Missouri. This is by far the worst destruction I've ever seen by one tornadic event.
 
 

 
 
 

Dunbar Plumbing was called out to an emergency service call to repair a leaking delta shower faucet. This house was located on Landview Drive in South Covington Kentucky. Landview Drive is off the Hands Pike Subdivision that is the major road that serves both Ridgeport Subdivision and Crystal Lake Subdivision. Hands Pike to Tamarack Drive, to Evergreen Drive to Hawks Ridge to Landview Drive. Homes in this subdivision are over 12 years or newer in construction. Most common faucet brand in this subdivision is Delta Faucet Company.
 
This leaking tub and shower faucet was leaking and was attempted to be repaired by a friend of the family. Our first concern was whether the faucet had been damaged beyond repair but that did not seem to be the case. Here is a picture of the type of faucet we worked on to stop the leaking.
 

 
 
After speaking with the owner of the home, I was able to find out that the faucet had never been worked on in regards to replacement of the cartridge inside of the faucet. In the Northern Kentucky area, Delta Faucets had an issue with their pressure balanced cartridges that are designed for the monitor series faucets. The single handle tub and or tub and shower or shower only faucets. A problem with the plastic housing where the balancing spool was that could cause interference in how the balancing spool effectively slides back and forth when there are pressure fluctuations. Delta came out with a better and improved cartridge that solved this problem, providing the cure to the ongoing issues.
 
Here is a picture of the NEW type pressure balanced cartridge that Dunbar Plumbing installs to correct the issues of the older ones.
 

 
 
I'll return to this post and show how we remove the cartridge on these faucets and give some more information as to why these cartridges fail over time, regardless of replacing the internals inside the cartridge.
 
 
 

It took more than two attempts to get inside the wall cavity, being careful not to vibrate the existing tile wall as it can cause stress fractures that lead to leaks. Once we were able to open the wall cavity, we took the same diamond blade angle grinder and cut the existing brass tub and shower valve into pieces, that way we could unsweat the water lines from the leftover pieces of valve and prepare the piping for the new Delta shower valve. Northern Kentucky Plumbers offers the best product we believe works well for tub and shower faucets; the Delta Faucet. Delta Faucets are heavily installed in the Northern Kentucky Area. A product that was used commonly in the new construction field in subdivisions across the area. Delta Faucets offer a price line that is comparable to a decent faucet that follows builder's grade, but also provides a longevity standard as well for reliability not only in repair aspects but in finish reliability as well. Of course, newer faucets today with some of the finishes on plastic chrome bodies I do not believe will stand the test of time. I'm referencing faucets made by Delta years ago comprised of brass bodies with chrome over brass trims. These seem to be the best on the market for going the distance in reliability.
 
 
Once the wall was completely open and all parts of the existing faucet were removed, we then began to install the new faucet, reworking the water lines so it would match into the new shower valve being installed. Pictures are to come soon of the step by step process so you can see how the before and after pictures look.
 
 

Dunbar Plumbing - Northern Kentucky Plumbers removed a 3 handle tub and shower faucet, installed a single handle faucet for a customer on Madison Pike in Independence Kentucky. Madison Pike is actually SR17, a very well travelled road that leads from Covington Kentucky all the way to Butler Kentucky. The location of this job was near the Independence Administrative Building near the Independence Firehouse. This is considered the "new" part of Independence where Kroger grocery store, numerous restaurants and gas stations are located.
 
 
This customer of Dunbar Plumbing contacted us through a family member describing a situation that was urgent. A main water shutoff valve was leaking profusely that required immediate attention. The property owner attempted to repair a leaking tub and shower faucet and in the process of doing so the main shutoff began to leak. After making a temporary repair to the shutoff valve, we determined that high water pressure was to blame for the leaking main shut off and the tub and shower faucet on the first floor. This customer has decided to take care of the water pressure issue by installing a Pressure Reducing Valve and a Thermal Expansion Tank. These two devices are used quite often to reduce water pressure inside a home to a safe setting. Most if not all fixtures, valves and appliances that require the use of a water supply state 60 pounds of pressure is what the products are engineered for. Anything above this pressure can cause premature wear and tear on the wearable parts such as fast acting solenoid valves, rubber seat washers, fill valves in toilets, cause stem packings to leak on valves. 
 
 
Given the age of the 3 handle tub and shower faucet was quite old, we recommended the upgrade of a single handle faucet that is pressure balanced, offering thermal protection while taking a shower. It was explained to the customer what is involved in the process of the upgrade. Numerous hours sitting inside the tub, opening the wall around the existing faucet, installing the new faucet while adapting to the water lines inside the wall and setting the new trim of the faucet that conceals the hole in the wall that accesses the valve. Our customers at Dunbar Plumbing enjoy the option of being able to use the faucet almost immediately after installation of the faucet.
 
 
This installation proved to be a more time consuming job than first thought, mostly because of the situation involving the thickness of the wall. When we extract existing tub and shower valves from the wall, a diamond blade angle grinder is used to cut into the tile/grouted wall. The thickness of the blade in depth into the wall usually is enough to gain access to the wall cavity. Not so in this particular case. Read more...

"It's not how you drive,
 
 
It's how you arrive."

If you are interested in purchasing a kitchen faucet, you may want to check out popular and quality kitchen sink brands such as Blanco, Moen, Franke, and Kohler. Many of these kitchens faucet brands can be found for discounted prices, and most of these faucets come with warranties and customer service assistance. Three of the more popular kitchen faucets today include: the Kohler K-10430 kitchen faucet, the Blanco Profession Series 157064 kitchen faucet, and the Franke DW100 Series. All of these brands have a proven track record and you really can't go wrong. The main thing you need to look for when finding the right kitchen faucet is one that fits your wallet.