R & R Sewer and Plumbing

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

Had a great call today at one of the kitchens at the Aquarium replacing a 100 gallon gas powered water heater with a short, 3 foot 40 gallon electric powered hot water heater. Also replacing a triple basin faucet with diverter for spout and hand sprayer. Then cleared a leak underneath the triple basin which I repaired with a new extension and basket strainer. Before all that I cut the 1 inch copper hot and cold lines from the tank and opened up the PRV valve and let the tank drain in the room into the floor drain, which made it a lot easier. Lastly I took the drain apart from the triple basin and rodded the drain line all the way to the grease trap under the floor. Put the drain back together and then remove the old triple basin faucet and replaced it with a new one. By the time I was done with the triple basin sink, drain and faucet, the tank was fully drained and ready to start. Another difference in installation with this tank is they wanted it up in the air off the floor because why would it be easy? Haha after removing the old tank, which was kinda hard because it was so big and heavy. I took the vent apart and cut the gas line from the tank and unthreaded the left over piece coming out the Tee and capped it off seeing it was going to be electric no use for the gas but can still have access controlled with a valve for future use. I used the hilti to drill thru the brick all the way through til came outside and then anchored my platform hangers. I used 3/8th threaded rod with washers and nuts to anchor my platform hangers to the wall. I added a stick of PVC as a support leg under the tank until the electrician can come to hook up the electric and the handyman is going to strap it to the wall and add more support. I just had to get it up there with fresh copper sweated with no leaks and they said they would take care of the rest of the support. Had to use 1 inch by 3/4” reducer couplings because the old tank had 1 inch hot and cold lines. The new tank is only 40 gallons so I had to downsize the lines to 3/4”. A couple 90 elbows and 2 new 3/4” dielectric unions and no leaks on the first try. Great water pressure at all the sinks and now they have the triple basin draining correctly to the grease trap and not backing up, a new faucet because the old one was so clogged there was no pressure but now it’s strong pressure as it should be and no more leaking basket strainer underneath the triple basin. The old hot water heater was placed outside for someone else to junk and brand new 40 gallon water heater up in the air on platform hangers. Beautiful work as always, I was very pleased with it and so was the head engineer. God is Great! I have everyday day booked this week and next week booked all the way to the 18th!

05/02/2026

This was a tough call that took all day. Had two bathrooms east and west both with hot and cold stems and both sides were leaking. The west side was also leaking through the drain and overflow because the putty had failed after 50 years or more and the rubber in the back was corroded and not sealing anymore causing water damage below in the kitchen. The east bathroom the customer just requested to stop the leak. The west bathroom the customer wanted the stems changed out completely to a new shower valve set up with new cosmetics. I knew the handles in the east bathroom had stems and I told the customer that these stems cost over $100 a piece and I suggested that I replace the parts that I could and see if that would work before spending an extra $250. The west bathroom I was going to have to cut open the wall behind the shower and cut out all the old copper and add all new 3/4” copper with half inch branch lines to tie into the new shower valve set up. While I was doing all this I was also draining out the hot water tank. I turned the water off and drained the lines. I added two valves on the hot and cold copper lines going to the west bathroom so I could control the water when installing the new shower valves. After sweating new valves I took the old stems out the east bathroom and took em to the faucet shoppe in Elston. (Best guys in the business!) I told the guy before we spend 250 on stems can’t I just change out all the rubbers and see how that works and he said yeah definitely. So changed out all the rubbers and installed the stems back in and turned the water back on. First try now leaks at all. The east shower wasn’t leaking anymore so I could concentrate on the west bathroom. I ran all new 3/4” copper and branched off with half inch street 90s. Used the level and everything was plumb! Connect the new valves and installed the new cartridge and seat and springs and no leaks on the first try. Put back all new cosmetics and had the guy soak all the cosmetics in CLR. Everything worked out great.

04/14/2026

Water pouring out under house in crawl space. Had to cut thru the floor to reach the leaks.

04/14/2026

This was a tough call! Got a call from an old coach his brother said he can hear water in his crawl space (no basement) and he didn’t have any water pressure in his kitchen faucet. When I got there as soon as I walked in I could smell the water/mold. I told him we need to figure this out now! As soon as I was walking around the house checking out his plumbing system and locating his water line I found two valves that cut the water off going to the kitchen. As soon as I turned them on again I could hear the water pouring out in the crawl space and I knew there was a major issue. As soon as I open the door to the crawl space there was a lake of water! I couldn’t believe the amount of water that was down there. I helped him pump it all out and seeing there was no basement and the crawl space was so small I would have never been able to crawl from the door which was on the other side of the house and seeing how bad the water leak was I knew his wood in the kitchen and under the floor needed to be addressed. The guy said that he wanted me to go thru the floor because he was going to have the floor redone after the leak was fixed and it was all molded and wet and weak anyway. He said that water had been going since January or even before that which is unfortunate but at least we found it and addressed because he has lots of grandchildren and I didn’t want them getting sick from the molded wood also and just for the guys own health too. I went right thru the floor and the cut was perfect, I cut literally right on top of the leak. The copper pipe had a legit hole in it because they had the copper sitting on the electrical conduit which is why it ate a hole through the pipe only copper can touch copper anything else and it will eat it up just like how this conduit did. After opening up the floor I ended up finding another leak on the other line so he had two on both water lines. I cut out the bad pipe and put valves on the lines so he can control the kitchen now with a trap door in the floor when he replaces the tile. I used pipe clamps to hold it under the joists so it could supply the kitchen with no more issues. When he has the floor replaced I’m going to come back to put the air chambers and the valves on the hot and cold lines for the kitchen faucet. This was a tough job but man it’s a total change in the house now no more smell of water and mold but still has to have a restoration company come to address the mold on the beams so he doesn’t have any structural issues down the road. Going thru the floor was one of the toughest jobs I’ve had in a while it took a long time to cut that floor and wood out and I also tried to remove as much dead wood as possible.

04/11/2026

West Harrison rehab. Last GC and plumber did it all in pvc and nowhere near code. Had to cut out all the pvc and ran all brand new 4” cast iron stacks, runs and toilet flanges with 2” and 1.5” copper waste and vents for the bathrooms, floor drains, vanities, and kitchen. Both stacks go out the roof and every section is plumb. Used the laser to figure out how to measure and snap the correct piece because once you snap it if it’s wrong you’re screwed. If you’re long you can at least snap the end or use the grinder if it’s a small piece. (I’ve had the snapper not snap flush when the piece is too small). Used wood anchors and shells to secure into the joists 3/8ths threaded rod to hold our clamps and cast iron up in the air and also used riser clamps on the second floor toilet lines tying into the main stack to help hold our double wye in the air at the correct slope and 90 run to drop down into the main line inside the wall. Both sides we had the double wye and that was a tough cast iron job anytime you got all that heavy 4” cast iron up in the air. Also made a couple home made trapezes to help hold the main line runs in the air. Everything is packed with oakum and leaded and packed. Still have some more copper water lines and waste and vents to run next week and then we’ll be done and ready for inspection on the 1st. This was a tough job but in the end it came out beautiful! Very happy with this job!

04/02/2026

North Pine East building rehab kitchen bathrooms and gray boxes

04/02/2026

North Pine rehab finished east side of the building now headed to west side to run all new waste and vents and water lines also. Beautiful work I’m very happy with this