Nexus Plumbing Blog

Planning a Plumbing Remodel: What Are the Options?

When planning any plumbing addition, you must first consider code restrictions; the limitations of your system’s layout; and, of course, your own abilities. Although it’s usually straightforward to route supply lines to a new location, tying into drain-waste-vent (DWV) pipes is a different story.

The simplest and most cost-efficient way to add a new fixture or group of fixtures is to connect them to the existing main soil stack, either directly or through a branch drain. A common strategy is to install them above or below existing fixtures on the stack, piggyback style (see below left), but check codes carefully for restrictions. Another way is to place the new fixture or fixtures back-to-back with an existing group attached to the main soil stack (see below right).

If your planned addition is across the house from the existing plumbing, you’ll probably need to run a new vent stack up through the roof and a new branch drain to the soil stack (see bottom right) or to the main house drain via an existing cleanout. To save on labor costs, tie a bathroom sink, tub, or shower stall (although not a toilet) directly into an existing branch drain instead if possible.

Three common ways to install new fixtures include above or below old fixtures on the soil stack (A); back-to-back with existing installations (B); and with a new vent stack and branch drain (C).

To see photos and full article visit :http://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/plumbing-remodel-planning.html

By Suzanne Ervine, Construction Commando

1. Failing to Provide a Preliminary Notice at All. Any subcontractor who enters into a contractual relationship exceeding $400 is required by law to prepare and serve a Preliminary Notice. Failure to do so constitutes grounds for disciplinary action by the Registrar of Contractors.

2. Serving the Notice Too Late. To preserve Mechanic’s Lien or Stop Notice rights, a Preliminary Notice must be served within 20 calendar days of the first date services were performed or materials were provided on a job. If the Preliminary Notice is served later than 20 days after you first worked on a job, you are entitled to Lien or Stop Notice rights only for work performed within the 20 days prior to serving the Notice.

3. Waiting Until the 19th Day to Prepare the Notice. Putting off the preparation of a Preliminary Notice leaves little time to resolve any problems that may arise, such as difficulty reaching the prime contractor to request additional information, or delays at the governmental offices where you need to verify information in recorded documents and/or building permits. Furthermore, because the law requires the Notice to be sent via certified or registered mail, simply arriving at the Post Office even 5 minutes after the counter closes could result in missing the cutoff. Plan ahead!

http://blog.chs-law.com/2006/10/top-10-mistakes-preliminary-20-day.html

4. Mailing the Notice by Regular First Class Mail. The Preliminary Notice may only be served by personal delivery, or by first class certified or registered mail. Sending the Notice by regular first class mail is not sufficient, and the courts have ruled against contractors who did not comply with the strict requirements of the statute. In IGA Aluminum Products, Inc. v. Manufacturers Bank, the court ruled, “The statute clearly states that proper notice is a prerequisite to perfecting a mechanic’s lien, and that if service of the notice is accomplished by mail, the notice must be sent by registered or certified mail.” Proof that the Notice was served by mail in accordance with the statute must be accompanied by either the return receipt of certified or registered mail, or by a copy of the record of delivery; or in the event of nondelivery, by the returned envelope itself.

5. Providing an Arbitrary Estimate of the Total Price for the Job. While the law requires a Preliminary Notice to contain an estimate of the total price of a job, any such estimate must be a good faith estimate. The estimate must be “a derived figure, arrived at by rational analysis.” (Rental Equipment, Inc. v. McDaniel Builders, Inc..) Estimates that are “made up out of whole cloth” are insufficient.

6. Deviating from the Required Language in the “Notice to Property Owner” (private works only). California law is very specific about the language required in a Preliminary Notice for private works of improvement. The California Civil Code sets forth the exact language required in the “Notice to Property Owner” contained on the face of the Preliminary Notice. California courts have long held that deviation from this language will render your Notice invalid. In Harold L. James, Inc. v. Five Points Ranch, Inc., the court held that, “Where the Legislature has provided a detailed and specific mandate as to the manner or form of serving notice upon an affected party that its property interests are at stake, any deviation from the statutory mandate will be viewed with extreme disfavor” (emphasis added).

7. Failing to Verify Proper Identities of Notice Recipients. Many subcontractors rely on information obtained from the prime contractor. However, this is insufficient and could render your Notice invalid, thus barring any future mechanic’s lien or stop notice legal action. Contractors seeking to enforce a lien or stop notice remedy have a duty to inspect readily available public records to determine the identities of a property owner or construction lender. In Romak Iron Works v. Prudential Ins. Co., the court held that Civil Code section 3097, subsections (i) and (j) “impose on a prospective stop notice claimant the duty to examine…the building permit and the specially-indexed official records of the county.” The court further ruled that, “If he fails to examine the two sources, subdivisions (i) and (j) operate to charge him with constructive notice of the information recorded in either.” Ignorance is no excuse – make sure you check the official public records!

8. Failing to File the Preliminary Notice with the County Recorder. Although not required by law, filing a copy of the Notice with the County Recorder can help contractors ensure that mechanic’s lien or stop notice rights are fully protected. If a contractor has filed a Preliminary Notice, the County Recorder is required to notify him of any subsequently filed Notice of Completion or Notice of Cessation. If a property owner files either of these documents, the time within which to file a mechanic’s lien or stop notice action is shortened to just 60 days for prime contractors, or 30 days for subcontractors and suppliers. Notification of this shortened time frame enables you to seek legal counsel and initiate legal action before the deadline. Please note, however, that the County Recorder’s failure to notify a potential claimant of a Notice of Completion or Cessation does not extend the amount of time you have to initiate litigation to perfect the lien or stop notice.

9. Failing to Send a Copy of the Notice to the Surety Company. To enforce a claim on a payment bond, notice must be given to the bond surety and bond principal within 15 days of the recording of a Notice of Completion or Notice of Cessation (or within 75 days after completion of the work if neither Notice is recorded). This payment bond notice can be accomplished by simply serving the bond surety with the Preliminary Notice, and further ensures that a very short 15-day deadline is not missed.

10. Serving Only One Notice if Multiple Notices Are Required. Generally, a contractor must serve only one Preliminary Notice per job, regardless of the length of time or amount of materials and services provided. However, if you are providing services or materials to a jobsite under multiple contracts with multiple subcontractors, a separate Notice must be prepared and served pursuant to the contract with you have with each subcontractor. This most often occurs with suppliers who provide materials to many contractors for the same job.

San Diegans will pay roughly 6.4 percent more for water starting in March, after the City Council voted 6-2 Monday to increase rates despite angry comments by a few dozen ratepayers and more than 13,000 signed protest forms.

Even larger rate increases have been adopted elsewhere around the region in recent months, as cities and water districts struggle to swallow a series of hefty rate increases from wholesale suppliers.

“Pretty soon, this native San Diegan is going to have to find somewhere else to live,” said John Robinson of University Heights.

San Diego council members said they had no choice but to increase charges that will push the bill for the typical homeowner to $72.03 starting in March — a 67 percent increase since early 2007. That’s about $4.33 per month more than residential customers pay today for a citywide total of about $25 million a year.

If the city had not adopted the increase, it would have had to find other funds to pay the bills, such as taking cost-cutting measures or using savings.

Water rates across the county
Escondido: The City Council on Wednesday will consider a 9 percent increase to pay for wholesale increases and city plans, such as replacing aging infrastructure.

Helix: Rates went up 8 percent in November to cover higher wholesale costs, replenish the agency’s rate stabilization fund and make up for lost sales to customers who conserved more than anticipated.

Santa Fe: Recently raised 2011 rates by 12 percent and set the groundwork for similar increases each of the next two years.

Valley Center: Increased domestic rates by 16 percent. Besides water expenses, the district said it had to boost rates because operating revenues weren’t covering operating costs.

Vista: Residents will pay about 7 percent more starting in March to cover higher wholesale rates. Agency officials said they didn’t add any of their own costs.
Council members said they wouldn’t stop with Monday’s decision. They also voted to ask the state Legislature to support investigations into the finances of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies the bulk of the region’s water. And they signaled interest in joining the San Diego County Water Authority in a lawsuit against Metropolitan’s rate structure, which local officials said subsidizes other regions at the expense of San Diego County residents.

The issue of rate increases is almost certain to emerge again by the end of the year if Metropolitan follows through with plans to increase its rates by 7.5 percent in 2012.

“We are completely at the mercy of MWD,” said councilwoman Lorie Zapf, who crafted an amendment seeking investigations into the wholesalers’ finances. “While I am respectful of those who chose to vote no today, personally I worried that voting no was a return to past practices where the city created a long list of deferred maintenance because nobody wanted to make the tough decisions.”

Councilman Carl DeMaio said there were several ways to cut waste out of the city water department and voted along with Marti Emerald to oppose the rate increases. Emerald urged city officials to tap more than $30 million in savings to avoid the increases.

“You’ve got a (rate) stabilization fund set up just for this purpose — to give a break to people on fixed incomes,” Emerald said.

City utility officials opposed her idea because they plan to use that money for construction projects they said the city needs to maintain a safe drinking water system.

“We don’t have much of a choice here,” Council president Tony Young said outside the meeting.

Metropolitan leaders have maintained for months that they are cutting costs aggressively and are themselves hostage to forces beyond their control, such as energy prices, debt on infrastructure, environmental restrictions and falling water sales. They have rejected the water authority’s argument that regional rates are unfair.

San Diego council members said they would explore the possibility of joining the rate lawsuit against Metropolitan in closed session as a way to show a more aggressive stance toward the Los Angeles-based agency. City Attorney Jan Goldsmith warned that the council may not want to do that because it would increase the city’s legal fees in the case, which the city already is helping fund through the county water authority.

Before the council’s decision, speaker after speaker urged city leaders to find another way to pay the higher bills from Metropolitan. Most of them were retirees or unemployed people who said they were barely making ends meet. One woman brought a notice from the city that her water was about to be shut off.

Gae Walker of Scripps Ranch voiced a common concern, saying she and her husband had cut their water use by more than 30 percent in recent years “yet the bills continue to rise.”

mike.lee@uniontrib.com; (619) 293-2034; Twitter @sdenvirobeat

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/24/san-diego-water-rates-going-64-percent/

10 Things Plumbers Won’t Tell You
1. “There’s an old plumber’s adage: ‘An ounce of prevention could cost me thousands.’”

Water is the single most common cause of household damage, according to Jim Swegle, Vice President Safeco Personal Insurance, a Seattle-based homeowner’s insurance company. Roughly 30% of home water-damage claims results from appliance failure and another 62% from faulty plumbing systems, according to Safeco. The biggest culprits: water heaters and washing machines. And repairs are costly. Swegel says that American households with water damage spend as much as of $5,000 for each episode.

Some easy cautionary measures can lower the risk of water damage and dramatically reduce your reliance on plumbers. First, take stock. Make a checklist of your home’s water-based appliances and equipment — water heaters, washing machines, sump pumps — and note any wear and tear, especially on appliance parts (washing machine hoses, for example). Water heaters have a life expectancy that is hard to predict, so check yours monthly for puddling and follow all maintenance guidelines precisely. There might not be an immediately visible problem, but tanks can rust on the inside, leading to a rupture.

Hot water tanks should be replaced every ten to twelve years, says Swegel. Energy efficiency has come a long way – replacing your tank with a more modern one will result in energy savings, he says.

2. “I’m not really a plumber.”

A big chunk of the plumbing industry is made up of handymen, guys with tools and a little plumbing know-how. Although some of these Mr. Fix-Its are competent, many are not. The best way to minimize your risk is to hire a licensed plumber or at least one with a lot of experience. Licensed plumbers are required to abide by state regulations governing how the work is done and to follow local safety and building codes; they’re also more likely to carry liability and worker’s comp insurance. In states without licensed plumbers, your next-best bet is a licensed plumbing contractor, or at least someone who belongs to a plumbing trade organization.

“I can’t just go out and say I’m a plumber — just like I can’t click my heels and say I can put in irrigation” says plumber Roy Dillard, who works with certifications at the American Backflow Prevention Association. It’s important to leave the plumbing to plumbers, because they are technically protecting the public. “You don’t want just anybody plugging into the water supply,” he says.

Operating without a license or permit carries a lot of liability, but it happens. For instance, Dillard’s neighbor recently had her water heater go out, and was charged more than $1000 for a $200 hot water heater. She filed a complaint. “Come to find out he’d had his license suspended before for price gouging,” he says.

3. “My less-experienced underling will be over in a minute.”

Risa Hoag, a public relations firm owner, was surprised when much of the work in a new upstairs bathroom in her Nanuet, N.Y., home was done by people other than the plumber who gave her the initial estimate. That plumber, who was hired by Hoag’s contractor, visited the home and assessed the job, but was assisted by an apprentice. The assistant neglected to cap a radiator line, which eventually flooded and ruined the ceiling of the kitchen below. “No one checked his work, and we had to rip out a new ceiling,” Hoag says.

It’s common for plumbers to bring apprentices on a job; in fact, it’s a required part of the licensing process for trainees. However, although many states require a licensed plumber to supervise an apprentice, that doesn’t always happen. The best way to protect yourself is to negotiate personnel at the outset. Most plumbing companies, whether individually run or larger operations, have multiple jobs going at once, so it’s common practice to send employees or even trainees along with (or instead of) the guy whose name is on the side of the truck. But you can insist that a licensed plumber or plumbing contractor be present on the job, either to work or, at the very least, to supervise.

Updated and adapted from the book “1,001 Things They Won’t Tell You: An Insider’s Guide to Spending, Saving, and Living Wisely,” by Jonathan Dahl and the editors of SmartMoney

Read more: 10 Things Plumbers Won’t Tell You – Spending – Rip-offs – SmartMoney.com http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/rip-offs/10-things-your-plumber-wont-tell-you-18259/#ixzz19QROze17

1. Leaving hoses connected during winter

This is a classic plumbing error that one must assume is caused most often by extreme laziness. Unlike holiday lights, hoses can cause damage when left out all year: They can lead to freezing of the sillcock (outdoor faucet) or its water supply pipe. It’s terrible for your hose, too.

2. Using too much drain cleaner

When used judiciously and as directed on the right kind of clog, drain cleaners can be effective and relatively safe for drains.

When used with abandon, they can corrode some drain materials, and they can actually make clogs worse. It’s also not very nice for the plumber who eventually comes out to clear that clog.

3. Pouring household chemicals into a septic system

If you’re used to living with a “private” sewage system, you probably know how to take care of it. But if you just bought a house with septic, or maybe you’re renting a rural cottage for the summer, you might not think twice about using chemicals like drain cleaner, chlorine bleach, paint, and even anti-bacterial soaps.

These chemicals kill the essential waste-eating bacteria in the septic tank, and you can guess the result. Also, be careful about grease (see below) what else you put into a septic system.

4. Screwing, nailing, or cutting into a wall with hidden plumbing pipes

Now we’re into the realm of “Oh, yeah. I did that once.” Do this with a screw, and you might hear a fine spray of water hitting the back of the drywall. Do it with a reciprocating saw, and you’re in for a gusher.

5. Pouring grease down the kitchen drain

If you’re in the habit of pouring bacon grease down the kitchen-sink drain, you might as well try to stuff the whole pig down there.

Grease is one of the best things for clogging drains. (So is all the soap we use in the bathroom, but that’s a harder habit to break.)

6. Abusing the garbage disposal

Even if you’re not drain grease in the sink, you might be one of those folks who thinks a food disposer (garbage disposal) is the equivalent of a space-fantasy ray gun. It’s not.

It’s a motor with a spinning wheel that has two metal teeth thingees, and it does very little to stop the following from clogging your drain: flour, rice, potato peels (and some other veggie peels), and many fibrous foods such as asparagus and chard.

7. Using the toilet as a trash can

We all know it’s stupid, and we all do it anyway. It’s as though, at the back of our minds, each of us believes that if we can just get it to flush away, it will be magically out of our lives forever.

As if, at the other end of the toilet, there is nothing but a black hole, a portal to a subterranean outer space that swallows up everything we discard and whisks it off into oblivion. Unfortunately, that oblivion is a 3-inch drain pipe that leads into another drain pipe, which is THE drain pipe to your entire house.

In other words, flushing one improper item down the toilet ultimately can stop up everything in the house. But we do it anyway. And the bottom line is, if it ain’t toilet paper , it doesn’t belong there.