Q: Ed, would you please look into your crystal ball and help us figure out why someone would do this? We just moved into a 30-year-old house, and the bathtub works fine. The tub and shower valve is the three-handle type, but where the showerhead used to be has been covered over by drywall and joint tape and painted. So we have no shower and no idea why someone would do this. Do you? There is a closet behind the tub/shower wall with some access. Where do we go from here? -- David, GeorgiaA: The big clue here is the old-style, three-handle tub and shower valve. I know the setup of the age and installation style of your home's tub from years of experience in dealing with older fixtures. My first guess is that the diverter in the old valve had some kind of problem and, for safety reasons, someone removed the showerhead, since the old three-handle valves had no scald protection built in. Instead of fixing the problem properly and upgrading to a one handle anti-scald valve, they just plugged up the shower pipe to save money.
Don't you make the same bad decision. You need to remove the old mixer valve and start from scratch by upgrading to a new anti-scald mixer valve and showerhead. The good news is that you a have a closet wall behind the "wet wall" containing the plumbing pipes of your shower. You can remove the shelves in the closet and often find an access panel for the shower valve. If not, you will have to open up the wall. But because it's a closet wall, it's really no big deal--just watch out for pipes or wires. Once you have access behind the shower wall, there will be room to complete the job.
Remember, though, that this a bit of a project, both labor- and material-wise. You have to open up the walls, do demo work on the old valve and plumbing, install a new mixer valve with a shower head to code and then close up the wall. Unless you are a hardcore handyperson, the job is best left to the professionals.
The old homeowners took the cheap way out and lost their shower. Unfortunately, you now have to pay the price for their mistake. But in return, you get to enjoy the nice new shower that they never had! So, you might say they were the ones who ended up taking a bath on this job.
Q: Hello, Ed. I trust your opinion, so please advise me on this problem. How do you deal with a water leak in the underground pipe going from the water meter into the house? I know it will have to be dug up, but before I call a contractor I want to know what's involved, including how deep the line is. Will I need to replace the entire water pipe or can it be repaired? -- Jim, Mississippi
A: Jim, I can start off with some good news, since it seems you've had your share of bad news with your plumbing. The depth of main water lines entering a home depends on the climate you live in. The colder the climate, the deeper the water line has to be to prevent freezing. For instance, where I live in Southern New England, our water lines are required to be at least five feet deep. That's a lot of digging! You live in a warmer climate, so your water line will probably be a lot closer to the surface. That should save you time and money with less digging.
It's important that you check your local codes to get the required depth your water line needs to be. And, while you're checking things, your digging contractor needs to contact the local utility company to have them come to mark off any phone lines, electrical lines, sprinklers or gas pipes that may be in the way so you can avoid digging into a trouble.
Finally, once you expose the water pipe, the contractor can decide if the pipe is worth repairing or whether you need a completely new line. My motto is: "When in doubt, pull the old water line out!"
(Ed Del Grande is a certified master plumber and hosts DIY's Ed the Plumber. Send plumbing questions to him at edtheplumber@diynetwork.com. For building-code concerns, always contact your local government office or a local licensed plumber.)
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