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What costs am I looking at to install a 20# 15GPM Grease trap? How do I know what size I need? Found a new trap for around $150

thanks

 

recomend doing a leak test on your plumbing system....
check all your vents......
and it might be contaminated ground "earth" from the collapse

 

bump

 

I have a question, just thought of this thread....Nice!

Anyway, I have a 3/4" main line coming into my house. My water meter is a 5/8" unit. Each side of the meter is attached via a 1/2" npt fitting.

Seems this would reduce my flow some? I'm asking because I'll be re piping my entire house in the near future. Currently all my piping is 1/2" galvanized (hence the 1/2" off the meter).

And when someone flushes the toilet while in the shower, well you know how that goes.

I'm thinking the 1/2" fittings on my 5/8" meter should be changed to 3/4"?

Then I'll run a 3/4" main line inside with 1/2" drops to each fixture?

Thanks

 

So it is 1/2 inch on both the street side of the meter and on the house side? The thing I would look at is the angle stop valve on the street side of the meter, if that is 5/8, you are good, if not, maybe you can get the water folks to swap a 5/8 in there for you. Water districts usually don't like customers messing with their meters, so if the angle stop is 5/8, you could probably pull the meter on a Saturday morning and swap the fittings and no one should be the wiser. If you have the district swap them, they will charge you $$$$ to do it.

 

Thanks for the response.

The water line entering my basement is 3/4".

This line is than reduced to 1/2" before going into the meter, and stays at 1/2" exiting the meter. The interior plumbing is old galvanized and I'll be ripping it all out and re routing for new fixtures etc.

I think the moral of the story is that a 5/8" meter can be supplied with either 1/2" or 3/4" fittings? Same meter, but if I step up to 3/4" pipe I should see an increase in flow because I would not be throttling down the 5/8" meter as I am with the 1/2" pipe.

Dang I'm confused, hope this makes sense.

 

Should work just fine. There are also booster pumps available that boost the PSI to the house. But doing what you described should definitely help. Never seen a 1/2 inch main tho. 3/4 inch at least around here. Or if your up on a hill and the water has to travel up hill to get to you the psi will drop.

 

where is the meter, in your basement or in the front yard?

 

I've seen 1/2 galvanized down to almost 1/4 inch cause of calcium build up. Just the galvanized pipe alone could be cutting down your water pressure.

 

So it enters your basement 3/4. So somewhere from the street main to the house it increases from 1/2 to 3/4.

 

It comes into the house off the main as 3/4". The meter is in the basement, and the 3/4" pipe is reduced to 1/2" prior to entering the meter.

 

Weird place to put the meter, how do they read it? They have to come into the basement?

Looks like you're good, it's an assumption that the line is all 3/4 coming from the street, but it's probably a safe one at this point.

Go for it!

 

yep if that is true on the size that is F'd up for sure the minimum is 3/4 inch period..

 

The meter is read wireless, I'm guessing they just drive by to check the totals. Sorry if I'm not explaining things very well.

Everything is fine, my house is a 700 sq. ft. bungalow with a full basement.

At the moment my issue is that my inside shut off valve is leaking. This valve is very old and is right before the water meter. I'll attach some photos this evening.

So I'm planning on having the water company turn off my service (this happens in my yard) long enough for me to replace the inside the house shut off valve. Then I can cut off the water when I want as I re-plumb the house. I'll be adding an additional full bathroom in the basement.

As I've been picking up fittings for replacing the main shut off valve I've been getting familiar with the fittings up to and past the meter. This is where things are not making sense. I appreciate the input, let me get some photos up....

Thanks

 

I've attached a photo, hopefully that will help. The 3/4" pipe comes up, is reduced to 1/2" before it hits the meter. I don't know what it is called, but there is the adapter in between the meter body and the 1/2" pipe. I probably just need a different adapter (meter to 3/4" pipe)?

Thanks

 

That's some goofy plumbing
Is that nipple (the threaded part that comes from the elbow and goes into the meter), is that 3/4? If it is, then just replace the reducer and elbow with 3/4 parts

 

Yeah, you have read it right. I'll talk with the water company and see if they will "get it"...Thanks, and yeah it is goofy, and the shut off doesn't work.

So I'll be replacing the shut off and piping and wanted to take care of this reducer at the same time.

I would like to find 3/4" parts myself, but not sure where to look?

 

If the nipple just threads into the union on the end of the meter then you can find those parts at any hardware store, If not, you may have to track down a plumbing parts place, also, irrigation/farm supply houses may carry those parts, usually places that sell those meters have the unions that go with them. I would also recommend replacing the old gate valve with a brass ball valve like a LASCO or something similar, they have a stainless steel ball inside them which will not rust or corrode shut like the old gate valves will.

 

The coupling has a gasket, and you are right I should be able to find them locally. I'll ask the water guy when he comes to shut off my service and see if he has any.

I picked up a 3/4" Nibco full port valve (see photo). Is this a decent brand? I'll need to buy a lot more as I start replacing all my lines. I'm a big fan of shut off valves.....

Thanks again

 

Nibcos are great! You can never have enough shut off valves!
You're welcome, glad I could help, don't forget pipe dope and teflon tape, the method i use is two wraps with the tape, inline with the thread direction (meaning as you tighten the fitting it stretches the tape, not bunches it up), and enough dope to fill the threads before I install. If you have to back off the threads a lot, take it off and redo the tape and dope and re install. Some plumbers just use dope, some just use tape, I picked up this method from water district plumbers that thread fittings that will be buried in the street. You will know it's tight enough when you can't really turn it by hand (without a fulcrum), but it turns with two pipe wrenches, don't crank it all the way in (to the end of the threads), should be about halfway in to get a good seal> Too far and you can split the fittings.