Anybody Know a Good Plumber in/around Lex?

[BarristerCat]

I have a small repair job that I need done. I'm somewhat handy around the house but this one is going to be beyond my capability. I have an outside spigot that gushes water from behind the spigot head when you turn the water on. I figure the winter got to it. Anyway, does anybody know a reliable plumber or company that I could get to do something like that?

[CitizenBBN]

Pretty simple job, just a pain. What's the facade? Brick, wood? it's more an issue of getting to the pipe than fixing it. Can it be gotten to through a crawl space or unfinished basement? I'm more worried about the carpentry part of access than the plumbing.

I have a guy that is really good but he's not cheap and this job sounds a little easy to use him. I call him on the tougher cases. This should be just cutting the copper and replacing and resoldering it, or even just where the brass spigot connects to the pipe. I assume you mean by "turn the water on" you have a cutoff somewhere and we're not talking about just the spigot itself.

[blueboss]

BC sounds like you just got an offer to get your plumbing problem repaired. You can probably get of it for a couple of strippers and bottle of scotch.

[Darrell KSR]

You can probably get of it for a couple of strippers

Why do I click on these threads?

[CitizenBBN]

BC sounds like you just got an offer to get your plumbing problem repaired. You can probably get of it for a couple of strippers and bottle of scotch.

Kettle One vodka or Petron Silver Tequila, but in principle yeah we can negotiate something. Unless the strippers are from Cowboys.

[BarristerCat]

Kettle One vodka or Petron Silver Tequila, but in principle yeah we can negotiate something. Unless the strippers are from Cowboys.

Now, don't knock Cowboys. They might not be the best looking girls, but you'll have a good time. You don't get the time of day at those fancy clubs unless you're popping for big bucks.

As for the plumbing job, the wall is covered in siding. So, access shouldn't be that hard. I'm sure I could get to it, but I don't have any experience soldering pipes or any soldering equipment so I've never tried. When I said "turn the water on" I did mean the spigot itself, but I understand what you are saying. There is water to the spigot and nothing is happening when the spigot is turned off. That should mean there is no pipe problem, but it definitely looks like a pipe problem when you turn the spigot on. Doesn't make sense. Either way, I'm afraid to take the spigot off because I don't know how it is joined to the pipe behind it. If it were to be soldered then I'd have no way to put it or any other spigot back on and I'd be in a mess. I guess I need to take the siding plate off and see how it is joined back there.

[blueboss]

Sounds like a spigot problem, either way your going to have to turn off the water somewhere to isolate the spigot. Hopefully you've got shut off valves ahead of the spigots.

[blueboss]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT21vT-9ryQsOTd_ja9xT40Lv8gP70krMXzT4qhu30F6i6m3h54

[CitizenBBN]

Now, don't knock Cowboys. They might not be the best looking girls, but you'll have a good time. You don't get the time of day at those fancy clubs unless you're popping for big bucks.

As for the plumbing job, the wall is covered in siding. So, access shouldn't be that hard. I'm sure I could get to it, but I don't have any experience soldering pipes or any soldering equipment so I've never tried. When I said "turn the water on" I did mean the spigot itself, but I understand what you are saying. There is water to the spigot and nothing is happening when the spigot is turned off. That should mean there is no pipe problem, but it definitely looks like a pipe problem when you turn the spigot on. Doesn't make sense. Either way, I'm afraid to take the spigot off because I don't know how it is joined to the pipe behind it. If it were to be soldered then I'd have no way to put it or any other spigot back on and I'd be in a mess. I guess I need to take the siding plate off and see how it is joined back there.

They'll give you more attention alright. They'll sit right down and negotiate a deal for a "private performance". Not that such a thing is unique to Cowboys. Not knocking them though, I make it a rule to fully support any and all women who choose to be naked in public in any way. :)

I'm with blueboss it's a spigot problem but like you I find that a very confusing answer. The valve on most spigots is physically on the outside of the mounting bracket, so any crack that would be revealed when the valve opens would be on this side of the mount. The only thing I can figure is the crack/break is right on the cusp, just behind the mounting bracket and just far enough on this side of the valve that closing the valve blocks the leak. When it is opened the water sprays back from behind the mount.

If you can get that board off without big hassle I'd do that before calling someone. As you said you should be able to narrow down the source pretty quick. Sometimes it will be connected with the copper pipe going to a soldered copper fitting that is threaded, then a brass spigot is threaded into that fitting. You should be able to unscrew it and replace the spigot in that case, but it can also be a sweated (soldered) connection between copper pipe and fitting. Then you'll need to heat the connection to melt the solder and pull the spigot off.

If you take off the board to see the fitting connection you should be able to see if the leak is the copper pipe (don't see how) or the spigot. If it's the spigot and it's soldered I can tell you how to do that yourself or you can call someone. Since you probably dont' have the soldering equipment it may make sense to call someone. I soldered my own flat seam copper roof and do most of my own copper pipe work so I have the tools for the job, but on jobs where I don't have the tools it's so quickly a nightmare I call someone most of the time. Or use it as a great reason to buy more tools. :)

it is pretty cheap tool wise though. Can of MAPP gas (not propane, takes forever if at all), lead free solder and some lead free flux, and an emery cloth or something to clean/polish the joint to get a good solder. Biggest risk is using the torch near your house and not burning it down, the rest is easy.

[BarristerCat]

The advice is greatly appreciated. If it is a threaded connection I can handle that. I wasn't sure if that was even something that was used in such a way, though. Hopefully that is it. If not, I'll definitely be calling somebody.

[Darrell KSR]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa1ez7yL_T4

[CitizenBBN]

My money is on it being soldered but it could be a threaded fitting. At least worth checking. The plumbers I know prefer to solder it b/c you don't run into the leaks you get with threaded connections, you won't twist the copper, etc. and you have to sweat a joint either way, either to the fixture or to the threaded fitting.

Just a thought, but while he's there (if you get someone), I don't know how your pipes are run but when I had my outdoor spigots done we put ball cutoff valves in the basement/crawl for them so in the winter I can cut off that whole connection and bleed the line a little, keep the outside valves closed and you'll never have a freeze issue. I'm kind of paranoid about frozen pipes.

[BarristerCat]

CBBN, I'd like to do that but my house is on a slab. I don't plan on being there much past the next two years or so, either. I really just need this spigot to work so that I can bring my plans of sodding my yard to fruition.

Darrell, I love that episode. Of course, I love pretty much every black and white episode of Andy Griffith. I hate -- and I mean HATE -- the "Opie the Birdman" episode, but other than that I can't think of a bad one right off the top of my head.

[CitizenBBN]

CBBN, I'd like to do that but my house is on a slab. I don't plan on being there much past the next two years or so, either. I really just need this spigot to work so that I can bring my plans of sodding my yard to fruition.


Definitely wont get your money out of that improvement then. :)

I can get you my guy's contact info but he's really the guy I call for jobs where I don't mind his rates. I've been trying to think of someone else. I'm going to talk to someone tonight who may have a name. If so I'll get it to you. I just hate to send you to a guy who will charge more than the work requires. I wouldn't trade him though for a job that has to get done right that other plumbers have messed up or would mess up. For that kind of work his rates are more than fair.

[dan_bgblue]

CBBN, sweating a fitting is not a have to as they make compression fittings that can replace the need to sweat a fitting. Had to use that combo a few years ago at my daughter's house. I was trying to replace a leaking supply valve for the washing machine and wound up twisting the copper supply line in two inside the wall. I tried sweating a coupler to the original part of the tubing coming thru the floor but because of the wall behind it, I could not get the heat even enough to do it properly and it leaked every time I tried.

Went with the compression fittings and it has been doing fine for about 6 years.

[CitizenBBN]

true, but I hate compression fittings. lol. I've just never had any luck with them, from copper lines to the stupid connection for my ice maker. Sounds like your situation is the one for which they were intended - when you just can't put the flame on it right without burning yourself or your house. I'd sweat the ice maker fittings if I could.

I've also seen those solder filled fittings. No way I trust those things.

[dan_bgblue]

I've also seen those solder filled fittings. No way I trust those things

Good estimation of quality and efficacy. I tried them on that same job and they performed, or did not perform in this case, spectacularly. I gave them a try as, like you, I am not overly fond of compression fittings.

[BarristerCat]

Definitely wont get your money out of that improvement then. :)

I can get you my guy's contact info but he's really the guy I call for jobs where I don't mind his rates. I've been trying to think of someone else. I'm going to talk to someone tonight who may have a name. If so I'll get it to you. I just hate to send you to a guy who will charge more than the work requires. I wouldn't trade him though for a job that has to get done right that other plumbers have messed up or would mess up. For that kind of work his rates are more than fair.

Much appreciated. If you come up with anything let me know.

[AshCat]

How old is the home? If it's an older home it probably is a soldered connection but if it is newer, last 10 years or so then it is probably a threaded fitting. It sounds like a threaded type because that is how they typically act when the line is split just inside the wall. They only leak when they are turned on and have a hose connected to it. I've got a home inspection business, see this all the time as it's something I always check. Take a picture of it, go to Lowe's and talk to someone in the plumbing section who knows what they are talking about. They may be able to look at the picture and tell you if it's the threaded type.