I need to install a new tub spout at my mom's house so we can sell the
house. It currently has a galvanized pipe stub sticking out of the wall.
Unfortunately, the pipe is about 1/2 inch too short for the tub spout to
thread on.

I thought about using a slip-on style of tub spout, but the ones I have
seen are made for copper pipe which has a smaller OD than galvanized pipe.

Ideally I would just remove the existing pipe stub and thread in a longer
pipe nipple. Unfortunately I tried doing that and the piping in the wall
started to bend. So that's not an option. I don't have the time or money
for this to turn into a larger project, we just need to sell the house.

I can't think of an easy way to extend the galvanized pipe just one half of
an inch. Adding a coupler and a short nipple is still too long.

I thought about cutting back the pipe and rethreading the end so I could
install a coupling and correct length nipple. But I can't find a NPT die
locally and the few I've seen online are quite expensive for what I'm
doing.

Do you know of a chrome slip-on spout with diverter that will fit
galvanized pipe?

Or do you know of an easy way to extend galvanized pipe just 1/2 inch?

Thanks,

Anthony

On Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 1:51:23 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
I need to install a new tub spout at my mom's house so we can sell the
house. It currently has a galvanized pipe stub sticking out of the wall.
Unfortunately, the pipe is about 1/2 inch too short for the tub spout to
thread on.

I thought about using a slip-on style of tub spout, but the ones I have
seen are made for copper pipe which has a smaller OD than galvanized pipe.

Ideally I would just remove the existing pipe stub and thread in a longer
pipe nipple. Unfortunately I tried doing that and the piping in the wall
started to bend. So that's not an option. I don't have the time or money
for this to turn into a larger project, we just need to sell the house.

I can't think of an easy way to extend the galvanized pipe just one half of
an inch. Adding a coupler and a short nipple is still too long.

I thought about cutting back the pipe and rethreading the end so I could
install a coupling and correct length nipple. But I can't find a NPT die
locally and the few I've seen online are quite expensive for what I'm
doing.

Do you know of a chrome slip-on spout with diverter that will fit
galvanized pipe?

Or do you know of an easy way to extend galvanized pipe just 1/2 inch?

Thanks,

Anthony

Any chance of thick epoxy plus one of the thread type spouts? I don't know what the opening in the spout looks like, but if epoxy could fill the space, it might be a solution.

On Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 12:51:23 AM UTC-5, HerHusband wrote:
I need to install a new tub spout at my mom's house so we can sell the
house. It currently has a galvanized pipe stub sticking out of the wall.
Unfortunately, the pipe is about 1/2 inch too short for the tub spout to
thread on.

I thought about using a slip-on style of tub spout, but the ones I have
seen are made for copper pipe which has a smaller OD than galvanized pipe..

Ideally I would just remove the existing pipe stub and thread in a longer
pipe nipple. Unfortunately I tried doing that and the piping in the wall
started to bend. So that's not an option. I don't have the time or money
for this to turn into a larger project, we just need to sell the house.

I can't think of an easy way to extend the galvanized pipe just one half of
an inch. Adding a coupler and a short nipple is still too long.

I thought about cutting back the pipe and rethreading the end so I could
install a coupling and correct length nipple. But I can't find a NPT die
locally and the few I've seen online are quite expensive for what I'm
doing.

Do you know of a chrome slip-on spout with diverter that will fit
galvanized pipe?

Or do you know of an easy way to extend galvanized pipe just 1/2 inch?

Thanks,

Anthony

Take a look at the links and see if it gives you an idea of what to do. If you have a vice you could trim the female part of the brass fitting. Your local hardware, plumbing supply or big box store may have the same items. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Meta.../dp/B0070TVKBM

https://www.amazon.com/LASCO-03-6011.../dp/B00HYWCIQQ

[8~{} Uncle Plumbing Monster

On Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 1:51:23 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
I need to install a new tub spout at my mom's house so we can sell the
house. It currently has a galvanized pipe stub sticking out of the wall.
Unfortunately, the pipe is about 1/2 inch too short for the tub spout to
thread on.

I thought about using a slip-on style of tub spout, but the ones I have
seen are made for copper pipe which has a smaller OD than galvanized pipe.

Ideally I would just remove the existing pipe stub and thread in a longer
pipe nipple. Unfortunately I tried doing that and the piping in the wall
started to bend. So that's not an option. I don't have the time or money
for this to turn into a larger project, we just need to sell the house.

I can't think of an easy way to extend the galvanized pipe just one half of
an inch. Adding a coupler and a short nipple is still too long.

I thought about cutting back the pipe and rethreading the end so I could
install a coupling and correct length nipple. But I can't find a NPT die
locally and the few I've seen online are quite expensive for what I'm
doing.

Do you know of a chrome slip-on spout with diverter that will fit
galvanized pipe?

Or do you know of an easy way to extend galvanized pipe just 1/2 inch?

Thanks,

Anthony

Is there enough play in the pipes to pull them forward, perhaps via the faucets?

Yeah, I know that might pull the faucets forward too, but I can't see what you have from
where I'm sitting so I just tossing it out there. Maybe the faucets come forward but an
escutcheon plate could cover the gap.

On 6/11/2017 6:59 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 1:51:23 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
I need to install a new tub spout at my mom's house so we can sell the
house. It currently has a galvanized pipe stub sticking out of the wall.
Unfortunately, the pipe is about 1/2 inch too short for the tub spout to
thread on.

I thought about using a slip-on style of tub spout, but the ones I have
seen are made for copper pipe which has a smaller OD than galvanized pipe.

Ideally I would just remove the existing pipe stub and thread in a longer
pipe nipple. Unfortunately I tried doing that and the piping in the wall
started to bend. So that's not an option. I don't have the time or money
for this to turn into a larger project, we just need to sell the house.

I can't think of an easy way to extend the galvanized pipe just one half of
an inch. Adding a coupler and a short nipple is still too long.

I thought about cutting back the pipe and rethreading the end so I could
install a coupling and correct length nipple. But I can't find a NPT die
locally and the few I've seen online are quite expensive for what I'm
doing.

Do you know of a chrome slip-on spout with diverter that will fit
galvanized pipe?

Or do you know of an easy way to extend galvanized pipe just 1/2 inch?

Thanks,

Anthony
Is there enough play in the pipes to pull them forward, perhaps via the faucets?

Yeah, I know that might pull the faucets forward too, but I can't see what you have from
where I'm sitting so I just tossing it out there. Maybe the faucets come forward but an
escutcheon plate could cover the gap.

Better yet , cut some off the wall end of the spout . Screw it on to
a piece of pipe long enough to grip in a vise so you're not chasing it
around ... and if the cut isn't perfect , it should be caulked anyway to
keep water from getting behind it .

--

Snag

On Sun, 11 Jun 2017 05:47:39 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

I need to install a new tub spout at my mom's house so we can sell the
house. It currently has a galvanized pipe stub sticking out of the wall.
Unfortunately, the pipe is about 1/2 inch too short for the tub spout to
thread on.

I thought about using a slip-on style of tub spout, but the ones I have
seen are made for copper pipe which has a smaller OD than galvanized pipe.

Ideally I would just remove the existing pipe stub and thread in a longer
pipe nipple. Unfortunately I tried doing that and the piping in the wall
started to bend. So that's not an option. I don't have the time or money
for this to turn into a larger project, we just need to sell the house.

I can't think of an easy way to extend the galvanized pipe just one half of
an inch. Adding a coupler and a short nipple is still too long.

I thought about cutting back the pipe and rethreading the end so I could
install a coupling and correct length nipple. But I can't find a NPT die
locally and the few I've seen online are quite expensive for what I'm
doing.

Do you know of a chrome slip-on spout with diverter that will fit
galvanized pipe?

Or do you know of an easy way to extend galvanized pipe just 1/2 inch?

You may be able to use a 3/4 fip copper female with a short piece of
copper sweated in it (or a 3/4 fip female to 1/2 sweat female to use
1/2) to allow a slip-fit diverter to slide on.
--
Mr.E

Hire a professional plumber to do the job right.

Take a look at the links and see if it gives you an idea of what to
do. If you have a vice you could trim the female part of the brass
fitting. Your local hardware, plumbing supply or big box store may
have the same items.

https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Meta...male/dp/B0070T
VKBM

https://www.amazon.com/LASCO-03-6011...d/dp/B00HYWCIQ
Q

That first adapter is what I had in mind if I can find one locally. I'll
have a look at Lowes this afternoon.

I actually thought about that spacer trim ring this morning. But I think
even with a close nipple and coupling it would put the spout too far from
the wall for a trim ring to fill the gap.

Another option is to cut the galvanized pipe back and use a "dresser"
compression coupling to add a pipe nipple to the end to get the length I
need. But I'm not sure the dresser fitting will fit inside the spout. I'll
have to take a look at one in person today to see how big they are.

I'm also going to see if I can find a slip on spout that will fit
galvanized pipe. That would certainly be the easiest option.

I thought about trying to cut the back end of the spout shorter, but
figured that would look terrible as it would be very difficult to get a
straight cut on an odd sized piece of thin metal.

Thanks!

Anthony

You may be able to use a 3/4 fip copper female with a short piece of
copper sweated in it (or a 3/4 fip female to 1/2 sweat female to use
1/2) to allow a slip-fit diverter to slide on.

Unfortunately, the slip fit spouts usually have the sealing ring back
closer to the wall. So adding a short copper stub to the end of the
existing pipe wouldn't work.

Anthony

Is there enough play in the pipes to pull them forward, perhaps via
the faucets?

Nope, the faucet and pipes are quite secure in the wall. At least as far as
pulling it forward is concerned.

Something in the wall started to move when I tried to remove the galvanized
pipe nipple. It felt like the pipe in the wall was bending, but regardless
I could tell that was a can of worms I didn't want to get in to. I've
dealt with enough galvanized pipe at my in-laws to know that always turns
into a bigger project.

Mom let the house fall apart over the last 20 years, so we're planning to
sell it as-is anyway. We live too far away to do any major repairs, I'm
just trying to fix up some of the simple things that make it look worse
than it really is.

Thanks,

Anthony

Any chance of thick epoxy plus one of the thread type spouts? I don't
know what the opening in the spout looks like, but if epoxy could fill
the space, it might be a solution.

Nope, there's at least 1/2 inch between the pipe nipple and the threads
inside the tub spout.

Anthony

On Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 11:56:08 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
Is there enough play in the pipes to pull them forward, perhaps via
the faucets?

Nope, the faucet and pipes are quite secure in the wall. At least as far as
pulling it forward is concerned.

Something in the wall started to move when I tried to remove the galvanized
pipe nipple. It felt like the pipe in the wall was bending, but regardless
I could tell that was a can of worms I didn't want to get in to. I've
dealt with enough galvanized pipe at my in-laws to know that always turns
into a bigger project.


+1

How far you want to push it also depends on if you have access from the other side of the wall if it goes south. Sounds like uncle's brass extender is a good solution if there is room for it to fit where it meets the spot. Local plumbing supply should have it if HD doesn't.



Mom let the house fall apart over the last 20 years, so we're planning to
sell it as-is anyway. We live too far away to do any major repairs, I'm
just trying to fix up some of the simple things that make it look worse
than it really is.

Thanks,

Anthony

On 6/11/17 10:43 AM, HerHusband wrote:

https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Meta...male/dp/B0070T
VKBM

That first adapter is what I had in mind if I can find one locally. I'll
have a look at Lowes this afternoon.

A bunch cut here and there. Ace Hardware is a good place to look.
Our local
one has a lot of those brass fittings.


Thanks!
Anthony

What's on the other/back side of the wall where the faucet is located? That as saved my butt a few times over 60 years of do-it-yourselfing.

Take a look at the links and see if it gives you an idea of what to
do. If you have a vice you could trim the female part of the brass
fitting. Your local hardware, plumbing supply or big box store may
have the same items.
https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Meta...emale/dp/B0070
TVKBM

No luck finding anything like this at Lowes. I don't have time to waste
running all over town trying to find one, so I just ordered the one from
Amazon. I also ordered a couple of different spout trim rings in case I end
up with a gap that needs filled.

The "Dresser" compression fitting I had thought of is HUGE. No way that was
going to fit inside the tub spout.

I also looked at several different spouts and all had exactly the same
offset as the spout I already have. So I might as well make the one I have
work.

Anthony

What's on the other/back side of the wall where the faucet is located?

Unfortunately, there is a corner shower on the back side of the wall in the
other bathroom. So no access from the back, even if I wanted to tear into
it (which I don't).

Her house is two hours away from me. We're busy moving her to an assisted
living home, so I don't have the time or money to invest in major repairs.
Just trying to fix anything small that we can before we try selling it.

Anthony

On Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 6:17:24 PM UTC-5, HerHusband wrote:
Take a look at the links and see if it gives you an idea of what to
do. If you have a vice you could trim the female part of the brass
fitting. Your local hardware, plumbing supply or big box store may
have the same items.
https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Meta...emale/dp/B0070
TVKBM

No luck finding anything like this at Lowes. I don't have time to waste
running all over town trying to find one, so I just ordered the one from
Amazon. I also ordered a couple of different spout trim rings in case I end
up with a gap that needs filled.

The "Dresser" compression fitting I had thought of is HUGE. No way that was
going to fit inside the tub spout.

I also looked at several different spouts and all had exactly the same
offset as the spout I already have. So I might as well make the one I have
work.

Anthony

I was thinking that you can also use a piece of 1/2" thick plexiglas to make a trim ring or square. I used to have all kinds of sources of custom made parts but all the crotchety old guys I dealt with to get that sort of thing have passed away and I can no longer work. It's frustrating. I'd go completely bonkers without The Internet to amuse myself. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Bonkers Monster

if the home has lots of galavnized, you might be better off replumbing with pEX. its super cheap and easy to work with..

attempting to sell a home with galavinixed plumbing will be a big hassle, and result in abig price cut to pay for replumbing

You should be able to use a hack saw to cut off the wall end of a replacement spout to make it short enough to work with the current nipple. Then use a bead of caulk to fill whatever gap remains. This isn't rocket science, just basic handyman stuff.

You should be able to use a hack saw to cut off the wall end of a
replacement spout to make it short enough to work with the current
nipple. Then use a bead of caulk to fill whatever gap remains. This
isn't rocket science, just basic handyman stuff.

It's not hard to do, but it's difficult to do well.

The spouts are made of a thin metal, covered with a thinner layer of chrome
plating. Making a straight cut on the odd shaped spout would hard enough,
and the plating would most likely chip where it was cut.

I think the adapter Uncle shared the link too will accomplish what I need.

Anthony

if the home has lots of galavnized, you might be better off replumbing
with pEX. its super cheap and easy to work with..
attempting to sell a home with galavinixed plumbing will be a big
hassle, and result in a big price cut to pay for replumbing

While I was replacing the cartridge in the shower faucet I could see the
plumbing in the wall was copper. I'm guessing the galvanized pipe nipple
was added later by someone to accomodate an odd tub spout.

In any case, there are much bigger problems with the house than the minor
problems with the plumbing fixtures. The furnace hasn't worked in years,
the roof leaks, windows are broken, the carpets are severely stained and
damaged, the ceilings and walls are covered in nicotene from smoking, the
exterior hasn't been painted in 15+ years, the garage door is falling
apart, the yard was overgrown to 4 feet tall, etc. There's far more work to
do than we can accomplish from a distance in a reasonable amount of time.
We are planning to sell it as-is, and expect to take a major price cut due
to all the needed repairs.

Our main concern is getting mom in an assisted living home where she can
get the care and help she needs. The house is just a burden we need to get
rid of.

Anthony

The 1/2 by 1/2 adapter from Uncle sure looks like it should solve the problem for well under $10.00.

I would start talking to Realtors as soon as possible. They should be able to tell you what they think are the "Must Haves" in the way of repairs to sell the house. It sounds like you are talking $50,000 or more off the price compared to a "regular" listing, but there are probably some minimum things that should be working to help sell it quickly at a reasonable price.

Check with 3 (or maybe more) Realtors and see if they give you similar stories.

i think you can find the way to finish it.

On Sunday, June 11, 2017 at 11:50:39 PM UTC-5, wrote:
The 1/2 by 1/2 adapter from Uncle sure looks like it should solve the problem for well under $10.00.

I would start talking to Realtors as soon as possible. They should be able to tell you what they think are the "Must Haves" in the way of repairs to sell the house. It sounds like you are talking $50,000 or more off the price compared to a "regular" listing, but there are probably some minimum things that should be working to help sell it quickly at a reasonable price.

Check with 3 (or maybe more) Realtors and see if they give you similar stories.

Heck, a new owner would probably tear out the bathroom and start over along with the kitchen. I suppose the remodel funds could be included in the home loan. Older home buyers would want handicap friendly features like handholds, a walk-in tub and wider doors. A house flipper, not so much. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Flippin Monster

On Monday, June 12, 2017 at 12:05:08 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
if the home has lots of galavnized, you might be better off replumbing
with pEX. its super cheap and easy to work with..
attempting to sell a home with galavinixed plumbing will be a big
hassle, and result in a big price cut to pay for replumbing

While I was replacing the cartridge in the shower faucet I could see the
plumbing in the wall was copper. I'm guessing the galvanized pipe nipple
was added later by someone to accomodate an odd tub spout.

In any case, there are much bigger problems with the house than the minor
problems with the plumbing fixtures. The furnace hasn't worked in years,
the roof leaks, windows are broken, the carpets are severely stained and
damaged, the ceilings and walls are covered in nicotene from smoking, the
exterior hasn't been painted in 15+ years, the garage door is falling
apart, the yard was overgrown to 4 feet tall, etc. There's far more work to
do than we can accomplish from a distance in a reasonable amount of time.
We are planning to sell it as-is, and expect to take a major price cut due
to all the needed repairs.

Our main concern is getting mom in an assisted living home where she can
get the care and help she needs. The house is just a burden we need to get
rid of.

Anthony

Putting lipstick on a pig.

I've driven the 5 hour trip to my parent's place more times than I can count over the last 3 years
doing much the same as you. I ripped out old and dangerous wiring that my grandfather did
over the years, put new bottoms in the kitchen sink cabinets, changed very out dated light
fixtures, etc. It's a duplex that grandpa built back in the 60's. He was an artist as a mason,
but plumbing and electrical weren't his strong suit. My brother and I did our best to remove
the red flags that would have turned people around as soon as they walked in the door.

We did something right. Dad got 2 first day offers for the over-priced asking price, one of
which was cash. We'll see how the negotiations go as there are still issues with the house.
We assume it's a landlord who will need to get a CO, so there may be some things to fix
or bring up to code.

Good luck with your mom. My parents moved to independent living in a senior living
community about 5 years ago and just moved into assisted living last year. My sister
had been living in half the duplex and we used the other half when we went to visit.
It's hotels from now on.

Putting lipstick on a pig.

Yep, that's our basic plan. Fix up the cosmetic issues (like the dripping
shower and goofy tub spout she had), and leave the more major repairs for
the new buyer.

Good luck with your mom. My parents moved to independent living in a
senior living community about 5 years ago and just moved into assisted
living last year.

Thanks. My mom cut off all contact with everyone 20 years ago, so we know
next to nothing about her life during that time. Turns out she was living
like a hermit in a filthy house just letting it all fall apart. So
different from the compulsive cleaner she used to be.

Mom had a stroke a few weeks ago. The whole rehab and assisted living thing
has been a major learning experience for us. So much to figure out in a
short amount of time.

Anthony

The 1/2 by 1/2 adapter from Uncle sure looks like it should solve the
problem for well under $10.00.

I'm hoping so. I don't really want to invest too much time and effort into
it.

I would start talking to Realtors as soon as possible. They should be
able to tell you what they think are the "Must Haves" in the way of
repairs to sell the house. It sounds like you are talking $50,000 or
more off the price compared to a "regular" listing, but there are
probably some minimum things that should be working to help sell it
quickly at a reasonable price.

I put out a few feelers to realtors but haven't had the time to follow up
on it yet. We're not too concerned about the selling price, as Medicaid
basically requires you to go broke before they'll start paying anything. A
higher selling price would just mean another 6-12 months living off her own
money before she can apply for Medicaid.

Anthony

On Mon, 12 Jun 2017 04:01:28 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

if the home has lots of galavnized, you might be better off replumbing
with pEX. its super cheap and easy to work with..
attempting to sell a home with galavinixed plumbing will be a big
hassle, and result in a big price cut to pay for replumbing

While I was replacing the cartridge in the shower faucet I could see the
plumbing in the wall was copper. I'm guessing the galvanized pipe nipple
was added later by someone to accomodate an odd tub spout.

In any case, there are much bigger problems with the house than the minor
problems with the plumbing fixtures. The furnace hasn't worked in years,
the roof leaks, windows are broken, the carpets are severely stained and
damaged, the ceilings and walls are covered in nicotene from smoking, the
exterior hasn't been painted in 15+ years, the garage door is falling
apart, the yard was overgrown to 4 feet tall, etc. There's far more work to
do than we can accomplish from a distance in a reasonable amount of time.
We are planning to sell it as-is, and expect to take a major price cut due
to all the needed repairs.

Our main concern is getting mom in an assisted living home where she can
get the care and help she needs. The house is just a burden we need to get
rid of.

Anthony
Hira a bulldozer and sell the lot.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 11 Jun 2017 15:43:59 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

That first adapter is what I had in mind if I can find one locally. I'll
have a look at Lowes this afternoon.

Talk to someone at a plumbing supply store. They all sell to
non-plumbers, and he may have something no one here has thought of.

And he'll have the adapter too.

On Monday, June 12, 2017 at 9:13:42 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
The 1/2 by 1/2 adapter from Uncle sure looks like it should solve the
problem for well under $10.00.

I'm hoping so. I don't really want to invest too much time and effort into
it.

I would start talking to Realtors as soon as possible. They should be
able to tell you what they think are the "Must Haves" in the way of
repairs to sell the house. It sounds like you are talking $50,000 or
more off the price compared to a "regular" listing, but there are
probably some minimum things that should be working to help sell it
quickly at a reasonable price.

I put out a few feelers to realtors but haven't had the time to follow up
on it yet. We're not too concerned about the selling price, as Medicaid
basically requires you to go broke before they'll start paying anything. A
higher selling price would just mean another 6-12 months living off her own
money before she can apply for Medicaid.

Anthony

It's not an actual rule, but a fairly common occurrence:

The more money she has for self-funding her care, the better a place she
may be able to move into. Once she's there, she won't get kicked out once
the Medicaid benefits kick in.

Underselling the house may mean lower quality care for mom.

On 6/12/17 12:01 AM, HerHusband wrote:
The house is just a burden we need to get
rid of.

Is this a case for the "We Buy Houses" guys?
Considering the rest of the problems you listed, the tub is
small potatoes and probably not worth the bother.

The house sounds like it's a prime candidate for a remodeler
to come in, rip the walls, wires, and plumbing out, and
start over...

How much time have you already spent worrying about and
fiddling with this stupid faucet, when you could actually do
something about something else, like the weeds.

We've already mowed the weeds down, propped up the falling fence, fixed a
leaking faucet, installed new locks, and a host of other small
improvements. We enjoy doing home improvements so we've had fun fixing the
little things even if it doesn't make any difference in the selling price.
These small improvements don't cost much and I enjoy the challenge of
trying to solve odd problems like the tub spout.

Yes, we need to sell the house, and there are bigger projects we won't have
the time or money to get to. But why not fix the small things we can. We
are spending a fair amount of time at the house, so we benefit from the
small improvements we've done.

Anthony

On Mon, 12 Jun 2017 23:23:53 -0400, John Albert
wrote:

On 6/12/17 12:01 AM, HerHusband wrote:
The house is just a burden we need to get
rid of.

Is this a case for the "We Buy Houses" guys?
Considering the rest of the problems you listed, the tub is
small potatoes and probably not worth the bother.

The house sounds like it's a prime candidate for a remodeler
to come in, rip the walls, wires, and plumbing out, and
start over...
If it's in a good area the lot is worth more empty.

If it's in a good area the lot is worth more empty.

Unfortunately, mom's house is in a rural and remote little town in the
desert. I'm not expecting a quick sale considering the area it is in. Who
knows, maybe I'll be surprised.

We can't sell it till mom gets moved and we know what to do with her
belongings anyway. It's cheaper to leave it all in the house than to rent a
storage unit.

Anthony

On 6/13/2017 10:00 AM, HerHusband wrote:
If it's in a good area the lot is worth more empty.

Unfortunately, mom's house is in a rural and remote little town in the
desert. I'm not expecting a quick sale considering the area it is in. Who
knows, maybe I'll be surprised.

We can't sell it till mom gets moved and we know what to do with her
belongings anyway. It's cheaper to leave it all in the house than to rent a
storage unit.

Anthony


Seems silly to pay to store things that she will probably never need or
use again. Better to have a one time sale or give away. When we sold
my mother's house we had someone come in, empty everything, sell it at a
flea market. We got a few bucks when stuff was sold.

On Tue, 13 Jun 2017 14:00:27 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

If it's in a good area the lot is worth more empty.

Unfortunately, mom's house is in a rural and remote little town in the
desert. I'm not expecting a quick sale considering the area it is in. Who
knows, maybe I'll be surprised.

We can't sell it till mom gets moved and we know what to do with her
belongings anyway. It's cheaper to leave it all in the house than to rent a
storage unit.

Anthony
My kid brother lives in a small town in that remote portion of North
Dakota known as Saskatchewan. He owns the first property outside town
on the main road, and the property next to him came up for sale about
2 years ago. It shares his driveway. The asking price, with a 2 year
old roof, wiring, and plumbing, including appliances less than 5 years
old and a 2 year old lawn tractor was $5000 Canadian.
He said he just KNEW what kind of neighbours he'd get for $5000, so he
bought it. The seller had not managed to sell his late seventies
Lincoln Town Car by the time he left town, so he signed it over as
part of the deal.

Perfectly liveable little house, with no plumbing or electrical
issues, and a good roof. You need to truck in your water, and pump out
the sewage (no town sewers, and no weeping beds allowed - and
gawdawful water - but only $5K
A few miles up the road, where you CAN put in a septic tank, and the
water is still terrible, the property would have been worth about 4X
as much. Get up into Yorkton it would be about $60,000 - $120,000. 30
km south in Mellvile, about $35000

Seems silly to pay to store things that she will probably never need
or use again. Better to have a one time sale or give away.

We plan to have a yard sale for her remaining items once we know what
she'll be able to use in her assisted living apartment. We also want to be
sure she is going to stay in the assisted living before we get rid of her
things. She says she's fine with it now, but I'll give it a few weeks to be
sure.

I would much rather sell as much as we can than to have to haul it all back
home with us.

Anthony

Well, I finally got back over to mom's house but things didn't quite go
as planned...

I received the adapter fitting you gave me the link to:

https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Meta...male/dp/B0070T
VKBM

I threaded it on the existing stub out, but it still stuck out about a
1/4" too far from the wall. No worries, I bought a trim ring too, so I
stuck that to the shower wall with some plumbers putty and starting
screwing on the tub spout (hand pressure only). It was all going so well
until I was about 1/8" from seating the spout. That's when the pipe
inside the wall broke loose! Dang.

So, I removed the tub spout and fitting. Couldn't get the stub to come
out through the hole in the shower surround, so I let it drop inside the
wall. I looked inside with a flashlight and could see the elbow that was
soldered to the pipe slipped off the end of the pipe. Bad solder joint.
Grr...

I did some measuring to see what was on the back side of the wall, then
used a long screwdriver to make an exploratory hole into the adjacent
room. Naturally, it was right behind the toilet (not the shower as I
originally thought).

I removed the toilet tank, and cut a small 6"x8" access hole so I could
get inside the wall.

Whoever the "professional plumber" was who installed this did a terrible
job. Not only was the solder joint bad, but they did not anchor the drop
ear elbow. They had simply hammered one of the ears into the side of a
stud.

Fixing this will be tricky since the pipe runs right alongside a stud.
There's certainly no room to get in there with a torch next to the stud
and plastic tub surround, even with a heat shield.

I'm not crazy about sharkbite fittings, but it seems like the most
workable solution in this situation. Unfortunately, I will need to cut
the pipe back to get clean pipe. I'm not sure how I'm going to get in
there to cut the pipe since it's right next to the stud.

Assuming I can get the pipe fixed, I need to figure out how to secure the
new drop ear elbow from the back side.

Sheesh, this was suppose to be such a simple repair. I'm about ready to
say screw it and let the next homeowner deal with it, but it has become
something of a challenge now. I'm determined to fix it!

Yeah, the next homeowner will probably come in and gut everything,
ripping out my proud new work, but I'll have peace of mind.

Anthony

On Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 11:14:02 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
Well, I finally got back over to mom's house but things didn't quite go
as planned...

I received the adapter fitting you gave me the link to:

https://www.amazon.com/Anderson-Meta...male/dp/B0070T
VKBM

I threaded it on the existing stub out, but it still stuck out about a
1/4" too far from the wall. No worries, I bought a trim ring too, so I
stuck that to the shower wall with some plumbers putty and starting
screwing on the tub spout (hand pressure only). It was all going so well
until I was about 1/8" from seating the spout. That's when the pipe
inside the wall broke loose! Dang.

So, I removed the tub spout and fitting. Couldn't get the stub to come
out through the hole in the shower surround, so I let it drop inside the
wall. I looked inside with a flashlight and could see the elbow that was
soldered to the pipe slipped off the end of the pipe. Bad solder joint.
Grr...

I did some measuring to see what was on the back side of the wall, then
used a long screwdriver to make an exploratory hole into the adjacent
room. Naturally, it was right behind the toilet (not the shower as I
originally thought).

I removed the toilet tank, and cut a small 6"x8" access hole so I could
get inside the wall.

Whoever the "professional plumber" was who installed this did a terrible
job. Not only was the solder joint bad, but they did not anchor the drop
ear elbow. They had simply hammered one of the ears into the side of a
stud.

Fixing this will be tricky since the pipe runs right alongside a stud.
There's certainly no room to get in there with a torch next to the stud
and plastic tub surround, even with a heat shield.

I'm not crazy about sharkbite fittings, but it seems like the most
workable solution in this situation. Unfortunately, I will need to cut
the pipe back to get clean pipe. I'm not sure how I'm going to get in
there to cut the pipe since it's right next to the stud.

Assuming I can get the pipe fixed, I need to figure out how to secure the
new drop ear elbow from the back side.

Sheesh, this was suppose to be such a simple repair. I'm about ready to
say screw it and let the next homeowner deal with it, but it has become
something of a challenge now. I'm determined to fix it!

Yeah, the next homeowner will probably come in and gut everything,
ripping out my proud new work, but I'll have peace of mind.

Anthony

Sorry to hear that. It's the bad scenario we all agreed can easily
happen when you start trying to fix old plumbing that you have no
or limited access to. Given that this is a fixer upper in need of
a lot of repairs, I would not hesitate to use sharkbite if it makes
things easier. Good chance it's all going to be ripped out soon
anyway.

Sorry to hear that. It's the bad scenario we all agreed can easily
happen when you start trying to fix old plumbing that you have no
or limited access to.

All I wanted to do was replace the tub spout...

I've had a lot of experience with old plumbing at my in-laws house
(galvanized pipe, even worse). I've learned nothing is easy when it comes
to old plumbing.

Given that this is a fixer upper in need of a lot of repairs, I would not
hesitate to use sharkbite if it makes things easier.

Access is going to be the biggest problem.

I won't be able to get back to mom's house for a few days.

Anthony