How To Get A Good Plumber

I have been told we have to use all Kohler brand fixtures in the house we are building because when the "rough" plumbing was installed, they used Kohler valves. Is this true? Is there some way the fittings can be universal and we can purchase say, a Fontaine brand faucet even thought the plumbing out of the wall is Kohler brand? HELP!
I DID ask a plumber. I have been told 2 different things. I wanted to order a bunch of fixtures on eBay and the store told me I had to buy Kohler brand or they wouldnt fit. Maybe its the sinks and toilets that need to be Kohler, and any brand for faucets?

First I will state that I am a licensed plumber. Hope that's not a shock to some of you yahooers to see a lowly plumber here on the boards….Anyway, now that's out of the way i shall continue….

They way you have your terms set you seem a bit confused in regards to your plumbing fixtures. You mentioned the "rough in" plumbing but you never mentioned what "rough in". Was it a 1st rough, 2nd rough, 3rd rough or final rough? These matter to help answer your question. Typically, with the 1st rough the only plumbing that is being done is underground work in the basement, etc for your house's drainage. The 2nd rough brings the drainage piping up out of the basement floor and to the approximate locations of where fixtures and where kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc should be in the house. The 2nd rough is done completed before any fixtures are set. Once the 2nd rough is completed then the plumber doesn't return to the house until the house is nearly finished. This becomes the 3rd rough, where the plumber sets bathtubs and pipes the drain lines to the exact location of sinks, toilets and tubs. Once that is complete the plumber leaves and other contractors complete their work. The plumber then comes back for the final rough. In this final rough is when the fixtures are installed. when i say fixtures, i mean sink bowls, vanities, toilets, etc.

So what i'm trying to tell you, as long as the plumber hasn't completed the final rough of the house, you can change whatever sink, faucet or toilet you like (there are some exceptions to this, but those exceptions are minimal) for the most part you are not limited to just one manufacturer like Kohler If the building subcontractor gives you a hard time, just say that you know better because you spoke with a reputable outside plumber who steered you in the right direction.

On another professional note, I would highly recommend Kohler to you. They make a very nice and very durable/lasting product line. They are American made products which means when it does come time to repair a faucet or toilet that parts are readily available to fix it. I can't tell you the number of times i've shown up at someones house to fix a faucet or toilet and it was some German made one. People tend to get mad when you tell them that since its foreign that parts have to be ordered and it'll take a week or 2 for parts to come it. So once again, Kohler makes a great product line…..so does Moen. So that's something to think about.

As far as those talking about going to Home Depot or somewhere similar, you should really do your homework first. Home Depot and places like that have zero knowledge of specialized fields like plumbing…..again ZERO! FYI, it takes 4 years of plumbing trade school to even apply to take the state exam, 4 years that bozo's at home depot don't have to take to claim they know what they're talking about….anyway, and from professional experience, call around to your local plumbing supply stores (places that only deal in plumbing parts). Usually they have showrooms 2 times the size of what home depot or lowes has anyway, they're more designed to accomodate what you're looking for…..and here's the shock that no one knows…..they're cheaper 90% of the time (the only time they aren't really is if you want some foreign made fixtures).

Well sorry for the long rant, hope my 2 cents helps.

Good luck

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I had the city come out and there is water coming into the house. I can't find any evidence of a burst pipe. What could cause the water not to flow out of any faucets?

check for valves being shut off

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Both of my bathroom sinks drains occasionally emit a foul odor(much like raw sewage) I have cleaned out the traps, but the smells continue to appear mostly when the water is running. Seems as though the problem is most prevalent during periods of heavy, lengthy rain. Thanks in advance to anyone who might have a solution.

Sounds like your vent stack might be blocked. If this is indeed the problem, clear the stack or have a plumber do it, then cover the stack with wire mesh (as I'm guessing a bird's nest).

We are looking at buying a house and wanted to have the water turned on for the house inspection. The water company come and turned the water on… we could hear the water and the meter was spinning but water wouldnt come out of the bathroom sink or kitchen sink. We did soon find out that a line behind the shower had seperated and water was coming out there. We also couldnt find the water shut off valve. We looked everywhere:in the house and in the crawl (which you cant really get into because there isnt enough clearance.) So I have two questions… Where else could the shut of valve be and why isnt water coming out of the two facuets?
The house is a forclosure and the law firm that owns it knows nothing about it. We have no one to ask where the valve is.

Water shutoff are not always there, they should be but they are not. Ideal is to turn off the main shut off to the house, (shut off that is not always there, and in older homes if is, is usually rusted or hard to turn). go to your hotwater heater, follow the pipes(cold water) back until you find the one leading out an exterior wall, on some water heaters you can look on top of it, and where the pipe connects will be H, or C, obviously means hot and cold, follow the cold one back. If you can't find it, then go out to your yard, and you can shut it off from the street in most cases, in the yard will be a metal plate, labeled water company or to the sort, pull cover and you will see meter and a connector to turn, usually has a hole in it so when it matches up the water company can lock you out.

I just moved to a cold area and hadn't before. My plumbing busted and water poured all over. I was able to turn off the water switch.

When I turn off the water do I have to turn off my electric water heater?

When the water in my pipes freezes does the water in the water heater freeze as well? If so does that cause significant damage? (my w/heater is fairly new)
do you think the pipes finally busted because the water began to melt?

Shut off the hot water tank. If the heating elements are exposed, they will be destroyed if the power is still on. The water in the tank most likely did not freeze, but it might have. The ice will expand at about 28 F it is the most volume. At this point, it will break pipes, they will begin to leak when the ice melts and becomes water. You should also drain the water tank to prevent it from freezing. Turn off the power to the tank.

The main reason you may have hot water in your toilet is a bad flapper in the toilet tank or a bad fill valve. either one of these can allow the water to seep into the tank. when you have a mixing valve on your toilet to prevent condensation, some hot water is introduced into the cold water line to warm the water just a little, but when the water just seeps a little at a time the hot water dominates the cold and you get a tank of hot water.

The solution: replace the flapper and/or change the fill valve
Here are links on how to do this:
http://masterplumber.net/how_to.htm
http://masterplumber.net/Change_fil_%20valve.htm