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Tool Tips - August 2010

August 1, 2010
Closet Flange Help
Commercial Floor Drain Debris
Cutting Holes In Corrugated Steel

Closet Flange Help

When roughing a bathroom and you need to hold the closet flange up for cement board and tile, say 3/4 inch, cut three pieces of 1/2-inch copper pipe 3/4-inch long. Stand them on end under the flange where screw holes are (not the bolt slots). Run a screw through the center of the copper and your flange is set at 3/4-inch and tight.

Sam Matson
Thomas H. Matson & Son
Cincinnati, Ohio

Commercial Floor Drain Debris

Most commercial kitchen managers swear their employees don’t drop foreign debris into floor drains. But without removing debris, it can be difficult to convince them. So I use my wet vac to vacuum the water and debris from the p-trap first. Then I use a full-size blade to thoroughly clean the pipe. The wet vac removes all sorts of debris, such as glass and silverware, that normally would be pushed downline.

John Driscoll Jr.
A to Z Statewide Plumbing
West Park, Fla.

Cutting Holes In Corrugated Steel

Ever try to cut a hole in a corrugated steel deck with a large hole saw? Instant disaster! After breaking the pilot bit seven times, the hole saw won’t stay still anyway.

The solution: Cut the same size hole in a small piece of 3/4-inch plywood. Screw it down tightly over the deck location and use as a guide. Don't use any type of pilot bit. Instead, a clutched right-angle drill is better.

Mark Boucher
Happy Home Plumbing and Heating
Atkinson, N.H.

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