Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeroβs radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
QUESTION: I have two sinks, both in my kitchen, that seem to be coming detached from the granite counter tops. How do I get them reattached? Can I just use some kind of adhesive to reattach them or is it more complicated than that? Iβve been living in the house for about seven years.
ANSWER: After looking at some photos you sent us of the area under the sinks, it appears that your sinks were never firmly anchored to the countertop with clamps underneath the cabinet. There are little clips that have to be screwed into the counter. Contact a plumber and have him anchor the sinks from the bottom up.
Q: Iβm having a bathroom shower rebuilt after a fire in my house. One contractor started the job and quit, and now I have a new contractor who wants to use different materials in rebuilding the shower. That means heβd have to tear out the work that was already done. This new contractor wants to use a different kind of backer board than what was installed by the first contractor. What should I do? It could make the job more expensive, and Iβm not sure the insurance company will pay for the new materials.
A: Check with the insurance company on what they will do, but generally Iβd say you should do the job the way the contractor wants to do it. If you donβt, he might not give you a warranty when the shower is done. If you canβt get the extra money from the insurance company, you may be able to file a claim against the first contractor, if he is licensed with the state. You can also apply for reimbursement from the contractorsβ recovery fund at the Arizona Registrar of Contractors provided that the first contractor was licensed with the registrar.
Q: When the irrigation system in the yard outside my Oro Valley house is running, all the faucets in my house start running warm water and then hot water when you turn them on, including the cold water faucets. Why does this happen? I recently took a hot water circulating pump out of the house. Could that be the issue?
A: When you removed the pump, you might have created the problem. But it might also be possible that the water pressure in your house is set too low. You need to have a plumber pay a visit to determine the cause of the issue.
Q: Iβm renting a 1920s-era adobe home. I love the house and the rent is cheap. There is water pressure in two bathrooms, but the tub in one bathroom gets only a dribble of water from the faucet. There is good pressure for the sink and the toilet. But the kitchen sink also dribbles hot and cold. Is there anything I can fix myself or should I get the landlord to pay for a plumber?
A: Itβs possible in a home that old that there could be very fragile galvanized plumbing with a lot of problems. The valves on some of those faucets may be all gummed up, and that might be easy to fix. However, you donβt want to work on them yourself. When you twist an old valve out of a galvanized fitting, you can crack off the threads on the pipes and even break pipes as well. Get after the landlord to pay for a plumber.
