Tag Archives: Plumbing

Showing TI renovation at Peoria, AZ Real Estate storefront

Peoria Storefront Mop Sink Water Heater TI

This post contains part of the entire tenant improvement project Easy Fit Plumbing participated in in Peoria, Arizona. Part Peoria Storefront Mop Sink Water Heater TI will talk a bit about the challenges we overcame when plumbing in a 20 Gallon water heater on a 5′ stand above a mop sink. What a genius way to tuck away cleaning supplies.

First The Stench

When we first walked into the triple storefront location in Peoria it was in a state of plumbing neglect. The smell in the decades unoccupied space was so pungent that I wore my respirator mask. However my eyes still watered a bit even with the storefront doors open. As I made my way through the space I discovered that the chrome p-traps on all of the lavatories were completely rusted. Wow, the bathrooms in this commercial space in Peoria had not been used in so long that the p-traps rotted away completely.

In this case the rotten p-trap was ok because the commercial restroom I was standing in was to be turned into a cleaning supply corner with mop sink and water heater. First the lavatory without a p-trap had to go. I removed the lavatory supply lines at the angle stops(the main water supply was already off). Then took the whole lavatory, faucet, supply line, angle stop assembly out to the recycler.

Showing double fixture hub at Peoria TI
This is the double hub fixture we turned into a clean out.
Exposed were the hot and cold supply piping that was attached to the angle stops. I cut the piping back behind the plane of the wall and soldered on a cap. Even though the piping was abandoned upstream, we choose to cap any in wall abandoned piping as a precaution. Lastly for the Peoria lavatory conversion was the trap arm adapter. After plumbing demo I discovered the trap arm for the suite we were renovating was attached to the adjacent suites restroom with a double fixture hub. After discussing the trap arm issue with the Project Manager the customer was on board with converting the double fixture hub into a clean out. Once the decision to have a plumbing clean out exposed the plumbing demo of the lavatory was completed and ready for drywall.

Now turning to that old commercial tank toilet. According to the architects plans the toilet had to be removed and converted into a mop sink. The challenge here is to integrate a p-trap of 3″ diameter to seal the sewer sewer from the space. However the opening on a commercial toilet flange is 4″. That means we are required to do some digging to get at the toilet main piping. Starting this part of the restroom conversion was removing the old toilet. Flange bolts came out nicely and we moved the toilet to the recycler.

From A Toilet To A Trap


With the closet flange exposed we determined where to cut and remove the concrete. Since this was a small amount of concrete to be cut and removed to expose the under slab plumbing we were able to use a diamond blade and jackhammer to break up the concrete. With concrete removed we dug up the under slab 4″ PVC pipe that will be our new mop sink drain. Luckily we were able to have enough space with the existing plumbing configuration to fit a mop sink p-trap and align vertically with the with the mop sink drain opening. Taking an increase in pipe size from the outlet of the p-trap we used proper adhesives and attached the new p-trap configuration.

Showing metal stud water heater stand surrounding mop sink.At this point we removed the lavatory, the toilet and converted the underground plumbing into a mop sink configuration. From there we invited The City Of Peoria to inspect and approve our work then backfilled the new under slab commercial plumbing and replaced the concrete. Once the concrete cured we were able to set the mop sink for good. The Peoria storefront is really moving along. The lav is out, the toilet is converted and we have communicated to the framers that the water heater stand over the mop sink is ready to be built.

Water Supply Here, Water Supply There

While Easy Fit Plumbing is waiting on the framers we plumbed what will be the hot and cold supply lines. The mop sink supply lines will be hidden in the wall behind the water heater stand so setting up the 1/2″ copper lines with threaded connections is paramount. To mount the copper supply lines we used the classic copper stub out brackets secured with the threaded adapters provided with the mop sink faucet. Now Easy Fit Plumbing will let the framers make our water heater stand while we move over to the cold supply to the water heater.

Moving on to the cold supply to the water heater Easy Fit Plumbing tapped from the existing commercial grade 3/4″ copper pipe. The cold supply does have a specific order it must go in so our piping to the water heater has to be detailed. One detail that the Peoria inspector commented on was how Easy Fit Plumbing techs ran the expansion tank threaded attachment. It really is an honor to have a Peoria, Arizona inspector pay you a compliment. We are always flattered when people visually enjoy our plumbing work. In this retail storefront case, the piping for the water heater will remain exposed for all to enjoy.

Showing water heater stand over mop sink with drywall.

Proof is in the picture … drywall is on and the water heater is in the process of being installed. That means we passed our rough-in inspection too. Finish connection of the water heater assembly was fun to complete. One of the most interesting is that the T&P valve piping and drain pan piping both drain to the mop sink below, however hidden in the wall behind. Another thoughtfully planned detail. When the tank was in position and the cold supply and hot feed lines connected we screwed on an expansion tank and fired the water heater up. From that point forward the guys on the job had hot water to wash their hands with.

F.I. and C of O

A little later in the project the work was inspected again by The City Of Peoria and the client received a Certificate of Occupancy with a passing final plumbing inspection. Today that Peoria storefront houses offices for independent agents complete with an amazing employee kitchen area. Easy Fit Plumbing looks forward to providing Owners and General Contractors with the experience and skills to turn grey box space into something special.

Showing in-wall piping before old clothes washer host bibs were removed.

Washer Hookup Removal For Mesa Contractor

Renovations in Mesa today have small challenges. Back in the 1950’s Mesa, Arizona, had some crazy plumbing layouts….insert Easy Fit Plumbing. An electrician friend of ours was on a job and they needed a plumber. We’re always available for a Washer Hookup Removal For Mesa Contractor. Thankfully this time we remembered to get before and after photos of the job to share with you.

Showing old 1950's style clothes washer hot and cold supply connections.Originally the washer and dryer in this house were located in the hallway. At the point Easy Fit Plumbing was contacted the washer and dryer had been removed. Additionally the washer standpipe drain and dryer vent had been removed. The issue came in when live clothes washer water lines needed to be moved.What by todays standards would have been a proper plastic washer water box in this case were 1/2 NPT thread to 3/4″ washer hose bibs. The washer hose bibs were terminated using drop ear elbows, which is an approved connection.

Coming into the job site mid-swing is generally a good thing because the piping to be repaired or replaced will be exposed or easily exposed. The exception is sewer pipes .. but that’s for another post. This residential remodel was in mid-swing and the old washer 1/2″ copper supply was behind a drywall patch from a previous renovation phase. Easy Fit Plumbing only had to remove a small piece of drywall which we were able to put back in when the pipe removal was complete.
The cold supply was easily cut being that it was in the middle of the stud cavity. Easy Fit Plumbing left about 4 or so inches of pipe from an existing 1/2 copper supply tee and made the cut. We prepped the 1/2″ copper cold supply for a soldered joint with a cap. Originally piped against a wood stud, the hot supply to the old clothes washer was a bit of a challenge. Easy Fit Plumbing had to use a hack saw to make the cut as none of our pipe cutters would fit such a tight spot. Thankfully Easy Fit Plumbing has the tools on hand to get the job done. We made the cut to maintain a level with the cut cold supply and then prepped the copper end for a cap and solder.

Showing completed work. Soldered copper caps on both 1/2" hot and cold supply.
Showing completed work. Soldered copper caps on both 1/2″ hot and cold supply.

Time had come to test our copper pipe changes for our old washer valves. Soldered joints had cooled and Easy Fit Plumbing began preliminary cleanup. Recharging the water system in an old residence should always be done with care. As a rule turning water supply mains back on should be done slowly and in stages. Always wrap soldered joints that are being tested with a towel when recharging your water system to prevent water spraying if a soldered joint is bad. This plumbing trick is just one of the techniques that set Easy Fit Plumbing technicians apart from the rest.

After replacing the cut drywall the plumbing repairs were completed. The general contractor was relieved that we were able the get the old valves removed and the drywall contractors could resume work. Yet another Arizona renovation general contractor stayed on schedule with the help of Easy Fit Plumbing.

Easy Fit Plumbing provides this Knowledge Base for Updates and information about Arizona Plumbing.

What is “KB”

KB is not a usual term for a public facing website but here at Easy Fit Plumbing it means Knowledge Base. The Knowledge Base is comprised of posts about the company, current trends and safety updates. We encourage users to interact with us via email if you have any questions or have something you would like to see added to the Knowledge Base.

Art Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/tap-water-meadow-drought-nature-4172621/

Easy Fit Plumbing Arizona Origins

Why “Easy Fit” For A Plumbing Business

When starting up the company I could have used many snappy names. Commonly you’ll find guys just using their name … which is a classic way to build trust in the plumbing industry. A possibility; Easy Fit could have easily been Carpenter Plumbing but does that speak to the nature of my approach to the craft?

What’s In The Name
Me. The founder of Easy Fit Plumbing, Shawn Carpenter. One thing stood out to me as I thought about how I work on the job is I easily fit. Flexibility to completion is built in to the training methods I use for my staff. Whether accommodating an overnight schedule or making plumbing majic in tight spaces, Easy Fit easily fits.

Experienced Plumber In Arizona and Across The Nation
Starting with residential, commercial and institutional service and repair in the midwest over 20 years ago Easy Fit Plumbing has continued excellent work here in Arizona. Updating our knowledge of code compliance, we are proud to be a Licensed Commercial Plumbing company throughout this copper state. Up to Bullhead City, Camp Verde and beyond. Far south to Casa Grande and Tucson. Peoria, Phoenix, Goodyear, Glendale, Mesa, Gold Canyon and more have functioning water fixtures in their spaces with the help of Easy Fit Plumbing.

… And sometimes the World
A good plumber is required no matter where you are. Wherever I have been, I have been that plumber. From work in Guatemala with the US Army, multi-story residential in Thailand to observing a hand-made PVC pump to a field well in Cambodia. I’ve traveled with the love of controlling water and learned that water controls so much along the way.

It’s Also About Small Spaces
We just talked about large places, now let’s talk small spaces. The small space reason I chose Easy Fit for the name of my plumbing company is … yes, I fit in small spaces. Places where other plumbers can’t or won’t go I have gone. Sparing you, the reader, the scary detail I’ll just say that the small places are dark, generally rough and usually something is living in there. We do what it takes to ensure the as-built matches the plans as closely as possible.

So there you have it. You now know Why “Easy Fit” For A Plumbing Business; because we are the plumbers that will easily fit in with your next project. You can confidently say you know an experienced plumber here in the valley.