shutting off bathroom water for weeks maybe

[Mary]

Our 1974 double wide needs extensive plumbing repair in the shower and garden tub, and the cost is overwhelming right now. The plumber needs to go under the home, through the wall, etc. and replace pipes and faucets, etc.
As the shower drips and seemingly cannot be repaired because the pipes are too old and the parts aren't available, etc. (per the plumber), I wonder if we could shut off the water with the shut off valve under the sink.
At least the dripping would stop, and the other bathroom can be used instead. Would this hurt anything? Is the shut-off valve for the shower, toilet and sink?
I know it has to be dealt with, and we will when we get more money. Hopefully will have the reapirs done within a couple of months. Can the water be off until then?
Thanks for any advice anyone has.

[Mark Bower]

Mary,

Most likely the shut-off under the sink shuts off the cold to the sink faucet. Unless it's a main shut-off, then it may shut off everything.

I wonder if there's any agencies in your area which would help people with household repairs. Here in the Dakota's there's a couple. One agency requires that you have owned your home at least a year. I'm sure there's income guidlines too. Might be worth checking in your area.

Any plumbing can be repaired. But sometimes one thing starts to lead to another and in the end money will have been much better spent with new plumbing.

Last winter I had a customer who moved into a home that had been sitting without heat. It had copper pipes and they burst in several areas. I strongly urged him to install new waterlines. He absolutely insisted on fixing the broken spots. As it is with frozen copper, when you think you've fixed one spot another shows up. By the time I finally got him up and going, for $250 more he could have had all new pipes.

Good luck,
Mark
You gotta see my repair manual!

[Bill Fry]

the shutoff value under the sink would only turn off the supply to the sink.To shut off the supply to the rest of the bathroom each supply line to the shower,tub,toilet would haveto be capped if their is no external shutoff to each.

[Bill Fry]

Mark,are you moderating this board?

[Mark]

Chances are if you can get to the fixtures to replace the seals, a good hardware store (not a home store, a real hardware store) will have them. If not for that specific fixture, then a generic seal that might work.

I can't think off hand of any plumbing that you can't get parts for, even the old grey poly that was banned from use in homes you can still get the fittings for at home depot.

There may or may not be shutoffs for all the fixtures, it's required now, but back then it was pretty much anything goes.

[Tom]

Bill, Mark is moderating the forum. Tom

[Tom]

Since we have two Mark's in the forum, I should have said Mark Bower is the moderator. Tom

[Mary]

Thank you for the helpful advice, Mark.
Once we decide to commit to this expensive project (replacing the shower and garden tub faucets and fixtures, due to corrosion and leaks) would it make the most sense to just replace all plumbing/pipes for the whole place?
The plumber has said there are some copper pipes (which he said was a good thing), but from what I read in this website, copper is not the best pipe to have as it corrodes.
We are in central California, where it doesn't snow (once every 30 years doesn't count...) but the weather does get pretty cold, frost on the ground, etc. in the winter.
I figure with a 1974 home it's probably time to replace all pipes, waterlines, etc. Some of them may have been replaced or worked on in the past with the previous owner, but I don't know for sure.
Thanks again for any advice. This site is so incredibly helpful to new owners who can't do much except hang a picture or spackle a wall.... I sure can't do plumbing!

[Mark Bower]

For sure you should have new plumbing pipes installed. Find a plumber who can install PEX. Copper can be frustrating in a mobile home because if it freezes, you'll about need to rip it out and start over again. PEX can freeze and be unaffected.

Mark
You gotta see my repair manual!

[suzy]

mary: we just replaced all of the turn and and off faucets in our 1983 double-wide. we purchased all of the parts at our local hardware store,. We live in a small town in Oklahoma. All of our pipes were replaced three years ago, because we had the poly-pipes that the company was required by law to replace. if its just our faucets, you can not only find them, but you can also put shut off valves to your sinks and shower that go inline. we simply cut thru the walls in our utility room, replaced the bad shower head and turn-ons...and did the same thing in the garden tub, and sinks. you can also purchase in-line shut off valves and install them yourself. the cost is about 1/10 of what a plumber will charge you.

suzy