Hi, Vermont has no building code or required building inspection on residential construction. Needless to say this leads to lots of folks getting stuck with shoddy and inferior work. I fired my plumber during a recent new addition and remodel because of such shoddy work. Since there is no residential building code here it is hard to determine right from wrong. I am handy so I took over the remaining plumbing which consisted of sweating some pipe and some drain line reconfiguration and repair. The one I am most confused about is the fact that this guy cut 3 inches into the top of an existing carrying beam consisting of 3 2x8 pieces and 3 pieces of 1/2 plywood in order to get only a 1/8 pitch in a center island kitchen drain pipe. It then lays williy nilley over the tops of heat ducts pitching more then 6 inches. The total distance from the sink to the main outlet is about 30 feet. He said that 1/8 per foot is new code elsewhere and that cutting up to 3 inches in a carrying beam to get the pipe by is acceptable? Help from any plumbers or inspectors in other areas of the country? If I leave the pipe passing 3 inches into the carrier from the top (Notched out) as I don't see much choice for alternatives except drilling straight through, which is too late now can I add a steel plate to the beam and bolt through or will it be ok? It is not sagging or anything but 3 inches into a 2x8 is deep in my view. the spacing between lally columns is pretty short I suspect because the carrier is ony 2x8 and plywood. Any and all advice is appreciated Rick

I have two second story bathrooms, one shower has ample volume and pressure, the other has little volume and weak pressure for both hot and cold supply. All other fixtures in bathrooms work fine,, only the shower is a problem. Both are fed by the same lines. This condition has existed since we moved in the house years ago. How do I determine whether the fixture is bad, something in the line? What do i look for to fix this problem? Thanks.