Home Repair & Maintenance

If you have a clogged drain you do not need to call a plumber or buy any expensive drain cleaners. There is an easy and inexpensive way to unclog the drain yourself and this article will guide...

Poor yard drainage usually becomes noticeable after a large rainstorm and you realize you have a lake in your backyard or water pooling near the foundation of your house. Water pooling around the...

A lot of things make their way down the drain, such as hair, grease, food, soap scum and shaving cream. These things can build up and cause a nasty plug, rendering your sink useless. If you want...

Small strands of hair can build up to cause a massive drain clog. A clog can occur at any point in the drain pipe. It may form in the tail pipe connected to the sink or in the p-trap that connects...

A septic system consists of a septic tank, a drain field and associated plumbing. As wastes enter the system, solids are trapped in the septic tank and liquids continue on to your drain field....

A clogged toilet is a major annoyance. It can't be ignored since everyone uses the toilet several times a day, and problems with it can get very messy. You don't want to make a bigger mess out of...

Calcium deposits form on surfaces that hard water touches. Although these deposits occur naturally, they can cost you a lot of money if you don't remove them. Calcium deposits can cause a water...

With high energy costs even for minimal winter heating, most people with summer homes in Northern states do a complete winterizing process come fall. This prevents burst water pipes, both...

If the pipes in your kitchen sink are worn out and starting to clog, you may need to replace them. Whether the pipes are old or new, brass or metal, PVC or plastic, the method to connect the pipes...

Making a water heater last longer is simple and easy to do. While it won't guarantee a really long time, it will definitely add more time to this needed appliance.

At some point, your InSinkErator will wear down and need to be removed from the sink and replaced. While hiring a professional to remove it is a possibility, removing the InSinkErator on your own...

If the pipes in your bathroom sink are worn out, they may need to be replaced, because the water must go somewhere. Whether the pipes are metal, PVC or plastic, the method to connect them is...

When a toilet clogs up, most people reach for the plunger. However, a toilet auger does a better job on the worst clogs. Also called a closet auger (after the water closet), the toilet auger is...

Clearing the drains doesn't have to involve expensive cleaners, homemade drainers made from items found in the pantry can be just as effective. Besides being cheaper, these drain cleaners are also...

The removal procedure for a Kohler faucet is similar to that of other faucets. Once you have collected the tools and turned off the faucet's water supply, you will be working under the sink to...

Septic tanks and their drainfields are mini-waste management systems that work similar to a city's sewer system. The only difference is you have to treat the septic systems by pumping the waste...

Many leaks from the kitchen sink are due to a faulty sink drain basket. The sink drain basket is sealed to the sink with plumber's putty. The plumber's putty will develop cracks over a period of...

Flexible sink drain hoses are available for most under-sink plumbing needs. The type of flexible drain hose you need to use will depend on the plumbing or appliance that you need to connect to the...

Plumbing fixtures such as a sink or tub are equipped with a drain. In time, the seals wear away or crumble with age and must be repaired. A leaky sink drain can cause major water damage under the...

When you start noticing that your drain is emptying slowly or that the sink will not stay filled with water, it may be time to repair or replace the drain cap. The drain cap is the stopper in the...

Kitchen sink plumbing is composed of supply lines and drain pipes. Each of these systems is separate from the other. By using modern plumbing materials and fittings, plumbing a new kitchen sink...

Noritz produces a line of tankless water heaters designed for use with a gas or propane connection. It is important to perform certain maintenance tasks on your water heater to keep it in proper...

Kitchen sink drains can become clogged for a number of reasons. There may be a buildup of food residue, soap scum or another kind of backup. When this happens, you'll need to clear the drain....

When a high efficiency furnace or air conditioning unit runs, water is produced due to condensation of water vapor. This condensate needs a place to drain off so a mess is not created around the...

Modern home plumbing can vary depending on the age of the house and the owner's usage patterns. For example old houses can have tinier pipes with accrued blockages over the years that can make...

For better drainage and keeping your sinks clog-free, the following information should help you maintain the pipes in your house so they can remain free of any plumbing difficulties.

The Garbage disposal is one of the greatest and worst inventions in plumbing's history. The Disposal is a modern convenience that almost everyone has in his or her kitchen today. The problem is...

If your heating oil tank is filled with sludge, clean it to ensure that your heating system works properly. Although it is not recommended that you clean your oil tank yourself, if you are handy,...

Boiler heating systems come with expansion tanks to compress the air that helps generate heat. Over time, this air tank can fill with water, which can cause problems for the system. Most expansion...

Leaves color your lawn and the thermostat dips toward the freezing point---winter approaches. You prepare yourself for spending the season in warmer enclaves, but it is also time to winterize...

Pop-up up drains close when you pull up on a knob behind your faucet. They are connected under the sink to a pivot rod. Removing the drain is fairly simple. With a few simple tools such as a...

The condensate drain on your air conditioning unit should be cleaned out once every six to 12 months in order to prevent clogging. Because there is constant moisture in the condensate pipe and...

Shower drains clog frequently, here are some tips to unclogging a shower drain.

Hair is one of the main causes of shower drain clogs, and many people make the mistake of using strong chemical cleaners, which can potentially damage pipes, to remove hair from their shower...

We have all experienced the mess and frustration of a clogged kitchen sink. It starts when we notice the water does not drain quite as quickly as it once did and can slowly build to the point...

Garbage disposals are meant to grind up food waste into particles small enough to pass through the drain without clogging it. Occasionally, your drain can get clogged up in spite of the grinding...

Each drain in your home connects to a main sewer or septic line. Because of this, there are multiple points where your drain or pipes could be clogged. Locating the clog in your drain is the most...

The French drain was invented in Concord Massachusetts by a farmer named Henry French, who also wrote a detailed book on the subject in 1859. The drain has no connection at all with the country of...

The pop-up drain is referred to as a "trip lever" drain, meaning the water in the sink is steered by a entirely separate mechanism. Unlike other drains, the pop-up drain is not closed manually. ...

A slow bathroom sink drain is annoying. Fortunately there are many remedies to clear a slow bathroom sink drain, and you can do most of them yourself, although you may need to consult a plumber if...

Whether you're repairing a leak, removing a clog or replacing the pipes, taking apart and replacing a sink drain is a fairly simple task. It will require minimal preparation and the right tools....

Sometimes the drain in a kitchen sink will get a grease clog. Hot or warm grease going into a cold drain pipe will solidify and cause a grease plug stopping the water in your sink from draining....

Since the drainage system on a toilet works based on gravity, installing a toilet in a basement below the sewer level presents a problem. While certainly not impossible, this task will take some...

A clean, reliable water supply is essential to health and hygiene. When plumbing becomes problematic, the water supply can become contaminated with pathogens and chemicals, or water can be...

Under the sink drain assemblies have changed dramatically since 1999. They have gone from hard metal piping to more flexible plastic pipe. The pipe is easier to put together because of its...

The kitchen sink drain has several components, each interlocking with another. The assembly consists of a strainer body, rubber gasket, metal washer and a large lock nut or retainer. The strainer...

Drains can get clogged, periodically, especially when you have a lot of company. However, before you reach for strong chemicals that could corrode your pipes and spread toxic substances into our...

One of the most popular DIY projects of all-time is bathroom remodeling. Many homeowners are taking it upon themselves to replace outdated shower, or add new units. Often, they buy prefabricated...

Fixing the drain on a stainless steel sink is fairly easy. With a little ammunition, such as a plunger and a couple of kitchen-pantry staples, you can have the sink unclogged in no time. And, if...

Air Admittance Valves (AAVs) are used when there is no connection to a vent. They can make remodeling easier and more affordable. Using AAVs solves challenges to venting island sinks, wet bars and...