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Found 137 results for the keyword ‘Plumbing’

  • Where does the noisy drip in the plumbing stack come from?

    Wayne from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan writes: "I hear a constant dripping in my 4 inch sewer stack that connects my upstairs toilet drain to the floor sewer. It is not coming from the toilet but since the venting goes to the roof it is possible that during the winter, warm air is rising, condens...
  • The river is rising – preparing for a flood: OVERVIEW

    This article is about stopping water outside the house, then if necessary, controlling the situation as your basement floods.  For some very interesting water alarms, covering both plumbing and overland water,see Stopping Plumbing Floods.   SANDBAGGING The first line of defense is sandbaggin...
  • Hot Water Tank Maintenance and Failure

    Earnie from Vancouver wants to know how can you predict the failure of your hot water tank before it fails. That is not an easy one Earnie. There are many signs that will indicate that you need to change the tank or at least do some maintenance work to keep it running, whether it is an electric ...
  • I have white particles in my hot water.

    Jean writes from St.Paul, Alberta: "I live in town and have municipal water. I have started getting yellow water from my hot water tank. It is not smelly, but it does have some suspended flakes. I also don't have the same volume of hot water as I previously had; yet it is still very hot. A friend...
  • Degenerating water heater dip tube

    Steven from Pierrefonds, Quebec isn't getting much hot water out of his tank these days, and has little white plastic beads collecting in the strainer of his faucets. He has heard about a problem with water heater dip tubes, so he did his homework and writes: "I understand this is a common proble...
  • Cleaning Shower Heads and Faucet Screens

      The easiest way to clear mineral deposits out of faucet screens or shower heads is to soak them in either vinegar or CLR, they both work, the CLR is just faster.       Either soak them in a bowl, or if you don't want to take them off, then hang a bag of vinegar over the head, right in ...
  • What temperature should a house be when you are gone for the winter?

    Jim from London, Ontario is wondering what temperature he should leave his thermostat while he migrates south for the winter. The short answer is 55 degrees F, or about 12 degrees C. That should keep the pipes from freezing, keep the humidity under control, keep the furniture from going through ...
  • Installing a garbage disposal unit

    David from Richmand Hill, Ontario has installed a garbage disposal unit himself and has some questions about the electrical hook-up. We took advantage of the fact that David has a video telephone connected through his internet connection, which allowed us to see David, but more importantly, both ...
  • Why do plumbing washers have letters and numbers on them?

    I don't really have an answer to the question, but I can help you to understand what they mean. We could find no plumber, nor plumbing manufacturer who could actually tell us the origin of the plumbing code for rubber washers. My guess is that it probably had something to do with the inside diam...
  • Getting hot water to a remote sink -- fast

    Here is one that I answered one year , and found a better answer a year later.   GETTING THE HEATER CLOSER TO THE FAUCET In 2003 a viewer asked me about how to get hot water to that back bedroom because they have to run the water for two or three minutes before the hot water arrives from the b...