As winter draws ever closer, it's time to batten down the hatches and prepare for the cold months. As you put on storm windows and rake leaves, don't forget to consider your pipes. Pipes can freeze up on you when outside temperatures drop below 20 degrees. And when...
Pipes, Drains & Fittings
Australia’s Drainwave Mania
Water conservation in this country is nothing like what it is in water-strapped countries like, say, Australia. The Aussies were using ultra low-flush toilets before anyone in this country wondered if 3.5 gallons per flush was excessive. While we're taking 8 minute...
Halloween Season: The Bane of the Drain
There's only one thing scarier than a "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie marathon, and that's a clogged drain. Yep, Hitchcock's got nothing on backed-up plumbing. This is a busy time of the year for the folks at Roto-Rooter, according to their latest newsletter. Why?...
Self-Cleaning Drain Pipe
Writing for this blog, I realize there are few topics that create less excitement than the words "drain management." But that was before I got a glimpse of PF WaterWorks' new product, basically a self-cleaning drain pipe called PermaFLOW™. It's difficult to...
A Halloween Nightmare
Carving jack-o'-lanterns is always a lot of fun but cleaning up afterwards...not so much. Roto-Rooter's newsletter has a couple pieces of advice for pumpkin carvers this Halloween, including this key point: Never put pumpkin pulp and seeds down the toilet, sink or...
Persistence Pays Off
Some do-it-yourselfers just won't give up. When my co-worker Nancy's bathtub drain clogged three weeks ago, she was determined to avoid calling a plumber. Fellow do-it-yourselfers may be familiar with her unclogging-a-drain travails. First, she tried Drano. When that...
My Kingdom for a Counter
I'm a huge fan of witty inventions—especially when they save me time or make my house neater! The Drain Mate is a really cool improvement over the typical dish drainer that clutters the counters and has no real home below deck. This nifty built-in sits in your counter...