Garbage Disposal Freezes Up - Super Simple Fix Ann lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and her garbage disposal freezes up. Here's what she wrote to me: "Tim, I live in a 14-year-old townhouse with almost all original equipment. The garbage disposal keeps rusting and freezing up because I don't need to use it often. I've Read More »
Sewer Gas Smell Vent Pipe Some people have a sewer gas smell in their yards. The odor comes out of the vent pipes up on the roof. Here's how to stop the odor:
Sewer Gas Smell Vent Pipe - Odor Source Sewer gas smell can be pulled from a rooftop plumbing vent pipe as the wind blows across it. This is known as the venturi effect and you should have been introduced to this law of physics in high school. That said, you could have been sick that Read More »
Wall-Hung Sink Bracket - Thick Steel Required DEAR TIM: I need your help solving a perplexing conundrum. I love all things old and have purchased a salvaged antique marble stone corner sink that I want to use as a powder-room lavatory. It already has a drain hole, so that’s not the issue. The faucet needs Read More »
Toilet Tank Leak - Don't Lean Against The Tank QUESTION #1: An unnamed person (rhymes with house) living in my home says that the toilet seat lid and the toilet tank are made for leaning back against while using the fixture for personal needs. In a negotiation debate with this person, I mentioned that the Read More »
This is the first column in a series where I’d like to share with you how technology improvements have helped improve building products. That said, not all improvements have worked out so well and sometimes it takes several permutations until the manufacturers get it right. It’s important to realize I’ve been blessed to have worked Read More »
DEAR TIM: I averted a near Christmas Eve disaster. I was making 75 deviled eggs for thirty guests who were soon to arrive. I turned on my disposal to grind up the eggshells and ended up with a pool of smelly egg water in the sink! I was able to get the water to drain Read More »
DEAR TIM: I’m about to build a new home with both an attached garage and a separate free-standing three-bay garage. The house I grew up in had floor drains in the garage and they were wonderful. My builder has never heard of garage floor drains and insists on sloping the concrete floor so all liquids Read More »
Garage Floor Drain Ideas - Time Tested Technology The inspiration for this column came from unexpected comments about a brief mention of garage floor drains in my December 1, 2019 AsktheBuilder newsletter and my December 9, 2019 AsktheBuilder newsletter. The house I grew up in had a garage floor drain. The concrete floor was sloped Read More »
DEAR TIM: I love reading your column in my local paper. Several months ago you wrote about which plumbing pipe might be better for water lines, copper and PEX. You briefly mentioned a new tool that eliminates the need for soldering copper. I’d like to know much more about this magic method of making leak-proof Read More »
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