The plumbing system in your home needs two things to work properly: water and air. While the first one is obvious, the second one might not be, so let us explain: In order for water to flow down a ...

I recently had a plumbing emergency in my own home. The main drain pipe under the basement floor got clogged with toilet paper. The culprit is a newer low-flush toilet in a basement bathroom. I’ve ...

Over the weekend, I got Steve out of a big jam. He lives near Pittsburgh, and his wife decided it was time to tear out an outdated platform bathtub. She wanted a new sleek soaking tub shaped like an ...

Have you heard the old saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know”? It’s an axiom homeowners should always keep in mind when thinking about the mechanical and structural systems hidden behind the ...

Plumbing vent pipes have to be sized correctly, they need to have a slope to them to drain any condensate back to the drain pipes, and they must be installed with great care. (iStock) Perspective by ...

Q: I have a remodeling project coming up and I intend to do the plumbing work. I’m good to go on the waterlines, but the drain lines and plumbing vents are my weak spot. Can you give me the executive ...

You may wonder how I got my start as a builder. The hook was set in Boy Scouts, when I obtained my home repairs merit badge. I then helped pay my way through college working on the weekends and during ...

We Canadians deal with extreme winter challenges each year, and one of the most annoying (and mysterious) happens when rooftop plumbing vent pipes get plugged with frost. This is called “ice capping” ...