Several viewers are complaining about low water pressure in old houses. Old steel pipe tends to collect corrosion and calcium on the walls, enough to slowly choke off the flow of water. A look at the graphic shows what happens to water flow compared to a clean new 1/2 inch pipe. When it becomes r...
INSPECT, MAINTAIN OR INSTALL BACKFLOW DAMPERS UNDER THE BASEMENT FLOOR BEFORE DOING ANY RENOVATION WORK IN A BASEMENT.
Installing a backflow valve between you and the city requires cutting into the concrete floor. With our changing weather, this valve is almost always necssary and generally cod...
It is best not to cut holes in floor joists, but when you must there are some important rules to follow.
Never cut into the top of the bottom of the joist. If you do the entire joist is now no stronger than the wood that is left.
Always cut holes in the centre of the joist, closer to the suppor...
No. I am sorry about that, Reese from Ingersol, Ontario.
The washing machine puts out far too much water far too fast for a sump pump to be able to carry it away. Also there is always a bit of lint in the drain water, which will eventually plug up the sump pump filter. In addition the soap can...
When air gets into hot water radiators, either from new water in the system or even from problems with seals, it can make noise and reduce the heating effectiveness of the system. That running water noise is actually caused by a big air bubble at the top of a radiator and the water falls through ...
More and more we are seeing tankless water heaters, both for replacing our regular hot water tank and for hot water radiant heating. Do they work? Where did they come from? Are they proven technology or new gadgets?
MOST OF THE WORLD IS TANKLESS
Actually, we may want to ask: "Where have we b...
Michael writes from St. Lazare, Quebec : We recently found a nasty surprise with our new house. The land has a high water table and as a result we have sump pump in the basement. The plumbing for this pump was hidden in the walls and ceiling of the basement. When our inspector inspected the home,...
Low flow toilets: do they work? do they not work? This is an ongoing very interesting debate. This history of the evolution was first written in 2001. For the latest updates on this story and current data on toilets that do work, click here.
The average Canadian household uses between 7 hundred...
How do you remove the special hose bib valve that is on the bottom of the hot water tank?
First I should answer the question as to whether it will fall out if it is unscrewed too far. The answer is NO. After 4 turns to open it, it will just spin around without moving further out while the "O" ri...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Adhesives Product: Epoxy - Wet-Bond
Temperature Limitations: Above +10 C (+50 F) -- although a special product called "Cold-Bond" will work at -6 C (+21 F)
Rain Limitations: Can be applied in r...
