Poor drainage is annoying at best and problematic at worst. The problem never gets better on its own. Wishing it away won’t make it go away; you may end up with a complete blockage unless you take action. The first sign of poor drainage is that it takes longer...
Trees love sewage. That gorgeous crape myrtle tree that gives you so much pleasure when it blooms? It will suck up sewage if you let it. So let’s think about it for a second. Trees are thirsty, needing 10 gallons of water per day for every inch of trunk...
Don’t try this at home! Except that people have used these unusual techniques — and more — to fix a leaky toilet until they could call a plumber or run to the hardware store for a replacement part. You can manage without a kitchen sink for a day — there’s...
A long shower is one of the best ways to end the day after a hard day at work or to cool down after a strenuous workout. A hot shower on a winter night, or a cold shower in the blistering summer heat can be quite reviving. What makes the shower so effective is the...
Homo sapiens is a poopin’ species. We eat, we poop, and some of us have jobs. Yet only recently in human history have we effectively disposed of sewage (poop and water plus other stuff). Philadelphians built their first crude sewer system in 1740. Ironically,...
Most Southern California homes sit on a concrete slab foundation. Much of their plumbing runs directly through pipes in the slab. If this sounds like the recipe for a plumbing disaster, it can be. Leaks in the slab are difficult to detect and even harder to repair. A...
