If you can see water flowing out of a crack in a wall or floor, you know that the source is ground water. If water is not flowing out of a crack, you’ll have to make a test for dampness in your basement to see if the water is due to condensation or water from the ground. To do this:

1. Cut two 12in squares of plastic sheeting or aluminum foil.
2. Tape a peace to the inside of one of the basement walls and the other to the basement floor.
3. Wait 2 days.
4. Remove the plastic or aluminum foil.
5. If the wall or floor that was covered by the square is dry then you have condensation. If the wall or floor that was covered by the squares are wet, you have a ground water leak.

Controlling Condensation In The Basement:

You will need to lower your basements air humidity by:

1. Raise the temperature in the basement.
2. Make sure all vents of moist air, like your clothes dryer, are vented to the outside.
3. Place a dehumidifier in the basement.
4. Insulate basement walls.
5. Insulate cold water pipes.
6. Open basement windows, weather permitting.

Controlling Ground Water Leaks In The Basement:

1. Gutters and downspouts should be directed to clear water away from the foundation of the home.
2. If you have a leaking crack, you will need to call a professional to fix the basement foundation.

Clean floor drain strainers. Some tubs and showers have strainers that are screwed into the drain opening of the tub. Remove the strainers with a screwdriver and reach down into the drain with a vent wire to clear out accumulated hair. Make sure to scrub the strainer clean before putting it back in place.

Clean pop-up stoppers. Clean pop-up stoppers in the bathroom sink and tub frequently. Lift out and rinse the sink pop-ups at least once a week. This will also remove hair that is attached to the pop-up and will stop the hair from accumulating down within the pipe.

Clean out spring or rocker arm. Every few months remove the pop-up assembly to reach the spring or rocker arm. Remove the buildup of hair and rinse well with warm water to flush away any soap buildup.

If you find you have a hair clog within your drain you can use a plumbers snake or chemical drain cleaners to clear out the hair clogged drain.

Sleeve Clamp:

Adjustable Hose Clamp: Place an adjustable hose clamp over a rubber blanket over a small pipe leak and tighten the clamp.

C-Clap: Lock a C-clamp and a small block of wood on a rubber blanket for a small leak.

Epoxy Putty: Submit an application of epoxy putty to a leaking pipe joint (after turning off the water) using a putty knife or your fingers. Let the joint dry before turning back on the water.

Quick Fix-Up

Stopping A Small Leak: You can temporarily plug a small pipe leak with breaking off a pencil point in the leak hole. Then wrap the pipe with at least three layers of electrical tape, extending the tape 3 inches on each side of the leak.

Downspout Extenders: An extender are attach directly to the downspout. Extenders are made from aluminum, galvanized steel, or vinyl. They are constructed to carry the water away from the house, often into a drain. You can purchase a downspout extender at any home improvement center.

Splashblocks: An alternative to downspout extenders, splashblocks are placed below the elbow of the downspout. Splashblocks are ready-made with concrete or plastic. Ideally, the splashblock should extend at least 4 feet and should be slightly sloped so that the water runs well ahead of the house foundation. 

Dry Wells: If you live in a wet climate, you may want to connect your downspouts to a dry well. Locate the dry well 10 or more feet from your home. The well itself can be merely a hole 2 to 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep. Or you can bury a 55-gallon drum after piercing it with holes and removing both ends. Fill the well with rocks or broken concrete, and then cover the top with a wood plank or heavy roofing paper. The well’s top should be at least 18 inches under ground with the bottom above the water table.
The underground drainage pipes should slope ¼ to ½ inch per foot. This allows the water flow from the house downspout to the dry well.

How to clear a clogged bathroom sink using a plunger

How to clear a clogged kitchen sink drain using a plunger

1. Your plunger should have a suction cup large enough to completely cover the drain opening.
2. Make sure there is enough water in the fixture to cover the entire plunger cup.
3. TRICK: Apply petroleum jelly to the rim on the bottom of the plunger cup.  This ensures a tight seal.
4. Make sure all other outlets (overflow drain – bathroom sink; second drain – kitchen sink) are plugged with wet rags.  This will create a vacuum.
5. Insert the plunger into the water at an angle so that no air gets trapped in it
6. Hold the plunger upright and apply 15 – 20 vigorous strokes.
7. NOTE: Clogs are most often dislodged on the upstroke
8. Apply the plunging strokes 2 – 3 times before throwing in the towel.  If the clog doesn’t dislodge after 2 – 3 times, it’s time to use either clear the drain with a chemical cleaner or clear the drain with a plumber’s snake.

Do not feed your garbage disposal like it's a hungry trash can. Over time food particles will build up and it will clog at THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIME.

Kitchen Sinks

1. Proper removal of kitchen waste WILL keep sink drain clogs to a minimum.
2. Do not pour grease down the kitchen sink.
3. Do not pour coffee grounds down the sink.
4. Do not feed your sink food – it doesn’t get hungry.

It’s a common misconception that because a sink has a garbage disposal, that you can put most anything down it and the garbage disposal will take care of it.  The garbage disposal is there to help break down food particles that slip down the sink accidentally.  If food items like potato peels, carrot peels, strawberry stems, etc. are consistently fed down the sink, these ground up particles will slowly build up and and clog the pipe.  The garbage disposal won’t be able to save you now.

Bathroom Sinks and Bath Tubs

Clean the drain strainers.  Some showers and tubs have strainers that are screwed into the drain opening.  Unscrew these strainers and use a wire to clear out built up debris – and it does build up, you just can’t always see it.  This is why it should be a part of at least a quarterly maintenance schedule.  Be sure to scour the strainer before replacing it.

Same thing goes for the sink pop-up stoppers.  These should be lifted out and rinsed weekly.  When hair and soap accumulates, it will quickly slip down into the pipes.

A Note About Chemical Cleaners

Use chemical cleaners sparingly, especially if your pipes and traps are steel, cast-iron, or brass.  Some chemicals will severely corrode metal pipes.  Plastic pipes are more impervious to chemicals.  You should be safe if chemical cleaners containing sodium hydroxide or sodium nitrate, are used no more that once every few months.

Always follow the safety instructions on the manufacture’s package.  You should let the cleaner sit in the bend of the trap for a short period of time to ensure effectiveness.

CAUTION

Do not splash yourself with the cleaner.  If you get cleaner on your skin, douse the area with water thoroughly until the cleaner is completely removed.  It will burn if not rinsed.

REMEMBER

You can prevent drain clogs.  Take care of your drains and they will do what they are supposed to do – remove water.

Diagram of a typical residential plumbing system - Supply, drain, and venting systems.

The residential water supply system transports pressurized water from the water utility company (or a well on the property) into the house and all the way to the sink, toilet, bath tub, and other water using appliances such as the dishwasher and washing machine.

The residential water drain-waste system delivers used water and solid waste out of the house and into the sewer system or septic tank.

The residential water vent system transports noxious sewer gases away from the house and maintains appropriate pressure inside the drainpipes, also preventing the sewer gases from entering the house.

A soil stack compared to a waste stack.

The soil stack does all the heavy lifting when it comes to waste removal.  The soil stack is a vertical section of 3 to 4 inch in diameter pipe that carries away waste from toilets and other fixtures.  The soil stack connects directly with the house’s main drain.  From the main drain, the waste flows into the sewer or septic tank.

Considering all waste drains will clog once in a while, cleanouts are placed in the drainpipes.  Ideally, there should be one cleanout for each flat section of drainpipe with cleanouts also in a main house trap. This is often times located outside in order to give sewer or septic access.  The cleanout is typically a 45 degree Y fitting or a 90 degree T fitting so that cleaning with a snake is easy.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A TOILET, SINK, OR BATHTUB OVERFLOW EMERGENCY

Know where all fixture cleanouts are and have a plunger, Liquid Plumber, and or a small snake at your disposal.