If you have a sink that drains slowly or doesn't drain at all you can try this before calling a plumber.

First you must loosen the P-Trap and remove from the wall drain. Most drains are 1 1/2" pipe. Get your hose pipe and push it into the wall drain pipe until it stops. Then get an old towel or dish rag and stuff it completely around the hose pipe and into the wall drain pipe. Keep pushing the rag in around the hose pipe using a screwdriver.

When you have the rag pushed in securely around the hose pipe it won't let water back up and run back out the drain pipe. Hold the rag with your hands and have someone turn the hose water on full blast. If water can't back out of the drain pipe then it must be forced down the drain to unclog it.

Let the water run for a bit to force the clog loose and wash it on down the drain. Sometimes there may be a need to screw a cap on the wall drain and take your hose pipe up on the roof and push it down the vent pipe for the drain your are working on and repeat this procedure in the drain pipe. With the wall drain capped off then the forced water will work through the vent pipe also.

This procedure works and I have used it many times. An old school plumber friend of mine showed me how to do this. The philosophy of it is, that drain water is just a gravity pull downwards in the drain pipe and can clog up. But the hose pipe water has force behind it and if the water can't back out of the pipe then it is forced down the drain, along with the clog.

Things To Remember:

• Stuff the rag in the pipe good and tight so the water can't back out.
• Have someone with you to turn the hose water on and off for you.
• If you have a problem with leakage just bend the hose and stop the water.

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If your doorbell has stopped working you can normally find the problem in one of the following areas.

• The doorbell button.
• The doorbell transformer.
• The doorbell chime.
• The actual low voltage wiring.

Most times it is either the transformer or button. Unless there is no high voltage power to the transformer itself.

Have someone press the front door button and listen closely at the doorbell chime to see if you hear anything like a hum or a buzz when the button is pressed. Sometimes the plungers in the chime stick. If you hear any type of action at the chime then most likely the transformer is not the problem. If you do hear a hum or buzz at the chime then go to the next step.

Open the chime by removing the cover. You will see the plungers that move up and down. See if they move freely. Try a drop or two of light oil on the plungers and then have someone press the doorbell button and watch the plungers. If it tries to move but doesn't ring the chime then a new chime kit should fix the problem. If you do not see or hear anything happening at the chime when the button is pressed then go to the next step.

Check the button first by backing out the 2 screws and carefully pulling the doorbell button out away from the wall where you can see the two wires that hook to it. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and touch both screws on the button with the pliers to short them together. If you hear the doorbell ring then your problem is the button. If you don't hear it ring, leave the button as is for now and go to the doorbell chime. Take the cover off and locate the wires that hook to the chime. There, it should say transformer, front, and rear. Take your meter and see if you read any voltage where the wires hook to the chime. Hold one meter lead on the doorbell transformer screw and the other meter lead on the front door screw while someone presses the front button. If you do read 16 volts when the button is pressed then the problem is in the chime. If you don't read voltage then go to the next step.

Locating the transformer that feeds the doorbell system can be tricky sometimes but fairly easy to spot if you know what to look for. If it's not behind the chime then a trip into the attic, the basement or under the floor is next. While in the attic you want to head for two area's, where your chime is located below and where your front door button would be. Feel around for the small wires that should be coming from the front door to the chime and the wires coming from the chime will lead you to the transformer.

Most doorbell systems run off of 16 volts so once you find the transformer you want to check the two screws where the wires hook up with your voltage meter to see if the transformer is putting out the right voltage. If not, there is your problem. If it is putting out 16 volts then here is where you need a helper for the next step.

On the doorbell transformer there should be two wires hooked to it and then there should be two wires that are hooked together. Undo the two wires that are hooked together. One should head towards the front door and the other should head to the chime. Take your meter and touch one lead to the screw on the transformer that goes to the chime and touch your other lead to the wire
that you undid coming from the front button and have someone press the front doorbell button. If you read voltage when the button is pressed then the wire is bad from the transformer to the chime. If no voltage is read the wire to the button is bad.

It may sound confusing but it is fairly simple if you think about the process of how it works. For the chime to ring it needs a positive and a negative from the transformer. A two wire cable goes from the chime to the transformer. One of those wires hooks to the transformer screw and sends a negative to the chime.

A 2 wire cable then goes from the doorbell transformer to the front button. One of those wires hooks to the positive on the transformer and sends the positive to one side of the button. When the button is pressed it sends the positive through the button and back to the chime to ring the bell. That is why two are hooked to the transformer and two are hooked together to complete the path from the button to the chime.

Things To Remember:

• Check for any tripped breakers or blown fuses that could be feeding the transformer.
• If you have to check the high voltage side of the transformer be very careful. If you don't feel comfortable with it have an Electrician check it for you.
• When spending any time in an attic during hot weather be aware of the dangers of heat related illnesses and come down if you get too hot.

You have seen those ugly brown stains on sheetrock ceilings or walls left behind from water leaks or general water damage. The following steps will show you how to remove a sheetrock stain with little effort.

You will need some liquid bleach and a spray bottle. I always use Clorox mainly because it works well for this. What you want is a 50/50 mix of Clorox and regular tap water. I would only mix a small amount at a time because the water will dilute the bleach the longer it sits.

Pour the water/bleach mixture in a spray bottle and shake it some to mix it up well. Then just lightly spray the mixture on the stained area of the sheetrock. Be careful not to soak the drywall. It will most likely take several sprayings to remove the stain.

Just let it dry each time between sprayings and reapply each time with a light spray of the mixture. You will notice the stain beginning to disappear more after each spray application.

If you are experiencing basement flooding then you are aware of how annoying a wet basement problem can be. A flooded basement can do damage to your home if this problem is not fixed. It also causes health concerns for you and your family due to mold formation and growth.

The first thing to do in the process of basement waterproofing is to take a look at why the water is there to begin with. Gutters are a great way to limit the amount of water that can leak into your basement walls. It is best to have the gutters drain directly into a pipe that carries the water out at least 10 feet away from the house. The black corrugated field line pipe works good for this.

The slope of the ground next to the house is important too. The ground should be higher right next to the house and slope downwards away from the house to allow runoff away from the house during rainy times. These two issues can make a big difference in the amount of water that can reach the walls and cause these flooded basement type problems.

Wet basement waterproofing can be successfully done yourself using waterproofing sealers and hydraulic cement to stop the water from entering your basement. DRYLOK makes Wet Basement Waterproofing Products that work real well in solving these types of basement flooding problems.

There is a new Home Waterproofing Manual out on the market now that is an excellent step by step guide that includes everything you need to know about basement waterproofing and shows you exactly how to do it. George Jenney is a retired waterproofing expert with the knowledge and experience in providing wet basement solutions. I highly recommend this manual for anyone with basement water problems.

This A To Z Waterproofing Manual is loaded with information about every aspect concerning basement water problems and how to fix them yourself without having to hire a contractor to do the work. This could easily be one of the single most important home investments you could make relative to saving a lot of money while still educating yourself on the why's and how's of basement waterproofing. Plus, a dry basement adds much more value to your home than a wet basement ever could.

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Basement waterproofing is a must to avoid damage to your home and possible related illnesses due to mold caused by a wet basement. This type of situation gives a perfect breeding ground for basement mold which can be very unhealthy. If you have water leaking in and causing a flooded basement then the following steps will help you stop this annoying problem.

Really the first order of business here is locating and pinpointing exactly where the water is coming in and target those areas first. It is highly possible that the floor along a whole wall or more could have standing water but it may only be leaking at one or two locations along that basement wall. The best thing to do first is have a wet/dry shop vac handy during the next rain event. You will also need a few dry towels.

Sweep the area real good making sure all dust and debris is gone beforehand. This area will need to be clean anyway before the actual wet basement waterproofing begins. This will also help you pinpoint the areas where the water is entering the basement.

When the rain begins it is very important that you focus your attention on the areas of the slab and basement walls where the water usually stands. Have some good lighting set up in the area. You will be able to see the water seeping in and those will be your target areas for repair first. The dry towels will really help when you first see the water seeping in along the wall or where the wall and slab meet. Wipe those areas dry and watch closely for the water to reappear.

DRYLOK Waterproofing Products works real well for these types of basement waterproofing repairs. You will need a fast setting hydraulic cement to get the water leaks stopped but I have found that it is a good idea to apply a waterproofing sealer or paint on the entire wall first. Once that has dried then you can focus your attention on any remaining leaking areas and apply the hydraulic cement to get those areas stopped leaking. Then for added security you could add another coat of waterproofing paint or sealer to prevent future wet basement problems and damage.

DRYLOK Fast Plug is the hydraulic cement that I use for these basement waterproofing jobs. It comes in a powder form and you mix it with water at a 3:1 ratio. 3 scoops of powder to 1 scoop of water makes the right amount to spread quickly before it begins to set up. You have about 3 to 5 minutes to spread it on your target areas before it begins to set up. Some good tools to use for this would be a plastic or metal putty knife and a small masons trowel. The trowel works good in corners and tight areas by using it's point.

The hydraulic cement can be applied with the wet basement water present or it can be applied to a dry basement after the rain and  leaking water have stopped. If you want to apply it while the water is leaking it is best if you use the wet/dry vac to remove most of the standing water first. It will still set up but it takes it longer if there is lots of standing water present.

Most times you will find your leaks being due to a chip or crack in the wall or either where the basement wall and floor meet. When you mix and spread the hydraulic cement on the  target areas you can get it somewhat smooth upon the first application but you will probably have to wait until it sets up a little before actually getting it smoother. By dipping your trowel or putty knife in the water before smoothing the hydraulic cement seems to really work better at getting a nice smooth finish.

It may take more than one application before you actually stop all the leaks but that depends on the severity of the problem. Once the first application dries good you can take a hammer and tap the high spots to smooth those down some along with any ridges that you may end up with from the edges of the putty knife. Pay close attention to any chipped or cracked places in the block too and spread some over those areas even if they are not leaking water at present. This could save you from having potential problems down the road. Follow the links above and below for the best basement waterproofing products to help you enjoy a dry basement.
 

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