P Traps are a special connection between water fixtures such as sinks or appliances and the primary drain/waste/vent system pipes. They exist behind walls for appliances such as a washing machine, even if you cannot see the p trap. These features are...
S traps, drum traps, and other non-standard drain water traps are supposed to work like a p trap to prevent sewer gasses from backing up into our homes. However, in most municipalities, only P traps are approved for use in new homes. Some old homes m...
Drain/Waste/Vent (DWV) systems are the entirety of your home’s drainage pipes and all associated components. We usually only think of the portion of pipes that goes down from our sink and connects with a sewer or septic tank as our DWV piping,...
Water hammer arrestors are a plumbing device used to prevent water hammer, a phenomenon that can loosen or damage pipes. When a water fixture is shut off abruptly, the flow of water comes to a sudden stop. Water’s movement is a type of inertia....
Drain unclogging liquids (Brand names like Drano or Liquid Plumber) are chemicals marketed to consumers to miraculously clean or unclog drain pipes. The basic assumption is that most of the causes behind slow or clogged drains is organic material (ha...
Geothermal heat may sound like an advanced or unattainable goal, but it is quite real today. The science is sound: the Earth’s soil is much denser than our atmosphere, meaning it has much more thermal mass. Because of this, air temperatures fro...
Electric water heaters are common and useful appliances in many homes. Due to the pressure involved with heated water, they can be quite dangerous, so make sure you hire a licensed plumber for installation and maintenance. The electric water heater h...
Stoves, ovens, and ranges. Some people use the names interchangeable, some people talk as if they are different appliances. Most often, the average kitchen appliance includes both a stove and an oven – so it’s understandable that they can...
Toilet wax rings are a connection point between a toilet fixture and drain pipes. They are one-time-use, in the sense that they most likely need to be replaced every time a toilet is unbolted from the floor. The drain pipe simply ends with a designat...
How do toilets work? Quite well! Okay, now my obligatory “dad joke” is out of the way, let’s figuratively dive in to your basic home toilet, water closet, or loo.
There are two major sections of a toilet: the tank which holds wat...
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