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We're updating the kitchen, and this American Standard faucet leaks from the faucet when I turn on the hot water. I can't seem to find a set screw or anything to access the workings. Background: I removed the sink to figure out how a new sink will fit and where to cut the counter. After...

I'm planning to put in a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) that will generate a little bit of water from condensation. That water needs to be drained somewhere. Can I just put in a drain anywhere I want? I have existing pipes running through a basement closet I'd like to install the HRV in. So...

I just found a small drip near the water meter, wondering if you have any suggestions. I'll probably get a plumber out but that may be next week. I never noticed the drip until the sprinklers got winterized. I left the drain to the sprinkler line open, put a bucket down there, and checked back...

Got lucky and found a used hot tub that I couldn't pass on. The old tub that came with the house was not wired "correctly" and I'd like to do this one right. You can see how the spa panel is where it's not supposed to be. I'd like to locate it where the red box is. However, the existing wiring...

How do I get a sewer cleanout (or the cover) so sit flush in concrete? I just got a sewer line replaced and cleanouts installed. I'll be getting some concrete to drain water away from the house, and I want to make sure the concrete guy knows anything necessary before it's too late. I've been...

I've got a bad sewer line leaving my house going to the city. The question is if it's stinking up the yard (which will make me replace the line next week, as opposed to in 2-3 weeks which would be more convenient). I think I know what sewer smells like (I've smelled it, especially when the...

Stupid question probably, but can I still use this male adapter? You can see (hopefully) how the threads towards the bottom are "imperfect" from the previous fitting that was on it. I don't know if this is: Definitely going to leak and spew water at a high rate Best to replace, but there's a...

I'm wondering if/when it's time to replace the PVC in my house (from the main house supply to the manifold). No idea how old the sprinkler system is (10+ years?) but I had to repair some broken parts at the manifold, and I found that the PVC they used is thinner than the Sched. 40 PVC I used...

Other than the obvious (which is that the previous owner did not winterize several years ago), is there any other reason I might have water in my sprinkler lines? I'm digging a ditch near the old lines, and I don't plan on using the old lines for irrigation. So I accidentally hit one of the...

We've got a warm spell so I'm hoping to get things ready for when the sprinkler guy can come and get me up and running. I have an existing sprinkler system, but the previous owner did not winterize and the PVC is broken at the manifold (a few of the above-ground metal pieces are broken also)...

If you have a moment to spare, I'm replacing the bathroom sink and wanted to know if I'm doing anything obviously wrong. 2 questions are: 1) It had metal before, but our water is hard here, and I woulda re-used the metal but the gasket was all dried up and who knows how old. The thick white...

I've got a boiler with no air vent and there is air in the lines (Weil McLain natural gas for baseboard hot water heating). Supposedly that reduces efficiency, and I'm wondering if it's a major drag or just a little nuisance. I've been having a lot of plumbing work done lately so I'm trying to...

I'm looking at adding a gravel parking pad in the back yard. The gas line to the house runs underneath the parking area. Anything I should be aware of before moving forward? I was hoping to do gravel instead of concrete. But I imagine that concrete might spread the load a little better. Our...

Hello, I slightly got into a pipe (I think it's hot water) while cutting through my ceiling. No water is coming out that I can see, but I did a little damage. I've got a plumber coming out in a few days - to do the thing I was "helping" with (finding where he can put a drain upstairs...) - but...

I noticed a few drops of water for the first time ever (have only owned the house less than a year, so maybe it's normal...), and I'm wondering if this is a bad sign? So far it's a drop or two coming out of that brass spigot towards the right. I just got out of the shower if that matters...

I just finished a project which left a pile of fill dirt next to a low area in my yard. There was some settling years ago (the house is fairly new to me) and sometimes a little water accumulates there. Can/should I just pack that dirt in next to the house with a slight slope away from the...

Hi, I'm looking to repair and prevent some minor brick damage on my chimney. The problem is I don't know what type of contractor to call (a painter, a mason?) and what to ask them to do - without making things worse. Some of the contractors I've run across don't seem to know as much as you...

I'm doing a small lighting project. I'd like to mount a 12v DC fence light on the wall of my garage and run landscape wire through the wall into the garage for power. The transformer is in the garage (it's an indoor transformer). The garage does not have any wall covering such as sheetrock...

I've got a 70 year old house with an old garage (not sure how old the garage is). The wiring is the black fabric kind. Somehow my outlet tester says the circuit is "kind of" grounded - how is that possible? DETAILS: Somebody installed a 3-prong receptacle for the garage door opener, so I stuck...

I recently bought a house built in 1940. I'm planning to seal any gaps between the sill plate and foundation (and maybe insulate as well). Do I really need to fill those gaps with something substantial before sealing, or can I just seal them with spray foam and/or caulk? It seems like it'd be...