Some bathroom and kitchen sinks have “S” traps like this one that drain into the floor. It’s important that sewer gas doesn’t get trapped in them. Proper venting of drain lines ensures that a small ...

Q. My new kitchen is going to have a large island with my double-bowl sink in it. The young plumber and my contractor want to use some newfangled thing that just fits under the cabinet. They call it ...

Have you heard the old saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know”? It’s an axiom homeowners should always keep in mind when thinking about the mechanical and structural systems hidden behind the ...

Q: My washing machine is in the basement in a room directly beneath the kitchen. When water drains from the washer, it’s going into a hole in the basement floor. The sump pump kicks on, but the water ...

Dear Jerry: Our house is a ranch-style, circa 1950s. The kitchen sinks and dishwasher (which has never been used) drain into a separate 500-gallon septic tank. When we purchased the house, the ...

After performing more than 10,000 home inspections, I’ve come to the realization that two of the most important contractors in the home are an electrician and a plumber. The problems I generally see ...

With all puns possibly intended, most folks know the sinking feeling of a clogged drain. These inconveniences typically come at the worst time, when the sink is full of food, toothpaste or worse items ...

Q: Ed, we have a concern about our beautiful kitchen sink. The sink and faucet are fine, but the drain line is acting up. It started a couple weeks ago, and the problem is that whenever water goes ...