I have to be honest with you. I wasn't going to share this one. It was just too good. What if I let this cat out of the bag and everybody and their grandmother started cashing in on it? What then? But then I figured, what the hell? It's not like I do a lot of work these days and spend a lot of time on this one. Sure, I intend to dabble a bit, but full time? No way in hell. I'd much rather be playing video games and Magic the Gathering. So for the rest of us working stiffs, this one's for you.

Most good fast will recommend replacing a gate valve regardless of its condition. The time to discover if it will work is not during a flood in your bathroom. If you have it replaced with a ball valve then check your water heater and laundry valves, too. Have them replaced at the same time with premium ball valves. Ball valve laundry bibbs make it easy to shut off the water to the washer after each use which may help to prevent floods in the future.

Turn off the water to the water line repair heater or if the valve is not working turn off the water to the house. If the valve is not working it will need to be replaced. In a future article we will discuss how to replace your valve.



Unfortunately, people will band together to gain support on something regardless of whether or not it is true. In this case, one person shared their thoughts on how ineffective the letters are and yet, they had nothing but their opinion to support this. They found a group of willing listeners who quickly became active supporters of the belief.

Clean the hole in the gutter railing first. It must be free of any debris, so you may want to clean the entire drain channel using a proper cleaner. In this way, you will have a clean surface area which will allow you to repair the hole more easily.

Here are some general cautions. Do not begin jobs on holidays, weekends, or at times when plumbers raise their rates or are difficult to reach. Do start early leaving plenty of daylight to call a plumber if something goes wrong. Study the situation carefully. Think about what might happen if something suddenly broke and what the effects would be. Old corroded copper tubing might break in the wall when you are wrenching an angle stop that supplies the water line repair to your toilet. A flood in the wall could be costly. If the angle stop, on the other hand, is new and shuts off easily and you have another toilet in the house then it might make sense to repair the toilet yourself. Be honest, too. Are you handy with tools? Did you do well in shop classes in school?

Keep your hands clean and dry. Plumbing jobs get slippery, so it's important to work with a pair of sturdy gloves so you don't lose your grip and accidentally hurt yourself or break something.

Over the counter drain cleaning products offer convenience and effective results. However, they are best left to those who need to simply improve the flow of water, not those who need to repair it.