If you poke a drinking straw into your soft drink and place a finger over the opening, you can lift the straw out and the liquid in the straw will stay. Remove your finger and the liquid runs out.

Any curve in a pipe increases the potential for blockage. Drain traps are one of the most common places for blockages to occur. Drains are hidden heroes in your home. If you’re lucky, you can go for ...

I’ve been a master plumber for over four decades in addition to building and remodeling homes. I was attracted to plumbing because it’s a fascinating three-dimensional puzzle of interconnected drain, ...

I recently had a plumbing emergency in my own home. The main drain pipe under the basement floor got clogged with toilet paper. The culprit is a newer low-flush toilet in a basement bathroom. I’ve ...

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 ...