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Your home's plumbing system consists of two basic pipelines: supply pipes that carry potable water under high pressure throughout the house and drainpipes that depend on gravity to carry waste water out of the house; to prevent sewer gases from entering the house, each drainpipe is fitted with a P- or S-shaped trap that refills with water every time waste water is carried through it. The same principles of high pressure used to carry in potable water and low pressure used to carry out waste water are responsible for most plumbing emergencies. Keep a well-stocked emergency plumbing kit on hand; know where the main water shutoff valve for your home is located and tag it for easy identification in the event of an emergency. Consult the Troubleshooting Guide to have emergency procedures at your fingertips and to help you respond quickly in an emergency situation when a permanent repair cannot be undertaken. The high pressure that carries potable water to a fixture also forces it out of a faulty supply pipe. Use a pencil tip and electrical tape or a pipe-leak clamp to temporarily seal a small leak in a supply pipe. A damaged section of a supply pipe can be temporarily repaired with replacement polybutylene (PB) pipe and adapters-designed to connect it with undamaged copper, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) or PB pipes or galvanized steel pipes. To determine if a supply pipe is frozen, run a damp rag or sponge along it; a frozen area will frost over. Use a hair dryer or heating tape to thaw a frozen supply pipe; never use a propane torch. If you suspect a supply pipe behind a wall or ceiling is frozen, you can help minimize any damage if it bursts by opening the faucet nearest to it and turning off the main water supply. The low-pressure pull of gravity may not be enough to carry waste water through a drain clogged with debris. Use a plunger or an auger to clear any blockage in a toilet, sink or bathtub. Always wear rubber gloves when working on a drain to prevent contact with waste water. The list of Safety Tips at right reviews basic precautions to follow in preventing plumbing emergencies in your home and in working safely on your plumbing system. Water can turn a small electrical fault into a deadly hazard by making your body a convenient path for electrical current; don’t touch any electrical device, even a switch or a power cord, in wet conditions. If your water has a peculiar taste, odor or color, or if members of your household suffer frequent illnesses that may be water-borne, have your water professionally tested. When in doubt about the safety of your plumbing system or your ability to handle an emergency, don’t hesitate to call for help. Post the telephone number for your water utility and a 24-hour plumber near the telephone; even in non-emergency situations, qualified professionals can answer questions concerning your plumbing system. === SAFETY TIPS: 1. Locate and tag the main shutoff valve for your home's water supply as well as the shutoff valve or valves for each fixture; in the event of an emergency, you will want anyone to be able to find them quickly. 2. When working with electricity, don’t touch a metal faucet, pipe, fixture or other object that may form part of your electrical grounding route. 3. If your plumbing system is of metal, it may provide the electrical grounding for your home; if you replace a metal pipe with a plastic pipe or otherwise interrupt the integrity of any electrical grounding through a plumbing system of metal, install an electrical jumper wire. 4. If no hot water is used in your home within a period as short as 2 weeks, hydrogen can build up in the water heater and the hot-water supply pipes; before using any hot water, open each hot-water faucet in the house and allow the water to run for at least 2 minutes. 5. Wear rubber gloves when working on clogged drains or traps and safety goggles when working overhead. 6. Don’t rinse foods, grease, fats or coffee grounds down a sink and avoid using a toilet as a waste basket. 7. If a drain is completely blocked, don’t use a caustic chemical drain opener-especially one that contains lye; if it does not clear the drain, you will be exposed to it as you use a plunger or an auger. 8. Light and ventilate your work area well and don’t reach into any area you cannot see clearly. 9. To prevent pipes from freezing during an extended power outage in cold weather, open the faucets enough to allow a trickle of water to flow; running water is less likely to freeze than water left standing in a pipe. 10. Don’t leave a hand-held shower attachment in a filled bathtub or a garden hose in a filled swimming pool; back siphonage, the reverse flow of contaminated water into supply pipes, could occur. If you suspect supply pipes contain contaminated water, call your local or state department of health to have your water tested. 11. When leaving your home vacant for an extended period of time during the winter, call your water utility to shut off the main water supply at the curb valve (near the street). Close the main shutoff valve and open the faucets to drain the sup ply pipes. Also drain the water heater. Pour a small amount of plumber's antifreeze into the drain of each toilet, sink, bathtub and shower to protect the trap. 12. At the end of autumn in northern climates, turn off the water supply to each exterior faucet; the shutoff valve is located on the supply pipe inside the house. Then, open each exterior faucet to drain the water in the supply pipe. 13. Have a septic tank cleaned every 2 years or according to its specific installation instructions. 14. Know how to work safely with gas or electricity before attempting any repair on a gas or electrical water heater. ==== 97--- Polybutylene (PB) pipe--Flexible plastic pipe available in 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch diameter used to temporarily repair section of metal or plastic pipe; keep 25-foot coil on hand. Trap-and-drain auger (plumber's snake)--Extends 10 to 25 feet to remove blockages deep in a sink or bathtub drain; spiral hook at end turned by locking handle. Tube cutter--Cuts copper or plastic pipe smoothly and squarely; blade attachment used to deburr cut ends. Pipe insulation--Wrapped around pipe to prevent water in it from freezing. Magnet--Used to identify lead pipes; attracted to metal pipe of galvanized steel and not to metal pipe of lead. Adjustable wrench--Used to tighten or loosen nuts; opens to accept square or hexagonal nuts up to 1 inch in diameter; apply pressure on fixed jaw. Pipe wrench--Adjustable tooth-jawed wrench used to turn or hold pipe or fitting; tape jaws to protect chrome fitting or use monkey wrench, Electrical grounding clamp--Two clamps and grounding wire used to maintain integrity of electrical grounding through metal plumbing system when replacement section of PB pipe installed; clamp installed on metal pipe at each end of PB pipe and grounding wire run between clamps. Hacksaw--For cutting metal or plastic pipe; use blade with 32 teeth per inch. Mini-hacksaw works well in tight spaces. Pipe tape Wrapped around pipe or fitting threads to ease threading and make watertight seal. Pipe-leak clamp Two-piece clamp with rubber cushion used to temporarily seal a small crack or puncture in a pipe; available in a variety of diameters and lengths. Adapters -- Used to connect replacement section of PB pipe to galvanized steel fitting (top) or plastic pipe (bottom). Electrical tape--Water-resistant plastic tape used to temporarily seal a pinhole leak in a Plungers-- Clear drains by means of water and air pressure: standard plunger (top) suitable for sink or bathtub; flanged-type plunger (bottom) best for toilet. Heating tape--Wrapped around pipe to prevent it from freezing; thermostat turns tape on and off according to air temperature. === TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE SYMPTOM [ Pipe bursts Pipe leaks Ceiling or wall wet Faucet bursts or leaks Toilet overflows Toilet blocked Toilet leaks Sink overflows or does not drain Sink drains slowly Sink leaks Bathtub overflows or does not drain Bathtub drains slowly Appliance, water heater or water boiler overflows or leaks No water from any faucet No water from one faucet Low water pressure from one faucet Extended power outage in cold weather; No hot water Sewage backs up into house Sewage fumes from toilet, sink or bathtub Basement floor drain backs up Object dropped into toilet or sink Main shutoff valve broken Water contamination suspected] PROCEDURE [ Shut off main water supply (99 Temporarily repair copper, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) or polybutylene (PB) pipe (102) or galvanized steel pipe (103 Have permanent repair undertaken as soon as possible Shut off main water supply (99) Temporarily stop pipe leak (101 Have permanent repair undertaken as soon as possible Suspect damaged pipe behind ceiling or wall; shut oft water supply to fixtures above ceiling or wall ( 100) or shut oft main water supply (99 Have pipe repaired or replaced as soon as possible Shut oft water supply to fixture (100) or shut off main water supply (99 Have faucet repaired or replaced as soon as possible Shut off water supply to toilet (100) Unblock toilet (105 If problem persists, have toilet drain repaired or replaced as soon as possible Don’t flush toilet Unblock toilet (105 If problem persists, have toilet drain repaired or replaced as soon as possible Shut off water supply to toilet (100 Have toilet repaired or replaced as soon as possible Turn off faucets Unclog sink drain (106 If problem persists, have sink drain repaired or replaced as soon as possible Mix together 1/4 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of salt and 1/16 cup cream of tartar, spoon into drain and flush with 1 quart of water Shut off water supply to sink (100 Have sink repaired or replaced as soon as possible Turn off faucets Unclog bathtub drain; If problem persists, have bathtub drain repaired or replaced as soon as possible Mix together 1/4 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of salt and 1/16 cup cream of tartar, spoon into drain and flush with 1 quart of water Shut off water supply to fixture (100) Drain appliance, water heater (71) or water boiler and mop up standing water (72) Have appliance, water heater or water boiler repaired or replaced as soon as possible If temperature below freezing, check for frozen main water supply pipe by running damp rag or sponge along it; if it frosts over, thaw frozen pipe (101) and turn up heat in house If temperature below freezing and main water supply pipe inaccessible, shut oft main water supply (99) and open faucet nearest to pipe to minimize damage if pipe bursts; turn up heat in house Call water utility to service curb valve or main supply pipe outside house If temperature below freezing, check for frozen water supply pipe by running damp rag or sponge along it; if it frosts over, thaw frozen pipe (101) and turn up heat in house If temperature below freezing, suspect partially frozen water supply pipe; turn up heat in house Raise temperature of pipes by opening faucets When water pressure restored, take interim preventive measure to keep pipe from freezing (101) Take interim preventive measure to keep pipes from freezing; Relight pilot of gas water heater (94); reset circuit breaker or replace fuse of electrical water heater (83 If problem persists, have water heater repaired or replaced as soon as possible Don’t flush any toilet or drain any fixture Shut off main water supply (99 Call municipality to service municipal sewer line Have house main drain serviced as soon as possible Flush toilet or open sink or bathtub faucet to refill drain trap If problem persists, have house drains serviced professionally as soon as possible Mop up standing water (72) Check that any sump pump plugged into working outlet; reset circuit breaker or replace fuse (83 Have floor drain unblocked as soon as possible Don’t flush toilet or open sink faucet Retrieve object with wire or coat hanger Have toilet removed to retrieve object from trap; remove trap bend of sink to retrieve object (106) Call water utility to shut off water at curb valve Have main shutoff valve repaired or replaced as soon as possible Call local or state department of health to have water tested (107) Don’t use water from supply pipes for drinking or cooking; use bottled water or water purification tablets or boil water for at least 10 minutes] 99a--- SHUTTING OFF THE MAIN WATER SUPPLY Turning off the main water supply. Locate the main shutoff valve on the main water supply pipe for the house and close it; usually it’s found at the entry point of the main water supply pipe, indoors near the water meter or in the basement, utility room or crawl space . If your water supply is provided by a well, look for the main shutoff valve on the main water supply pipe near the pressure gauge or water pump. Turn the handle fully clockwise to close the valve, shutting off the water supply. If the water meter has two valves, close the valve on the supply side (before the water meter). To drain the water supply pipes in the house, open all the faucets. To restore the water supply, open the valve by turning the handle fully counterclockwise; turn it slowly to avoid a large pressure surge. Allow the water to run for several minutes to remove the air in the water supply pipes, then close all the faucets. Tag the valve for easy identification in the event of a future emergency. 100a--- SHUTTING OFF THE WATER SUPPLY TO A FIXTURE Turning off the water supply to a toilet. Locate the shutoff valve on the supply pipe under the toilet tank and turn the handle fully clock wise , shutting off the water supply to the toilet. If the valve leaks or there is no valve, turn oft the main water supply or support the float ball. To support the float ball, lift the lid oft the toilet tank, gently raise the float ball to its highest position, and hook a coat hanger under its arm and over the edge of the toilet tank (inset). To restore the water supply, slowly turn the handle of the valve fully counterclockwise; or, turn on the main water supply or remove the hanger, reposition the float ball and put the lid back on the toilet tank. Tag each valve for easy identification in the event of a future emergency. Turning off the water supply to a sink. Locate the shutoff valve for each faucet on its supply pipe under the sink. Turn the handle of each valve fully clockwise , shutting oft the water supply to the sink. Open the faucets to drain the water supply pipes to the sink. If a valve leaks or there is no valve, turn oft the main water supply. To restore the water supply, slowly turn the handle of each valve fully counterclockwise or turn on the main water supply. Allow the water to run for several minutes to remove the air in the water supply pipes, then close the faucets. Tag each valve for easy identification in the event of a future emergency. 100bcd--- Turning off the water supply to an appliance. Locate the shutoff valve on each supply pipe and turn the handle fully clock wise: for a clothes washer, usually the valves behind it ; for a dishwasher, usually a valve under the sink. For a portable appliance, turn off the sink faucets. If a valve leaks or there is no valve, turn off the main water supply (99). To restore the water supply, slowly turn the handle of each valve fully counterclockwise; or, turn on the faucets, the water supply to the sink or the main water supply. Tag each valve for easy identification in the event of a future emergency. Turning off the water supply to a water heater. Locate the shutoff valve on the supply pipe to the water heater, usually found near and above it. Turn the handle fully clock wise , shutting off the water supply to the water heater (and the hot water supply to the house). If the valve leaks or there is no valve, turn oft the main water supply. To restore the water supply, slowly turn the handle of the valve fully counterclockwise or turn on the main water supply. Tag each valve for easy identification in the event of a future emergency. Turning off the water supply to a water boiler. Locate the shutoff valve on the supply pipe to the water boiler, usually found near and above it. Turn the handle fully clockwise, shutting off the water supply to the water boiler (and the hot water supply of the heating system). If the valve leaks or there is no valve, turn off the main water supply. To restore the water supply, slowly turn the handle of the valve fully counterclockwise or turn on the main water supply. Tag each valve for easy identification in the event of a future emergency. 101--- THAWING A FROZEN PIPE Warming a frozen pipe. Turn the main water supply about 3/4 of the way off. To allow melting ice to drain, open the faucet nearest to the frozen section of pipe. Using a hair dryer, slowly warm the pipe, working from the faucet to the frozen section to prevent water trapped by ice from heating up and bursting the pipe; keep the hair dryer moving and 3 to 4 inches from the pipe. When water begins to trickle from the faucet, open the main shutoff valve, turning the handle fully counterclockwise; the flow of water helps to speed the thawing. After thawing the pipe, turn off the faucet; undertake a temporary preventive measure if there is a risk of the pipe freezing again. Using heating tape, warm a frozen pipe the same way. Wrap the heating tape tightly every 1 1/2 to 2 inches around the pipe, secure it every 6 inches with plastic tape and plug it into an outlet; it draws electrical current, warming the pipe. To prevent the freezing of a pipe, use heating tape equipped with a thermostat to maintain a constant temperature. To prevent the freezing of a pipe inside a cabinet, keep the doors open, allowing heat from the room to warm it or set up and turn on a lamp beside it. To prevent the freezing of a pipe in an electrical power outage, open the faucet enough to allow water to flow or wrap pipe insulation tightly around the pipe and secure it with duct tape. STOPPING A PIPE LEAK 101cd--- Plugging a pinhole leak. To temporarily seal a crack or puncture, install a pipe-leak clamp. To temporarily plug a pinhole leak, turn off the main water supply and open the faucet nearest to the damaged section of pipe to drain it. Jam the tip of a pencil into the pinhole and break it off. Dry off the damaged section of pipe with a cloth, then wrap electrical tape around it, overlapping the tape by about 1/2 of its width each turn and extending it 3 to 4 inches on each side of the plug. Apply 3 or 4 layers of tape the same way. To temporarily plug a pinhole leak at a fitting, use the same procedure, wrapping tape around it and the pipe. Turn on the main water supply, turn off the faucet and periodically inspect the repair; if water leaks from it, reinforce it by wrapping 3 or 4 layers of duct tape around it. 102ab— Installing a pipe-leak clamp. If the leak is from a pinhole, temporarily plug it. To temporarily seal a crack or a puncture, install a pipe-leak clamp. Turn off the main water supply and open the faucet nearest to the damaged section of pipe to drain it. Dry off the damaged section of pipe with a cloth. Using a wrench, remove the nuts and slide out the bolts holding the clamp together. Fit the clamp around the pipe, centering it on the damaged section, with the rubber cushion completely covering the hole. To secure the clamp, insert the bolts and tighten each nut in turn with a wrench until the rubber cushion sits firmly against the pipe. Turn on the main water supply and turn off the faucet. 102cd--- REPAIRING A COPPER, CPVC OR PB PIPE 1. Removing the damaged section. Turn off the main water supply and open the faucet nearest to the damaged section of pipe to drain it. If the damaged pipe is of galvanized steel, repair it. To temporarily repair a damaged pipe of copper, CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) or PB (polybutylene), install a replacement section of PB pipe. Set a bucket under each end of the damaged section of pipe to catch any water that has not drained. Wearing safety goggles, cut off each end of the damaged section of pipe using a pipe cutter or a hacksaw. To remove the damaged section of pipe, unscrew any hangers holding it to joists or studs. 2. Preparing the replacement pipe. At the end of each undamaged pipe, scrape off any burrs using a utility knife or emery paper, apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly and push on an adapter until the pipe bottoms out inside its socket. Use a measuring tape to measure the distance between the midpoint of each adapter, then mark the measurement on a replacement PB pipe. To cut the pipe to length, secure it in a miter box, lining up the mark with the saw guides, arid use a hacksaw ; or, hold the pipe firmly against a flat surface and press down squarely with a sharp knife. Scrape any burrs off each end of the pipe, then bevel its outside edge slightly with a utility knife (inset). 103ab--- 3. Installing the replacement pipe. Position the replacement pipe against the adapters, centering it, and mark the midpoint of each adapter on it. Apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly on each end of the pipe and push one end into an adapter until it bottoms out inside the adapter socket, using the mark as a guide; push the other end into the other adapter the same way , moving the end of the undamaged section of pipe to position it, if necessary. Tighten each adapter by hand, then replace any hangers removed. Turn on the main water supply and turn off the faucet. 4. Installing an electrical jumper wire. To maintain the integrity of electrical grounding through a plumbing system of metal pipes, the undamaged section of metal pipe on each side of the repair must be linked together with grounding clamps and a grounding wire. To install a clamp at each end of the undamaged section of pipe, loosen its screws enough to fit it around the pipe, then tighten the screws. To connect the wire to each clamp, loosen the grounding screw and fit the wire into the clamp, then tighten the grounding screw . 103c--- REPAIRING A GALVANIZED STEEL PIPE 1. Removing the damaged pipe. Turn off the main water supply and open the faucet nearest to the damaged section of pipe to drain it. If the damaged pipe is of copper, CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) or PB (polybutylene), repair it. To temporarily repair a damaged pipe of galvanized steel, replace it with PB pipe. Set a bucket under the fitting at each end of the damaged pipe to catch any water that has not drained. Wearing work gloves and safety goggles, use a hacksaw to cut off each end of the damaged pipe 6 to 8 inches from the fitting. To remove the section of damaged pipe, unscrew any hangers holding it to joists or studs. To remove each threaded section of the damaged pipe from its fitting, grip it with a pipe wrench and turn it counterclockwise ; apply pressure only with the top, fixed jaw of the pipe wrench, repositioning it as necessary. 2. Installing the adapters. Install an adapter at each fitting using pipe tape to ease the threading of it and provide it with a water tight seal. Wrap the pipe tape tightly around the threads of the adapter 1 1/2 turns counterclockwise (inset); the threads should be visible through the pipe tape. Screw the adapter clockwise into the fitting by hand, then tighten it by gripping its fixed nut securely with an adjustable wrench and turning it. 3. Preparing the replacement pipe. Measure the distance between the base of each fixed nut , then mark the measurement on a replacement PB pipe. To cut the pipe to length, secure it in a miter box, lining up the mark with the saw guides, and use a hacksaw; or, hold the pipe firmly against a flat surface and press down squarely with a sharp knife. Scrape any burrs off each end of the pipe using a utility knife or emery paper, then bevel its outside edge slightly with a utility knife. 4. Installing the replacement pipe. Position the replacement pipe against the adapters, centering it, and mark the mid point of each adapter on it. Apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly on each end of the replacement pipe and push one end into an adapter until it bottoms out inside the adapter socket, using the mark as a guide; push the other end into the other adapter the same way, moving it or the undamaged pipe to position it, if necessary. Tighten each adapter by hand, then using an adjustable wrench, gripping its adjustable nut securely and turning it clockwise. Replace any hangers removed, then turn on the main water supply and turn off the faucet. To maintain the integrity of electrical grounding through a plumbing system of metal pipes, install an electrical jumper wire. 105a--- UNBLOCKING A TOILET 1. Preparing to clear the blockage. Don’t flush the toilet. If the bowl is overflowing, turn off the water supply to the toilet (100). Spread old newspapers or rags around the toilet to absorb water spilled from the bowl. Wearing rubber gloves, use a plastic con tamer to bail water out of the bowl until it’s half full . If the bowl is less than half full, add water until it’s half full. Locate the drain opening-the larger one, if there are two openings. 2. Using a flange-type plunger. Wearing rubber gloves, fit the cup of a flange-type plunger over the drain opening. Keeping the cup below the water level, pump the plunger up and down vigorously 8 to 10 times , then lift it out. If the bowl does not drain freely, repeat the procedure; or, use a closet auger to break up or snag the blockage (step 3). When the bowl drains freely, the blockage is cleared; if you turned off the water supply to the toilet, turn it back on. 3. Using a closet auger. Use a closet auger, shaped to fit a toilet; its curved sleeve allows it to be fed into the drain opening without scratching the porcelain. Wearing rubber gloves, feed the auger into the drain opening and crank the handle clockwise; the auger should move freely until it reaches the blockage. Crank the handle until the auger tightens, indicating it’s as far into the drain opening as possible ; then, still cranking the handle, pull the auger slowly out of the drain opening. If the bowl does not drain freely, repeat the procedure; if the blockage cannot be cleared using the auger, have the toilet taken off and the blockage removed. When the bowl drains freely, the blockage is cleared; if you turned off the water supply to the toilet, turn it back on. 106--- CLEARING A CLOGGED SINK DRAIN 1. Using a plunger. If there is a drain stopper, open it, then pull it out or turn it counterclockwise and lift it out; if it does not come out easily, first remove any retaining nut holding it under the sink. Block any overflow opening by packing a wet rag into it; with a double sink, close the stopper or install the plug of the other drain. Fill the sink with 4 to 6 inches of water-enough to cover the cup of a plunger. Wearing rubber gloves, fit the plunger over the drain opening, angling the cup to avoid trapping air. Keeping the cup below the water level, pump the plunger up and down vigorously 8 to 10 times , then lift it out. If the sink drains freely, the blockage is cleared; put back any drain stopper you removed. 2. Removing the cleanout plug and clearing the trap. If the sink does not drain freely, remove the cleanout plug to clear the trap; if the trap does not have a cleanout plug, remove the trap bend to clear it (step 3). Set a pan or bucket under the trap. Wearing rubber gloves, use an adjustable wrench to loosen the cleanout plug, then remove it by hand. To dislodge any blockage, probe through the cleanout opening into the trap arm using a coat hanger ; or, use a trap-and-drain auger, loosening the screw on its handle to feed in the coil and tightening the screw to turn the handle clockwise. Use the pan or bucket to catch any debris. Then, put back the cleanout plug and any drain stopper you removed. Run hot water to flush the trap. 3. Removing the trap bend and clearing the trap. Set a bucket or pan under the trap. Wearing rubber gloves, support the trap bend with one hand and loosen the slip nut at each end of it using a monkey wrench or tape-covered adjustable wrench. Then, unscrew each slip nut by hand and slide it off the trap bend. Pull the trap bend oft the trap arm and the tailpiece, then empty out any water in it. To clean out the trap bend, scrub it thoroughly using a bottle brush (inset) and rinse it in another sink. To clean out the trap arm, use a trap-and-drain auger, loosening the screw on its handle to feed in the coil as far as possible and tightening the screw to turn the handle clockwise. Repeat the procedure until any blockage is dislodged, then pull out the auger, catching any debris in the bucket or pan. To reinstall the trap bend, push it onto the tailpiece and the trap arm. Slide each slip nut onto the trap bend and tighten it by hand, then using the monkey wrench or adjustable wrench. Put back any drain stopper you removed. 107--- CLEARING A CLOGGED BATHTUB DRAIN Clearing the trap. If there is a drain stopper, open it and pull it out, working its rocker arm free of the drain opening; note the orientation of the rocker arm for reassembly. Unscrew the overflow plate (inset) and remove it, pulling the lift assembly out of the overflow opening. To use a plunger, block off the overflow opening by packing a wet rag into it, then fill the bath tub with 4 to 6 inches of water-enough to cover the cup of the plunger. Wearing rubber gloves, fit the plunger over the drain opening, angling the cup to avoid trapping air. Keeping the cup below the water level, pump the plunger up and down vigorously 8 to 10 times, then lift it out. If the bathtub does not drain freely, repeat the procedure or use a trap-and-drain auger. To use a trap-and-drain auger, loosen the screw on its handle to feed the coil through the overflow opening as far as possible into the trap and tighten the screw to turn the handle clock wise. Repeat the procedure until the blockage is dislodged , then slowly pull out the auger. When the bathtub drains freely, put back the overflow plate and any stopper you removed, then run hot water to flush the trap. TESTING YOUR DRINKING WATER Checking your water for contaminants. If your water has a peculiar taste, odor or color, or if members of your household suffer frequent illnesses that may be water-borne, have your water professionally tested. Two types of standard lab tests for water are available: bacteria analysis and chemical analysis-which determines levels of toxins and corrosives. Maximum safe levels of water contaminants are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For a list of certified testing labs in your area, consult your local or state department of health; the testing lab should provide you with containers and instructions for drawing water samples. One common source of household water contamination is lead ions leached from lead supply pipes or lead solder used to join copper supply pipes. Symptoms of lead poisoning include: fatigue and irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite, constipation or diarrhea, and pain in the joints and abdomen. In June 1986, the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act prohibited the use of lead pipes, solder and flux in the repair or installation of any plumbing system connected to a public water supply. The plumbing system of an older house or a home supplied with water by a private well, however, may contain lead-identifiable by its lack of magnetism, softness and dark gray color. If you suspect your household water is contaminated, have any problem with your plumbing system remedied as soon as possible and take interim preventive measures. For drinking and cooking, buy bottled water, if possible. If you suspect your water is contaminated with bacteria, you can use water purification tablets or boil the water for at least 10 minutes before drinking it or cooking with it. If you suspect your water is contaminated with lead ions, you can minimize the amount of lead you ingest by letting the water run for at least 3 minutes before drawing any for drinking or cooking. Checking for lead pipes and lead solder. To check it any metal supply pipe in your home is of lead, use a magnet ; it will be attracted to a pipe of galvanized steel and won’t be attracted to a pipe of lead. To check it any metal supply pipe has solder containing lead, use a utility knife to shave off a thin sliver of solder; if it’s very soft and dark gray in color, it may contain lead. If you suspect your plumbing system contains lead pipes or lead solder, have it inspected and, if necessary, updated as soon as possible. Previous: Gas |