Manual pumps are lifesavers, but man, I’ve seen folks forget about their backup batteries for the electric sump too. Nothing like realizing your “fail...

Been there more times than I care to admit. One winter, I tried duct-taping a plastic sheet over my drafty window—looked like a crime scene and someho...

That “phantom leak” story hits close to home. I once spent half a summer convinced my dog was sneaking downstairs and, uh, marking his territory in th...

Man, I hear you on the aftermarket roulette. I once swapped a dishwasher pump with a “universal” one that fit... sort of. It worked, but sounded like ...

That’s the thing, right? I’ve seen more “smart” gadgets outsmart themselves than actually help in a pinch. Had a call last winter—guy had a fancy leak...

Rubber seals are supposed to be the “clean” option, but I swear they’re more finicky than wax half the time. Had one shift on me during a midnight pan...

HDPE’s not a bad way to go, honestly. I’ve seen it hold up better than PVC when the roots start getting ambitious—plus, it flexes a bit instead of jus...

Sharpie inside the cabinet—now that’s a move I can get behind. I once taped a “cheat sheet” to the water heater and my dog ate half of it... so much f...

I get where you're coming from, but I’ve gotta admit, the cabinet-door trick has never worked out for me. Maybe it’s just my luck, but every winter I ...

I've had mixed luck with Bio-Blast myself. Last year, our shower drain was acting up—standing ankle-deep in water isn't exactly my idea of a relaxing ...