DIY Life

There are various places in the home where water valves are located. One prime place is where the water supply enters the home. This is in place to shut off the supply for maintenance. But over the course of time, these can develop a leak. Not only does this waste water but overly wet soil at one corner of the home can cause the slab to crack. It happened to a friend of mine.

But before a costly plumber visit, why not try to fix it yourself? Valves are pretty simple so there's really a few fixes. First, try to tighten the packing nut (located just beyond the handle). If the handle is too hard to turn, the packing nut is too tight.

That didn't fix it? You'll need to shut off the water upstream. This is usually at the water meter. Next, remove the valve handle and the packing nut. Replace the packing material and put it all back together. Turn the water back on and you're back in business!

In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Weil-McLain has announced a voluntary recall of about 1,800 Williamson-Thermoflo GWS and GWI gas boilers. If a leak occurs in the vent piping, the boilers can leak carbon monoxide into the building in which they are installed, posing a risk of CO poisoning. No injuries have been reported.

Manufactured in the United States and sold by plumbing and heating wholesale distributors to plumbers and contractors from October 2001 through December 2007 for between $1,500 and $2,700, this recall involves cast iron, gas fired boilers used for space heating. Please check the CPSC press release for more information.

Consumers are advised to contact their installers for a free safety inspection and repair. For more information, contact Williamson-Thermoflo at (866) 783-9516, or visit their website at www.williamson-thermoflo.com.

FYI: Weil-McLain has issued a voluntary recall for Weil-McLain gas boilers; see that recall here.

There's no such thing as a good sewer odor, right? If there's a persistent, but unexplained, stink emanating from your bathroom the cause could be sewer gas. Sewer gas is supposed to stay down inside your municipal sewer system or private septic tank. Problems occur when it finds its way back up into the house via your toilet. Eeew.

Surprise, surprise. Plumbing experts say sewer gas is something you should take care of, and not just for the obvious reason that the stink is absolutely revolting. Did you know that sewer gas is toxic when breathed in repeatedly? It's also associated with a buildup of methane gas, which is explosive. Eeek! Now that's a potty problem!

According to trusty home repair extraordinaire, Tim "Ask the Builder" Carter, it's best to locate the root cause of the problem as soon as possible. Tim says the cause of the stink is usually a blockage or a crack in the plumbing drain line or vent pipe, with the latter being a lot harder to detect. Plumbers can find the leaks by forcing colored smoke from a smoke generating machine through the pipes. Cool!

Read more at AskTheBuilder.com.

There's a damp patch in my garage. I've been in denial for a long time, telling myself it's probably caused by rainwater seeping through the garage's concrete foundation. However, the patch has gotten bigger...and bigger. Meanwhile, there's been no rain for at least a week now. Time to face facts: I may have a leaking water heater. Bah!

Looking on the bright side, I might be able to fix this problem myself and avoid shelling out precious dollars for a plumber. (Please, oh, please!) Off I go to look for advice on the Web. Here' s what I found most useful:

Sites to check out:

• Home Tips is an ideal starting point, with a for-beginners-style intro to tank repair, and a ton of other problem-solving articles.

Have you ever had one of those "uh-oh" moments where you realize that something small and expensive (think wedding ring) is suddenly missing? Did it fall into the engine block you were just assembling? Did it fall down the sink as you washed your hands? Did junior try to see if it would fit down the shower drain? All of these scenarios have one thing in common (besides divorce papers): You have no way of checking unless you spend some time taking things apart. Rigid has come to the rescue to save you from having to do any unnecessary disassembly.

Enter the SeeSnake Micro. It has a 2.4" color LCD screen that receives its signal via a 3' cable with built in LED lights and camera. It is a hand held, cordless unit that lets everyone get into tight, dark, messy places to find out what went where or what went wrong. It also includes attachments for item retrieval so you may just avoid having to disassemble anything at all. (I know that taking things apart is half the fun, but, really? drain pipes... yechh) If the 3' cable isn't long enough for you Rigid will let you extend it to a total of 30' with the purchase of additional cable.

There comes a time in the busy life of every home that the kitchen faucet must be replaced. That time came to my kitchen faucet today and after about one hour of light work the job is done. Not only did I replace the faucet. I upgraded it a little. The fixture I installed today is a fair standard better than the $29.95 model I installed a couple years ago.

The process is fairly simple and requires only a new faucet kit, Teflon pipe tape and a few of the proper tools. If you are a little handy, a lot patient and able to get under the sink on your back, you can do this plumbing job. I have outlined the project for you and I have included some pictures to help you along.

Your gutters make sure that water drains away from the house, protecting your siding, windows, and foundation from water damage. Gutters should be cleaned twice a year, and if you've had wind and rain storms the way we have, that time is quickly approaching.

Your gutters have probably accumulated a lot of leaves and other debris. You could hire somebody to come and clean them for you, but if you have half a day and are comfortable working from a ladder or roof, try your DIY'er hands at gutter cleaning.

It's easy-peasy to fix your own toilet once you get the hang of it. The most common problem involves weird flushing mishaps -- like the tank not filling, or the water running too long or not long enough. These are simple maintenance issues that anyone can handle. So before you call a plumber, roll up your sleeves and have a go!

Don't know your flapper from your float arm? Don't have the patience to wade through a 500-page repair manual? Consider getting tips online. Lowes has an excellent introduction to toilet repair in its "how-to" section, complete with a handy color diagram and a problem-solving section.

Another handy resource: instructional Web videos, like this one on YouTube. The best piece of advice in this particular video? If you're a beginner at toilet repair and if you're not sure exactly what the problem is, get one of those all-in-one-box repair kits. They have all the commonly used washers and other doodads included in the box. Trust me. It's totally likely that this kit will save you at least one additional -- not to mention frustrating -- trip to the hardware store this weekend!