TL;DR: If your sump pump won't start, the fault is almost always in one of five places. Check power, the float, the pump body, the check valve, and the discharge line, in that order. Unplug it first, and expect debris or a blocked line rather than a dead motor. Table...
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Bathroom Renovation Plumbing: What to Decide
TL;DRThe plumbing choices in a bathroom renovation get made before the tile goes up, not after. Fixture placement, shower valve, drain location, hot water capacity. All four end up hidden behind the finished wall. Sort them out early and the rest of the job goes smoothly. Table of contents Why...
Irrigation Shutoff | Drain the Line, Not the Valve
Shut down irrigation without leaving water in the line TL;DR Closing the valve on your irrigation system is only half the job. The water still sitting in the line is what splits pipe and cracks fittings once the cold turns up. Draining it takes an afternoon in September, and it...
Perimeter Drain Problems | 3 Checks Before Rain
Where perimeter drains fail first, and what to check TL;DR Perimeter drains fail in three spots: the downspout connection, the lowest corner of the run, and anywhere sediment has been piling up since spring. Check those three in September, while the ground's still dry and the problem is easy to...
Weeping Tile: Signs Yours Has Failed
TL;DR Weeping tile is the perforated pipe buried around your foundation footing, and it carries groundwater off before it can reach your wall. When it fails, it fails quietly: silt, roots, or a crushed section. Here's what you can check on your own place before the fall rain starts. Jump...
How to Replace an Outdoor Faucet | What to Know
How to replace an outdoor faucet: what the job involves before cutting TL;DR: Replacing an outdoor faucet is rarely the quick swap it looks like. The faucet is just the visible end of a pipe running through your wall, and what sits behind it decides the whole job. Work out...
Poly B Insurance BC: Repipe Before Renewal
TL;DR Poly B pipe is not just a plumbing risk anymore. Many BC insurers now charge more, quietly cut water damage coverage, or refuse to write a policy on a home that still has it. Find out what your policy says before your renewal date, because after a pipe lets...
Fridge Water Line Leak: It’s Been Running for Months
Fridge water line leak: it's been running for months TL;DR Fridge water lines can weep for months before anyone spots it. The fridge is parked right on top of the only connection you'd ever see. Pull the unit out, check the line, the valve, and the floor at the wall....
Running Toilet Fix: 30-Minute Repair
TL;DR: A running toilet is almost always one of three parts: the flapper, the fill valve or the float. A five-minute dye test tells you which, and the fix itself takes under half an hour. A moderate leak quietly sends about 950 L down the drain every day. That's a...
Poly B Pipe in BC Homes: The Ten-Minute Check
TL;DR Poly B is the grey plastic water pipe that went into Canadian homes from roughly 1978 through the mid-1990s. You can identify it yourself in about ten minutes. Check the pipe at your hot water tank, under a sink and at your main shut off valve, then look for...