Test downspout drain lines

You should test downspout drain lines on your house for proper drainage once a year. Downspout drain lines carry the water from the roof gutters away from the house. Even more important they carry the water away from the foundation of your house. The foundation of any house is simply a ditch that was dug making it the lowest point on the property. Water naturally flows to a ditch or to the lowest point of an area. If water gets trapped between the foundation and the ground it can build up pressure and damage the foundation, which is very costly to repair. To test downspout drain lines just run water from a garden hose through the drain lines or from the gutter drop. Watch for any signs of water backing up. If the water backs up or it does not drain properly you will need to run a sewer snake through the drain. You can rent a snake or call a sewer and drain service company. See one of my previous posts "Tips on choosing a sewer and drain service company."

Water transfer problem with a toilet.

A water transfer problem with a toilet is often times confused with a clogged toilet. When you flush the toilet the water just swirls, then slowly drains out. There is a very simple procedure that you can do to determine if your toilet is clogged or it has a water transfer problem. First of all, water transfer is what makes a toilet work, the water transfers from the tank to the bowl and flushes it out. This procedure will bypass the tank, just fill a bucket full of water and dump it straight into the bowl. If the toilet flushes you, have a water transfer problem, if it does not flush you have a clog or a blockage. A water transfer problem can be caused by either low water level in the tank, or mineral buildup in the main jet and jets under the rim. You can adjust the float on the ballcock to allow for more water in the tank. You may need a screwdriver to clean out the main jet. a wire coat hanger works good to clean the jets under the rim. Hope this helps with diagnosing toilet problems. I will get into clogs and blockages in other posts so stay tuned.

Septic tank location

One of the most common calls I get from customers with septic tanks is about septic tank location. "Where is my septic tank?" or "How do I find my septic tank?" Most septic tanks are out of sight, whjch usually means they are out of mind until there is a problem. Do not wait till you have a problem to have your septic tank serviced because it will be costly, especially if you don't know where it is. You may have to call a service company to electronically locate your septic tank, but there are a few things you can do try to locate it yourself and save some money. Ask the previous owner. Ask the neighbors what company they use to service their septic tank, there's a good chance that same company serviced your tank in the past. Check county records to see if there is something recorded or even a drawing of your property. If you don't mind getting dirty you can do some digging around. Find where your main sewer leaves the house. Walk in a straight line from there while using something to probe the ground. Septic tanks are not very deep and are usually within thirty feet from the house. When you feel the tank with your probe, keep probing to find the edges. mark the edges and dig inside the marks to find the lid. Once you find your septic tank location call to have it serviced. I will get into how often to have your septic tank serviced in another post