by James Hickman

How to clear a blocked drain

Tools: Bucket (that fits under the drain), rubber gloves, a torch, a plunger, old wire coat hanger or stiff piece of wire. Approximate time to complete: Less than an hour.

Getting started

GENERALLY, clearing a blocked drain is a simple task, and the common causes of a blockage can be attributed to excessive disposal of cooking fats and oils, along with other domestic waste including DIY materials such as plaster.

Using a plunger to clear blockage

...The kitchen sink Your first possible solution to clear a drain blockage is to use a plunger. Place the tool over the drain and ensure the rubber ring on the bottom of the plunger has made an airtight seal. Push down gently and release quickly to begin the suction. Repeat for about 20 seconds, or until you break the clog free. If using a plunger doesn't prove successful, then the pipe below the sink could be blocked.

If you have a double sink then place the plunger over one drain and fill the sink with a few inches of water, make sure the plunger seals around the drain. Firmly hold a wet cloth over the other drain opening to block it before you start plunging. Roll the head of the plunger into the water so you force water, not air, into the drain. Start pumping forcefully. On your final "plunge" pull the plunger from the drain to create extra pressure, if the water doesn't swirl straight down the drain, continue plunging for several minutes.

Clearing the pipe manually Carefully unscrew the portion of pipe under the sink that leads to the trap, making sure you have a bucket beneath the pipe to catch any spillage. Rinse the pipe out thoroughly with hot water to loosen any possible debris. If the pipe is not blocked, then the clog could be in the waste pipe, you'll need to check the segment between the trap and the sink for obstruction. Use a stiff piece of wire to poke the pipe clear. Once complete, re-join the pipe and pour hot soapy water down the drainage hole to ensure the blockage completely is cleared. ...In the bathroom Is water gurgling up into your bath from the drain when the shower is being used? If so, then your waste pipe is no doubt clogged with hair and soap residue. Using an old wire coat hanger, or a stiff piece of wire, make a "hook" at the end and lower it into the drain. Try to fish out the debris that is clogging the drain.

Unblocking a clogged toilet

A large plunger is usually the ideal remedy for toilets that are not flushing away waste properly. Place the plunger over the outlet at the bottom of the toilet pan and plunge for a few seconds. When the blockage is cleared flush the toilet with a bucket of water.

Caution Never plunge a drain soon after pouring drain cleaners down it. The chemicals can be harmful if they come into contact with your skin. Drain cleaners should only be used if water is draining slowly, and not when there is a complete block.

Avoiding blocked drains

Don't overload your drain with foods high in starch (pasta, potatoes and rice), and avoid flushing bacon grease and coffee grounds down the drain because they solidify once settled and cooled. Also, clear remnants of plaster and DIY waste from your tools before rinsing.

Simple home remedies to clear a blocked drain

Pour half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of white vinegar into the drain. After a few minutes flush with boiling water. Baking soda and vinegar breaks down fat residue and freshens your drain of unpleasant odours. Using this simple remedy frequently will assist in preventing your drains becoming blocked by domestic waste.

About the Author

href="http://www.plumbingpages.com">plumbing information site and owner of Plumbworld the UK's largest independent online bathroom retailer

by Colin Knecht

I remember a few years ago one of the sales people at my local hardware store told me they were expecting the arrival of new battery powered circular saw, I think it was a Makita. On hearing the phrase "battery powered circular saw", I laughed out loud and told him to call me when the battery powered table saws arrive. Within a couple of years I had purchased one of those battery powered circular saws that I so willingly scoffed at just a couple of years earlier. I soon discovered that having portable tools had huge benefits. That's why companies like Porter-Cable, Makita, Delta and others have focused on these areas.

These days battery powered tools are available is drills, drivers, impact drivers, routers, jig saws, portable planers, circular saws, reciprocating saws and chop saws, and even Ryobi has battery powered chain saw that works well for big jobs that other tools can't handle. So to see how to get the most from these tools.

Lets stop for a moment and look at batteries that power these units. Most power packs that drive these tools are a series of small rechargeable batteries all wired together to give the optimum power. These rechargeable batteries are very similar to the flashlight batteries that you buy for your TV clicker and garage door opener and various other home products.

The difference between rechargeable batteries like Duracel and Eveready, are that the rechargeables have higher quality shells and consist of slightly different components to make them safe to recharge. The rechargeable batteries that are wired together are normally nickle cadmium (nicad) 1.2 volt batteries. When they are wired together in series ... 8 together equals 9.6 volt, 10 together equals 12.2 volt, 12 together equals 14.4 and so on. That is how more power is generated, more little batteries, more power, and of course, more weight.

The more batteries that are wired together, the greater the torque (or twisting power) of the tool. Torque is created by a combination of horse power and speed, and high speed does not necessarily mean high power. Conversely high power does not necessarily come with high speed..

You will find another type of battery on the market called a "nickle-metal-hydride" (Ni-MH). These batteries use compounds that give the batteries a slightly longer life (they also cost a bit more to purchase). Some contractors prefer tools that will give them longer battery life which is the reason for this more advanced rechargeable battery version.

As woodworkers, we all know one thing, HEAT is our greatest enemy. When saw blades get too hot they lose their tensility and become dull, screws that are driven into hardwoods can snap because of the high heat created by friction, and heat can burn out the electric motors of our machinery if we are not careful. Heat is also the enemy of batteries. All batteries heat up when they are being recharged. The larger battery packs such as 18 volts and larger tend to heat up even more because there are so many batteries in the packs and they don't have heat dispersion characteristics as smaller packs because there are so many batteries next to one another. Batteries tend not to take a charge when they are hot, so keeping the ambient temperature normal to cool is a benefit.

On the flip side, batteries do not do well in cold either. Once the temperature drops below 14 degrees Fahrenheit ( minus 10 Celsius) batteries do not perform well (if at all). Most batteries will lose their power when the temperature gets this low.

The recharging of batteries is a bit of a mystery to a many people. The tendency is to keep batteries fully charged all the time. In truth, batteries need to be exercised in order to keep them in top shape. This means they should be fully discharged every few months, then fully re-charged. "Topping" up battery charges will make the batteries lose their effectiveness, and after a time they will only take a partial charge because that is what they have become accustomed to. This means they will lose their ability to use the full charge. If your older cordless device is doing this, sometimes you can rejuvenate the battery by charging and FULLY discharging it several time.

My old 9.6 Craftsman portable drill, which is now 10 years old has been one of the best tools I have ever owned. I have no idea how many screws it has driven, holes it has bored or blades it has ground, but it's batteries have almost given up now. I checked on the price of new batteries and it will be more cost effective for me to upgrade to a whole new unit ... but I have no intention of getting a big hulking unit, with tons of power, I don't need it and I refuse to pack around all that battery weight, so I am currently investigating some 12 volt units and looking forward to another 10 years of service from my new drill, and when I need more power, I always have my trusty plug-in drill, and the hassle of extension cords that goes with it.

About the Author

Copyright Colin Knecht of WoodWorkWeb.com. This article may be freely distributed and reprinted as long as you leave the article fully intact, including the links.
Visit Woodworkweb.com - woodworking resource for more great woodworking information.

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by Tony Gevano

You don't want to keep your useless tools in your storage right? You will only fill up the room with broken tools, so you feel you want to throw everything out. Wow, that's really a good way to throw out money.

Try not throwing out your tools from the storage by fixing and maintains it properly. Even if it is not broken, maintaining your tools is one way to help you having long lasting equipment. What ever it is, tools are so significant for you to have and has been used since stone era.

Britannica Encyclopaedia said tools began perhaps a million years ago when man learned to walk erect. His hands were then free to grasp objects of wood and stone. He used these to kill animals for food, and they became the first tools. All tools have vast advantage. It's really amazing how those tools helping people to do their everyday life. You will be lured to own your set of tools too.

Not just keen to buy, but maintaining is also important. The better a tool works, the less you'll have to use your energy to do the work. Tools that are in good working order will last forever. Maintenance tasks are easy to do and typically for garden tools are required only once a year. If the tasks are done at end of the season, the tools are ready to use when the season starts, and they are better protected from corrosion during storage.

Before your start keeping your tools, let's check these checklists:

• After you use your tools, and you expect to use it again in a long run by keeping it in the storage, better you replace blades or sharpen tools that cut or dig, lubricate moving parts and oil materials that tend to dry out.

• When a repair is not a safe option, replace the broken parts before you keep your tools in the storage. Don't try to glue or tape a broken wooden handle.

• Before you start fixing your tools, gather all your tools to assess the damage or maintenance needs on the worktable that already cover with newspaper, so it will not be dirty from dirt and oil.

• Write down which tools need to be fixed and which one only needs to be maintained.

• You should wear heavy gloves for your work. Files rough-sharpen digging tools and to sharpen nicked or very dull cutting tools; sharpening stones are required to hone and maintain sharp edges on cutting tools.

• If a metal file doesn't have an integral handle, buy a handle for it. The tool will be much safer to use for the next work. Better you keep it diligently.

It's really amazing how those tools helping people to do their everyday life, especially when your tools are maintained very careful.

About the Author

Tony Gevano interest in observing people's way in choosing things. You can find his writing in different Website. You can find his writing in different Website, visit his Website http://www.my-gardening-tools.info; http://www.my-hand-tools.info

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