Posted on: Friday, December 31, 2004
HOME HANDYMAN
Call a plumber to clean roof pipes
By Glenn Haege
Q. We just bought an older home. The inspector said we should go up on the roof and force water down the roof vent pipes because they were plugged. Some of the drains are slow. This is a two-story house. Should we pay someone to go up and put a hose down the pipes?
A. You want to hire someone to get up on your roof, but leave the hose behind. Call a plumbing service and tell them that you need to have your roof vents snaked out. Not every plumber is willing to climb on the roof, so you may have to call several places.
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Q. We are installing a bathroom in the basement, and the sewer line is above the basement floor. How do I get the waste discharge to go up to the sewer line?
A. All you need to do is flush up hill. The Saniflo, www.saniflo.com, toilet uses a pump mechanism to transport the waste up to the sewer line. Glenn Haege writes this column for the Detroit News. Write to Ask Glenn, Master Handyman Press, P.O. Box 1498, Royal Oak, MI 48068-1498 or to askglenn@masterhandyman.com.
