You need to install a water line for your ice maker, but you don't consider yourself a plumber. The idea of sweating joints is a bit intimidating to folks without…
Who's gonna cut the trees around the power lines? According to Excel Energy, the person who owns the land that the tree is on is expected to keep the tree branches…
What's a missing ground jumper? A long time ago, water pipes were used for grounding electrical components in the house. The idea had merit; the pipes were metal, and came…
Take a minute to check your fan Are you sure your bathroom fan is doing it's job? Here's a simple way to check; Take a short length of toilet paper and…
The ideal crawlspace DOES exist! AT a home inspection in Minneapolis, I came across a perfect example of should NOT be in a crawlspace, and it occurred to me that…
The joys of home ownership! As a home inspector in the Stillwater MN area, I always make a point of looking into the gutters on a house. The gutters perform…
Aluminum branch wiring; the house hasn't burned down yet, so we're good, right? Um, I think the operative word there is "yet". There are a bunch of reasons why aluminum branch…
Actually, all the news is bad Lead has been around for a long time. The word plumbing comes from the Latin word for lead, plumbum. Lead was used as an inexpensive and…
Why is a sump pump check valve important? A check valve is the same diameter as the discharge pipe into which it fits and is usually a different color. A…
A lot more than you'd EVER wand to know about sumps First, what IS a sump pump? Sump pumps are self-activating electrical pumps that protect homes from moisture intrusion. They…