What’s the root cause of plugged sewer lines?

Click Image to enlarge.

Q We own a 27-year-old home on a heavily wooded lot. Tree roots between the house and city sewer line clog our sewer line about every two years, requiring a call to “Roto-Rooter” for a pipe reaming. Is there anything we can do—short of cutting down the trees—to save this biannual hassle and expense?

Brian Zondlak, via E-mail

A As you can see from the photo, the tree roots work their way through cracks or joints in older sewer lines made of clay tile, cast iron or an asphalt composite style called “orangeberg” piping. The roots are seeking that nutrientrich soup you’re sending down the drains and toilets (there’s no accounting for taste). Clay and cast iron are rarely used anymore because of those loose-fitting joints that tree roots can penetrate. These materials are also heavy, hard to work with, expensive, brittle and prone to breakage. Nowadays nearly all sewer lines are made of plastic pipe—it’s cheap, tough and lightweight, and the joints are impervious to tree roots.

You’ve got three options, none ideal: Continue reaming the lines periodically, cut down the trees, or call in the pros. Larger sewer-cleaning companies will ream out the line or actually send a mini video camera inside the pipe to determine exactly what the problem is. They’ll find out if the line is crushed, cracked, or sloped improperly, or if tree roots are worming their way through cracks or loose joints. Then they’ll recommend a course of action, which could be:

Digging up the old line and replacing it with plastic.
Treating the line with a poison formulated to kill nearby tree roots. That way it’ll take much longer for new roots to cause problems. These poisons are designed to kill just problem roots—not the whole tree.
Sealing the line by lining the existing pipe with an internal plastic fabric and cement. Companies have been doing this for years on larger lines and are just beginning to line residential ones. Chances of finding a local company that does residential sewer lining are slim, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

One of our editors has the same recurring problem as you. He got tired of the $100 service call every year (always on a Sunday while entertaining friends), so he bought his own $400 power auger and cleans out the lines himself. You can also rent one for $40 to $75. To learn how to run this auger, see “Clearing Out Stubborn Drain Clogs,” Sept. ’98, p. 25. To order a copy, see p. 108.

Smooth finish for particleboard?

Q I’m going to buy some particleboard storage closets. How can I finish them so the surface will be smooth?

Maria McMillan, Ukiah, CA

A First, particleboard is really not meant to be smooth. Second, anyone who’s tried to paint or seal particleboard will tell you it’s a ton of work! So, you may want to consider buying a Melamine or unfinished wood storage closet materials.

If you still want to build your own storage closets from particleboard, here’s what we recommend:

Sand the surface with 80- to 100-grit sandpaper and round the edges slightly.
Fill in rough areas with spackling compound or wood putty if you plan to varnish it. Pay special attention to edges because they’re the roughest and most porous part.
Sand thoroughly and then remove dust with a tack cloth.
Prime and paint the surfaces, lightly sanding between coats. You can also apply varnish, again sanding between coats. Build up your coats (it may take two or three) until you have a smooth surface.

How do I install wire connectors?

Q When you use wire connectors to join wires, should you first twist the wires together, then screw on the connector, or just hold the wires together and let the connector do the work as you tighten?

Tim McDonald, Columbus, OH

Click Image to enlarge.

CORRECTLY INSTALLED CONNECTOR

A Read the directions on the box—some connectors allow both methods. As a rule, it’s best to let the connector do the twisting for you. Here’s why:

The sharp-edged conical spring inside the connector makes a solid, durable electrical connection. The threads feed the wires into the connector and slightly cut into the wires as you tighten.
The cutting action removes any oxidation on the outside of the wires for better contact with the spring, which helps conduct the electricity.
The connector’s cone shape progressively tightens and clamps the ends together.

To make a good connection, strip about 1/2 in. off the ends of the wires (this too can vary; read the directions on the box). Then hold the ends of the wires even and screw the connector on clockwise until the insulated portion of the wire has one or two twists in it. Some connectors are better than others, so don’t go cheap. A solid, long-lasting electrical connection is worth the extra cost.

Click Image to enlarge.

Plumbing valves: An open-and-shut case

Q Our plumber, while doing some other work in the house, switched our main water supply valve from a gate valve to a ball valve. What’s the difference? Is one better than the other?

Aaron Kaufmann, Warmego, KS

A There are three basic valve styles, making this a classic case of good, better and best (described in order as follows). All three can be used for water, oil or airflow control if the casting has “WOG" stamped on it. Stop valves (top photo) are closed by screwing a rubber gasket down onto a seat in the middle of the valve. Pros only use small versions that act as shutoff valves for fixtures such as sinks and toilets and outdoor sillcocks. Flow is inefficient because of the circuitous route the fluid (water, in most cases) has to follow. It’s important to orient the valve in the right direction with the arrow (cast into the side of the valve) aligned with flow direction. That way, water flows against the bottom of the rubber gasket. If the valve is put in backward, the flow will force the gasket away from the top of the valve.

Stop valves

Gate valves (middle photo) are called “full-flow” valves; there’s a direct unobstructed path for flow right through the middle of the valve. A wedge-shaped brass gate is lowered into a machined slot to close the valve. They should either be completely open or completely closed. Water flowing through a partially open gate valve wears away the metal and causes the valve to fail over time.

Gate valves

Ball valves (bottom photo) contain a finely machined stainless steel ball with a hole drilled through the center that pivots in plastic bushings. Like the gate valve, it’s a full-flow valve. The hard steel allows this valve to be partially open without wearing out. In the closed position, the lever is perpendicular to the pipes; in the open position it’s parallel, so a glance will tell you if it’s open or not. The downside? If the pipes are tight against the wall, you may not be able to operate the lever.

Ball valves

Is a microwave worth fixing?

Q My microwave oven still cooks stuff but not nearly as fast as it used to. A friend told me that the magnetron (whatever that is) is shot. Since it’s well past the warranty period, I’m considering replacing the magnetron myself. Is it worth doing, or should I just buy a new oven? Do you have any advice?

George Lepon, via E-mail

A Yes—don’t go anywhere near it! Microwave ovens have capacitors that store up to 4,000 volts for long periods of time after the oven has been used. In fact, this stored voltage electrocutes an average of four people every year. The only two “repairs” a homeowner should attempt are changing the light bulb and tripping the circuit breaker located on the back of most machines.

As far as having the oven repaired, a new magnetron would run anywhere from $80 to $130, plus $80 in labor to install it. You’d need to be very emotionally attached to your oven to justify that expense. Microwave ovens are so cheap nowadays that it’s hardly worth having them repaired. Splurge and go buy a new one.

How do you make an existing garage service door self-closing?

Click Image to enlarge.

Q We recently put our home on the market and were told by a home inspector that the door between the house and the attached garage should be self-closing. How do I make the door self-closing?

G. Nicholson, Jackson, MS

A It’s code in most areas that the entry door to an attached garage be “fire-rated” and have a self-closing device. The purpose is to keep a garage fire from spreading to the house. But don’t worry—making this door self-closing is as simple as changing two or three of the door’s hinges or installing a door closer at the top of the door. It’ll cost about the same ($25 to $30) to go either route, and either is acceptable.

If you plan to use self-closing hinges (left photo), take the original middle hinge to your home center or lumberyard, and find self-closing hinges with plates the same size as the ones already on the door. You may have to chisel the edge of the door to get a new square-cornered hinge to fit in mortises machined for round-cornered hinges. Self-closing hinges look much like ordinary hinges except they have a bigger barrel to house the internal spring that makes them self-closing. Switch hinges one at a time so you won’t have to remove the door, then wind and adjust the springs with the tools and instructions provided.

Door closers (top photo) work well for odd or old doors that have hard-to-match hinges. They’re also a good choice if existing trim won’t allow for the extra thickness of the barrel found on self-closing hinges. You can mount them on either side of the door. Drilling templates and installation instructions come with the closer.

Whether you use a closer or self-closing hinges, adjust the mechanism so the door closes and latches on its own from a wide-open position.

Free home-buying info

www.hud.gov. If you’re considering buying a first or new home or have questions about your mortgage, let the Department of Housing and Urban Development begin your education. You can find out about your rights as a home buyer, get mortgage tips and use the mortgage calculator, and even find out if you have some money coming to you from a long forgotten HUD refund.

Got a question?

Submit your questions to Ask Handyman, 2915 Commers Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121. Due to the volume of mail received, we can’t reply individually to questions submitted

Art Direction • BOB UNGAR & JANIS McKAY BABCOCK

Photography • BILL ZUEHLKE & MIKE KRIVIT