Editors Of Family Handyman - 100 things every homeowner must know: how to save money, solve problems, and improve your home

Since 1951, The Family Handyman has been dishing out the best do-it-yourself home advice available. Our recipe is simple: Go straight to the pros for real-world, field-tested expertise. And then explain the projects so that anyone can be successful. Our team of more than 1,000 Field Editors includes home experts of every kind, from contractors and real estate agents to architects and engineers. And our readersmore than 4 million across North Americaare constantly sharing their tips and experiences with fellow homeowners. This book contains some of that expertise. But theres a whole lot more

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When it comes to home repairs and improvements, youre in charge. But when the plumber seems to be speaking a foreign language, its tough to make a smart call. So take five minutes to get acquainted with your system. The basics are simpler than you might think.

The drain, waste and vent system carries waste out of your house and into the city sewer lines. Sounds simple enough. But for plumbers, its trickier than the supply system. There are more code requirements to follow, and more know-how is needed to make it work well.

The most important DWV rule is this: Every drain must have a trap, and every trap must have a vent. Traps, those U-shaped pipes you see under sinks, hold wastewater, which prevents nasty sewer gas from flowing up into your home. Vents are simply pipes that lead outside through the roof. Without a vent, water flowing through a trap creates a vacuum and siphons the trap dry. By allowing air into the system, vents act as a vacuum breaker.

Drain and waste lines (shown in blue) must include traps, which keep sewer gas from entering your home. Vents (shown in yellow) break the siphon effect of flowing waste to keep water in the traps.

Your water supply system taps into the city water main, runs through a meter that measures your water usage and then branches throughout your home. The branch lines in your home may be any of the types shown below. Older homes are sometimes museums of pipe history, including several types of pipe.

An AAV lets air into the DWV system, but not out, so it can take the place of a vent pipe running up through the roof. On remodeling projects, that can save the plumber a lot of workand you a lot of moneyif its allowed by your local code. AAVs arent allowed in all situations.