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Protection of traps in vacant houses during cold weather.

When a building is to be vacant in cold weather, the traps of the house should be emptied of water, and the seal replaced with cheap oil, such as parafine or kerosene oil. The oil will not freeze, and when the house is again occupied, the oil will at once be carried off through the waste. Lead traps may be filled with a strong brine of salt and water, but this should never be used in water closet traps, or other earthenware traps, as the salt very soon works through the material, and ruins the fixture.

To clear stopped drains.

For this work use a flexible waste pipe cleaner. These are made in lengths up to 50 and 100 feet, of closely wound spiral spring, with a gimlet point at the end. They are made in 3/8 inch, 9/16 inch, and 1inch diameter. Generally the cleaner will force the obstruction out of the pipe, or break it up. Sometimes, however, after the cleaner has been forced through, the work can be made more thorough by pouring in a quantity of one of the many drain pipe solvents, which will quickly clear the pipe of all matter that is of vegetable or animal nature. These waste pipe cleaners are very flexible, and will easily take any turns that the drain makes. Additional lengths may be coupled on, to bring the cleaner to sufficient length. The great advantage gained in the use of these cleaners is that bad stoppages can be cleared without the necessity of digging up piping that is buried.

To clear water closets of stoppage.

This may be done without taking up the bowl, by using a water closet clearing machine or augur. A flexible 3/8 inch spiral steel spring works through a casing of steel tubing, which has the lower end bent, the spring at this end having a gimlet point, with a handle at the other end. With the bent end held in the bowl, the spring is shoved through the closet trap until the obstruction is reached. By Turning the handle the obstruction can generally be caught by the gimlet point, and easily drawn out of the bowl.

To paint or repair a bath-tub.

Never attempt to put onto a bath-tub a coat of enamel, without having first given it two or three coats of good lead paint. This will give a good foundation for the enamel, and prevent the original color showing through.

To find a leak in a tank.

If the tank has a smooth surface, attach to a vacuum pump and gauge, a piece of rubber tube and an ordinary sucker, as it is called, made from a piece of rubber or leather. Go over each seam, and watch the gauge closely. The leak will disclose itself by means of the gauge, as soon as it is struck.

This was taken from the book "Questions and Answers on the Practice and Theory of Sanitary Plumbing, Volume III, Practical Wrinkles" which was published in 1919.

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