24 SEPTEMBER 2019 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
HOME SMARTSIMAINTENANCE & REPAIR
Troubleshoot
Your Toilet: Do
the Bucket Test
If your toilet’s flush is weak,
the first thing you need to
determine is whether the
problem is in the drain or the
toilet. Before you snake out
the drain or replace your fill
valve, try this. Dump a bucket
of water into the bowl. If it
flushes slowly, the problem is
in the drain. If it flushes
quickly, the problem is in the
toilet. This doesn’t fix the
problem, but at least it tells
you where to start looking. For
solutions to all kinds of toilet
trouble, search for “toilet” at
familyhandyman.com.
MALCOLM McADAMBEWARE OF
PERMANENT CHALK
When I built my house at the ripe old age of 27, I thought
all chalk for snapping lines was the same. Not so. Some is
temporary and some is permanent. Permanent is great for
stuff that won’t be visible, but I had chalk lines
showing on my house and garage roofs for years.
If you do accidentally snap a permanent line
where you don’t want one, an oxidizing cleaner
such as OxiClean followed up with water removes
permanent chalk pretty well. I’ve tested it on
unfinished plywood, paint and unsealed con-
crete, all with very good results.
TRAVIS LARSON, FORMER FH SENIOR EDITORSeal openings
in electrical boxes
W
hen you’re doing electrical work,
take a look at the junction boxes.
According to the NEC (National
Electrical Code), if there are missing knock-
outs that don’t have any wires running
through them, they need to be sealed.
Otherwise, each opening exposes flamma-
ble materials to possible sparks. Knockout
seals cost less than a buck apiece at home
centers.