Q: Our roof vent pipe sometimes gets blocked
by ice in the winter. When this happens, just one toilet flush will suck the traps dry and fill the house with a wicked septic-tank odor.
My husband then climbs on the roof with a kettle of hot water and pours it down the
pipe. This works perfectly, but it’s rather inconvenient. Can you suggest an easier way?
—Elizabeth Gauthier, Vermilion Bay, Ontario, Canada
To remove sticky flooring and roofing adhesives from your tools, pop the tools into the freezer overnight. The next morning, chip the hardened (frozen) adhesive off with an old chisel, stiff-blade putty knife or paint scraper.
