TOILET AND SINK WATER REMOVAL 

The customer says there is water at the base of the toilet after flushing, which means you get to replace the wax seal. After turning off the water and flushing the tank, this cheap, off-the-shelf siphon (see photo) easily draws the rest of the water in the tank and the bowl for deposit into your handy 5-gallon bucket. It works well with clogged kitchen sinks when opening the trap might be a problem. 

Mike Schultz 
Mike Schultz Plumbing
Corte Madera, Ca.

BRIGHT IDEA

When installing a toilet, I’ve found it very useful to lay a penlight, such as a Mini Mag, parallel to the two Joni bolts: 1) It helps align the bolts with the hole on the bottom of the bowl; and 2) It also illuminates the holes from the toilet so you can see where to place it down from the top.

Joey Kaplan
Camp Shira Plumbing
Monticello, N.Y.