Ignoring clogged plumbing is never a good idea. But what if you’ve tried snaking and plunging your slow-draining sink—and perhaps even enlisted the help of a professional plumber—and you still can’t figure out what’s causing the clog? If you live in a house, it may be time to start looking into whether there are tree roots blocking your sewer lines. Here’s why that happens, and the signs that root-filled pipes are behind your plumbing problems.

What causes roots to grow in pipes?

Large trees can have extensive root systems: While some parts may be visible on the surface of your lawn, others sprawl out underground, searching for sources of water, oxygen, and nutrients—like cracked sewer lines. Even a small crack generates enough humidity to attract the roots of a tree on or near your property, allowing them to enter the pipe, and grow until it’s blocked.

But just because you don’t see a tree on or close to your property doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. Even if a tree has been removed, its roots may remain inside your pipes for years to come.

How do I know if tree roots are in my sewer line?

Because your sewer line is underground and not easily accessible, you’ll need to pay attention to the signs that tree roots may be growing inside of it. These include:

• Slow-moving drains in sinks, tubs, and/or showers

• Gurgling sounds coming from toilet bowls

• Backed-up toilets that don’t flush all the way

• The smell of sewage and/or sulfur (rotten eggs) inside or outside your house, or coming from any drain

• Lower water pressure

• Whistling or banging sound coming from your pipes

• A visible sinkhole in your lawn

• Parts of your lawn have become waterlogged

What can I do about tree roots in my sewer line?

If it appears as though tree roots may be clogging your sewer line, you’ll need to decide whether it’s time to bring in a professional, or try one of these DIY options:

Foaming root killer

This is a root killer created specifically for this purpose, not the kind you’d use in your yard— though it’s also available at any hardware or home and garden store. Be sure that the product you purchase contains dichlobenil. To use it, pour the powder into your toilet bowl and flush. The foaming will start when the powder comes in contact with the water.

Rock salt

Get two pounds of rock salt, and split it up into four half-pound portions. Pour the first half-pound of salt into the toilet, and flush until it’s gone. Repeat this process with the remaining 1.5 pounds of rock salt, then leave the toilet alone—no flushing, dumping, etc.—for 12 hours. Try flushing the toilet again. If it’s still clogged, it’s a job for a professional.

Copper sulfate 

Although copper sulfate gets the job done, it’s also toxic to humans and other animals, and has been banned in some areas, including multiple counties in California. Be sure to check your local laws before using it. If you’re in the clear and decide to use copper sulfate, you’ll need to pour half a cup into the toilet, flush until it has washed out of the bowl, then pack up any people and pets residing in your household, and leave for a few hours while your home airs out.

Source: LifeHacker – How to Tell If Tree Roots Are Growing in Your Sewer Line

Black Friday deals are here, and right now you can pick up the second-generation Google Nest Hub 7″ for half the usual price. It’s currently $49.99 (down from $99.99) at Best Buy, Walmart, and Target. This is the lowest price it’s hit in the last four months, according to Honey’s price history.

The Google Nest Hub is the perfect bedside companion

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner, you’re sure to be entering your credit card info online a heck of a lot more than usual. As you do so, how can you be sure you’re not opening yourself up to credit card fraud and other kinds of identity theft? Having your identity stolen can be a nightmare that damages your finances and credit score. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help protect yourself.

How to protect your finances from identity theft

Monitor your accounts

Carefully monitor all of your financial accounts on a regular basis. This is good advice all year, but especially during the holidays. Watch for any suspicious activity, such as purchases you don’t recognize.

If you see something suspicious, contact your payment method’s fraud department immediately. Here’s our guide to when you might need to dispute a credit card charge versus file a fraud complaint.

It’s a good idea to review your credit card and bank statements thoroughly each month, and to check your credit report at least once a year for accounts you don’t recognize. On that note…

Check your credit report

Get a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year. You can do this at any time at no cost through Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Scan the reports for any accounts you don’t recognize as your own. This helps you catch fraudulent activity in your name faster.

Set up alerts

Many banks and credit card companies allow you to set up alerts to notify you of certain account activity. For example, you can be alerted for any charges over a certain amount or when a withdrawal is made. These alerts allow you to take quick action if fraudulent activity occurs.

Use strong passwords

Create unique, strong passwords for all your financial accounts. Avoid common or easily guessed passwords that identity thieves could crack. Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. And if you upgrade your passwords to be as random (aka strong) as possible, you don’t have to worry about constantly changing them.

Still, changing your passwords is especially important if you receive word your information has been compromised in a data breach, Make sure change your password at any sites where you use the same login information—and stop reusing passwords already!

Freeze your credit

If you suspect fraud, placing a freeze on your credit prevents new accounts from being opened in your name without the freeze being lifted. This makes it harder for thieves to open fraudulent accounts. Just remember to lift the freeze when applying for legitimate new credit.

Be wary of scams

Don’t fall for phone calls, emails or texts asking for your personal information. Banks and financial institutions will not contact you asking for sensitive data like passwords or social security numbers. Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from sources you don’t know. And yes, even in the digital age, ATM card skimming still happens. For more, read up on all the ways your credit card information can be stolen.

Being proactive is the best way to thwart scammers and other bad actors. Monitoring your accounts, using strong passwords, and checking your credit are essential steps. With proper precautions, you can help secure your finances. For more, stay up-to-date with Lifehacker’s scam coverage here.

Source: LifeHacker – How to Protect Your Finances From Identity Theft

It’s the end of the Thanksgiving meal. Looming over the kitchen clean-up crew is the turkey carcass, while stacks of plates are being hauled towards the counters by “helpful” dinner guests—as are serving dishes, glasses and tableware ephemera. At this point in the meal, you usually want to throw everything at the wall, but you need to keep it together long enough to dispense with leftovers and start the dishes rolling. Allow me to make your life easier by solving one problem quickly: We’re going to make turkey noodle soup that is so good, you will find yourself making it again next month—and it actually saves you work. 

How to make the best turkey soup

At the end of the meal, have one person assigned to removing any turkey left on the carcass. The goal isn’t slices; just get it off the bird as best you can—the larger the pieces, the better—and throw it in a resealable plastic storage bag. Have a large, empty stockpot waiting on the stove and toss the carcass in there, as well as any bones that made it back from the table. It’s fine if there’s leftover meat on the bones; it’ll help flavor the broth, too. If there happens to be vegetables lying around from appetizers or prep (raw or cooked carrots, onions, garlic, celery, fennel, or mushrooms), toss those in too. In fact, you can save carrot and garlic peels, onion trimming, and other vegetable ends during meal prep to toss in at the end of the night. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the carcass, then put that pot in the oven and turn it on to the lowest setting, usually 180-200°F, and ignore it until the next morning. 

In the morning, remove the pot and allow it cool just enough to pour it through a colander, so the soup ends up in a smaller pot, and then throw away whatever remains in the colander; you should be left with a nice, clear, golden broth. Turkey has very little fat, so you don’t need to strain it again. 

Next, chop up celery, carrots, and mushrooms, toss them into the pot, and heat it up over medium heat to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for thirty minutes, taste it, and adjust with salt and pepper, then toss in your egg noodles. Allow them to simmer for five to 10 minutes, and if you feel so inclined, throw some chopped parsley in.  It is great as is, but a minute or so before you serve it, you can toss in some leftover shredded turkey meat, just long enough to heat through. 

This soup makes the best of a bird that is often only so-so. The bones have been roasted, so they offer depth to the broth. Turkey broth, it turns out, is far tastier than the turkey itself. Mostly, though, you’ve managed to delay dealing with the carcass until the next day, and you ended up with an entirely separate meal that is fantastically easy to reheat.

Post-Thanksgiving turkey noodle soup

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey carcass

• Cold water to cover

• 16 ounces of carrots, chopped

• 1 whole stalk of celery, chopped

• 8 ounces of mushrooms, chopped

• 12 ounces of egg noodles

• 2-3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

• Leftover shredded turkey meat (optional)

1. Add carcass and leftover vegetables to a stockpot, cover in cold water and place in oven. Turn oven to lowest setting, and leave on overnight.

2. Remove pot, cool enough to handle, and pour entire contents through colander into a smaller pot. Discard whatever is in the colander; the broth should be golden and clear.

3. Put pot on medium heat, add chopped celery, carrots, and mushrooms. Allow to simmer for thirty minutes, season to taste, and add the egg noodles. Simmer for five to 10 minutes, until noodles are cooked. Add shredded turkey back in, if desired.

4. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.

Source: LifeHacker – Turn Your Thanksgiving Turkey Carcass Into a Killer Soup Overnight