We noticed the drain in the basement with some standing water that hadn't been there before. There is a PVC pipe coming from the furnace and humidifier to allow condensation to run off and into the drain. I assumed a clogged drain--either too much condensation draining or water backing up from below. When I pulled off the cover, I found some kind of plug...black round rubber grommet with a white plastic cover. The white plastic cover had been broken slightly to allow for the condensation to run down the drain. Too much dirt had accumulated on top of the plug and blocked the small opening so the water had backed up. While I'm happy that the fix was simple, I'm perplexed at the plug. Why put this plug in and then break it slightly to allow for condensation run-off? I have seen plugs designed to let water out, but not in (some kind of float in the plug), but this has me wondering. We've been in the house for 3 years with no problems, so I'll probably just let it be, but would like to address my curiosity. Here's a pic of the drain: [url=http://yfrog.com/ehimag0005xsj]yfrog.com/ehimag0005xsj[/url] Help is appreciated!

I'm installing a bypass piping system for a water softener ('H' pattern with shutoffs for input, output, and a bypass between the two). I thought this would be straightforward, as there are old feedlines from the previous owners old system. However, after dropping $130 on Sharkbite connections (and more to come) I was having second thoughts. I was tempted to use CPVC, but this the 3/4" piping has a smaller I.D. than copper. Also, parts were limited in the 1" size and this is my main house line, so I prefer copper. I was also tempted to sweat in the lines, which would be much cheaper. However, I'm new to this and a main feed line is not the time to start practicing. I've also never used Sharkbite connections, but I've heard good things about them. The problem I just noticed is that the water softener input lines are 1" higher than my feed lines. I only have limited space. What's the best way to connect the two? Bend the copper or flexible lines? Scrap the copper and use something else? Any other ideas?