I've watched a rusty spot on an otherwise fine looking water heater continue to get larger over the last couple of months. The coating on the outside of the tank is flaking off, so it seems to me like it's rusting from the inside out, not from the outside in. The water heater is in our garage, but it stays dry. I have not noticed the water heater leaking. I guess I'm afraid it will rust a hole in the tank and a flood of water will gush out into our garage! Should I be concerned or have someone check it?

I know very little about plumbing, and I'm having a serious problem with my bathroom sink. I'm not necessarily planning on fixing it myself, but I'd like to be armed with some knowledge before I bring in a plumber. I would love to get some advice from you all. I've tried to get help from the landlord, but his English is limited and he already tried once to snake the plumbing-- it didn't help, but he's unwilling to do anything more about it. Anyhow, the bathroom sink does not drain. We're on the top floor of a three-story building, so my first thought is that the vent (which I think sticks out of the roof) might be clogged. But the shower seems to drain adequately and the downstairs neighbors aren't having any drainage problems. Another thought is that the plumbing just isn't assembled properly-- the trap seems shallow, some of the pipes are corroded, and some are joined together w/o any fittings (don't ask). I've managed to take apart the pipes past the trap, but the others won't budge. I've taken the drywall down under the sink to see what's going on in the wall (some genius from a commercial drain-unclogging service told us that "the pipes go up where they should go down;" something tells me he snaked the vent) and don't see any corrosion. Third thought: perhaps the landlord actually forced a clog farther into the pipes when he used his snake? As I said, I'm a novice, but if this mystery sink ailment rings any bells here, I'd be eternally grateful for some advice. Thanks!