Ask HN: My house might burn down in the next 24 hours. Suggestions?

Re:Ask HN: My house might burn down in the next 24 hours. Su... by synicalx on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @01:05AM (#15447421)

Not an easy way to do it really unless you plan to do it ahead of time and go buy a cap or and expanding plug. I wouldn't recommend stuffing some rags or anything down one as they're both flammable and absorbent so the water may just go right through it over time.

The idea is you want to make it harder for the fire to get a foothold on your roof - that's a death sentence for the house in most cases.

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Re:Ask HN: My house might burn down in the next 24 hours. Su... by KozmoNau7 on Wednesday October 11, 2017 @04:54AM (#15448265)

Stuff a rag partway down the drain pipe, and fill to the top with expanding PU foam (also known as spray foam). It's used in construction to fill gaps, such as between door frames and walls.

Is it ideal? No. Is it a pain in the ass to remove? Yeah, kinda.

But it expands and hardens to a watertight closed-cell foam plug, which is what you want. If you have a hardware store nearby, it's relatively inexpensive.

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Re:Ask HN: My house might burn down in the next 24 hours. Su... by synicalx on Thursday October 12, 2017 @06:42PM (#15461910)

That's a good idea, didn't even think of foam. Thanks!

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