Plumbing How-To Guides

Pick the right salt, fill the brine tank correctly, break up salt bridges, and keep your water softener running so you get consistent soft water without the scale and spotty dishes.

Test your water pressure, find the PRV on your main line, and adjust it to a safe 50-60 PSI -- before high pressure wears out your fixtures, appliances, and water heater.

Raise or lower your toilet tank water level to fix weak flushes, stop a running toilet, or cut water waste -- covers ball floats and cup floats in 5 minutes flat.

Set your gas or electric water heater thermostat to the right temperature for comfort, safety, and lower energy bills -- plus how to verify the actual output with a thermometer.

Seal your shower with a clean, watertight caulk bead -- prevents leaks, mold, and water damage behind the walls. Under $15 and one hour of work.

Swap out sediment, carbon, and specialty cartridges in whole-house and under-sink systems -- the right filters, the right schedule, and the correct order for multi-stage setups.

Everything you need to pick the right kitchen or bathroom faucet -- hole count, mount type, finish, valve technology, and features that actually matter for your sink and daily use.

Calculate the right water heater size so you never run out of hot water -- covers first-hour rating for tanks, GPM for tankless, quick sizing charts, and the mistakes that leave people taking cold showers.

The 10-minute fix for low faucet pressure that most people overlook -- remove, clean, and reinstall your faucet aerator to restore full flow and fix uneven spray.

Clear a clogged or smelly P-trap in minutes. No special tools needed -- just a bucket, pliers, and a brush. Fixes slow drains and sewer odors at the source.

Deep clean your shower door tracks to clear soap scum, mold, and mineral buildup -- fix stiff doors and stop water leaks from clogged weep holes.

Stop the flooding, patch the pipe, and make a permanent repair -- emergency and long-term fixes for a burst water pipe using SharkBite fittings, compression couplings, or solder.

Fix a shower head that keeps dripping after you turn it off -- figure out if it is a normal drain, a worn cartridge, bad washers, or a loose connection, and fix it.

Stop a dripping gate valve stem -- tighten the packing nut, replace the packing, or swap the whole valve for a ball valve, depending on what the situation calls for.

Find and fix a leaking sink drain -- whether it is the basket strainer seal, the tailpiece connection, or the P-trap slip joints -- with the right fix for each failure point.

Fix water pooling around your faucet base -- replace worn O-rings, tighten loose mounting nuts, or reseal a cracked base plate on single-handle and two-handle faucets.

Diagnose and fix a running toilet -- flapper replacement, fill valve swap, float adjustment, and overflow tube check -- with the dye test that tells you exactly what is wrong.

Drain sediment from your water heater tank to restore heating efficiency, reduce noise, and extend the unit's lifespan. 30-minute annual maintenance task.

Flush sediment from your tank water heater to cut energy bills, eliminate rumbling noises, and add years to its life -- the most important maintenance task most homeowners skip.

Install or replace a garbage disposal from start to finish -- remove the old unit, mount the new one, wire the electrical, and connect the drain plumbing without leaks.

Remove an old kitchen faucet and install a new one from start to finish -- disconnect supply lines, pull the old faucet, mount the new one, and connect everything leak-free.

Stop wasting water waiting for it to get hot -- install a recirculation pump using a dedicated return line or a comfort valve system (no new piping), with timer and sensor options.

Install an under-sink reverse osmosis system for the cleanest drinking water at home -- feed water connection, filter mounting, storage tank, drain saddle, dedicated faucet, and the critical initial flush.

Install or replace a sump pump for reliable basement flood protection -- pump selection, pit prep, check valve, discharge line routing, and the testing routine that keeps it working.

Install a thermal expansion tank on your water heater to absorb pressure spikes, protect pipes, and meet code. A $30-50 part that prevents serious damage.

Mount an undermount sink to granite, quartz, or solid surface -- clip placement, silicone application, drain hookup, and the 24-hour cure that makes it watertight.

Wrap exposed pipes with foam insulation to prevent freezing, reduce heat loss, and stop condensation sweating. Under $20 in materials for most homes.

Cut your water heating bill by insulating the tank with a blanket and wrapping the first 6 feet of pipe -- a $20-50 project that pays for itself within a year.

Relight a gas water heater pilot light safely. Takes 5 minutes once you know the sequence. Covers both manual and electronic ignition models.

Strip old caulk and lay a clean, watertight bead around your tub or shower -- the $15 maintenance job that prevents thousands in water damage and mold.

Replace a faucet cartridge to stop drips, fix stiff handles, and restore temperature control -- covers Moen, Delta, Kohler, and other major brands with the tricks for stuck cartridges.

Swap out an old kitchen faucet in about an hour. Covers single-hole and three-hole installations, supply line connections, and leak testing.

Remove an old kitchen sink and install a new one -- drop-in or undermount. Covers disconnecting plumbing, cutting countertop openings, and sealing for a watertight fit.

Swap a worn shower valve cartridge to fix temperature problems, drips, and hard-to-turn handles. The part inside the wall that controls everything.

Replace a shower valve cartridge or the entire valve body to fix temperature swings, stop leaks, or deal with a shower that will not turn off -- single-handle and two-handle valves covered.

Swap a stuck, leaking, or unreliable shut-off valve for a modern quarter-turn ball valve -- compression, threaded, and push-fit connections all covered.

Remove a failed sump pump and install a new one. Covers sizing, pit prep, discharge connections, and float switch setup. Prevent basement flooding before it happens.

Fix a pilot light that will not stay lit by replacing the thermocouple -- the $10 safety sensor that tells the gas valve to stay open. 15-minute job.

Stop a running toilet by replacing the flapper -- the $5 rubber seal at the bottom of the tank. 10-minute fix that saves hundreds of gallons per day.

Remove an old toilet and install a new one -- drain, pull, set the wax ring, position the bowl, attach the tank, and test for leaks without cracking the porcelain.

Replace a tank-style water heater from start to finish -- drain, disconnect, swap the unit, reconnect plumbing and gas or electric, and test for leaks and proper operation.

Fix a toilet leaking at the base by replacing the wax ring seal. Remove the toilet, scrape old wax, set new ring, reset. Under $25 and 1-2 hours.

Swap the sacrificial anode rod in your water heater to prevent tank corrosion, eliminate rotten egg smell, and extend the unit's lifespan by years. $20-30 part.

Swap old supply lines for braided stainless steel -- the single best preventive measure against under-sink water damage, and a 20-minute job that could save you thousands.

Disposal stopped dead? Find the reset button, clear the overload, and get it running again in under 5 minutes.

Clear a clogged drain with a drain snake (auger). Reaches clogs that plungers cannot -- deep in the trap, wall pipe, or main line. Essential plumbing skill.

Solder (sweat) copper pipe joints the right way -- cut, clean, flux, heat, and feed solder for watertight connections that last the life of the building.

Test your water heater's T&P relief valve in 2 minutes to make sure it will actually open when it matters -- plus how to replace a failed valve.

Check your home's water pressure with a $10 gauge. Takes 2 minutes. Identifies high pressure (pipe damage risk) and low pressure (flow problems) before they cause trouble.

Test your sump pump in 10 minutes -- verify it activates, pumps, and shuts off, plus inspect the float switch, check valve, discharge line, and backup system.

Test your water with DIY strips, reagent kits, or certified lab analysis -- what to test for, how to collect samples, how to read results, and what treatment actually fixes common contaminants.

Clear a kitchen sink clog with five methods from easiest to most aggressive -- boiling water, plunging, baking soda, P-trap cleaning, and drain snaking.

Clear a clogged toilet with a flange plunger, hot water and soap, or a toilet auger -- without cracking the porcelain or wrecking the wax ring.

Clear a jammed disposal safely using the Allen wrench port, remove what is stuck, and get it running again without burning out the motor.

Step-by-step instructions for operating a hand drain snake -- feeding, cranking, breaking clogs, and retrieving debris. The technique that makes the tool work.

Connect copper, PEX, or CPVC pipe in seconds with push-fit (SharkBite) fittings. No soldering, no crimping, no glue. The fastest way to make a watertight connection.

Use SharkBite push-fit fittings on copper, PEX, or CPVC -- how they work, how to prep the pipe, how to connect, and how to disconnect when needed.

Protect your pipes from freezing and bursting with a complete winterization checklist. Covers occupied homes and vacant property shutdown procedures.