A Clogged Toilet: What Works Before the Plunger
Grab a bucket of hot water and a squirt of dish soap before you touch the plunger.
Frozen Pipes: Preventing Them, and What to Do
Frozen pipes rarely burst while frozen. They split during the thaw, when the ice gives way and water starts moving again through a line that’s already…
How to Find a Leak You Cannot See
The fastest way to find a leak you cannot see is to stop using water entirely for a couple of hours and watch your water meter.
A Burst Pipe: The First Five Minutes
Water spreading across a floor in seconds means one thing matters more than any other: shutting off the supply before anything else.
A Dripping Faucet: What It Costs and What Causes It
A dripping faucet almost always comes down to one worn part inside the fixture, usually a rubber washer, a cartridge, or an O-ring that no longer seals…
A Bathtub That Will Not Drain
A bathtub that won’t drain almost always comes down to one of two things: a physical clog of hair and soap scum in the trap or waste line, or a stopper…
A Clogged Drain: What Works and What Makes It Worse
Most clogged drains come down to one of three things sitting in one of three places: hair and soap scum in a bathroom trap, grease and food scraps in a…
Home Plumbing: The Problems Worth Knowing
Home plumbing problems fall into three groups: the ones that waste water without anyone noticing, the ones that block or back up, and the ones that fail…
Painted Doors and Windows That Stick Shut
A door that seals itself shut a few weeks after painting hasn’t been painted wrong. It’s been closed too soon.
Painting a Bathroom: What the Moisture Changes
Bathroom paint fails faster than paint anywhere else in the house because bathrooms trap water vapor against surfaces that stay colder than the air…