Something dripping, clogged or cold?
Find out what is most likely going on, what you can safely check yourself, and which jobs belong to a licensed plumber or electrician.
Water where it shouldn’t be? Do this first
- Shut it off. Close the small valve under the sink or behind the toilet, or the main valve for the house.
- Stay clear of power. Keep water away from outlets, cords and appliances. Do not stand in water to reach an electrical panel.
- Write it down. Which fixture, hot or cold, and when it started. It speeds up any diagnosis.
Pick the problem
Each topic page lists every guide we have published on it.
- Drains & ClogsSlow sinks, tubs and showers, repeat clogs, gurgling and drain smells.
- ToiletsRunning, weak flushes, slow fills, leaks at the base and phantom refills.
- Water HeatersTank and tankless heaters: no hot water, tripping breakers, noises, relief valves.
- Leaks & PipesFinding hidden leaks, shutoff valves, PEX and copper, noisy and banging pipes.
- Water PressureLow or high pressure, regulators, testing pressure and one-fixture problems.
- Faucets & FixturesDripping faucets, cartridges, aerators, shower valves and supply lines.
- Sewer & SepticMain line backups, cleanouts, septic alarms, pumping and drain fields.
- Water QualitySmells, cloudy water, hard water, softeners, filters and private wells.
- WinterizingPreventing and thawing frozen pipes, outdoor faucets and vacant-home shutdowns.
- Plumbing SafetyGas smells, scalding, electrical hazards near water, permits and hiring a plumber.
Latest guides
Every guide →-
WinterizingNo Water? How to Tell if Your Pipes Are Frozen or the Water Is Off
Neighbors have water but your faucets give nothing or a trickle in freezing weather? A pipe is probably frozen. How to check and how to thaw it safely.
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Water PressureLow Water Pressure in Only One Faucet? Check These 4 Things
If only one faucet is weak, the problem is in that faucet or its supply, not your home's pressure. Check the aerator, shutoff valves, then the cartridge.
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ToiletsWhy Does My Toilet Run Every Few Minutes? (Phantom Flush Fix)
A toilet that refills by itself every few minutes is leaking tank water into the bowl, often past a worn flapper. Confirm it with a dye test, then fix it.
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Water HeatersWhy Does My Water Heater Keep Tripping the Breaker? Causes and What to Do
An electric water heater that keeps tripping its breaker usually has a shorted heating element, a wiring fault or a failing breaker. What to check safely.
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Drains & ClogsWhy Does My Drain Keep Clogging? How to Find the Real Cause
A drain that keeps clogging usually was never fully cleared, or the clog is past the plunger's reach. How to tell a fixture clog from a main line problem.
From real jobs
Photos from actual plumbing work sites. Faces, signs and other identifying details are blurred.
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Field photo: Exposed PVC drain line in an open trench during a sewer line repair. Why a drain keeps clogging -
Field photo: Hydro-excavation (water and vacuum) to expose buried lines near the street. -
Field photo: A blue water service line laid beside its trench during a water line replacement. Low pressure at one faucet -
Field photo: A trench along a brick side yard, with yellow line and an outdoor hose valve beside it.
Kevin Orr
Texas Master Plumber License, M-47441
Kevin Orr is a Texas Master Plumber, a U.S.
How every answer is made
- Sources you can openNumbers come from plumbing codes, manufacturer manuals, the EPA, the Department of Energy and university extension programs, and each one is linked.
- Human editingAI tools may help with a first draft. An editor rewrites it and checks every claim against its source. How we use AI
- A licensed plumber’s reviewGuides are reviewed by a licensed plumber whose license you can look up. Until that review is done, the page says “Expert review in progress”. Our reviewers