Plumbing
Faucet repairs, pipe fixes, toilet troubleshooting, and water heater maintenance.
19 guides
Easy45 minHow to Repair a Shower Diverter Valve
When you pull the diverter knob and water still pours from the tub spout instead of the showerhead, the fix is usually a worn washer or mineral buildup — not a $200 plumber visit. This guide covers the three most common diverter types (tub spout, three-valve, and two-valve) and walks you through cleaning, replacing washers, and swapping the diverter if needed, all in under an hour with basic tools.
Easy1h 30mHow to Re-Caulk a Bathtub or Shower Surround
Mildewed, cracked, or peeling caulk around a bathtub isn't just ugly — it's letting water reach the drywall and studs behind the wall, which turns a $10 caulk job into a thousand-dollar tile-and-framing repair. This guide walks through removing the old caulk completely, treating mold, masking and tooling a clean single bead of 100% silicone, and the curing schedule that keeps the new joint waterproof for years.
Medium1 hrHow to Fix Low Water Pressure
Weak, trickling water usually has a cheap, findable cause — a clogged aerator, a half-closed valve, or a tired pressure-reducing valve — long before it means re-piping the house. This guide walks the diagnosis in order: first pin down whether it's one fixture or the whole house (and hot-only or both), then work each cause with a $12 pressure gauge as your guide. Most fixes are free or under $30; you'll also learn the few signs that mean it's time to call a plumber.
Easy25 minHow to Replace a Toilet Flapper Valve
A worn-out flapper is the cause of roughly 90% of "phantom flush" and running-toilet problems, and replacing it is the single cheapest plumbing fix in the house — $5 to $15 for a new flapper and 20 minutes of your time. A leaking flapper wastes 200 gallons of water per day at the high end, which can add $30 to $50 a month to a typical water bill. This guide covers sizing the right replacement, cleaning the valve seat so the new flapper actually seals, and dialing in the chain length so the toilet stops running for good.
Easy25 minHow to Replace a Toilet Seat
A cracked, stained, or wobbly toilet seat is one of the cheapest, fastest upgrades in the house — a new seat runs $20-50 and the swap takes about 20 minutes with nothing more than a screwdriver. This guide covers both standard and soft-close (quick-release) seats, how to measure so the new one actually fits, and the part everyone gets stuck on: freeing corroded bolts without cracking the bowl.
Easy40 minHow to Fix a Leaky Pipe Joint
A weeping pipe joint under the sink is one of the most common — and cheapest — plumbing repairs you'll ever make. A roll of Teflon tape and a small tube of pipe joint compound cost under $10 and will fix the vast majority of threaded and compression joint leaks in 30 to 45 minutes, saving you the $150 to $400 a plumber would charge for the same trip.
Easy30 minHow to Replace a Shower Head and Shower Arm
Swapping just the shower head is a 10-minute job, but if the arm (the pipe curving out of the wall) is corroded, leaking, or the wrong length for a new rain head, you'll want to replace both. The whole job costs under $50 and takes half an hour — the one trick that separates a clean swap from a flooded wall is holding the arm steady so it doesn't snap off inside the tile. This guide covers removing a stuck arm, prepping the in-wall fitting, taping the threads right, and testing leak-free.
Medium1h 15mHow to Replace a Toilet Wax Ring
A leaky wax ring causes water stains on the ceiling below, rotted subfloor, and that unmistakable sewer smell creeping into the bathroom — and a new wax ring costs $5-10 and takes about an hour to swap yourself versus $150-300 to call a plumber. The job isn't complicated, but a handful of small mistakes (stacking rings, overtightening bolts, missing a cracked flange) turn a simple fix into a re-do. This guide walks you through shutting off the water, pulling the toilet cleanly, inspecting the flange, setting the new ring, and resealing everything so your bathroom stays dry for another decade.
Easy45 minHow to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger
It's 11 PM, the toilet won't flush, and the plunger is at your in-laws' house. Dish soap and a gallon of hot tap water will clear most clogs in 30 minutes for about a dollar — no plumber, no panic, no overflowing bowl. This guide walks through stopping the water first, the dish-soap method, the baking-soda-and-vinegar backup, and the wire-hanger snake for stubborn clogs, plus the boiling-water mistake that cracks porcelain and turns a $1 fix into a $400 toilet replacement.
Medium2h 30mHow to Install or Replace a Toilet
Replacing a toilet is one of the most satisfying half-day plumbing projects a homeowner can take on — a new comfort-height, water-saving toilet runs $120 to $400 in parts and tools, versus the $255 to $615 a plumber charges to swap one. The job is mostly muscle and patience, not skill: the one part that truly matters is seating the seal right so it never leaks. This guide covers buying a toilet that actually fits your rough-in, removing the old one cleanly, and setting the new one level, sealed, and rock-solid.
Easy30 minHow to Unclog a Drain
A slow or fully blocked drain is one of the most common household plumbing issues — and usually one of the cheapest to fix yourself. Most clogs can be cleared in under 30 minutes with tools you already own, saving the $150-300 a plumber would charge for the same job.
Easy25 minHow to Fix a Running Toilet
A running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day, adding $50 or more to your monthly water bill. The fix almost always involves one of three cheap parts — the flapper, fill valve, or float — and takes under 30 minutes with no special skills required.
Medium2 hrsHow to Install a Garbage Disposal
A garbage disposal turns food scraps into a non-issue and keeps your kitchen drain smelling clean — a new unit costs $80-200 and you can install it yourself in about two hours versus $200-500 for a plumber visit. The job combines basic plumbing and a simple electrical connection, but a loose mounting ring, a forgotten dishwasher knockout plug, or a bad P-trap slope will leave you mopping up under the sink. This guide walks you through removing the old drain (or disposal), mounting the new flange and ring assembly, wiring the unit, connecting the discharge to the P-trap, and testing everything leak-free.
Easy1 hrHow to Flush a Water Heater Tank
Sediment buildup in your water heater tank silently drives up your gas or electric bill, makes your hot water lukewarm, and can cut the tank's lifespan in half — yet flushing takes about 45 minutes and costs nothing beyond a garden hose you probably already own. Most manufacturers recommend flushing once a year, or every six months in hard-water areas. This guide walks you through shutting down the heater safely, draining the tank, flushing until the water runs clear, and restarting without trapping air or burning out an exposed heating element.
Medium1h 30mHow to Fix a Toilet Leaking at the Base
Water pooling around the bottom of the toilet is one of those leaks that punishes procrastination — every flush pushes dirty water under the flooring, and a $10 wax ring problem quietly becomes a $1,000 subfloor repair. This guide diagnoses where the water is really coming from first, then walks the fix in order: snug the bolts, and only if needed, pull the toilet and replace the seal.
Easy30 minHow to Fix a Dripping Faucet
A dripping faucet wastes more than 3,000 gallons of water per year and can add $20 or more to your monthly water bill. The fix is almost always a worn cartridge, washer, or O-ring — parts that cost under $10 and take 20-30 minutes to replace with basic tools.
Easy1h 15mHow to Replace a Bathroom Faucet
Swapping a tired bathroom faucet for a fresh one is one of the highest-impact DIY upgrades in the house — a $60 to $150 fixture and 60 to 90 minutes of work transforms how a bathroom feels and quietly fixes years of drips, mineral staining, and a wobbly handle. The single trick that separates a 90-minute project from a four-hour Saturday is owning a basin wrench (about $15); without one, the mounting nuts six inches up inside the cabinet are essentially out of reach.
Easy15 minHow to Replace a Shower Head
Swapping out a shower head is one of the simplest plumbing upgrades you can do — no special tools, no shutting off the main water supply, and it takes about 15 minutes. A modern low-flow shower head can cut your water usage by 40% while actually improving pressure, saving $70+ per year on water and energy bills.
Medium1 hrHow to Install a Water Shut-Off Valve
Every sink, toilet, and appliance water line should have its own shut-off valve so you can kill the water to one fixture without shutting down the whole house. Installing a compression-fit quarter-turn ball valve on an existing copper or CPVC line is a straightforward job that takes about an hour and costs under $15 in parts — compared to $150-300 for a plumber call. This guide covers the most common scenario: replacing an old gate valve or adding a new valve under a sink or behind a toilet.