Why Your Water Isn’t Hot Enough or Runs Out Fast
Rheem's troubleshooting chart for its electric water heaters lists, under "Not enough or no hot water", a cause that is not a fault at all: "Water…
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228 articles totalWhy You Should Never DIY Gas Line Work
A gas fitting that is tight and does not smell is not a finished gas line. That belief, that a gas joint works like a water…
Why Your Garbage Disposal Smells (and How to Clean It)
If the smell rises from the drain with the disposal in it, and it smells like old food, the likely source is food that has stayed…
Why Your Toilet Won’t Flush or Flushes Weakly
Fluidmaster, which makes toilet tank parts, describes the slow decline plainly: toilets that have been in use for some time can develop a lazy or weak…
Why a Faucet Leaks at the Base or Handle
You find water around the base of the faucet, or seeping out from under the handle, while the spout itself does not drip. That pattern points…
Why Drains Keep Clogging in the Same Spot
Seattle Public Utilities grades sags in a sewer pipe by their depth against the pipe's diameter: a sag under 25 percent of the diameter is minor,…
Why a Single Faucet Has Low Water Pressure
Moen's troubleshooting article for kitchen faucets opens with the check that solves the simplest case: "As a starting point to troubleshooting low flow, it is recommended…
Why Your Water Heater Is Leaking (and What to Do)
Water near a water heater can come from a loose fitting, a relief valve, a drain valve, condensation, or the tank itself, and only the last…
Your Home’s Drain-Waste-Vent System Explained
The drain-waste-vent system, DWV for short, is the half of a house's plumbing that takes water away: the drain pipes that carry used water from sinks,…
Why Commercial Faucets and Toilets Run or Leak
Chicago Faucets, in its cartridge maintenance and repair guide for its commercial faucets, says plainly that its ceramic cartridges have no replacement parts and are sold…
Why You Have No Hot Water (and How to Troubleshoot)
You turn on the hot tap and it stays cold. Before you look at the water heater, find out how far the problem reaches, because that…
Why Commercial Drains Clog and How They’re Cleaned
It is easy to assume that the biggest machine clears a commercial drain best. A company that builds sewer jetters tells its buyers otherwise. US Jetting…
Why Your Ceiling or Wall Has a Water Stain
A ceiling or wall stain means water has reached that surface from somewhere above or behind it: a fixture or pipe, the roof, a window, or…
Why Pipes Freeze and Which Ones Are Most at Risk
A pipe freezes when the water inside it loses heat faster than the house can replace it, and the pipes that freeze are the ones cold…
Your Home’s Water Supply System Explained
Your home's water supply is the pressurized half of its plumbing: the pipes that bring clean water in from a public main or a well and…
Whole-House Water Filters vs. Point-of-Use Filters
A whole-house filter sounds like the more complete choice, since it treats every drop that enters the home. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense guide to…
Why Your Sump Pump Isn’t Working or Won’t Turn Off
A sump pump that sits silent while water rises and one that runs without stopping can point to the same part. Pentair, which makes sump pumps,…
Why Annual Backflow Testing Is Required
A backflow preventer that was installed correctly is not proof that it still works. That is the assumption the yearly test exists to correct. The assemblies…
Why Your Washing Machine Drain Overflows or Backs Up
Water spills out of the pipe behind the washer during the drain cycle, or it backs up into a nearby sink or floor drain. The washer's…
Why Legionella Risk Matters in Commercial Water Systems
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that domestic hot water systems are frequently identified as the source of Legionella during outbreaks of Legionellosis, and it…
Where Backflow Preventers Are Required in Commercial Buildings
The International Code Council states the plumbing code's goal in one line: "The intent of the plumbing code is to eliminate cross-connections or prevent backflow where…
Why Water Pressure Fluctuates or Drops Suddenly
Pressure that changes, rather than staying low, is a timing problem, and the timing tells you where to look. A drop that follows the clock can…
Why Your Whole House Has Low Water Pressure
Every tap in the house runs weak: the kitchen, the bathrooms, the shower, the hose. When the whole house is low rather than one fixture, the…
Why Water Leaks Around the Base of Your Toilet
Water on the floor around a toilet comes from one of four places: the outside of the tank, the joint between the tank and the bowl,…
Why Your Outdoor Faucet Leaks or Won’t Shut Off
If your outdoor faucet drips from the spout, weeps around the handle, or keeps running after you close it, where the water comes out tells you…