Plumbing, Pipes, and the Water System
Plumbing is something that’s easily taken for granted. However, if you’ve ever lived without plumbing, even for a weekend camping trip, you can quickly appreciate how important it has become to modern living.
Drinking water, baths, showers, toilets, dishwashers, clothes washers, gardens—none of these are possible, or at least practical, without plumbing systems and fixtures. In this family of articles, we look at buying, improving, repairing, and maintaining your home’s plumbing systems and fixtures. Pick a section below to dig deeper.
Bathtubs
If you are building a new bathroom or remodeling your existing one, this section will be a helpful guide to making informed bathtub buying decisions.
Faucets & Taps
Beyond its role as a conduit for delivering water to a sink, a faucet can set the tone for a room's personality and style.
Home Plumbing System
A home’s plumbing system is a complex network of water supply pipes, drainpipes, vent pipes, and more.
Septic Systems
This section of HomeTips covers septic tank problems, how a septic tank works, and tips on septic tank pumping and replacing a failed septic tank.
Showers & Steam
Learn everything you need to know about showers and steam showers, including buying guides, information on showerheads and valves, shower plumbing diagrams and repair tips.
Sinks & Lavatories
Kitchen and bathroom sinks and lavs are among the most utilitarian of all the fixtures in a home. This section discusses buying, repairing, and installing sinks.
Sprinklers & Drip
When it comes to watering your lawns and gardens, you have several options, from spraying with a hose to installing complex drip irrigation systems.
Sump Pumps
In an ideal world, our houses are designed to keep us high and dry—well away from the damaging effects of ground water. But life isn’t always ideal.
Toilets & Bidets
Does your toilet need repair or is it time to replace it? Although a toilet is not the most glamorous fixture in a house, it certainly is one of the most important and regularly used plumbing fixtures.
Water Filters
Because unhealthy levels of contaminants such as bacteria, lead, and pesticides are found in both metropolitan and well water supplies, it’s important to know whether pollutants exist in your water.
Water Heaters
It’s important to be prepared for the day your water heater gives up the ghost—which it’s likely to do if it’s a few years old. Even the best storage water heaters only live 8 to 10 years.
Water Softeners
What is a water softener? If you find that soap and shampoo don’t lather well, dishes have spots, and the coffee maker has scale deposits, your home probably has a hard water problem.
Home Plumbing Articles
Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Home’s Plumbing
How do you keep your home’s plumbing system from breaking down or needing major repairs? Here is expert advice for the biggest plumbing mistakes to
How to Flush or Drain a Water Heater for Better Heating
Flush your water heater tank once a year to remove mineral sediment and scale so your water heater heats more efficiently and lasts longer. This
Pipes & Home Plumbing for DIY Plumbers
How home plumbing water pipes work, with a diagram of common pipe materials and sizes for home water supply, drain, and waste plumbing In This
Planning a Plumbing Remodel
Expert advice on planning a plumbing remodel, including diagrams on where to place toilets, sinks, and other fixtures, and tips on routing supply and drainpipes
How a Sump Pump Works
A sump pump will help keep water out of your basement. This shows how a pedestal or submersible sump pump works, with a parts diagram.
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