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The Plumbing Brief
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The Plumbing Brief

How-To

Step-by-step plumbing guides: how to fix, install, unclog, and maintain the plumbing in your home, and when a job calls for a licensed plumber.

A plumbing vent pipe on a roof with a thin plume of white smoke drifting out of its top against a clear sky, a few shing
How-To

Plumbing Smoke Test: How It Finds Sewer Gas Leaks and What It Costs

A plumbing smoke test holds 1 inch of water column for 15 minutes (IPC 312.4). Steps, leaks it…
The underside of a manufactured home seen from the crawl space opening: black belly board fabric partly pulled back expo
How-To

Mobile Home Plumbing: Diagram, Pipe Types and Common Fixes

Mobile home plumbing with a labeled diagram, HUD Code specs (80 psi inlet, one 3 in drain outlet,…
An unfinished bathroom with the wall open beside a new white alcove bathtub, showing the white plastic waste-and-overflo
How-To

Bathtub Drain Plumbing Diagram: Parts, Sizes and Rough-In

Bathtub drain plumbing diagram with every part labeled, the IPC 1-1/2 in trap and 6 ft trap arm…
An unfinished garage wall with two parallel copper pipes stubbed out through the drywall and joined by a short copper U-
How-To

Water Softener Loop: What It Is and How to Plumb One

A water softener loop is a pre-plumbed inlet and outlet for a future softener. Drain, air gap, valve…
Looking down into an open white toilet tank with the lid set aside, showing a plain fill valve, overflow tube, chain and
How-To

Toilet Tank Parts: Every Part Named and What It Does

Toilet tank parts on a labeled diagram: what each part does, how it fails, the exact Fluidmaster and…
A tiled shower floor under construction: a black PVC shower pan liner folded neatly into a wood-framed corner over a slo
How-To

Shower Pan Liner: Sizes, Code Rules, and How to Install One

Shower pan liner guide: IRC P2709 rules (2 in above threshold, 1/4 in per ft slope), PVC vs…
A cedar-slat outdoor shower enclosure against a gray shingled house wall, exposed copper supply pipes with a chrome show
How-To

Outdoor Shower Plumbing: Supply, Drain, and Freeze-Proofing

Outdoor shower plumbing: hose bib or dedicated hot and cold supply, the IPC 412.3 anti-scald valve, PEX UV…
A new stainless kitchen sink basket strainer kit laid out on a clean counter: strainer body, rubber gasket, fiber washer
How-To

Kitchen Sink Basket Strainer Replacement: Parts, Putty, and Steps

Kitchen sink basket strainer replacement: exact part sizes, putty vs silicone on granite and composite sinks, locknut tools,…
A clean white elongated toilet with its seat removed and a new white seat lying on a bath mat beside it, two plastic hin
How-To

How to Replace a Toilet Seat: Sizes, Bolts, and 10-Minute Steps

How to replace a toilet seat: measure 16.5 in (round) or 18.5 in (elongated), confirm 5.5 in bolt…
A white bathtub with a chrome tub spout dripping a single drop of water, two cross handles on tiled wall above, a deep s
How-To

How to Fix a Leaky Tub Faucet: Two-Handle and Single-Handle Repairs

How to fix a leaky tub faucet: match the drip to the part, pick the right deep socket…