Tuesday, November 3, 2026
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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 long white plastic water heater dip tube lying on a workbench beside a brass nipple fitting and a few small white plas
How-To

Water Heater Dip Tube: Signs It Failed and How to Replace It

Water heater dip tube failing? Spot lukewarm water and plastic flakes, check the 1993 to 1996 defect window,…
A chrome tub spout removed and resting on the tub ledge beside the exposed copper stub-out pipe coming from a tiled wall
How-To

Tub Spout Replacement: Slip-On vs Threaded and How to Swap It

Tub spout replacement made exact: tell slip-on from threaded, remove it without damage, and match the stub-out length…
A braided stainless toilet supply line connecting a chrome shutoff valve to the bottom of a white toilet tank, a drop of
How-To

Toilet Supply Line Leaking: Find the Leak and Fix It

Toilet supply line leaking? Pinpoint the valve, nut or hose, use the exact turns Fluidmaster and BrassCraft specify,…
A chrome side sprayer and its hose pulled up beside a kitchen faucet on a stainless sink, the hose loop hanging into the
How-To

How to Replace a Kitchen Sink Sprayer (Side Spray or Pull-Down)

How to replace a kitchen sink sprayer, side spray or pull-down: match the connection, buy the right Moen,…
A bathroom floor with the toilet just removed, the exposed closet flange and closet bolts with the old flattened wax rin
How-To

How to Remove a Toilet: 10 Steps, Tools, Time, and What It Weighs

How to remove a toilet in 10 steps: drain it, free stuck bolts, lift an 82 to 99…
A new brass frost-free outdoor faucet mounted on a brick exterior wall with a sealant bead around the mounting flange, a
How-To

How to Install an Outdoor Faucet (Frost-Free Sillcock, Step by Step)

How to install an outdoor faucet: pick a frost-free stem length, drill a 1-1/8 in hole, pitch it…
A new chrome shower drain body set in a white acrylic shower base, the drain gasket and grate beside it, white PVC pipe
How-To

How to Install a Shower Drain

How to install a shower drain in an acrylic base, tile pan, concrete or KERDI shower, with pipe…
A white PVC plumbing vent pipe sticking up through asphalt roof shingles with a rubber roof flashing boot, a few dry lea
How-To

How to Clear a Clogged Plumbing Vent

How to clear a clogged plumbing vent: confirm it is the vent, set your ladder at OSHA's 4-to-1…
Under a kitchen sink, the bottom of a black garbage disposal with a small red round reset button and a hex socket in the
How-To

Garbage Disposal Reset Button: Where It Is and What to Do When It Trips

Garbage disposal reset button: find the red button under the unit, wait 10 minutes, press until it clicks,…
Water dripping from the underside of a garbage disposal onto a towel in a sink cabinet, a white drain pipe and dishwashe
How-To

Garbage Disposal Leaking From the Bottom: Causes and Fixes

Garbage disposal leaking from bottom? Find the leak with a paper towel test, fix the flange, hose or…