Latest posts

  • How to Fix a Shower Diverter (Tub Spout Leak)

    A shower diverter is the little valve that redirects water from the tub spout up to the shower head. When it wears out, you get the classic symptoms: water keeps pouring from the tub spout while the shower dribbles, or you cannot get full pressure up top. As a licensed plumber, here is how to…

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  • Summer Plumbing Checklist (Homeowner Guide)

    Most plumbing advice is about winter, but summer puts its own load on a house – heavy storms, sprinkler systems, vacations, and constant outdoor water use. As a licensed plumber, here is the short seasonal checklist I run on my own house every summer. None of it takes long, and each item heads off a…

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  • Cost to Replace a Garbage Disposal (2026)

    A garbage disposal is one of the cheaper plumbing fixtures to replace, and one of the more DIY-friendly – which is exactly why it pays to know the numbers before a plumber quotes you. As a licensed plumber, here is what replacing a disposal actually costs in 2026, and when it is worth doing yourself.…

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  • Toilet Bubbling or Gurgling? Causes and Fixes

    A toilet that bubbles or gurgles – either on its own or when you run a nearby sink, tub, or washing machine – is trying to tell you something. That sound is air being pulled backward through the water in the trap, and it almost always points to a drainage or venting problem, not the…

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  • How to Replace a Toilet: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Replacing a toilet is one of the most satisfying weekend plumbing jobs a homeowner can take on – it is mostly muscle and patience, not specialized skill, and a new toilet runs about an hour once you have done it. As a licensed plumber, here is the full sequence, including the two steps people rush…

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  • How to Unclog a Toilet (Without Calling a Plumber)

    Unclogging a toilet is the single most common plumbing job a homeowner faces, and the good news is that you can fix the large majority of clogs yourself in about ten minutes – without a plumber and without the harsh chemical drain openers that can crack a porcelain bowl. As a licensed plumber, here is…

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  • Cost to Install a Tankless Water Heater (2026)

    A tankless water heater is one of the few upgrades where homeowners consistently underestimate the install cost – they price the unit, not the retrofit. As a licensed plumber, the number I quote is rarely about the heater on the shelf; it is about the gas line, the venting, and sometimes the electrical panel behind…

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  • How to Flush a Water Heater (Plumber’s Step-by-Step)

    Flushing your water heater once a year is the best way to make it last. A licensed plumber walks through the safe, step-by-step way to clear out sediment.

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  • Dishwasher Not Draining? Causes & Fixes (Plumber’s Guide)

    Standing water in your dishwasher? A licensed plumber shows the fixes in order, from the filter and disposal plug to the drain hose and sink clog.

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  • Sump Pump Not Working? A Plumber’s Troubleshooting Guide

    Sump pump dead, running nonstop, or not pumping? A licensed plumber walks through the checks, from the float switch to the check valve, before it floods.

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πŸ”§ Plumbing Picks Assistant
Hi! I am the Plumbing Picks assistant. Ask me about toilets, faucets, drains, leaks, water heaters, hard water, tools β€” anything plumbing β€” and I will point you to the fix. What is going on?