What's going on with your plumbing?
Start from what you see, hear or smell. Each page puts the most likely cause first, shows what you can safely check yourself, and tells you when it's time for a plumber.
Needs action now
- Smell gas in the house
- Toilet overflowing
- Drain backing up
- Water leaking from the ceiling
- Basement flooding
- No water in the house
- Burst or spraying pipe
- Frozen pipes
- Sewage backup
Looking for a quick answer instead? See plumbing questions answered. Not sure if it counts? See when a plumbing problem is an emergency.
Hot water
- Water heater leaking: where it's coming from and what it meansWhere a water heater leak is coming from tells you whether it's a cheap fix or a new tank. How to find it safely, and what to shut off first.
- No hot water: what to check on gas, electric and tankless heatersWhy a house suddenly has no hot water, or runs out fast, with separate checks for gas, electric and tankless heaters and when to call.
- Why is my water heater making noise?What popping, rumbling, hissing, ticking and screeching from a water heater mean, which are harmless, and which need a plumber.
Leaks and water bills
- How do I know if I have a hidden plumbing leak?The signs of a leak you can't see, the water meter test that confirms it in minutes, and how to narrow it to a toilet, a wall, the slab or the yard.
- Why is my water bill so high all of a sudden?What makes a water bill jump: running toilets, irrigation, hidden leaks, a billing estimate or a rate change. How to sort them out in under an hour.
- Water leaking from the ceiling: what to do firstWhat to do when water drips through a ceiling, how to tell a plumbing leak from a roof leak, and the bathroom sources most often behind it.
Drains and clogs
- Why is my drain backing up?When water rises in a tub, shower or floor drain from another fixture, the main line is blocked. How to confirm it, what to stop doing and how it's cleared.
- Sink not draining: kitchen and bathroom fixesWhy a kitchen or bathroom sink won't drain, the order to try fixes in, how to clean a P-trap, and when the clog is past the trap.
- Why is my drain gurgling?Gurgling means air is being pulled through water in a trap. How to tell a partial clog from a blocked vent, and why it can lead to sewer smells.
Toilets
- Why is my toilet constantly running?A running toilet wastes more water than any drip. Find whether it's the flapper, fill valve or chain with two quick tests, and when to replace parts.
- Toilet overflowing: what to do right nowHow to stop an overflowing toilet right now, how to clear the clog safely, and the signs that the blockage is in the main sewer line instead.
Sewer and smells
Basements
Pipes and water supply
- Why are my pipes banging or making noise?What causes pipes to bang, knock, rattle or whistle, how water hammer arrestors and pressure valves fix it, and when noise signals a bigger problem.
- No water in the house: what to checkWhy water stops at every faucet: utility outages and main breaks, a closed valve, frozen pipes, a well pump failure or an unpaid shutoff. How to tell which.
Water quality
- Why does my hot water smell like rotten eggs?Why only the hot water smells of sulfur, how the water heater's anode rod is involved, and the fixes that work, plus when the smell could be gas.
- Why is my tap water brown or rusty?Why tap water turns brown or rusty, how to tell a city main issue from corroding galvanized pipe or a water heater, and when to stop drinking it.