Plumbing guides

Straight answers for the moment something goes wrong — what to do first, what makes it worse, and when it genuinely needs a plumber.

• Toilet overflowing right now?
  Four steps that stop the water in under a minute, and what not to do while it's happening.
• Plunger not working?
  Nine times out of ten it's technique or the wrong plunger. The tenth time it's not a clog you can reach.
• Water coming up in the shower?
  This particular symptom points somewhere specific, and it isn't the shower or the toilet.
• Sewer smell in the house?
  Usually a dried-out trap, sometimes a failed seal, occasionally something you should not ignore.
• Are flushable wipes really flushable?
  They leave your toilet. That is the entire claim, and it is not the same as being safe to flush.
• DIY or call a plumber?
  A clear rule for which clogs are worth twenty minutes of your time and which will cost you more if you try.
• What ignoring it costs
  Slow drains do not stay slow. Here is the escalation, and where the cost curve turns sharply.
• Clearing sink and shower drains
  Hair and grease block differently, and the fix for one makes the other worse.
• What actually clears a drain
  Snaking, hydro-jetting and camera inspection do different jobs. Knowing which you need stops you paying for the wrong one.