Plumbing
Home plumbing: diagnose a leak, a freeze risk or a noise, size a heat cable or a pressure tank, match a model number to its part, and compare the gear worth a shortlist.
Every page under this heading is about the pipes, the fittings and the equipment they feed: what a symptom means, what size of part it takes, which component fits the model you already own, and which gear is worth a shortlist. Codes and standards are cited by number.
Plumbing calculators: inputs you already have, one formula, one answer, with the formula printed so the number can be checked.
1 calculators
Diagnostic plumbing guides: a symptom or a risk in, a fix or a part class out, with the code or standard cited by number.
1 guides
Plumbing parts: a model number in, the part that fits it out, with the cross-fit alternatives and the spec sheet that says so.
1 parts
Plumbing gear compared on published specification: what each unit is rated for, what it is not, and which one a given house needs.
1 reviews
Frozen pipes: what actually prevents them, and why the burst is almost never where the ice is
State Farm paid over $628 million on more than 20,000 frozen-pipe claims from 2024 through June 2025. The fix is pressure relief, not warmth.
Heat cable sizing calculator: how much self-regulating cable a pipe run takes, and whether one breaker will carry it
Chemelex's formula is pipe length x spiral ratio, plus 4 ft per globe valve, 2 ft per support, 1 ft per power connection. Its own 50 ft example needs 78.0 ft.
Smart leak detectors and insurance credits: which carriers actually publish a discount, and which devices actually shut the water off
Mercury publishes up to 4.6 percent off a homeowners premium for a qualifying leak device. Amica publishes a programme and no percentage at all.
Water Heater Anode Rod by Model: Which Thread, Which Length and Which of the Three Rod Types Fits Your Tank
Residential anode rods are 3/4 inch NPT with a 1-1/16 inch hex head. Rheem publishes 42, 44, 54 and 58 inch rods; Bradford White cuts segmented rods to length.