Plumbing problems would be so easy to fix if it weren’t for all these walls!
The first step in diagnosing a plumbing problem is realizing that there is nothing magic to the problem. Somewhere, hidden behind those walls, is a malfunction that needs to be repaired.
The simple rule to plumbing: Water flows down and follows the path of least resistance.
From there, you need to do a little detective work to figure out the problem. Follow these steps to determine the cause of your problem.
The first step is to determine whether you have a supply side (clean water) or waste side (dirty water) problem. Leaking pipes, low water pressure, or no hot water are supply issues. Stopped drains, gurgling, and foul odors are waste side problems. Each set of problems is handled completely differently.
Waste side: If a fixture is not draining, or you have dirty water that is pooling or flow only when water is run, then you most likely have a drain problem. Go to our Emergency Drain Cleaning Page to learn more.
Supply side: If you notice a leak even when no fixture is running, you most likely have a supply side problem. From here, you can isolate the problem through using shutoffs. Proper plumbing installations have several shutoffs throughout the property to isolate sections of plumbing and determine where the leak is. If you have a supply side problem, see our Emergency Plumbing Page to learn more.