A complete, honest guide to basic plumbing — written by a third-generation licensed plumber. Fix it yourself, save real money, and never get overcharged again.
Eight complete chapters covering every common plumbing situation in a typical home. No experience required.
Supply lines, drain systems, shutoff valves — know your home's plumbing before anything goes wrong.
Copper, PVC, CPVC, PEX, galvanized — what each is, where it goes, and how to recognize it.
The exact tools every homeowner needs. What to buy, what to skip, and what never to use.
Step-by-step instructions for sweating copper joints correctly and safely, the first time.
The complete escalation ladder — from boiling water to drain snakes. Most clogs cost $0 to fix.
The four faucet types, why they drip, and how to replace the part that is failing.
Anatomy, correct temperature, common problems, and what you can fix yourself vs. when to call.
Running toilets, phantom flushes, weak flushes, and leaks at the base — all fixable by a homeowner.
Every residential plumbing system has two completely separate jobs running side by side inside your walls. Understanding this structure changes how you diagnose every problem you will ever encounter.
Fresh water enters your home under pressure — typically 40 to 80 PSI — through a single main supply line. Immediately it splits into two branches that run in parallel to every fixture in the house.
The drain system works entirely by gravity — there is no pressure here. Every pipe slopes slightly downward toward the main drain line. Three components work together:
Figure 1 — Simplified residential plumbing layout showing supply, drain, and vent systems
You do not need to memorize chemistry — just know what each pipe looks like, where it is used, and how to connect it. Here is everything you will encounter in a typical home.
The gold standard for supply lines. Lasts 50–70 years. Joined by soldering or push-connect fittings.
For drain, waste & vent only. NOT hot water supply. Joined with purple primer + solvent cement.
Hot and cold supply lines. Similar to PVC but heat-rated. Requires CPVC-specific cement.
Modern supply lines. Flexible, freeze-resistant. Red = hot, Blue = cold. Crimp or push fittings.
Old technology, pre-1960 homes. Corrodes from inside over time. Replace when possible.
Every pipe system uses the same categories of fittings regardless of material. Learning these names helps you communicate clearly at the hardware store:
You do not need a truckload of tools. These items — most under $30 each — handle 90% of common home plumbing jobs. Build this kit over time and you will be ready for almost anything.
Soldering copper is the skill that intimidates homeowners most. With patience and correct technique, it is completely learnable. A properly soldered joint is actually stronger than the pipe itself.
Figure 4 — The five key stages of soldering a copper joint
Most drain clogs cost $0 to fix and take 15 minutes. Work through this escalation ladder in order — stop the moment the drain clears. The further down you go, the more involved the repair.
A dripping faucet wastes up to 20 gallons of water per day. Every dripping faucet can be repaired — the key is identifying which of the four faucet types you have.
Worn ball, springs, or inlet seats. Common in kitchens.
Worn cartridge or O-rings. Pull out old cartridge and match it exactly at the hardware store.
Cracked disc or worn seals. Clean the disc first — discs rarely need replacement.
Oldest type. Worn rubber washer at the bottom of the stem. Cheapest repair of all four types.
Your water heater is one of the most important appliances in your home — and also one of the most neglected. Understanding it helps you diagnose problems, maintain it correctly, and know when to call for help.
Figure 7 — Anatomy of a conventional tank water heater
Toilet problems are among the most common plumbing calls — and most of them require zero special skills. Opening the tank lid reveals a simple mechanism with only a few parts, all available at any hardware store for under $30.
Every word on this site was written by a working plumber with 11 years of experience and no financial motive other than making sure that ordinary people stop getting ripped off.
I started learning plumbing at 18 alongside my father, who learned from his father before him. In 11 years of field work I have seen families charged $400 to unclog a drain that clears in 10 minutes with a $20 snake. I built this guide because I believe knowledge about the systems in your own home is a right, not a privilege.
Acueducto.org is funded entirely by me, personally. There are no investors, no sponsorships, and no revenue of any kind. If this guide helps you, share it with someone who needs it — that is the only thing I ask.
Transparency Statement