Fix it yourself
Plumber repairs you can do yourself
Most plumbing calls start with something you can check in ten minutes: a flapper, a trap, a shut-off valve. The line is anything that needs the wall opened or the main line worked on.
- You can do
- 15
- Pro-only
- 1
- Typical time
- 10 min – 2 h
- 01Open
Clogged drain
Remove the stopper or strainer and pull out anything you can see with the plastic zip tool.
easy 15–45 min· $5–30 for a zip tool, plunger or auger
- 02Open
Dripping faucet
Close the shut-off valves under the sink and open the tap to release pressure; plug the drain so small parts cannot fall in.
moderate 30–60 min· $10–45 for a cartridge or washer kit
- 03Open
Frozen pipes
Open the affected tap so melting water and pressure have somewhere to go, then find the frozen section — often where a pipe runs along an outside wall, in a crawl space, or under a sink.
moderate 1–2 h· $5–20 for pipe insulation
- 04Open
Garbage disposal humming but not spinning
Switch the disposal off and unplug it under the sink or switch off its breaker — never put a hand in with power on.
easy 10–30 min· $0–8 for a hex key
- 05Open
Gas leak near appliance
Do not switch anything on or off — no lights, no phones indoors, no doorbells; a spark is the danger.
Don't do this yourself
- 06Open
Hot water runs out quickly
Check the thermostat setting first; on electric tanks there are two, behind the upper and lower access panels, and both should match.
moderate 30–90 min· $0–35 for a hose, an element or a dip tube
- 07Open
Leaking pipe
Close the nearest shut-off valve, or the main valve where the supply enters the house, and open a tap below the leak to drain the line.
moderate 30–90 min· $10–35 in tape, clamp or putty
- 08Open
Low water pressure
Check whether the problem is one fixture or the whole house — run the kitchen tap, a bathroom tap and an outdoor tap and compare.
easy 20–60 min· $0–30 for vinegar, an aerator or a gauge
- 09Open
No hot water
Electric heater: check the breaker in the panel — a tripped double breaker sits between on and off; switch it fully off, then on.
easy 15–45 min· $0–40 for a thermostat or element if you are comfortable with electrical work
- 10Open
Running toilet
Lift the tank lid and watch one flush: if water keeps flowing into the bowl, the flapper is leaking; if water spills into the overflow tube, the float is set too high.
easy 15–45 min· $8–25 for a flapper or fill valve
- 11Open
Sewage smell in the bathroom
Run water into every drain in the room for a minute, including the floor drain and any unused shower — a dried-out trap lets sewer gas straight in.
easy 15–45 min· $5–25 for cleaning supplies or a wax ring
- 12Open
Slow bathtub drain
Remove the overflow plate (two screws) and the drain stopper — many lift out or unscrew anticlockwise.
easy 15–40 min· $5–15 for a snake and a hair catcher
- 13Open
Toilet overflowing
Stop the water: lift the tank lid and push the flapper down, or close the shut-off valve behind the toilet.
easy 10–40 min· $10–35 for a plunger or auger
- 14Open
Water bubble forming on the ceiling
Put a bucket under the bulge and move furniture and electronics out of the way.
easy 10–30 min· $0 — the fix is upstream; patching later costs $20–50 in materials
- 15Open
Water heater making popping or rumbling noise
The popping is water boiling under a layer of sediment; it is a maintenance signal, not an emergency.
moderate 45–90 min· $0–15 for a hose
- 16Open
Water heater pilot light out
Read the relighting label on the tank — the sequence differs between models and matters.
easy 10–30 min· $0
What it costs
Typical rates by country, so you can compare DIY parts against a pro's invoice.
Cost guideDo this for a living
These are the calls a plumber takes every week. Licensing, training and where the work is short of people.
How to become a plumber