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Plumbing Guides for St. Petersburg Homeowners

Plain-language answers to the plumbing questions that come up most: leaks, bills, drains, water heaters, sewer lines and the valves in between.

All guides

Each guide explains what is going on, what you can check yourself and when it is time to call.

Tiny flies around the sink or shower are a drain problem, not a window problem. Here is how to confirm it and clear it.

A bucket and a marker tell you whether your pool is losing water to evaporation or to a leak.

Meter test, toilet dye test, appliance checks and where to look next when you cannot see the leak.

A jump in the water bill usually has a plain cause. Eight to check, from toilets and irrigation to a leak under the slab.

Where the water comes from decides whether it is a ten-minute fix or a new tank. How to tell and what to do first.

One weak tap, a weak shower or weak pressure everywhere. How to tell which, and what usually fixes it.

Where a sewer smell comes from, the easy fixes to try and the signs that the sewer line itself is the problem.

How roots get into a sewer pipe, the signs, what a camera shows and why cutting roots is only half the answer.

No flush, a weak flush or a bowl that fills and will not drop. What each one means and what to try.

The dye test, the flapper, the fill valve and the float. How to find why a toilet keeps running and fix it.

Cost, lifespan, leaks, water chemistry and installation compared, so you can ask a plumber the right questions.

The thump when a tap or appliance shuts off has a cause and a fix. Pressure, loose pipes and dead air chambers.

Where the water appears tells you which part failed. Handle, spout, vacuum breaker or the pipe behind the wall.

Where the main shutoff is, how to turn each type and what to do when the valve is stuck or cannot be found.

What a backflow preventer does, why sprinkler systems need one and how reclaimed water raises the stakes.

Call the 24/7 line, describe the problem and a dispatcher will take the details.