Forget all those expensive DIY books: everything you need is here on the Web, if you know where to look. To that end, we've hand-compiled a list of over 150 of the best DIY plumbing pages we could find, helping you to do everything from sorting out your drains to fixing a dripping faucet (tap)—and all on one handy, uncluttered web page!

We've included several different guides to most topics, so you can compare the advice and choose the approach you like best.

If you're looking for more general DIY advice (things like woodworking, electrical work, building, plumbing, and plastering), check out our companion page The Complete DIY Guide.

Introduction

Why are plumbers always in demand? That was the question BBC News magazine posed a while ago in this interesting article about plumbing. Apparently, there's been a "flood" of people entering the plumbing business in recent years, largely prompted by media stories highlighting the apparently huge potential to make money fixing people's pipes. Whether there's any truth in that or not, one thing is beyond question: taps will always drip, toilets and drains will always block, central heating will always grind to a halt midwinter, and people will always need pipes fixing.

It's illegal to do your own plumbing work in some countries but, in places where DIY plumbing is legal, you might be surprised how much you can do by yourself. We don't recommend you take on any major jobs without consulting a qualified professional, but for simple things like fixing a dripping faucet (tap), there's no good reason to call out a plumber and pay extortionate rates. With a new washer and a spanner, you can make the repair yourself and be up and running again in about ten minutes.

Even if you plan on getting your job done by an expert, it can still pay you to research the subject beforehand. If you understand the problems and the options available, you'll be better placed to make decisions when your plumber asks you to make a choice. You'll also be able to spot any cowboy tradesmen who are trying to get you to commit to something more expensive than you need.

This Web page is all about giving you background advice on plumbing. It points you to other Web pages that will help with simple repairs and lists lots of do-it-yourself projects for people who feel confident and competent. It covers environmental topics like greywater, rainwater collection, and composting toilets. And it even points you in the right direction if you're considering plumbing as a career.

We hope you find the information here helpful!

Last updated: 7 March 2010.

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Contents - what's on this page

Find a plumber
Safety advice: before you start
Tools
General plumbing advice
Pipe skills
How-to project worksheets
Plumbing emergencies
Fixing dripping faucets/taps
Central heating systems and radiators
Drains and drainage
Choosing fixtures and fittings
Environmental plumbing (saving water, greywater, composting toilets, etc)
Plumbing courses

Find a plumber

But before you do, take a look at this handy article on hiring a plumber, with some great money-saving advice.

UK: Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers: Includes a "Find a plumber" directory of qualified professionals.
UK: Heating & Hotwater Industry Council: Includes details of how to find a qualified heating installer.
USA/Canada: Find a plumber: Search for a plumber by city, province, state, or zip code.
Australia: Master Plumbers & Mechanical Services Association of Australia: How to find a qualified plumber down under.
New Zealand: New Zealand Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board: The main industry organization for NZ.

Safety advice: before you start

General DIY safety

DIY safety: Advice from the BBC.
Home improvement: Electrical: Safety Basics: DIY Network: Brad Staggs explains the DIY Basics of workshop safety.
RoSPA DIY safety advice: Some basic tips.
DIYnot.com's guide to DIY safety: "Taking a few minutes to plan what is to be done could mean the difference between tackling a job safely and successfully or courting disaster".
Ultimate handyman: Putting safety first—includes photos of some amazingly unsafe unpractices.
DIY Safety Tips: A quick checklist from DIY2U.net.
Health & Safety Executive: This UK website is a mine of official information, especially for businesses and workers employed in risky occupations. Includes guidance on assessing and minimizing risks.

Plumbing safety

Plumbing safety guide: Some basic tips from 1-800 anytyme.com.
Gas and plumbing safety: More tips, from New Zealand's Consumer Build site.
Plumbing safety and health concerns: A look at the dangers, from hygiene and health to safety issues like carbon monoxide.

Tools

General tool guides

DIY tool guide: Impartial advice from the BBC.
Painting 101: Tips for buying paintbrushes and other painting tools, from DIY network.
Choosing tools: A great set of articles about choosing different tools, including saws, drills, hammers, ladders, sandpaper, spanners... and more.
OnlineToolReviews.com: "Dedicated, professional reviews of popular woodworking and DIY tools and devices for the home handyman".
Ultimate Handyman: Power tool buying guide: Includes guides to drills, cordless drills, power saws, grinders, sanders, rotozips, routers.
DIYnot.com: Buying and hiring: Looks at the pros and cons of buying and hiring and things to watch out for, including basic safety points.
Buying guides: Homebase has a very wide selection of buying guides, including helpful articles devoted to circular saws, electric screwdrivers, heat guns, power drills, power jigsaws, pressure washers, and sanders.

Plumbing tools

DIY plumbing toolkit: Which plumbing tools do you really need in your box?
Plumbing tool guide: A quick review of plumbing tools from Repair-Home.com
Basic power tools and plumbing tools: A quick introduction to tools from DIY Network.

Tool-buying guides from Homebase UK

General plumbing advice

Plumbing pages: This very useful collection of pages from diyfixit covers virtually every plumbing problem and job you're likely to want to tackle.
How your house works: plumbing: Includes a free, downloadable poster of a typical home plumbing system.
DIY Network: Unclog plumbing problems with DIY Plumbing! In this workshop, master plumber Ed Del Grande helps solve household plumbing problems.
DIY Plumbing Articles: Various plumbing articles, including central heating.
DIY - Plumbing: Lots of advice from DIYnot.
DIY Plumbing Tips: , Do it Yourself Plumbing Tips from helpwithdiy.com.
Focus DIY - Plumbing: Advice from British DIY store.
UKTV Style: DIY Plumbing: Top tips and advice for tackling those troublesome problems around the house.
Extreme How To: Plumbing: Check before you do any DIY plumbing.
Plumbing Help, Plumbing Information - PlumbingPages: "The UK's largest source of information on plumbing, heating and bathroom installation."
How to solve plumbing problems: Guide from Channel 4 TV in the UK.
Bathroom projects: Expert advice from DIY guide Ron Hazleton.
Service Magic Plumbing Centre: These tips contain a great deal of useful experience you can learn from if you've not used plumbers or thought about plumbing problems before.
Plumbing: A very short introduction from Wikipedia.

Pipe skills

General pipework

Working with copper pipes: Another clear, illustrated guide. This one describes the different types of copper pipes, how to cut them, how to mend them, and how to connect them.
Tim Carter's great Askthebuilder.com website has a good set of articles about plumbing piping

Bending pipes

Bending copper pipe: An easy-to-follow, illustrated guide from diyfixit.co.uk
Bending copper pipes: Diydata.com explains how to bend pipes with either bending springs (and your leg) or pipe bending machines.

Joining pipes

Soldering copper pipes: A brilliantly clear video explanation from easy2diy.
Connecting copper pipe: A guide to soldering pipes from diyfixit.co.uk
How to solder copper pipes: A text-based guide from Acme How To.
It's easy to solder copper pipes: Ms Builder says it's "really quite easy" to solder pipes.
Soldering copper pipe: An illustrated photo-guide from Hometips.com

How-to project worksheets

Homebase DIY guides

Other worksheets and how-to guides

DIY plumbing guides: A great collection of simple, illustrated guides from Diyfixit.co.uk.
DIY plumbing projects: Lots of project guides covering everything from how to drain a WC to how to descale your central heating system.

Plumbing emergencies

The best thing to do in a plumbing emergency is usually to call a qualified plumber!

Plumbing emergencies: Some things to consider.
Plumbing Emergencies: What to do first.
Plumbing Emergencies: Guidance from repair-home.com.
Plumbing Emergencies: More from allabouthome.com.
In Case a Plumbing Emergency Occurs: More from allabouthome.com.
Plumbing troubleshooter: Quick things you can do when your plumbing goes up the spout.
This Old House: Plumbing: A step-by-step guide to lots of minor household plumbing repairs.

Fixing dripping faucets/taps

Mrs Fixit: Plumbing howtos: Clear and simple practical advice.
Fix A Leaking Tap: A guide to fixing a leaking tap in your house.
Fix a Leaking Tap: Advice from Hudds online.
Tauranga Water - Household Leaks: Fixing dripping taps—and other minor plumbing repairs.
Cure a leaking tap - replace the washer: "A straightforward guide to the simple task of replace a tap".
Illustrated photo guides from This Old House:

Central heating systems and radiators

General introductions

Gas boilers: A very simple introduction to central heating and gas boilers on the main part of our website.
Water Central Heating - the boiler: This introduction from diydata explains the basic arrangement of sealed and open-vented heating systems
Heating & Hotwater Industry Council: A good collection of background information for UK readers, including details of how to find a qualified heating installer, how to save energy, and how to get grants toward heating improvements.
Central heating: A basic backgrounder from Wikipedia.

Balancing radiators

Central Heating Systems - balancing radiators: How to make a central heating system more efficient.

Bleeding radiators

Bleeding a radiator: Tips from Wise Geek
How to bleed a radiator: Photo guide from the Ultimate Handyman.
Bleeding a radiator: How to solve the problem of trapped air in central heating system.

Choosing a boiler

Modern Central Heating Boilers: The National Energy Foundation explains the advantages of using a modern condensing boiler, which can pay for its extra cost in as little as four years.
Boiler Efficiency Database: Which boilers are most efficient? Find out on this website from the UK government.
Central Heating Boilers: A good basic introduction to the different boiler types, including balanced flue boilers, open flue boilers, fan-assisted boilers, combi boilers and condensing boilers.
Which boiler iks right for me?: Explains the difference between combination boilers, sealed system (unvented) boilers, ppen vent and open vent sealed system boilers, and back boilers; talks you through the cost of a boiler; and explains how much you can expect to save by modernising your system.

Drains and drainage

Fixing Slow-Emptying Bathroom Lavatory.
Fixing Plugged Sink or Lavatory Drains: Another step-by-step guide (PDF).
Tips and tricks: Various plumbing tricks.
Unstopping Clogged Lavatory Drains: How to unstop clogged lavatory drains.
Waterlinks advice on cleaning your drains: Includes drain tools and how to use them.
Unblocking Drains: Tips & Advice from the Diy Doctor.
Unclogging Drains: "Clogged drains are the most common plumbing problem".
HomeTips DIY: Sink Drains, How to Clear a Clogged Drain: "Free advice on how to clear a clogged drain with sink drain diagrams".
Unclogging a stopped drain: This and other plumbing problems explained by China Winds.
Unblogging drains: Various different approaches explained by Focus DIY.
Working with soil and waste systems: tips from Homebase UK

Gutters

How to clean gutters: A seven-step process suggested by eHow.com
How to fix a sagging gutter: Another tip from eHow.com
How to clean rain gutters: An illustrated guide from Don Vandervort's handy HomeTips.com website
Cleaning gutters tutorial: A nice little animated guide from Easy2diy.com.
Cleaning gutters: Tips on "the art of gutter cleaning". Includes guidance on using pressure washers.
Gutter cleaning: health and safety issues: How to assess the risks, by the UK's Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Septic tanks

Septic tank: A basic introduction to the concept of septic tanks (sewage treatment systems for houses not connected to main sewerage pipes).
Septic Systems: A useful introduction from the the National Environmental Services Center, with links to some useful background documents.
How sewer and septic systems work: An introduction to the basic technology from Howstuffworks website.
How septic systems work: A very comprehensive guide to houses that use septic systems.

Choosing fixtures and fittings

Buying guide: choosing a Lavatory Faucet: An introduction to the various different bathroom faucets from Lowe's.
Buying guide: choosing a kitchen faucet: A list of things to consider from Lowe's.
Plumbing fixtures: Another good set of articles from Tim Carter's great Askthebuilder.com website.
How to Buy a Whirlpool Tub: A brief introduction from eHow.com
How to choose whirlpool tubs: Things to consider from ConsumerReports.Org
Plumbing Your Options in Bathroom Fixtures: Selecting sinks, faucets, and finishes.
How to Choose Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures for Your Home: A very basic introduction.
How to Choose a Faucet: A basic six-step guide from eHow.com.
How to choose a faucet/tap: Another basic guide from Friendly Plumber.

Environmental plumbing (saving water, greywater etc)

Saving water

H2ouse: Saving water in your home.
Water saving tips: Simple ideas for homes, gardens, and businesses.
Water saving tips: More home water saving ideas.
Water: Use it wisely: Includes 100 great water-saving ideas.
A-Z of water saving tips: Lots more ideas from the BBC.

Greywater systems

Greywater: what it is... how to treat it... how to use it: A great basic introduction.
Greywater: An introduction to the basic concept of recycling domestic water (spelled graywater in the States and also known as sullage).
Watermatic Irrigation Solutions: A UK company supplying a greywater system for garden irrigation.
Grey Water Central: Another complete guide to greywater, including planning regulations, safety and legal issues, etc.
Safe use of household greywater: A helpful briefing paper from New Mexico State University.
Sydney Water's guide to greywater: Topics covered include ways greywater can be used, greywater diversion devices, greywater treatment systems, maintaining your greywater diversion device or treatment system, and protecting your health.
ECO Design Greywater Recycling System (GRS): An off-the-shelf greywater system.
Greywater Guerillas: A group of people passionate about turning the world onto greywater. Includes practical advice on water recycling and building greywater irrigation systems.
Grey water: recycling water at home: A very simple, very clear introduction to grey water recycling.
Build your own greywater system for $121: This blog explains how one person set up their own inexpensive grey water systems.

Composting toilets

Composting toilet: An introduction from Wikipedia.
Composting toilets: More information from the Sustainability Wiki.
The Humanure Handbook: A guide to composting human manure.
Composting Toilets, Pasteurization and Permits: A guide to composting human manure.
How to build a $25 composting toilet: The ultimate DIY project.
How to build a composting toilet: An illustrated photographic guide from WikiHow. This model is made from empty plastic bottles!
The dry composting toilet: Everything you ever wanted to know, including 's wrong with flush toilets, why we need composting toilets, how they work, and how to build them.
NatSol: "We supply compost toilets suitable for allotments, nature reserves, churches and other remote sites without mains services. We specialise in twin vault, urine separating composting toilets suitable for wheelchair access."
Waterless toilets: Short (two-page) leaflet from the Australian government covers the basics, including: what is a composting toilet, how does a composting toilet work, what regulations affect their use, where should you build your toilet, and how should you maintain it (300K PDF file).
NatSol: A British manufacturer specializing in composting toilets.

Plumbing courses

You can find plumbing courses in your area just by typing "plumbing courses" into the Google search box at the bottom of this page!

Careers Advice: Job Profile: Plumber: Advice from the popular UK government training website about how to become a plumber. Explains what qualifications and experience you need to be a plumber and discusses apprenticeships, short courses, overseas qualifications, and other forms of training and development.
Training: A useful FAQ guide from The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. The same page also has a useful PDF brochure about plumbing careers.
Learn plumbing: A complete distance learning course (designed with UK plumbers in mind).