Plumbing Blog for Smyrna, GA Homeowners

Practical guides to the questions Smyrna homeowners ask before they call a plumber.

These guides cover what to check, what to expect and when to call. Each one includes a note on Smyrna conditions and ends with the 24/7 line for jobs that should not wait.

All plumbing guides

New tank water heater being connected in a small utility room

Installing a water heater

What a water heater installation involves in Smyrna, which parts are safety critical, and how to ask the city about permits.

Wall mounted tankless unit next to a tank water heater in a garage

Sizing a tankless water heater

How to size a tankless water heater using flow rate, temperature rise and your gas or electric capacity.

Drain auger cable being fed into a toilet bowl

Fixing a clogged toilet

Safe, simple steps to clear a clogged toilet, and the signs that point to a bigger drain problem.

Inside of a toilet tank showing the flapper and fill valve

Toilet tank leak repair

How to find a toilet tank leak with a dye test and decide between a quick repair and a plumber visit.

Plumber working under a kitchen sink with a tool case beside him

Plumbing cost per hour

A plain guide to how plumbers charge, with questions to ask before any work starts.

Hand turning a shutoff valve on a water line against a brick wall

Plumbing shut off valves

Where to find the main shutoff, the meter valve and fixture stops, and how to keep them working.

Framed wall with new supply lines and a drain stack roughed in

Rough-in plumbing cost

What rough-in plumbing covers and the factors that decide its cost, with no guessing at numbers.

Close view of copper elbow fittings on a pipe run

Types of plumbing fittings

A plain guide to common plumbing fittings, what each one does and how pipe material changes the choice.

Plumber replacing parts on a kitchen faucet with a wrench and spare parts nearby

What Are Plumbing Fixtures

Fixtures, fittings and appliances get mixed up all the time. Here is what each one is and how to choose repair or replacement.

Two technicians at a hole cut in a concrete floor to reach a leaking copper pipe

How a Slab Leak Is Repaired

A step-by-step look at how a slab leak is found, repaired and documented, and what to ask your insurer first.

Hand-cranked drain auger in a kitchen sink drain

Prevent Clogged Drains

A simple year-round routine that prevents most clogs, plus what older drain lines in Smyrna need.

Water heater element access panel open with a multimeter and tools

Replace a Heating Element

How to test an electric water heater element, replace it safely, and decide when the tank itself is the problem.

Plumber connecting a braided supply hose to a toilet

Toilet Water Line Repair

How to find a leak at the toilet supply line, replace it, and tell when the shutoff valve is the real problem.

Technician with gloved hands working inside the open control panel of a tankless water heater

Wiring a Tankless Water Heater

What an electric tankless water heater asks of your electrical system and how to plan the install without surprises.

Tree roots growing through a cracked sewer pipe

Tree Roots in Sewer Lines

Why roots invade sewer lines, how a camera confirms it, and how clearing, lining and replacement compare.