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plumbingbythebook.com

A chrome tub and shower lever handle removed from its stem beside a handle kit, illustrating how to choose a replacement shower handle

Replacement Shower Handle: How to Match It to Your Valve Before You Buy

The handle on your tub and shower is cracked, loose, spinning on the stem or worn through at the finish, and the…

October 21, 2026 · 14 min read

A ceramic faucet cartridge held next to a ruler and a model number tag, illustrating how to find a store-brand faucet cartridge

Store-Brand Faucet Cartridge: Finding the Part When the Brand Belongs to the Store

Your faucet drips, and the only name on it is Glacier Bay, Pegasus, AquaSource, Project Source or allen + roth. There is…

October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

A brass tub and shower faucet stem laid beside a ruler, illustrating a faucet stem identification chart by length and broach

Shower and Faucet Stem Identification Chart: Match Yours by Length and Broach

You pulled the stem out of a two-handle tub and shower valve, and there is no brand and no model number anywhere…

October 16, 2026 · 12 min read

A frost-free outdoor faucet on a house wall with a vacuum breaker cap, illustrating how to identify a frost-free outdoor faucet stem

Frost-Free Outdoor Faucet Stem: How to Identify Yours Before You Order

Your outdoor faucet drips from the spout or the handle, and the repair parts aisle is full of long brass stems that…

October 12, 2026 · 12 min read

A shower handle and escutcheon plate on a tiled wall, illustrating which shower trim kits fit your valve

Which Shower Trim Kits Fit Your Valve? How to Tell by Brand

You found a shower trim kit you like, in the right finish, from the right brand. It still might not fit. Which…

October 6, 2026 · 13 min read

A pull-down kitchen faucet spray head and hose under a sink, illustrating how to choose a replacement hose for a pull-down kitchen faucet

Replacement Hose for Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet: How to Tell Which Fits

You have a pull-down kitchen faucet that won’t retract, drips under the sink, or has a cracked hose, and the shelf at…

October 5, 2026 · 13 min read

A cracked toilet flange and repair ring on a bathroom floor, illustrating the cost to repair a toilet flange

Cost to Repair a Toilet Flange: DIY vs. Plumber [2026]

The cost to repair a toilet flange runs about $145 to $350 with a plumber, according to Angi, while a DIY repair…

September 24, 2026 · 11 min read

A new kitchen faucet, supply lines, and a basin wrench laid out on a counter, illustrating the cost to install a faucet

Cost to Install a Faucet: What the Labor Actually Runs [2026]

The cost to install a faucet with a professional is usually a low-hundreds job: Home Depot lists an average faucet installation at…

September 24, 2026 · 12 min read

Corroded galvanized and cast iron pipe next to new PEX, illustrating when to repipe vs repair

When to Repipe vs Repair Galvanized, Polybutylene, and Cast Iron [2026]

Knowing when to repipe vs repair is a big-ticket decision, and the honest answer depends on which pipe is in your walls.…

September 21, 2026 · 13 min read

Faucet valve type identification chart showing compression, ball, cartridge, and ceramic disc valve parts side by side

Faucet Valve Type Identification Chart: Cartridge, Ball, Compression, and Ceramic Disc [2026]

This faucet valve type identification chart covers the four mechanisms hiding inside almost every residential sink faucet — compression, ball, cartridge, and…

September 17, 2026 · 14 min read