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Plumbing problems
Common plumbing problems: what the signs can mean
The short answer
Each page below starts from what people notice, then lists what official sources (EPA, CDC, USGS, state health departments, public utilities, and extension services) say the causes can include, how to check, and when to call someone. None of them diagnoses your home. They point you to the test, the utility, or the licensed plumber that can.
Water smell, taste, and color
Why does my water smell?
Rotten egg, sewage, chlorine, or musty odors: which official sources describe each one, and how to tell the drain from the water.
What it can mean →Water smells like rotten eggs
A sulfur smell when the tap runs versus a gas smell in the air. Read the safety distinction first.
Safety note first →Water smells like sewage
A sewage-like odor at the tap, the glass test that separates the drain from the water, and when to test a well.
What it can mean →Water smells like chlorine or bleach
Why utilities add chlorine or chloramine, the 4 mg/L limit, and who needs to remove it.
What it can mean →Brown water from the faucet
Rust, sediment, iron, and manganese: what utilities say to do when the water turns brown.
What it can mean →Cloudy or milky tap water
The glass test for air bubbles, and what it means when the water does not clear.
What it can mean →Water tastes metallic
Iron, copper, manganese, zinc, and low pH, plus why lead needs a lab test instead of a taste test.
What it can mean →Pressure and noise
Low water pressure in the house
One fixture or the whole house, pressure regulators, valves, and how to measure your own pressure.
What it can mean →Water heater making noise
Popping, rumbling, hissing, and knocking: what the manufacturer says each sound can mean.
What it can mean →Pipes knocking or banging
Water hammer, what causes the bang when a valve shuts, and what it can do to fittings over time.
What it can mean →Drains, toilets, and sewer odors
Toilet keeps running
Flapper or fill valve: the two checks the manufacturer describes, and how much water a leak can waste.
What it can mean →Toilet is gurgling
Gurgling as a sign of a blockage or a septic problem, and who is responsible for which pipe.
What it can mean →Drain is gurgling
One drain or many, vents and main lines, and the signs that point past a single fixture.
What it can mean →Sewer smell in the house
Dry traps, roof vents, and the health department guidance on sewer gas.
What it can mean →Water bills and hidden leaks
Water heaters, frozen pipes, and clogs
No hot water
Gas and electric water heater causes and what you can safely check.
Read the guide →Water heater is leaking
Where the water is coming from and what each leak point can mean.
Read the guide →Frozen pipes
What to do in a cold snap and how to avoid a burst.
Read the guide →A drain keeps clogging
What professional drain cleaning costs and why.
Read the guide →Before you call anyone
Two free checks from EPA’s WaterSense program answer a lot of questions on their own: read the water meter before and after two hours with no water in use, and put food coloring in each toilet tank to look for a leak (U.S. EPA WaterSense; see high water bill, no visible leak). For water quality, your utility’s annual report and a state-certified lab are the reliable sources. When you are ready for prices, start with the water heater, drain cleaning, and repipe cost pages, and our repair-or-replace rule of thumb for water heaters.
Affiliate links
Try this while you wait: screening tools
A home kit or gauge can tell you whether something is worth a closer look. It is a screening tool only. It does not replace a test from a state-certified laboratory or an inspection by a licensed plumber.
- Home drinking water test kits on Amazon →A first look at several common items.
- Lead in water test kits on Amazon →A home screen only; EPA says testing is the only sure way to know about lead.
- Water pressure gauges (hose bib) on Amazon →For a static pressure reading at an outside faucet.
- Water leak detector alarms on Amazon →Sounds when water reaches the sensor.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Buying through these links never changes your price. We have not tested these products, and the links open an Amazon search, not a single recommended item.
Local help
Who to contact
If you are on a public water system, your water utility is the first call for anything that affects the water itself. Its phone number is on your bill and in its annual water quality report.
For work on the pipes and fixtures inside your home, hire a licensed plumber and confirm the license before work starts. Our guide to choosing a plumber covers what to ask. License lookups for the areas our city pages cover:
- FL: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)
- IA: Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (PMSB), administered by Iowa DIAL
- MO: Kansas City, MO City Planning & Development (plumbing license, city-issued)
- NE: City of Omaha Building and Development Division (plumbing license, city-issued; Nebraska has no statewide plumbing board)
- NV: Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB), Classification C (plumbing)
- OK: Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB)
- TX: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
Elsewhere, search your state’s plumbing or contractor licensing board. Some cities issue plumbing licenses themselves.
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Angi pays us a referral fee for a completed service request. The fee comes from Angi, not from you, and it does not change the cost figures on this page.
Common questions
Plumbing problem questions
What is the most common plumbing problem?
We have not found a national count of plumbing problems by type, so we will not rank them. What EPA does measure is leaks: its WaterSense program says household leaks can waste 180 gallons a week in an average family and nearly 900 billion gallons a year nationwide, with toilets often the culprit.
What is considered a major plumbing issue?
Official guidance treats a few signs as urgent. A rotten egg smell in the air can be a natural gas leak, and the New York City Fire Department says to leave and call 911 from a safe distance. A strong sewer gas smell is a reason to evacuate and call the fire department, according to Wisconsin’s health department. Sewage backing up into the house calls for keeping children and pets away and protective gear for any cleanup, per Washington’s health department. For the other signs on this page, each page lists the checks official sources describe and when they say to call someone.
What is the average life expectancy of house plumbing pipes?
We do not publish a single figure, because it depends on the pipe material, the water, and the installation. Two signs official sources tie to aging pipe are discolored water from galvanized iron plumbing and a drop in water pressure (Seattle Public Utilities; City of Phoenix). Our repipe cost page covers what replacement involves.
Sources and limits
- Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), Natural Gas Safety: If you think you smell gas or suspect a gas leak. Checked 2026-10-05.
- California Public Utilities Commission, Gas Safety and Reliability Branch: Emergency Response. Checked 2026-10-05.
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Air: Sewer Gas. Checked 2026-10-05.
- Washington State Department of Health, Sewage Spills: Cleaning Them Up. Checked 2026-10-05.
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts. Checked 2026-10-05.
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Residential Toilets. Checked 2026-10-05.
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week. Checked 2026-10-05.
- U.S. EPA, Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water. Checked 2026-10-05.
- Seattle Public Utilities, Cloudy Water (cloudy, discolored, and sediment water guidance). Checked 2026-10-05.
- City of Phoenix Water Services, General Service Issues: Pressure Related Issues. Checked 2026-10-05.
This page summarizes guidance published by the agencies and organizations listed above. It is general information, not a diagnosis of your home or your water. Guidance can change, so check the linked source, your water utility, or your local health department before acting on it. PlumbingRepairCost is not affiliated with any agency named here. Spotted an error? Email hello@plumbingrepaircost.com and we will check it against the source.