Start with the five failures that deserve your attention, then work through shutoffs, drains, old supply lines, estimates, emergency limits, and the inspection routine. The manual includes 8 chapters and 60 pages of homeowner-level checks.
1. The Five Failures That Cost You Thousands (And How to Spot Them in Ten Minutes)pp. 3–8A prioritized checklist of five specific visual indicators (galvanized supply corrosion, main stack base cracks, sewer line bellies, inadequate venting, and cross-connection hazards) with photos, locations to check, and cost ranges if ignored.
2. Reading the Water Meter and Shutoff Valve (The Two Things You Must Know Before Any Emergency)pp. 9–15A hand-drawn map of the reader's own water service entry, meter location, shutoff valve location, and the procedure to verify the shutoff actually stops water flow. The reader will know whether their shutoff valve works before they need it.
3. The Drain-Waste-Vent System (Why Your Toilet Gurgles and Your Sink Drains Slow)pp. 16–20A decision tree that maps symptoms (gurgling, slow drainage, sewer gas smell, multiple fixture backup) to root causes (clog, vent blockage, trap seal loss, or main line failure) and the correct next step for each.
4. The S-Trap, the Double-Trapped Sink, and Eight Other Code Violations That Still Exist in Older Homespp. 21–28A photo-referenced list of ten common code violations (S-traps, double traps, crown venting, trap arms that are too long, missing cleanouts, undersized vents, AAVs in conditioned space, galvanized drain repurposing, shared wet venting, and non-code fixture spacing) with the risk level of each and the correction procedure.
5. Galvanized Supply Lines: When to Replace Before They Failpp. 29–33A go/no-go decision framework based on installation date, water pressure, rust indicators, and flow test results. The reader will know whether to budget for replacement this year, in three years, or to leave the system alone.
6. Reading a Plumber's Estimate (And Knowing When You Are Being Sold Work You Do Not Need)pp. 34–39A line-by-line estimate review checklist with questions to ask for each common plumbing repair (drain clearing, fixture replacement, pipe repair, water heater service, sump pump replacement). The reader will know what is fair, what is padded, and what is a red flag.
7. The Three Emergency Repairs Every Homeowner Can Do (And the Two You Should Never Attempt)pp. 40–49Step-by-step procedures for three emergency repairs (shutting off water and replacing a supply line, stopping a toilet overflow and replacing the flapper, tightening or replacing a leaking fixture shutoff) and explicit warnings for two scenarios where DIY makes it worse (gas water heater repairs and main sewer line work).
8. The Plumbing Inspection Checklist (What to Check Before You Buy, Every Year You Own, and Before You Sell)pp. 50–60Two checklists (annual homeowner self-inspection and pre-purchase walkthrough) with 47 checkpoints total, organized by system (supply, waste, venting, fixtures, water heater, sewer line), each with a pass/fail criterion and a consequence if failed.
