Yeah, surface rust can be misleading. My uncle's heater looked fine externally but ended up leaking badly inside. Definitely agree—better safe than s...

Yeah, had a similar issue at my place. Installed one of those whisper-quiet fans thinking it'd be perfect, but after a couple weeks noticed the mirror...

Honestly, nothing beats a quick glance at your water meter. Shut off all taps and appliances, then check if the meter's still ticking. If it is, you'v...

Zip ties on plumbing? Yeah, that's a hard pass for me too. Seen enough "quick fixes" turn into disasters. Hose clamps and plumber's tape are the way t...

Yeah, combo units are convenient, but I've had mixed experiences too. Had one go off once because I was painting a room—guess the fumes triggered it. ...

Yeah, I get the hesitation. I've installed a few automatic shut-off valves during jobs, and they can be hit or miss. When they work, they're great—sav...

Yeah, good shout on the spray plate. Had one last month that looked totally fine at first glance, but when I held it up to the light, there was this h...

Been there myself, buckets and towels seem like the obvious move at first. But honestly, shutting off the main valve is drilled into us so much you'd ...