Plumbing. Just the word can strike fear into a homeowner's heart. It's a mysterious system, full of pipes and fittings that cause problems ranging from odd noises to catastrophic failures. Touring the plumbing aisles at your home center won't exactly help your anxiety, considering their confusing array of connections and valves. This chapter guides you through the confusion to help you solve some of the most common plumbing fix-it problems.