If the rusty water is only coming from the hot water faucet and not the cold then look at having the hot water heater flushed out. If rusty water is coming out from both hot and cold water faucets you may have rust or corrosion problems. Most home warranty plans do not cover rust and corrosion but, you will still need to have a plumber look at the situation.

This is usually caused from air being trapped in your water pipes. To fix this problem you must first shut off the water valve where the main water line comes into your home. Secondly open all faucets both hot and cold until all the water has drained out. Next leaving all faucets open turn on the main water valve so that the water can push out the air in the line. Lastly, close all open faucets one at a time and the hammering should be gone.

1. If you have a slow drain try pouring ½ cup of salt followed by 2 cups of boiling vinegar, then flush with hot and cold water.

2. To clear stoppage try using a funnel to pour ½ cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar. When foaming subsides, flush with hot tap water. Wait 5 minutes, and flush with cold water. This technique also washes away odor-causing bacteria.

3. To maintain healthy drains run hot water down them monthly. To get rid of odors run hot water, add 3 tablespoons of baking soda and run hot water long enough to wash baking soda into the drain then, turn off hot water let mixture sit for 15 minutes and flush out with more hot water.

4. If you have multiple clogged drains it may be the main line…call a plumber.

A good old fashion toilet plunger usually is all you will need for many flushing and clogging problems.

LOW WATER LEVEL IN THE TANK Look at the water level once you’ve taken the toilet tank lid off. If water is almost all gone then it means the flapper at the bottom of the tank could be the problem. The flapper is the item that is attached to the flushing lever by a small chain (make sure the chain is connected) so when you flush the toilet the lever pulls the flapper out of the hole it is seated in. This lets the water rush out of the tank to flush the waste in the bowl. Once the water has escaped the tank the flapper drops back into the hole to plug (seal) it so the tank can fill with water again. The water in the tank is clean tap water so reach into the tank and make sure the flapper is operating and seating correctly in the tank. If it just won’t seal the tank well enough for the tank to re-fill the flapper, it's probably bad. Replacing with a new one is inexpensive and very easy. Near the floor and behind the toilet there should be a water shut off valve. Turn it clockwise until the water is shut-off and take out the old flapper. Take with you to match it up to a new flapper at the local hardware store. Once you’ve replace the old flapper with new turn the water shut off valve counter clockwise all the way so the water is on. The toilet tank should fill up to normal levels and the running should stop.