Problem family
Home Systems
Pests, moisture, drains, air, and plumbing. The house as a set of systems, diagnosed in the order a professional would check them.
A pest, a smell, or a puddle is a symptom of a system state: food and harborage for pests, humidity for mold and dust mites, biofilm for drain smells. Treating the symptom without the state is why the problem comes back, and most of these guides are built around that single idea.
The family's shared instrument is measurement. A twenty-dollar humidity reading settles arguments that a shelf of products cannot, and several guides here begin with the same first step: measuring your home's air before spending on any device.
Every problem in this family
- Ants in the Kitchen That Keep Coming BackFix: TERRO T300 Liquid Ant Baits
- Dusty Air: Dust Settling an Hour After You CleanedFix: Levoit Core 300S air purifier
- House Too Humid: Windows Sweating, Rooms Feeling DampFix: Frigidaire FFAD5033W1 50-pint dehumidifier
- Fruit Flies in the Kitchen That Survive Every SprayFix: Zevo Flying Insect Trap
- Toilet Keeps Running: The $3 Part Behind Most CasesFix: Fluidmaster PerforMAX universal fill valve and flapper kit class (PerforMAX repair parts)
- Dry Winter Air: Cracked Skin, Dry Throat, Static EverywhereFix: Levoit Classic 300S humidifier
- Hair Clogging the Shower Drain AgainFix: TubShroom Ultra drain protector
- Drain Flies That Keep Hatching From the SinkFix: Green Gobbler fruit and drain fly gel treatment
- Mice in the House: Droppings in the PantryFix: Tomcat Press 'N Set mouse traps
- Musty Closet and Basement SmellFix: DampRid moisture absorber
- How to Unclog a Drain Without ChemicalsFix: FlexiSnake Drain Weasel hair clog tool
- Spiders Keep Appearing IndoorsFix: Ortho Home Defense insect barrier spray
- Wasp Nest on the House: When to Spray and When to CallFix: Spectracide PRO Wasp and Hornet Killer
- Mold on the Bathroom Ceiling: Kill It, Keep It From ReturningFix: Concrobium Mold Control
- Cockroaches in the Kitchen: Gel Bait, Not SprayFix: Advion Cockroach Gel Bait
- Dryer Taking Two Cycles: It Is Usually the Vent, Not the DryerFix: Holikme dryer vent cleaning kit
- Pantry Moths in the Flour and GrainsFix: Dr. Killigan's Premium Pantry Moth Traps
- House Flies Everywhere IndoorsFix: Zevo Flying Insect Trap
- Bathroom Sink Smells Like Rotten EggsFix: Green Gobbler drain treatment (enzyme gel class)
- Toilet Keeps Clogging: Weak Flush or Real Blockage?Fix: Enzyme drain maintenance treatment (Green Gobbler class)
- Condensation on Windows All WinterFix: DampRid moisture absorber (for the worst rooms), with the dehumidifier as the whole-house step
- Damp Closet Ruining Clothes and ShoesFix: Eva-Dry E-333 renewable mini dehumidifier
- How Do I Know If My House Air Is Too Dry or Too Humid?Fix: ThermoPro TP49 digital hygrometer
- Tap Water Tastes Like a Swimming PoolFix: Brita pitcher with Elite (Longlast) filter
- Toilet Whistles When It Refills (and Fills Slowly)Fix: Fluidmaster PerforMAX Universal Fill Valve (400H)
- Fridge Water Tastes Bad, and the Ice Tastes Like the FreezerFix: everydrop refrigerator filters
- Toilet Seat Is Stained No Matter How Much I ScrubFix: Bemis toilet seats (1500EC and 1200E4 slow-close)
- One Room Is Always Too Hot (or Too Cold)Fix: AC Infinity AIRTAP register booster fan
- Faucet Drips All NightFix: Moen 1225B cartridge
- Bathroom Fan Runs but the Mirror Still FogsFix: Broan-NuTone QuicKit replacement motor and fan assembly
- Moths Eating My SweatersFix: Dr. Killigan's Premium Clothing Moth Traps
- Pipes Freeze Every WinterFix: Frost King Automatic Electric Heat Cable Kit
- Pool Turned Green OvernightFix: HTH Green to Blue Advanced Shock System
- White Dust All Over the Room From the HumidifierFix: Demineralization cartridges for ultrasonic humidifiers
- Cold Air Coming Under the DoorFix: Duck Brand weatherstrip line and Holikme weighted door draft stopper
- Drafty Windows All WinterFix: Duck MAX Strength shrink film window kit
- Kitchen Faucet Is Down to a TrickleFix: NEOPERL SLC aerator, 1.5 GPM class
- A Grease Fire With Nothing to Put It OutFix: Prepared Hero fire blanket
- Never Tested the House for RadonFix: Airthings Corentium Home radon detector
- The House Is Dusty Again a Week After CleaningFix: Filtrete MPR 1000 furnace filter
- The Alarm Keeps Chirping and the Alarms Are Past Ten YearsFix: Kidde P3010CU 10-year sealed smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
- Water Pooled Where Nobody LooksFix: Govee Wi-Fi water sensor kit
- Pool Test Strips Don't Agree With Each OtherFix: Taylor K-2006 Complete test kit
- Tools Covered in RustFix: CRC Evapo-Rust rust remover, one gallon
- The Bike Tire Keeps Going FlatFix: Slime tube sealant, 8 ounce bottle
- Wi-Fi Fine in One Room, Dead in the NextFix: Google Nest Wifi Pro mesh system, 2-pack
- The Room by the Windows Is Always ColdFix: Duck Brand Rolled Indoor Window Insulation Kit, 10-window
- Records Crackle and Pop on Every TrackFix: Spin-Clean Record Washer MK II
What this family does not cover
What this family leaves out: anything structural (joists, roofs, foundations) and anything involving gas or mains electrical. Those are professional jobs, and the guides say so at the top rather than at the bottom.
How we check a product before we name it: our editorial standards.
The Fix JournalHome Systems