Editorial Process

Every guide on MyPlumbingPal goes through the same pipeline: engineering review, field-practice synthesis, code citation, and continuous revision. This page documents how that works so you can judge the trustworthiness of what you read.

1. Topic selection

We start from reader questions, search-gap analysis, and common failure modes. A topic makes the queue if it is (a) something homeowners reasonably try themselves, (b) covered poorly or inaccurately elsewhere, or (c) safety-sensitive enough that clear, correct guidance matters.

2. Engineering review

Every article is reviewed against water-supply and hydraulic first principles by Eng. Thilina Rathnayaka, a civil engineer with a BSc from the University of Moratuwa and an MSc in Water Resource Management and Engineering in progress. This is where claims about pressure, flow, thermal expansion, pipe sizing, and material selection are checked against the physics — not against what someone posted on a forum.

3. Field-practice synthesis

Engineering tells you what should work; experienced plumbers tell you what does work on real homes. We review discussions among licensed and experienced plumbers — on communities like r/Plumbing, r/HomeImprovement, and the StackExchange network — to capture techniques, tool preferences, and failure modes that only show up in the field. That synthesis is explicit: the raw source threads are kept in our research pipeline and cited when a specific recommendation comes from field practice rather than from code.

4. Code and standard citation

North American guidance is checked against the International Plumbing Code (IPC) and the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Where relevant, we also reference CSA B149, EN 806, AS/NZS 3500, ASHRAE guidance, and local authorities-having-jurisdiction (AHJ). Every code-based claim is cited inline and in the Sources section at the foot of the article.

5. Inline footnotes and a full sources section

Factual claims that depend on a source carry an inline footnote reference, and every referenced source appears in the Sources section with title, publisher, URL, and access date. If an article doesn't cite something for a specific claim, treat that claim as general guidance — not as a verified fact.

6. Revision tracking

Each article records a lastReviewed date that updates whenever the guide is re-read end-to-end, and a revisionHistory section that lists what changed and why. We re-review a guide when a cited code changes, when a reader reports an error, or at least once per calendar year.

7. Corrections

If you find an error, please report it through the corrections page. Our turnaround target is seven days; corrections are added to the article's revision history with a plain-language note about what was wrong and how we fixed it.

Where our authority stops

MyPlumbingPal's editor is a civil engineer, not a licensed residential plumber. We do not issue permits, sign off on pressure tests, or provide advice that substitutes for a licensed tradesperson on site. Any work that touches your sewer, a gas line, or a permitted fixture installation should be done or supervised by a plumber licensed in your jurisdiction.

Worked example

For a recent article that exercises the full pipeline end-to-end — engineering review, field-practice synthesis, code citation, and inline footnotes — see How to Fix Frozen Pipes.