If faucets screech when you turn them on and pipes hum when water is running, chances are you have a bad main-inlet valve or a bad pressure-regulator valve. Water enters a home at only one point, and if all faucets groan and howl the same way all through the house, the main-inlet valve is bad where water enters your home. Over time, rubber gaskets can become brittle. Running water rushes in, passing over the gasket and acts like the reed in a clarinet, with pipes carrying the sound to every faucet and fixture. This makes it hard to pin down the source. In this instance, check the main-inlet valve. If it screeches at only one location, check the gasket of that particular faucet. Repairs can be done with basic tools for less than $10. And that's the On The House tip for today.