Plumbers near you

The pipes behind your walls say a lot about the age of the house and the work that may be coming. Copper has been used for supply lines for decades, and flexible plastic tubing such as PEX is now common in renovations and new construction because it bends around framing with fewer fittings. Drains are usually black ABS or white PVC plastic in newer homes, while older houses may still have cast iron drains or galvanized steel supply lines that rust from the inside and slowly choke the water pressure.

Some older homes also have a lead water service line or lead solder on copper joints. If you are not sure what your service line is made of, your municipality or a plumber can help you find out, and replacing lead is often done together with other work at the water entry.

Plumbing and gas work are regulated by each province, and the rules on who may do what differ across the country. In Quebec, anyone carrying out plumbing work must hold the appropriate licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, and plumbing and heating contractors obtain it through the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ). The owner of a single-family home used only to house themselves or their family may do some of their own plumbing, but gas work is excluded and the work must still meet the code.

Everywhere in Canada, gas appliances such as a gas water heater belong with a qualified gas technician working for an authorized contractor; in Ontario, for example, only fuels contractors registered with the TSSA may do this work. Many municipalities also require a permit and an inspection for new drains, re-piping, a backwater valve or a moved fixture. When in doubt, check with your municipality's permit office before the walls are closed up.

A single leak at a fitting or a cracked section of pipe is usually a repair. The picture changes when leaks keep appearing in different places, when galvanized supply lines have lost so much flow that showers and taps run weakly, or when a camera inspection shows an old drain that is cracked, sagging or full of roots. At that point, patching one spot at a time tends to cause more disruption than planning a replacement.

Re-piping is easiest to schedule alongside other work, such as a bathroom or kitchen renovation or a basement finish, when walls and ceilings are already open. Ask the plumber to show you what they found, in photos or camera footage, and to separate what needs attention now from what can wait.

Before the first hard frost, disconnect garden hoses, turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets and let those taps drain, as the City of Toronto advises. Insulate pipes that run along exterior walls or through crawl spaces, the garage or the attic, and seal the drafts around them. During a deep freeze, keep the whole house evenly heated and leave the cabinet doors open under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.

In spring, snowmelt and heavy rain raise the water table and load municipal sewers. Test the sump pump by pouring water into the pit, check that its discharge pipe outside is clear of ice and debris, and make sure your backwater valve opens and closes freely; the City of Montreal recommends checking it ideally twice a year. Then turn the outdoor taps back on and watch for leaks inside the wall, since a line that froze over the winter often shows its damage only when water flows again.