The plumbing of the era
These homes were mostly plumbed in copper supply with cast-iron or early ABS drains. After fifty or sixty years, copper can develop pinholes, especially near fittings, and cast-iron drains under the slab may be scaled and rough. Side-split and backsplit houses often have bathrooms over a lower level, so a leak can travel some distance before it shows.
Common upgrades
We replace failing sections of copper, rebuild floor drains, swap out aging water heaters and add backwater valves to basements that have been finished. When kitchens are renovated we often replace the old trap arms and vents too.
Plumbing calls we hear from Dorset Park
- Pinhole leaks in copper lines
- Scaled cast-iron drains under the basement floor
- Slow kitchen drains from old trap arms
- Old water heaters near end of life
- Seized main shut-off valves
Talk it through with a plumber
One call to (365) 364-2776 reaches someone who can tell you what the job involves and when a van can be at the door.
A typical Dorset Park call
The phone rings on a Saturday: the laundry tub in the basement is filling with grey water whenever the washer pumps out. In these houses the laundry tub, the floor drain and the main cleanout usually sit within a few metres of each other, all tied into a four-inch cast-iron building drain under the slab. We open the cleanout, cable toward the street, and more often than not pull back a mat of lint and roots from the joint where the house drain meets the old lateral.
Asked on the phone line
Should I replace my old copper?
Only if leaks keep appearing; spot repairs are fine for occasional issues.
How a call to us runs
- You ring (365) 364-2776 and a person picks up, not a menu.
- We ask where the water is, what you have already shut off and what decade the building went up in.
- We say when the van should pull up and what to do until it does.
- On site we show you the fault, give a firm price before starting and clean up after.
Phone booking keeps things quick: no forms, no portals, no follow-up emails trying to sell you a maintenance plan.