Toilets, faucets, and fixtures: the everyday repairs
Most plumbing calls aren't emergencies. They're the toilet that won't stop running, the faucet that drips through the night, the disposal that hummed its last hum mid-dinner. Small jobs, but they're the ones that annoy you daily.
The usual suspects
- Running toilet: usually a flapper or fill valve; cheap part, quick fix
- Dripping faucet: cartridge or washer wear; also worth checking whether the valve body is worth keeping
- Dead or jammed disposal: reset button first; if it's leaking from the body, it's a replacement
- Hose bibs and outdoor taps: freeze damage shows up every spring around here
Repair or replace
Fixtures age like everything else. A plumber worth calling will tell you straight: a quality faucet is worth a new cartridge; a bargain-bin one isn't, since the part costs nearly what the fixture does. Same logic applies to toilets: a 20-year-old toilet with a cracked tank is a replacement, but a five-year-old one usually just needs guts.
Worth combining
A service call is the fixed cost. Once a plumber's in the house, the drippy bathroom faucet and the loose hose bib cost little extra to add to the visit. List every small annoyance when you request the callback.
Other services
