Plumbing services

Turn off the main water shutoff first, then open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain the lines. A plumber cuts out the split section, replaces it, and checks the rest of that pipe run, because one freeze rarely damages only one spot.

If a faucet gives no water or only a trickle after a hard freeze, a pipe is frozen. Leave that faucet open, warm the area gently, and call a plumber if you can't find the frozen section or if it's inside a wall, because a split pipe will leak as soon as it thaws.

Turn off every fixture and watch the water meter's leak indicator. If it moves, water is leaking somewhere. A plumber uses pressure tests, acoustic listening and thermal imaging to find the leak so only a small section of wall or floor has to be opened.

Repiping replaces a home's water supply lines, usually because old galvanized steel has corroded or polybutylene is at risk of failing. Most repipes today use PEX, take two to five days, and are done through small wall openings rather than gutting the house.

The water service line runs from the curb stop near the street to your house, buried below the frost line. A leak shows up as a soggy patch in the yard, low pressure throughout the house, or a meter that never stops. Repair means finding the leak, then fixing that spot or replacing the line.

If one fixture is slow, the clog is usually in that fixture's branch line. If several drains back up at once, or the basement floor drain fills when you run the washer, the main sewer line is blocked and needs a larger cable or a jetter.

Hydro jetting cleans the full width of a drain pipe with high-pressure water, washing out grease, scale and fine roots that a cable only punches a hole through. It works best on sound pipe and is usually done after a camera inspection confirms the pipe can take it.

A sewer camera inspection runs a waterproof camera through the line from your house to the city main and records what it finds: roots, cracks, sags, offset joints or collapsed pipe. It's the best way to decide between cleaning, spot repair and replacement.

A damaged sewer line can be fixed with a spot repair, a trenchless liner, pipe bursting or an open-trench replacement. Which one fits depends on what the camera shows, how deep the pipe is, and what's on top of it, such as a driveway, trees or landscaping.

If a gas water heater has no hot water, the pilot, thermocouple or gas valve is the usual cause; on an electric heater it's usually an element or thermostat. Those parts are repairable. A tank that leaks from the bottom can't be repaired and needs to be replaced.

A leaking tank or a heater past about 10 years old is usually replaced rather than repaired. A proper Colorado install includes a permit, correct venting for altitude, an expansion tank where required, a drip leg on the gas line and a relief valve discharge pipe.

A tankless water heater heats water as it flows, so it doesn't run out, but it needs a larger gas line, its own venting and a unit rated for your elevation. Installed correctly and descaled regularly, it can outlast a tank heater.

A toilet that runs needs a new flapper or fill valve. One that rocks or leaks at the base needs a new wax ring and possibly a flange repair. A toilet that clogs every week may have a partial blockage in the drain line or a low-flow design that can't keep up.

A dripping faucet usually needs a new cartridge or washer. Low flow often means a clogged aerator. A leak under the sink is usually a loose drain slip nut, a failing supply line or a worn shutoff valve.

A disposal that hums but won't spin is jammed; one that does nothing has tripped its reset button or lost power. A disposal leaking from the bottom of the unit has a failed internal seal and needs to be replaced.

A frost-free hose bib keeps its valve inside the heated house, but it still splits if a hose is left attached in freezing weather, because water can't drain out. If water leaks inside the wall or basement the first time you use it in spring, the stem has split and the bib needs to be replaced.

A backflow preventer stops irrigation water, fertilizer and lawn chemicals from being pulled back into drinking water. Many Front Range water providers require the device on sprinkler systems to be tested by a certified tester every year and the results submitted to the utility.

A sump pump that won't run usually has a stuck float switch or a failed motor. One that runs constantly may have a bad check valve or a high water table. In Colorado winters, a frozen discharge line outside is a common cause of a pump that runs but doesn't empty the pit.

If you smell gas, leave the house, then call your gas utility's emergency line or 911 from outside. Once the utility has made it safe, a licensed plumber repairs the leak or runs new gas lines, pulls the permit, and pressure tests the piping.