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Call or text (604) 764-2031Practical answers on cost, timing and repair-or-replace decisions for homes in Richmond and the rest of Metro Vancouver.
In much of Metro Vancouver a homeowner can do some of their own plumbing, and even gas work, with a permit. The bigger risk is often not the law but your insurance if that work ever fails.
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Published price guides put a new high-efficiency gas furnace in BC at roughly $5,000 to $7,000 or more installed. Here is what pushes your number up or down and what a fair quote should include.
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Published price guides put a typical hot water tank replacement in Metro Vancouver somewhere around $1,250 to $2,200. Here is what moves your price within that range and what the quote should spell out.
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Poly-B (polybutylene) water pipe went into many Canadian homes from the late 1970s through the 1990s. Here is how to tell if you have it, why it fails, and what replacing it actually involves.
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Published guides from BC contractors put boiler replacement from about $5,000, but the real number depends on the boiler type, venting, piping and the condition of your radiator system. Here is how the price comes together.
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Once a year, before the heating season, is the standard answer for gas furnaces and boilers in BC. Here is what a proper tune-up includes and the simple checks you can do between visits.
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Water or sewage coming up through the basement floor drain is a sign of a blockage somewhere downstream. Here is what to do in the first hour and how to work out where the problem is.
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A boiler heats water, a furnace heats air and a heat pump moves heat with refrigerant. Here is how they compare on comfort, running costs and fit for a Metro Vancouver home.
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A working carbon monoxide detector is the one thing that warns you about a gas you cannot see or smell. Here is where CO comes from in a home with a gas furnace or boiler, how to place and replace alarms, and what to do if one goes off.
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A combi boiler heats your home and your tap water from one wall-hung unit. Here is how it compares with a boiler plus tank, or a furnace with a standalone hot water tank, and which homes suit each.
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Richmond sits about a metre above sea level with a shallow water table. Here is how perimeter drains, sump pits and crawlspaces cope, what the City looks after, and when a drain camera inspection makes sense.
Read the guideCharacter homes and older houses across Vancouver often run on hot water heat, galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains. Here is what to watch for in each system and how to upgrade without tearing the house apart.
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Who pays when a pipe leaks in a Burnaby condo or townhouse, what needs strata approval, and the heating and drainage checks that matter for detached houses before winter.
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How City of Surrey plumbing rules affect your house: water meters, permits, secondary suites, who owns the sewer line and how to get ready for winter.
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A practical owner's guide to hydronic radiant floor heating in Delta homes: how the system works, why zones go cold, what you can safely check, and what yearly care keeps it running.
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Own an older house in Queen's Park, Brow of the Hill or Sapperton? Here is how heritage protection, original pipes, old boilers and the city sewer rules shape a plumbing or heating upgrade.
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White Rock is one of the few Metro Vancouver cities that pumps its own groundwater. Here is how that water is treated, and what it means for tanks, fixtures, filters and hillside water pressure.
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Cold radiators, a falling pressure gauge or a boiler stuck on an error code all point somewhere specific. Here is what to check yourself, what to leave alone, and when to call.
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Most gas furnaces give somewhere around 15 to 20 years of service. Here is how to tell whether yours needs a part or a full replacement, plus the safe checks to do before you call.
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A wet floor around your water heater is not always a dead tank. Here is how to make it safe, trace the water to its source, and decide between a repair and a replacement.
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A burst pipe can soak a room in minutes, and most of the damage happens before help arrives. Here is what to do right away, how to thaw a frozen line safely, and how to stop it happening again.
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