These are the guides behind City of Angels Plumbing, a mobile plumbing service for the City of Los Angeles. Each one answers a single question about a home plumbing problem: what is going on, what you can safely try, what the work costs, and when a local plumber needs to come to you. Nothing here is padded. If a topic did not deserve its own page, it sits inside a bigger one.
The guides are written for Los Angeles houses and apartments: 1940s copper and galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains, hillside lots with odd water pressure, hard water, gas appliances and earthquake rules. Where a rule comes from the city or the state, the page names it and links the source, so you can check it.
Where should I start with a plumbing problem?
Start with the symptom, not the part. If water is spreading, shut off the main valve first, then read the burst pipe or leak guide. If something smells like gas, leave the building and call SoCalGas from outside. Everything else can wait ten minutes while you find the right page below.
Three groups answer most first calls: the leak and burst pipe guides for anything wet, the water heater guides for a cold shower, and the toilet and drain guides for blockages. Each group below starts with a short answer, then lists every page in it.
If you already know you want a price, jump to the cost guides. The quote form gets a local plumber to your door with a written figure.
What do the toilet guides cover?
The toilet guides cover every common fault, from a handle that sticks to a bowl that will not stop filling. Most are cheap fixes you can do in half an hour with a few parts. A few, like a leak at the floor, are worth a plumber, because a wet subfloor costs far more than the toilet.
- How to repair a blocked toilet covers plunging, augers and when a clog points to the main line.
- How to repair a running toilet is the step-by-step version for the tank.
- Why your toilet keeps running is the diagnosis page when the sound will not stop.
- Toilet flapper repair deals with the rubber seal that wears out first.
- Toilet flush repair explains a weak or half flush.
- Repair a toilet fill valve covers the part that refills the tank.
- Repair a toilet overflow tube deals with water draining down the tube in the tank.
- Repair a toilet leak traces water at the base, the tank bolts and the supply line.
- Toilet shut off valve repair covers the stop valve on the wall.
- How to repair a loose toilet seat covers wobbling seats and the hinge bolts.
- Plumber toilet repair explains what a visit involves and costs.
- Plumber for a clogged toilet is for the clog that will not move.
- Plumber for a toilet leak is for the leak that keeps coming back.
What do the drain and smell guides cover?
These guides cover slow drains, full blockages and the smells that come up from them. Most clogs sit in the trap or the first few feet of pipe, which you can often clear with a plunger or a hand tool. A smell that arrives with gurgling is different, and the sewer odor pages explain why.
- How to unclog a kitchen sink starts with the cheap tools before the chemicals.
- How to fix a slow draining kitchen sink deals with grease build-up and disposals.
- How to unclog a bathroom sink clogged with hair covers the pop-up stopper.
- How to drain a clogged tub is for water that sits around your ankles.
- How to unclog a drain in the shower shows how to reach the hair plug.
- How to unclog a dishwasher drain follows the hose from the machine to the sink.
- How to unclog a garbage disposal drain covers jams and the reset button.
- How to unclog a washing machine drain covers standpipes and lint.
- Plumber for garbage disposal repair, faucets and showers lists the fixture jobs a plumber handles.
- Shower drain cleaner for smell compares what actually removes odor.
- How to get rid of sewer smell in your house finds dry traps and vent faults.
- Plumber for sewer smell is for the odor that stays after the easy checks.
What do the water heater guides cover?
The water heater guides cover choosing, repairing and replacing a tank or tankless unit, plus the Los Angeles permit and safety rules. Replacing a heater needs a permit and strapping against earthquakes, so the replacement pages spend as much time on the rules as on the hardware.
- Tank vs tankless water heater compares the two for Los Angeles homes.
- Tankless hot water heater installation covers gas lines, venting and electrical needs.
- Plumber for water heater replacement covers what a swap involves.
- Water heater repair plumber covers diagnosis and common repairs.
- Emergency water heater repair is for leaks, no heat and gas smells.
- Repair a gas water heater covers burners, pilots and the gas control.
- Rheem electric water heater repair covers elements and thermostats.
- Instant water heater repair is for small point-of-use units.
- Thermocouple water heater replacement covers the safety sensor on gas heaters.
- Water heater pilot light repair shows why a pilot will not stay lit.
- Anode rod water heater replacement covers the part that protects the tank.
- Water heater expansion tank replacement explains the small tank on the cold line.
- Water heater relief valve replacement covers the valve that prevents over-pressure.
- How to repair water heater leakage tells a fitting leak from a failed tank.
- Plumber for a water heater leak covers who to call and what to shut off.
- Plumbing permit for water heater explains the Los Angeles permit.
- Why have I got no hot water sorts gas, electric and tankless causes.
- Shower with no hot water covers mixing valves and cartridges.
- Washing machine no hot water covers hoses and inlet screens.
- Apartment building no hot water explains what renters and landlords can do.
What do the leak and burst pipe guides cover?
These guides cover water where it should not be: a burst pipe, a drip under the sink, a stain on the ceiling or a bill that climbed with no visible cause. They start with stopping the water and then move to finding the source and deciding on a repair.
- Burst water pipe is the first-hour plan for a Los Angeles home.
- Emergency plumber for burst pipe covers what a call-out involves.
- How to know if a pipe burst lists the signs, including hidden ones.
- What causes a pipe to burst covers pressure, age and corrosion.
- Does insurance cover a burst pipe explains what claims usually pay for.
- Plumber for leaks covers finding and fixing hidden leaks.
- Leaking water pipe repair is organized by where the pipe runs.
- How to fix a leaking pipe joint covers compression, solder and push fittings.
- How to repair a leaking pipe under the sink covers traps and supply lines.
- Repair a copper pipe leak separates real repairs from stopgaps.
- How to repair a pinhole leak in copper pipe explains why pinholes form.
- Copper pipe emergency repair covers urgent copper failures.
- Ceiling water leak explains who to call and how to limit damage.
- Water spots on the ceiling but no leak covers condensation and old stains.
- Slab leak repair company helps you choose one.
- Slab leak repair or repipe weighs a spot fix against new pipe.
- Why is my water bill so high covers hidden leaks and meter checks.
- Plumber emergency defines an emergency and what to do first.
- Winterize mobile home plumbing covers cold snaps and exposed lines.
What do the water pressure guides cover?
The pressure guides cover low flow at one tap or the whole house, plus the opposite problem, pressure that is too high and bangs the pipes. Low pressure at a single fixture is usually a clogged aerator or cartridge. Whole-house loss points to the valve, the regulator or old pipe.
- Why is my water pressure low is the diagnosis page.
- How to fix low water pressure in a house lists fixes in order of cost.
- Plumber for low water pressure covers when a visit is worth it.
- Shower water pressure is low covers heads and valves.
- Hot water pressure low covers the heater side of the problem.
- Bathroom sink low water pressure covers aerators and stop valves.
- Low water pressure at the kitchen sink covers sprayers and filters.
- Best showerhead for low pressure water explains what to look for.
- Water pressure regulator explains the valve and where to set it.
- Water hammer sound in your pipes covers banging pipes and arrestors.
What do the repiping and remodel guides cover?
The repiping guides cover replacing old supply lines, which is common in Los Angeles because so many homes date from before 1960. They compare materials, explain which kinds of pipe fail and why, and cover the plumbing side of remodels and new builds, including permits.
- Repipe a house in Los Angeles is the main overview.
- Why repipe a house lists the signs that it is time.
- How to repipe a house with PEX walks through the job.
- Is PEX A or B better for a repipe compares the two types.
- PEX vs copper for repiping weighs the two main materials.
- Galvanized pipe replacement covers rust and low flow in old steel pipe.
- Polybutylene pipe replacement covers the gray plastic pipe with a failure history.
- Cost of replacing plumbing in an old house sets out what drives the total.
- New construction plumbing covers rough-in and inspections.
- Plumbing for a bathroom remodel covers moving fixtures and permits.
What do the commercial plumbing guides cover?
The commercial guides cover plumbing in shops, restaurants, offices and multi-unit buildings, where the stakes are closures and tenant complaints rather than one wet floor. They also explain how commercial work differs from a home visit, and what building owners should ask for.
- Commercial plumber service covers what building owners can book.
- Commercial maintenance plumber covers scheduled checks.
- Emergency commercial plumber covers urgent call-outs.
- Commercial plumber vs residential plumber explains the difference.
- Backflow testing services covers the annual test on protective devices.
What do the gas line guides cover?
The gas guides cover natural gas piping and the earthquake valve. Gas work is the clearest case where the law, not your skill, decides who may do the job. These pages explain what a plumber does, what needs a permit and what to do if you smell gas.
- Plumber gas line work covers new lines, moves and appliance hookups.
- Gas plumber checks explains what to confirm before hiring for gas work.
- Half inch flexible natural gas line covers what the connector is and where it is allowed.
- Earthquake gas shut off valve covers the Los Angeles valve rules.
What do the faucet, fixture and water softener guides cover?
These guides cover the visible fixtures: faucets that drip, showers that leak at the valve and the scale that hard water leaves behind. Most faucet repairs are a washer, cartridge or O-ring. Softener pages cover whether one is worth installing.
- How to fix a leaky faucet is the general version.
- How to fix a leaky kitchen sink faucet covers spray and pull-down types.
- How to fix a leaky bathtub faucet covers tub spouts and handles.
- How to fix a leaky shower faucet covers cartridges.
- How to fix a leaky outdoor water faucet covers hose bibs.
- Plumber for shower leak covers leaks behind the wall.
- Removing hard water scale covers cleaning and prevention.
- How to install a water softener yourself says where the DIY stops.
- Water softener installation plumber covers a professional install.
- Whole-house water softener installation covers sizing and placement.
What do the cost guides cover?
The cost guides give published price ranges for Los Angeles jobs and say what pushes a price up or down. Treat every figure as a guide: the real price is the written quote from the plumber who sees your job.
- How much plumber costs in Los Angeles is the overview.
- How much should a plumber cost per hour covers hourly rates.
- Plumber service call cost covers the visit fee.
- Plumber cost to unclog a sink covers sink clogs.
- How much a plumber charges to unclog a toilet covers toilet clogs.
- How much a plumber charges to replace a toilet covers swaps and moves.
- How much it costs to have a plumber install a faucet covers labor and parts.
- Replacing a shut-off valve covers stop valves and main valves.
- Plumber inspection cost covers camera and backflow checks.
- Plumber leak detection cost covers finding and fixing leaks.
- Slab leak repair cost compares methods.
- Repipe house cost covers whole-house totals.
- PEX repipe cost focuses on plastic pipe.
- Water heater replacement cost covers tank, tankless and heat pump.
- Tankless water heater installation cost covers the extras.
- Water heater anode rod replacement cost covers the small job.
- How much a plumber gas line costs covers per-foot figures.
- Commercial plumber hourly cost covers business rates.
- Water softener installation cost covers equipment and labor.
How do I choose and check a plumber?
These pages cover what to ask, what to check and what the words mean. In California a plumbing contractor holds a license from the Contractors State License Board, and you can look a number up on the board's site before anyone starts work.
- Plumber service for homes in Los Angeles describes what a visit includes.
- Plumber business near me explains how to judge local businesses.
- How to find a best rated plumber covers reviews, licenses and red flags.
- Plummer or plumber settles the spelling.
For how the service itself works, see how a job runs.
Common questions
How do I know whether to fix a plumbing problem myself?
Fix it yourself when the repair is above the wall and involves no gas: a washer, a flapper, a trap, an aerator. Call a plumber when the work is behind the wall, involves gas piping, needs a permit like a water heater swap, or the same fault returns. Each guide says which side of that line its job is on.
Are the prices in these guides what I will pay?
No. They are ranges drawn from published sources and they move with the market. Los Angeles labor often runs above national averages. The figure that counts is the written quote a local plumber gives after seeing your job. The quote form is how you ask for one.
What should I do first if I smell gas?
Leave the building, take everyone with you and do not switch lights or devices on or off inside. From outside, call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200, or 911 if there is danger. Gas work, including repairs afterwards, must be done by a licensed contractor with the right permit. The gas guides explain more.
Do you cover my part of Los Angeles?
The service covers the City of Los Angeles. The areas page lists the neighborhoods with their own pages, and the quote form accepts any address in the city. If you are unsure whether yours is inside the City of Los Angeles, ask when you send the request.
Who writes these guides?
They are written for City of Angels Plumbing and checked against official sources such as the California Contractors State License Board, LADBS, LADWP and SoCalGas. Sources are listed at the foot of each page. If a fact could not be checked, the page says less rather than guess.