So lets go over some key things you need to know.

Home Insurance Coverage

The first question most people have is “Does my insurance policy cover plumbing leak water damage?”  Like most questions involving home insurance coverage, the answer is “yes and no.”  Most policies do not cover the actual plumbing or appliance repair itself.  Whether home insurance covers resulting water damage depends on the nature of the problem.

The key factor is whether the damage occurred gradually or suddenly.  For a burst pipe or water heater the answer is usually yes.  In fact, most policies will cover the costs of preventing further damage through professional dry-out services.  But if it’s a small leak slowly causing harm the answer is almost always no.  The principle is that even though the leak may be non-obvious it’s up to the homeowner to keep up with maintenance and be on the alert for problems.

Some Numbers

• Combining several nation-wide studies, the average home wastes 10-15% of their water usage because of neglected or unknown leaks.  Most of that is at faucets and toilets where the water goes right down the drain without causing harm.  But it’s something to keep in mind.
• Harm from pluming leaks and frozen pipes is the second most common loss submitted to insurance companies.
• Of all water damage reported less than 10% is caused by weather whereas nearly 1/3 is from appliances, and well over 1/2 from plumbing problems.

Small Plumbing Leaks

Some wasters are so small you don’t see any puddles.  Just damp areas, often under the sink inside cabinets of vanities. But even these can lead to mold and gradual destruction. Common sources include fixture shutoff valves, water heater valves, and ice-maker lines.

Hidden Leaks

Just because you can’t track down anything doesn’t mean that you don’t have a leak.  They can be out in the yard, underneath the floor slab, or within walls.  You may observe damp or warm areas, mold or musty odors, or the water heater running more often.  If you can hear running water or spraying sounds, that’s a no brainer calling for emergency attention.  Or your only clue may be an increase in usage.  But the problem is still causing harm, and it might be years before damage becomes obviously visible.  A slab leak may seem out of harms way, but can erode the soil under your home and lead to major structural problems.

If you have any suspicions, a quick test using the utility’s water meter (you can find lots of videos online) will tell you if you need to call a leak detection professional.

Flooding

Homes can be quite literally flooded by a burst pipe or burst water heater, or by a ruptured washing machine or dishwasher hose.  If you have your doubts,  here’s another number for you.  A ruptured clothes washer hose can dump 500 gallons of water each hour into the laundry room and on to the rest of your home.  No consider that happening while you’re away for the weekend.  That’s why some homeowners install a leak alarm or an automatic water leak detection and shut-off system.

Get Some Answers, Get It Fixed

ASAP Drain Guys & Plumbing employs experienced leak detection experts and backs them up with the latest equipment.  We can perform sensitive tests to determine if you indeed have a leak then pinpoint its exact location without any demolition whatsoever.  Our plumbers can then fix the problem, including slab leak repairs.

We’re also known for our competitive rates and our friendly and genuinely helpful staff.  Of course we’re fully licensed and insured, and are also approved by the Compliance Depot.  ASAP Drain Guys & Plumbing is a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) as well as the San Diego County Apartment Association (SDCAA).

Solana Beach Emergency Plumbing Services

With our fleet of trucks accompanied by experienced local plumbers, you’ll appreciate our fast-response emergency plumbing services available any time of the day or night, any day of the week.  Whether you’re having a minor problem with a faucet, toilet, sink, shower, or garbage disposal…. or are facing a backed up toilet or failed water heater, we understand the importance of keeping your home life on track and your business operating smoothly.  With our diagnostic expertise and fully-stocked trucks we can completely take care of just about any problem the same day that you call us.

Solana Beach Drain Cleaning, Sewer Cleaning

We’re the Solana Beach drain cleaning specialists, with training and equipment that goes well beyond the usual drain snaking.  We know exactly what to do for the several types of clogs in various fixtures.  For example, kitchen sinks and commercial dish washing drains most often clog due to a build up of grease and trapped food particles.  The usual drain cleaning method of cabling often just pokes a hole through the problem, and that hole can plug back up fairly quickly.  We’ll make sure that the problem is taken care of completely.  If necessary we can apply our advanced hydro jetting equipment that uses high-pressure water to scour and flush away all residues, leaving the insides of your drain pipes clean as new.

If you’re having problems with more than one sink, toilet, or appliance draining properly, the odds are that the obstruction is located after all of them have connected together into the sewer line; you’ll need sewer cleaning.  If that’s the case we’ll use our in-pipe video cameras to locate and actually take a look at the clog.  After that we’ll know exactly what to do, saving time and money.  We’ll even be checking for sewer pipe cracks as well as sagging or broken sections of pipe.  Again, we’ll  make sure the job is actually finished, and may recommend hydro jetting which can even remove some 90% of tree root problems without any digging and pipe replacement.

Leak Detection and Repair Solana Beach

We also employ leak detection experts who combine years of experience with the latest in electronic detection gear.  Although most leaks (faucets, washing machine hoses, etc.) are pretty obvious, others can be completely hidden inside walls and under the floor.

Hidden Leaks

But out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind.  Even small leaks will immediately start damaging walls and floors, and by the time you can see it there’s already been a fair amount of damage.  The longer you wait the more expensive building repairs will become.  So if you even suspect a leak, call on our leak detection services.  We’ll use non-destructive methods to determine if there is indeed a leak, and then pinpoint its location.  You won’t be repairing the several exploratory holes often made by other local plumbers.

Slab Leak Repair

If you leak happens to be under the concrete floor slab, non-destructive location is an even bigger time and money saver, and our company is also experienced in slab leak repair.  Depending on the nature and location of the problem, as well as the general condition of your residential plumbing or commercial plumbing, we’ll recommend 1 of 3 slab leak repair options:  1)  jack hammering through the concrete to repair just a short section of pipe, 2)  bypassing the problem by routing new plumbing around the outside of the slab, or 3) pipe lining where we install a cure-in-place epoxy coating to the inside of pipes to permanently seal leaks.  Of course we’ll be happy to discuss the pros and cons of each solution for your particular situation.

Solana Beach Hot Water Heater Services

Our experts are ready to take care of any and all water heater repairs, including water heater installation.  We’re experienced in traditional tank and tankless designs, are fully trained in the latest condensing heat exchanger and heat pump technologies as required by new (2015) federal energy-efficiency standards for larger units.

Water Heater Repairs

Whatever the issue — little or no hot water, discolored or smelly hot water, leaks, whatever — our experienced troubleshooters will go straight to the problem.  That saves time, and reduces the cost of both gas and electric water heater repairs.

Water Heater Replacement

Often a water heater heater replacement is the most cost-effective solution in the long run.  That’s usually the case for units past their warranty period, and especially if they’re past their typical lifetime (around 8 years for “economy” units, up to about 12 years for premium home units).  Likewise if you’ve already made a few repairs or this latest problem has a high repair cost.  As with all of our services, an expert plumber will be happy to explain the facts about your options, with absolutely no sales pitch.

Tankless Water Heaters

For additions, remodeling, or simply adding capacity and convenience tankless water heaters can be a great energy-saving option.  They heat water as you use it, and only the water you actually use.  They can often be installed right at the point of use, such as in a kitchen cabinet, where they’ll provide nearly instantaneous hot water, conserving water as well as energy. You won’t be running the tap waiting for hot water to finally arrive. ASAP Drain Guys & Plumbing’s master plumbers we can even take care of upgrading gas lines as is sometimes required for tankless water heater installation.

Solana Beach, CA

We love serving this seaside community’s many fine homes and numerous businesses.  Did you know that Solana Beach California has one of only three active train stations serving San Diego County?  The local area was first settled in 1886 but didn’t receive its current name until 1923, after the Lake Hodges Dam and Santa Fe Irrigation District enabled population growth.  There was a real estate boom after World War II, and again from the mid 1970s through the 1990s, bringing Solana Beach to a current population of 12,867 (census data, 2010).