Toilets, Fixtures and Gas Lines
The small jobs are the ones most people put off: the toilet that refills on its own at night, the kitchen faucet that drips no matter how hard you turn it, the shower that will not hold a steady temperature, the disposal that hums but will not spin. This page also covers gas line work, from a leak repair to a new line for a gas range or dryer, because it is the same kind of careful, contained job.
Running toilets and the sewer bill
A toilet that runs is not a small leak. A flapper that does not seal or a fill valve that never fully shuts off can send hundreds of gallons a day down the drain without leaving a drop on the floor. Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank, wait fifteen minutes without flushing and look in the bowl. If the color shows up, the flapper is leaking.
In this county that costs more than it looks. Jefferson County sewer rates are among the highest in the country after its sewer debt crisis, and the sewer charge is based on your metered water, so a running toilet is billed on both lines of the statement. It is also one of the least expensive plumbing repairs there is.
Repair or replace the toilet
Most toilet problems are parts: a flapper, a fill valve, a flush valve, a worn wax ring or loose closet bolts that let the bowl rock. A plumber can usually replace those in one visit. A toilet is worth replacing when the porcelain is cracked, when it clogs every week because of an early low-flow design, or when you are tired of an old 3.5-gallon flush and want one that uses well under half that.
Rocking or water around the base deserves a closer look. A seal that has leaked for a long time can rot the subfloor, and in older houses on crawlspaces that damage often only shows up when the toilet is pulled. A good plumber stops and tells you before going further. Ask for the price in writing, based on the actual repair from a single fixture to a full line replacement, before any work starts.
Faucets, shower valves and disposals
A dripping faucet usually needs a cartridge, a washer or a seat, depending on the brand and age. Common cartridges are easy to find and many older ones can be matched, though some discontinued designs are easier and cheaper to replace than to rebuild. Kitchen faucets with pull-down sprayers develop their own hose and diverter problems, which can be repaired or solved with a new faucet.
Shower valves are the harder job because the valve sits inside the wall. A shower that swings from hot to cold, drips from the head or will not shut off often needs a new cartridge; an old two- or three-handle valve in a 1950s bathroom may need replacing, which can sometimes be done from a closet behind the wall instead of through the tile, so ask about that before anyone touches the tile. Garbage disposals get unjammed, reconnected or replaced, and it is worth having the drain connection checked at the same time, since it is a common source of slow leaks into the cabinet.
Most homes here run on Birmingham Water Works supply drawn from Lake Purdy and the Cahaba River, and the small shutoff valves under sinks and toilets tend to seize after decades of sitting open. When one will not close, ask for it to be replaced during the fixture repair so you have a working shutoff the next time you need it.
Gas line repair and new gas runs
Gas lines in older Birmingham houses are usually black iron pipe, sometimes with old flexible appliance connectors that would not pass inspection today. Gas line work covers leaking joints, corroded sections and outdated connectors, plus new lines for a gas range, a dryer, a fireplace insert, a standby generator or a gas water heater. A new appliance often needs more gas than the existing line can deliver, so a good plumber sizes the run for everything on the system, not just the new appliance.
Kitchen remodels across the metro, from older ranch houses up in Gardendale to newer builds down around Helena, are the most common reason for a new gas run. If the same project also includes a new gas heater, the water heater side of the job can often be planned for the same visit.
Gas work is permitted and pressure-tested. In Alabama it falls under the rules of the Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board, and the local jurisdiction inspects the line before it goes back into service, so ask whether the quote covers the permit and the inspection. Before closing up, a careful plumber checks every joint they touched with a leak detector solution, lights each appliance on the line and confirms the flames burn steady and blue. If an older connector or shutoff on the same line looks tired, it makes sense to replace it while the gas is already off.
Smell gas? Do this first
If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company or 911 from outside. Do not switch lights or appliances on or off on the way, do not use anything that could spark, and do not go looking for the leak yourself.
After the utility has made the house safe and shut off the gas, the repair comes next. A plumber finds the leak, fixes it, pressure-tests the line and gets it ready for the utility to restore service. Once you are outside and the utility has been called, send the form and say what happened, and we will connect you with a local plumber who does gas work.
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Water Heater Repair and Installation
See how to tell if yours is worth fixing, then send the form for a free quote.
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Water heaters, drains and gas lines: describe the job, we find a local plumber.
Plumbing Repairs in Helena
Toilets, drains, gas lines and leaks, matched to a local plumber.
Services
Read what each involves, then send the form to be connected with an independent local plumber.
Ask for a fixture or gas quote
List every fixture that needs work, even the small ones; a running toilet, a dripping tub spout and a seized shutoff are easier to handle on one visit than three. For gas work, tell us the appliance and where it will sit. The quote is free.