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Plain answers about the plumbing, drainage, heating and gas problems Vancouver homes actually have — written before you need them.

57 articles · 6 categoriesLast updated: ⁨Sep 29, 2026⁩604-865-7979

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The one worth reading before anything goes wrong

Heating & CoolingYour furnace has been off since spring. Run it nowRun the furnace on a mild September day, test the CO alarms, read the model number on the tag, and listen to one full cycle.⁨3 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 29, 2026⁩

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PlumbingLeaks, burst pipes, repiping and the everyday plumbing problems a Metro Vancouver home actually has.18 articles Drainage & SewerDrains that keep clogging, perimeter drains, sewer lines and what Vancouver rain does to all three.8 articles Gas FittingGas lines, appliances and fireplaces — what licensed gas work involves and why it is licensed.7 articles Water HeatersTanks, tankless and heat pump water heaters: no hot water, repair or replace, and what to expect.7 articles Heating & CoolingFurnaces, boilers, radiant heat and heat pumps in a climate that needs both heating and cooling.10 articles Renovations & InstallationsThe plumbing decisions inside a renovation — bathrooms, kitchens, suites and new builds.7 articles

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All posts Plumbing Drainage & Sewer Gas Fitting Water Heaters Heating & Cooling Renovations & Installations

Renovations & Installations⁨3 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Supplying your own fixtures: what to check before it arrivesWe will install whatever you have bought. Here is the short list of things to verify first, because delivery day is a bad time to find a mismatch.Read it

Renovations & Installations⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Laneway homes and new builds: the plumbing decisions made earlyOn a new build almost everything is possible, which is exactly why the decisions are harder. The ones that matter are made before framing.Read it

Renovations & Installations⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Moving a kitchen sink, and why the island is the hard oneAlong the same wall is easy. Out into the middle of the room is a different project, and the reason is venting.Read it

Renovations & Installations⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Adding a bathroom, or a suite: what decides whether it is possibleBasement bathrooms and suites are the most common addition in this region. Whether yours works comes down to what is under the floor and where the drain runs.Read it

Renovations & Installations⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Bathroom renovation plumbing: the decisions made before any tile is chosenEveryone starts with tile and fixtures. The decisions that actually determine cost and outcome are made before any of that, and they are invisible afterwards.Read it

Water Heaters⁨3 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Commercial hot water: what changes when it is a businessThe equipment is bigger, but that is not the real difference. The real difference is that when it fails, something stops.Read it

Water Heaters⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Heat pump water heaters: the efficient option, with conditionsDramatically cheaper to run than a standard electric tank. It needs the right space, and the space requirement is the whole decision.Read it

Water Heaters⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Why tankless water heaters need descaling, and what happens if they do not get itThe maintenance requirement is the part of tankless that gets glossed over at the point of sale. It is also the part that determines whether you get the service life you paid for.Read it

Water Heaters⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Tankless water heaters: who they suit and who they do notEndless hot water and no tank in the closet. The honest version includes a gas line conversation and a maintenance commitment.Read it

Water Heaters⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Replacing a hot water tank: gas or electric, and what sizing depends onMost people replace like for like because it is quick. It is worth thirty seconds of thought first, because you will live with this for a long time.Read it

Gas Fitting⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Moving a gas meter: when it comes up and what it involvesTwo organisations are involved, and only one of them is us. Knowing which part is whose is what keeps the project on schedule.Read it

Gas Fitting⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Outdoor gas: barbecue and fire table linesNo more running out mid-cook and no more tank swaps. The install is straightforward; the planning is where it goes right or wrong.Read it

Gas Fitting⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Switching to a gas range, and what the hookup involvesThe appliance is the easy part. Getting gas to that specific cabinet, and dealing with the electrical you are leaving behind, is the job.Read it

Drainage & Sewer⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Signs your sewer line is failingThe line from your house to the street is buried, old in much of this region, and it gives clear warnings before it stops.Read it

Drainage & Sewer⁨4 min⁩ · ⁨Sep 28, 2026⁩Flush or replace: reading a perimeter drain honestlySome systems need a flush. Some need replacing. Telling a homeowner the second when it is the first is the oldest trick in this trade.Read it

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