Plumber in Buena Park, CA

Plumbing in Buena Park

Buena Park sits right next to La Palma on its northern and western sides. Most people know it for Knott's Berry Farm, which grew from a roadside berry stand into one of the country's best-known theme parks, and for the entertainment strip along Beach Boulevard. Away from the attractions, though, Buena Park is mostly neighborhoods of single-family homes, many of them built during the big Orange County housing boom of the 1950s and 60s.

Homes from that era share a lot of the same plumbing traits, and after 60-plus years, the same problems tend to show up.

What Buena Park homeowners deal with

Aging water lines. Houses built in the 1950s often started with galvanized steel water pipes, which rust from the inside, narrow over time and eventually leak. Many have been partly or fully replaced with copper over the years. Others still have some original galvanized sections hidden in walls or under the house. Copper from the 60s and 70s, meanwhile, is now old enough to develop pinhole leaks.

Slab leaks. Plenty of Buena Park homes are built on concrete slabs with water lines underneath. Warm spots on the floor, the sound of running water and a rising water bill are classic signs. See slab leak repair.

Sewer line trouble. Original clay and cast iron sewer laterals are common in older tracts. Mature trees in front yards and parkways send roots into joints and cracks, leading to repeated backups. See sewer line repair.

Hard water. Like most of north Orange County, Buena Park's water is on the hard side. Scale builds up in water heaters, faucets, showerheads and toilet tanks, shortening their life.

Common plumbing jobs in Buena Park

• Finding hidden leaks behind walls, under slabs and in the yard
• Water heater repair and replacement, including earthquake strapping
• Clearing kitchen, bathroom and main line clogs
• Repiping older homes with galvanized or failing copper lines
• Toilet and faucet repairs and water-saving upgrades

Rental properties

Buena Park has a lot of rental homes, duplexes and apartment buildings. For landlords, plumbing problems tend to come in two kinds: urgent calls from tenants (a backed-up toilet, no hot water) and slow-building problems nobody reports until they're big (a weeping supply line, a running toilet driving up the water bill). A quick plumbing check between tenants - water heater age and strapping, supply lines under sinks, toilet flappers, signs of leaks - catches a lot of trouble early.

Water heater checklist for Buena Park homes

Most homes here have the water heater in the garage, a closet or an outside enclosure. A few things worth checking:

• Is it properly strapped? California requires it, and a falling tank in an earthquake can break gas and water lines.
• How old is it? Tank heaters in hard-water areas often last around 8 to 12 years.
• Is there rust or moisture around the base?
• Is the area around it clear of stored items?

Our blog post on water heater strapping in California covers the rules.

Low water pressure in older Buena Park homes

If your shower has slowly gone from strong to weak over the years, or pressure drops whenever someone else turns on a tap, the cause is often inside the pipes rather than the city supply. Galvanized pipe narrows as rust builds up inside it, and hard-water scale clogs aerators, showerhead nozzles and the inlet screens on washing machines. Start by cleaning aerators and showerheads. If pressure is low throughout the house, or only on the hot side, it's worth having a plumber check the pipe type, the pressure regulator if you have one, and the main shutoff valve, which can partly close up with age.

When to call

Call if you have water where it shouldn't be, a drain that won't clear, no hot water, or a water bill that's suddenly higher than it should be. Call to reach a local plumber who serves Buena Park, La Palma and the surrounding cities.