Plumbing Repair in Burnaby: Galvanized Pipe in the Old Houses, Water Leaks in the Towers

Galvanized pipe: the slow failure in old Burnaby houses

Galvanized steel supply pipe was standard until the 1960s, and it corrodes from the inside: rust builds up until a three-quarter-inch pipe has a pencil-sized hole through it. The symptoms arrive in order. Pressure drops at the fixtures farthest from the main, especially hot water, which corrodes faster. Water runs brown after the taps sit overnight. Then pinhole leaks start at the threads, usually in the basement ceiling, and each repair uncovers the next.

The fix is a repipe in copper or PEX, done with the walls opened in the fewest places, and it is far cheaper planned than done in pieces behind emergency leaks. Ask any plumber quoting a repair on galvanized pipe how much of the system is left, and whether the repair is worth doing on a pipe that will fail somewhere else next year.

Towers and stratas: whose pipe is it?

Under BC’s Strata Property Act, pipes inside your suite that serve only your suite are generally your responsibility, and pipes that serve more than one unit, the risers, the main shutoffs and anything inside the walls that the strata plan defines as common property, are the strata corporation’s. The line moves with each building’s bylaws and strata plan, so read yours. What does not move is the reporting rule: a leak in a tower must go to the strata council or property manager immediately, because they need to shut risers, notify the units below and open an insurance claim.

Water escape is the most common strata insurance claim in BC, and the strata’s deductible, often tens of thousands of dollars, is routinely charged back to the owner whose suite the leak started in. Braided steel washer hoses, a water alarm under the washer and the dishwasher, and knowing where your suite’s shutoff is are the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.

• Location of your suite or house shutoff
• Strata plan and bylaws on pipe responsibility
• Photos of the leak before cleanup
• Age of the house and pipe material, if a house
• Building rules for elevator booking and work hours

Permits, gas and who may do the work

The City of Burnaby issues plumbing permits when the layout of drains, vents or supply lines changes; a like-for-like fixture swap generally does not need one, but a repipe does. Gas water heaters are gas appliances under Technical Safety BC: the installer needs a gas contractor licence and a permit, and a homeowner permit is not available in most cases. Plumbing itself is not a licensed trade in BC in the way gas and electrical are, so the plumber’s insurance, WorkSafeBC coverage and warranty are what you are relying on.

For a strata repair, the strata will usually require the contractor to carry liability insurance naming the strata and to book the service elevator. Ask before the plumber arrives.

Getting a fair quote

A repipe quote should state the material, which walls and ceilings will be opened, who patches them, whether the water heater and main shutoff are replaced at the same time, the permit, and the warranty. For a strata job, it should state what the strata has authorized. Ask whether there is a call-out fee and whether it is credited if you approve the work, and get everything in writing. Consumer Protection BC publishes guidance on contractor contracts and deposits.

Burnaby plumbers work across the region, but a company that does many tower jobs knows the elevator bookings, the riser shutdowns and the property managers, which saves you a day.