Copper Repiping
Copper is the traditional choice for supply piping: rigid, long-proven and tolerant of heat. A copper repipe replaces the supply system rather than chasing failures through it one at a time.
Copper Repiping
When to call
What usually brings people to this
A lot of the 1980s-era tracts used materials that looked fine at the time and have not aged the way anyone hoped.
These are the symptoms that usually prompt the call. Any one of them is worth a conversation, and most of them get cheaper to deal with the earlier they are looked at.
Pinhole leaks appearing repeatedly
Galvanized piping being replaced
Discolored water
Pressure loss across the house
A remodel opening walls anyway
Plumbing problems do not improve on their own. What they do is get slowly more expensive while the damage spreads into whatever is around them.
How we work it
We document what the camera sees so you are not taking our word for the condition of something buried in your yard.
Confirm repiping is the right call
Repeated pinholes mean the material is failing. One leak does not.
Plan routes and access
Where the new lines run and where we need to open.
Run and solder the new system
Copper is soldered work and quality shows over decades.
Pressure test and restore
Tested, then access closed up.
Worth knowingWhat copper repiping actually involves
Quotes are free and they are specific. A number with no explanation behind it is not much use to anybody.
Pinhole leaks in copper are a corrosion process, and once it has started in a system it tends to continue, because the conditions that caused it are still there. Water chemistry, velocity through undersized pipe, and decades of service all contribute. That is why the second and third pinholes usually arrive faster than the gap between the first and second, and why a repipe often works out cheaper than repairing your way through the rest.
Diagnostic gear earns its keep by ruling things out. Most of the value is in the repairs you do not end up paying for.
We cover a large territory, and that is deliberate. Being able to send someone is worth more than being closest on a map. If you are outside the usual radius, call and ask. We cover more ground than most shops our size.
We document what the camera sees so you are not taking our word for the condition of something buried in your yard.
Keeping it from happening again
Plumbing problems do not improve on their own. What they do is get slowly more expensive while the damage spreads into whatever is around them.
Water heaters benefit from an annual flush in this region more than almost anywhere else, because our water leaves sediment on the bottom of the tank where the heat has to pass through it.
Knowing your own system is worth real money. Where the main shutoff is, where the sewer cleanout is, how old the water heater is, and whether the property is on sewer or septic. Those four facts shorten every future service call you will ever have.
Know the age of the major components. Water heaters, supply piping and sewer laterals all have expected lifespans, and planning for a replacement is considerably cheaper than reacting to one.
If you are on septic, know your pumping interval and keep to it. It is the single highest-return maintenance item in plumbing, because the alternative is a drain field, and drain fields cost many times what pumping does.
Who you are calling
Booking is simple and the quote is free, so there is no cost to finding out what you are dealing with.
When you call, a person answers, day or night. That has been true since Big Mike ran the phone himself, and it is one of the reasons people keep calling us.
We carry the classifications that let us handle the whole system: the plumbing inside, the sanitation side, and the engineering work that underground repairs require.
We are licensed for plumbing, for sanitation and septic systems, and as a general engineering contractor, so one shop can take the whole job.
Big Mike's · Yucaipa, California
Questions we get about copper repiping
If yours is not here, call and ask. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
Why do pinhole leaks happen?
Corrosion from the inside, driven by water chemistry and velocity. Once it starts in a system it tends to continue.
Copper or PEX?
Copper is rigid, handles heat and has a long track record. PEX is flexible and needs fewer joints. Both are good; the building usually decides.
How disruptive is it?
Less than people expect. We plan routes to limit access points and you are not left without water overnight.
How long does copper last?
Many decades in favorable conditions. Hard water and high velocity shorten it.
How soon can you get here?
We run a 24-hour line and same-day service is normal. When you call we will give you a realistic window rather than an optimistic one that slips.
What payment do you take?
Call and ask and we will tell you straight. You will know the cost before the work starts either way.
How long have you been in business?
Since 1982. Big Mike founded the company and handed it to his family, who run it now. That is forty-four years in the same valley under the same name.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Quotes are free and they come after we have looked at the actual problem, not over the phone from a description.
How this fits the rest of the system
The fixtures people notice are the end of a system that is mostly invisible. Behind a wall or under a slab, the supply lines, drains and vents that make a bathroom work are doing the real job, and they are where nearly all the expensive problems live. What shows at the fixture is usually a symptom of something further back.
Before we come out
For commercial properties, tell us about access requirements and operating hours when you call so we can schedule around them properly.
The service area reflects where our customers actually are. It has widened steadily since 1982 and it keeps widening for the same reason it always has.
Related work and where we do it
Other work we do in homes
- Repiping
Replacing failing supply piping through a house.
- Sewer Line Repair
Cracked, offset and root-invaded laterals.
- Tankless Water Heater Repair
Error codes, scaling and flow faults.
- New Construction Plumbing
Ground-up residential plumbing.
- Water Softener Installation
Hard-water treatment for Inland Empire supply.
- Gas Line Repair
Leaking and failed gas piping.
Where we go
We run copper repiping out of Yucaipa across Indian Wells, Fontana, Upland, Rialto, Corona, San Dimas and West Covina, and the rest of San Bernardino, Riverside and the eastern edge of Los Angeles County.
Call the shop. A person picks up.
Tell us what it is doing and we will tell you what it takes to fix it. Plain language, no sales pitch, and the number before we start.
Yucaipa, California · Serving San Bernardino, Riverside and eastern Los Angeles counties · Open 24 hours