Plumbing Repair in Columbia, TN
- Licensed and insured plumbing, HVAC and electrical techs
- Tennessee Limited Licensed Plumber 5279
Why Columbia homeowners call us
A free diagnostic visit
We come look at your plumbing repair problem in Columbia and explain it in plain words. The visit is free.
A firm price before work starts
You get the price for the job before we begin. Each job is priced on its own.
One call covers the whole house
Plumbing, HVAC and electrical from one company. Plumbing, HVAC and electrical work is done by licensed and insured techs.
Where does the city's water line end and yours begin?
At the meter. Columbia Power & Water Systems (CPWS) owns and maintains the water mains and the tap, up to and including the meter itself. Every pipe past the meter belongs to the homeowner: the buried line across the yard, the pipe where it comes through the foundation, and all the plumbing inside.
So a soggy patch of lawn between the meter box and the house, or a CPWS bill that climbs for no clear reason, usually points to a leak on your side. We can find it and fix it. If the leak turns out to be at the meter or toward the street, that one is for CPWS, and we'll tell you so.
Why do pipes freeze under Columbia houses?
Because January nights here average below freezing, and a crawl space isn't heated. Water lines that run near a foundation vent, along an outside wall, or out to a hose bib get the coldest air first. CPWS recommends insulating pipes in unheated areas and letting a slow trickle run on the coldest nights. The National Weather Service gives the same advice for exposed pipes outdoors: wrap them, drain them, or let them drip.
If a pipe does freeze, close the main shutoff before it thaws. A split pipe often won't leak until the ice melts, and then it leaks all at once.
What should you know about plumbing in Columbia's older houses?
Columbia's historic neighborhoods, like the West End along West Seventh Street and the West Sixth Street and Mayes Place district, hold houses built long before today's pipe materials. Over a century, a house like that picks up a patchwork: a little original pipe, a section replaced after a leak, a bathroom added during a remodel. Where two different metals are joined, the fitting can corrode. Old galvanized steel pipe also narrows from the inside as it rusts, which shows up as weak pressure at one faucet while the next one runs fine.
We trace what's actually in the walls and crawl space before we suggest anything. Then we'll tell you whether a spot repair will hold or a section is due for replacement.
Does a plumbing repair in Columbia need a permit?
It depends on the scope. Inside city limits, plumbing is permitted separately from other building work, and the City of Columbia's building inspectors check it, with a rough-in inspection and a final inspection for new fixtures and gas outlets. Swapping a worn part is a different matter from rerouting lines or adding fixtures, and the city's Development Services office decides which is which. Outside city limits, Maury County's Building and Zoning Office is the place to ask.
What plumbing repair covers
Leak repair
Dripping faucets, leaking supply lines, failed valves and pinhole leaks in copper and other pipe. We repair the section that failed and check the pipe around it.
Valves and shutoffs
Main shutoff valves, the small shutoffs under sinks and toilets, outdoor faucets (hose bibs) and pressure-reducing valves that no longer hold the pressure where it belongs.
Low pressure and noisy pipes
Tracing low pressure to its cause, from a clogged aerator to a failing pressure-reducing valve, and quieting water hammer, the bang you hear when a valve closes quickly.
Toilets, faucets and drains
Running toilets, loose or leaking toilets, worn faucet cartridges, and drain pipes that leak at a trap or a loose joint under a sink or tub.
Frozen and burst pipes
Repairing pipes that split in a hard freeze, then insulating or rerouting lines in crawl spaces, garages and exterior walls so it's less likely to happen again.
New construction and renovations
Plumbing rough-in and trim-out for new homes, additions and remodels. That's the work Root House specializes in, and one call covers the HVAC and electrical too.
Urgent
Water where it shouldn't be?
- Shut off the main water valve. It's usually where the water line enters the house, often in the crawl space, basement or garage.
- Keep away from water near outlets, cords or the electrical panel.
- Then call us at (615) 426-9344.
We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Outside those hours, shut off what you can, stay safe, and call or text first thing.
How we price it
- The diagnostic visit
- Free. We come look, find the cause and explain it.
- Your price
- Firm price given before any work starts.
- How we price
- Priced per job. Each job is priced on its own.
- Why prices stay down
- Low overhead, and the work done right the first time with current methods, equipment and quality materials, so you are not paying for callbacks.
Neighborhoods we serve in Columbia
Downtown Columbia, West End, West Sixth Street and Mayes Place, Highland Park, Independence at Carter's Station, Ridgeview Oaks, Baker Creek, Bear Creek Overlook, and the rest of Columbia.
Plumbing Repair in Columbia: common questions
My CPWS water bill jumped. Could it be a leak?
It could be. Start with the toilets: a flapper that doesn't seal lets water run silently all day. Next, turn off every faucet and appliance and look at the meter. If its dial still moves, water is going somewhere, and it may be a buried line. Call or text (615) 426-9344 and we'll track it down.
Who fixes a leak in the yard between the meter and my house?
The homeowner does, or a plumber they hire. CPWS is responsible up to and including the meter, and the line from there to the house is yours. We can dig to the leak, repair the line or replace it.
Where is the main water shutoff in a Columbia home?
Usually where the water line enters the house: in the crawl space, a basement, the garage or a utility closet. The valve in the meter box is part of CPWS's equipment. Find your own shutoff before you need it, and if you can't, we'll show you when we're out.
A pipe burst. What do I do first?
Close the main shutoff. If water is near outlets or the electrical panel, stay out of the water and turn off power at the breaker only if you can reach it from a dry spot. Then call (615) 426-9344. We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Can you repair pipes in a house that old?
Yes. Old pipe isn't a reason to avoid a repair, but it is a reason to look carefully first. We'll check the pipe on either side of the problem so a new fitting isn't joined to pipe that's about to fail.
Do you replace galvanized pipe?
Yes. When galvanized pipe has narrowed or started leaking in more than one place, replacing it is often a better long-term choice than chasing leaks one at a time. We'll show you what we found and price a repair and a replacement so you can compare.
Should I keep my crawl space vents open in winter?
On freezing nights, closing or covering the vents nearest your water lines helps keep cold air off the pipes. Open them again when the weather warms up so the crawl space can dry out.
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Why is my water pressure low?
Low water pressure usually comes from a clogged faucet screen (the aerator) or showerhead, a valve that isn't fully open, a failing pressure-reducing valve, a hidden leak, or old pipes narrowed by rust. First check whether it's one faucet, only the hot water, or the whole house. Each points somewhere different.
Plumbing
How do you prevent frozen pipes in a Middle Tennessee winter?
Keep the heat on and steady, take hoses off outdoor faucets and insulate exposed pipes in the crawl space, attic and garage. In a hard freeze, open sink cabinets and let faucets fed by those pipes drip. Close crawl space vents too, unless there's a gas furnace or water heater down there. Know where your main water shutoff is.
Work that holds.
Call or text for plumbing repair in Columbia.