SLAB LEAK, need recommendation on a Plumber

[sd92128]

Hi ya’ll,

Just found a water coming into my living room, just bought the home a month ago, called the home warranty company up and they send out a contractor, they decided that the work is not covered under the plan, OMG, what is the point of a homebuyers warranty????

Plumber suggested that I repipe the copper pipes coming into the house by going into the ceiling above, this is a common issue with older homes, not a good start to a first time homebuyers self-esteem….

Please send me your referrals for reliable plumbers who you would recommend, need this job done asap, thanks again for your help…

I m in the scripps/poway area.

[urbanrealtor]

Preferred plumbing. Google them.
I use them for our HOA repairs.
We actually tried to give them an upgrade and service contract for the whole complex and the owner told us our pipes were old but that such an upgrade would be a waste of money.

Props to him for turning down a 100k job he felt unnecessary.

Google them.

[desmond]

Are you sure it is your water line or is it the drain pipes that are leaking?

[Fearful]

Ouch.

A too-little-too-late piece of advice: Home warranties are not worth jack. I am astonished by how much money they make for the companies. And I have been suckered in multiple times myself. Never again.

It is really unpleasant to contemplate, but you ought to re-pipe in the attic (assuming you are in a single story). Furthermore, do it right; this is plumbing that will be there for the remaining life of the house. Also, it involves tearing apart walls to access the bibbs; don’t settle for lousy drywall work.

Sorry for your predicament. Again, ouch; I feel your pain.

[an]

Check out this plumber I use:

Matt Gast
619-937-1564
[email protected]

[sdrealtor]

Pipes Plumbing has done tons of these in North County

[sdduuuude]

[quote=Fearful]Ouch.

A too-little-too-late piece of advice: Home warranties are not worth jack. I am astonished by how much money they make for the companies. And I have been suckered in multiple times myself. Never again.

It is really unpleasant to contemplate, but you ought to re-pipe in the attic (assuming you are in a single story). Furthermore, do it right; this is plumbing that will be there for the remaining life of the house. Also, it involves tearing apart walls to access the bibbs; don’t settle for lousy drywall work.

Sorry for your predicament. Again, ouch; I feel your pain.[/quote]

Home warranties are a good thing when transferring ownership. The seller pays and the buyer gets the benefit. After a year or two, then just let it go.

This rerouting thing is a pain, but once done, you’ll be fine. I think every house in Clairmont has or will need this done.

[sdrealtor]

Actually the home warranty is more to benefit the seller than the buyer. Its a bit of insurance for non-disclosure of problems. In essence the seller says, here is everything I know about the property but if something happens you think I did or should have known about call the home warranty company not me.

[svelte]

I’ve only talked to one person who has used a home warranty successfully. He had been in his place a few months in RB when the furnace went out. He did indeed get a new furnace for free.

[svelte]

[quote=sdduuuude]
This rerouting thing is a pain, but once done, you’ll be fine. I think every house in Clairmont has or will need this done.[/quote]

I know of a development from the early 80s in Escondido where this is common also. Doesn’t seem to scare the owners as they are all very long term (many are still original owners by choice) and it doesn’t seem to hurt the resale value.

[Fearful]

[quote=svelte]I’ve only talked to one person who has used a home warranty successfully. He had been in his place a few months in RB when the furnace went out. He did indeed get a new furnace for free.[/quote]
The only problem with that is that the warranty company buys the absolute minimum furnace and pays the installer the absolute minimum. Thus you get a shoddy replacement and shoddy – or at least minimalist – workmanship. The service company is also usually disgruntled because they dislike dealing with the warranty company.

[svelte]

[quote=Fearful][quote=svelte]I’ve only talked to one person who has used a home warranty successfully. He had been in his place a few months in RB when the furnace went out. He did indeed get a new furnace for free.[/quote]
The only problem with that is that the warranty company buys the absolute minimum furnace and pays the installer the absolute minimum. Thus you get a shoddy replacement and shoddy – or at least minimalist – workmanship. The service company is also usually disgruntled because they dislike dealing with the warranty company.[/quote]

Perhaps, but you get a brand new furnace FOR FREE to replace one that is likely 20-30 years old. That can tide you over for awhile.

After all, you didn’t have a brand new furnace when you bought the place, right?

It all depends upon if you see the glass half full or half empty.

[Fearful]

[quote=svelte] … it doesn’t seem to hurt the resale value.[/quote]
Mr. sd92128 could argue that the sellers knew the pipes were still in the slab and that this was a significant defect in the house. It’s almost a given that pipes routed in the slab will leak at some point, especially if the slab is not “post tension”. The fact that the pipes had not been rerouted was an issue that the seller and selling realtor ought to have made the buyer aware of.

[Fearful]

[quote=sdrealtor]Actually the home warranty is more to benefit the seller than the buyer. Its a bit of insurance for non-disclosure of problems. In essence the seller says, here is everything I know about the property but if something happens you think I did or should have known about call the home warranty company not me.[/quote]
Excellent perspective. However, that warranty protection is illusory for the seller, also. If the buyer encounters a large scale problem that the warranty company does not cover, they may pursue the seller anyway.

[Fearful]

[quote=svelte]
Perhaps, but you get a brand new furnace FOR FREE to replace one that is likely 20-30 years old. That can tide you over for awhile.
[/quote]
There’s a massive potential debate regarding this, but personally I would rather be saddled with the potential repair bill than be saddled with a crappy furnace, crappily installed. I’ve lived with lousy major appliances (ask me about my Viking built-in fridge some time!) and lousy installations and both are not worth their freebie value. You wouldn’t believe how noisy and inefficient a bad furnace can be; you wouldn’t believe how problematic a bad installation can be. Water heaters are about the only major appliance that I would take a freebie on; the installations are so simple, the codes are so strict, and the appliances are so uniform, that I would trust even a freebie doofus to install one.

In that vein, and back to the original topic: I hope Mr. sd92128 does not cheap the repiping. Badly done, it can be a real detriment to the house; well done, and it is a real addition to the house’s value.

[Author]

Posts