Find and fixUnder sinks, in walls and in crawlspaces
Homes of any ageGalvanized, copper or plastic pipe
Upfront pricingPriced by the job, not the hour
Old pipes downtown, newer pipes on the hills
How a pipe fails has a lot to do with when it went in, and Auburn has homes from nearly every decade since the railroad arrived. The City’s housing assessment says almost a quarter of the homes downtown were built before 1940, compared with 4 percent citywide. Much of North Auburn was developed before the 1950s, and South Auburn largely in the 1950s and 1960s. West Hill is mostly 1980s construction, and Lakeland was built out between 1990 and 2010.
In the oldest houses, any original galvanized steel supply pipe still in service has had decades to rust from the inside, and it tends to leak at threaded joints. Homes from the middle of the century onward often have copper, which can develop pinholes, and newer homes have plastic supply lines where the weak points are usually fittings and connections. None of that is a verdict on your house. It tells our plumbers where to look.
Leaks we find and fix in Auburn
- Braided supply hoses and stop valves at sinks and toilets
- Toilets: a flapper that won’t seal, a fill valve that won’t close, a failed seal at the floor
- Pinholes and weeping joints in pipe that runs through the crawlspace or garage
- Tub and shower valves dripping inside the wall
- Fittings and valves at the water heater
- Outdoor faucets and appliance lines for the washer, dishwasher and ice maker
Most household leaks can be traced with a careful look and repaired once found.
Auburn’s valley floor keeps crawlspaces guessing
Most of the city sits on a flat plain 50 to 100 feet above sea level, and the City’s storm drainage plan puts the shallowest aquifer in the Auburn-Kent Valley at often just 10 to 15 feet below the surface. The City’s flood guidance adds that after heavy rain there is a lag while groundwater drains away. So damp soil under a valley-floor house in January is not automatically a plumbing leak. Three checks help sort it out:
- Read the meter with every tap closed. Movement means pressurized water is escaping somewhere. A still meter points away from the supply pipes.
- Look up, not down. A wet pipe, fitting or subfloor above the damp spot is plumbing. Evenly damp soil under dry pipes is not.
- Watch the weather. Moisture that follows the rain and fades in a dry spell is behaving like groundwater.
One caution: a leaking drain or tub trap won’t move the meter either, so a wet patch directly under a bathroom or kitchen still deserves a look. If it’s plumbing, we repair it. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you that plainly instead of selling you a repair you don’t need.
When Auburn freezes
Auburn winters are mild on paper. The City’s water system plan puts typical winter temperatures around 38 degrees, with under nine inches of snow a year. The City’s hazard guide still lists ice and extreme cold among local winter threats, and it only takes one hard night to split a pipe in an unheated space.
Before a cold snap, take the hoses off the outdoor faucets and insulate any bare pipe you can reach in the garage, attic or crawlspace. On the coldest nights, let warm room air reach the pipes under sinks that back onto exterior walls, and keep a trickle going at one of those faucets. If a pipe does freeze, never put a torch or open flame on it. Call us to thaw and repair it.
A split often shows only when the pipe thaws. If water appears as temperatures rise, close the main valve, then call.
Why it leaked is part of the repair
A repaired joint that fails again in six months wasn’t really repaired. We look for what’s behind the leak: age, corrosion, a freeze, a poor original installation, or pressure. Auburn’s water system is divided into pressure zones, and a home low in its zone sees more pressure than one near the top. When the same house keeps springing leaks, we test the pressure and check the pressure-reducing valve. You’ll get the price for the repair before we start, by the job, not by the hour, and we work with you to get it fixed right.
Water showing up in the yard instead? That points to the buried service line. See water line repair. A leaking tank is covered under water heaters.
Water Leak Repair FAQs
The City of Auburn says my meter shows continuous use. How do I find the leak?
Follow the City’s own steps. Close all faucets and hoses, then put dye tablets or food coloring in each toilet tank and wait without flushing. If the dye shows up in the bowl, that toilet is leaking. Next, shut the main valve at the house. If the meter stops, the leak is somewhere inside. If it’s a toilet you’d like repaired or a pipe you can’t find, call us at 360-829-7440.
Does Auburn’s shallow groundwater mean a damp crawlspace is normal?
It can be, on the valley floor. The shallowest groundwater there often sits only 10 to 15 feet down, and it takes a while to drain after long rain. Check your meter with everything turned off. If it holds still and no pipe above the damp area is wet, the moisture probably isn’t from your supply plumbing. If the meter moves, or you can see a wet pipe, that’s a leak we can repair.
Are older Auburn homes more likely to leak?
Age is a factor anywhere. Most lots near downtown Auburn were developed before 1950, and pipe from that era has had a long time to corrode. That doesn’t mean an older home is failing. It does mean that one leak is a good reason to have the rest of the supply piping looked at.
What should I do right now if a pipe is leaking?
Close the valve to that fixture, or the main valve for the house if you can’t isolate it. Keep water away from outlets and move what you can. Then call 360-829-7440. We’re on call 24/7, including weekends. After hours we’ll talk you through shutting the water off and get you on the schedule, often the next day.
Will the City adjust my water bill once the leak is repaired?
The City of Auburn has a Request for Water Leak Adjustment form for customers to fill out after a leak has been repaired. Utility Billing decides what qualifies, so keep the invoice from the repair.