Common questions about
plumbing work
Straight answers about leaks and pipes, drains and sewers, water heaters, what things cost, our standards and what happens on the day. When you're ready, you can get a free quote or check the service area.
What does All Purpose Plumbers work on?
Plumbing and nothing else, from a dripping tap to a full repipe, in homes, rentals and commercial buildings.
Read the full answer →Where do you work?
Washington DC, Northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs, from our Bryans Road, Maryland location.
Read the full answer →What are your regular hours?
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, every day of the week. Outside those hours you can send the form or leave a message.
Read the full answer →How fast can you get to a burst pipe or a backed-up drain?
Within 48 hours. Urgent plumbing goes ahead of routine work, scheduled during business hours.
Read the full answer →Will you tell me the price before you start?
Yes. Nothing starts until you have approved a written price.
Read the full answer →Are you bonded and insured?
Yes, in Maryland, the District and Virginia, with workers’ comp and liability cover. The certificate is yours on request.
Read the full answer →What areas do you cover?
Charles County and Prince George’s County in Maryland, Washington DC, and the Northern Virginia suburbs, Alexandria and Arlington among them. Montgomery County, Bethesda included, is on the Maryland side.
Read the full answer →How quickly can you come out?
Most visits are scheduled within a few days. Urgent failures are scheduled within 48 hours.
Read the full answer →Do you charge for a diagnosis?
No. The visit to find the fault and write up the price is free of charge.
Read the full answer →What is a reasonable call out fee?
Ours is nothing. We do not charge to come out, find out what is wrong and give you the price in writing.
Read the full answer →How much for a plumber for 3 hours?
We price the job, and nobody watches a clock. You get one written price for the whole job after a free diagnosis.
Read the full answer →What does a plumber charge after hours?
For homes there is no after hours charge, because we work 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day. Booked commercial after hours work is quoted per job.
Read the full answer →How to tell if your plumber is overcharging you?
Look at what the price is made of. A fair price names the problem, the fix and every part, in writing, before the work starts.
Read the full answer →How to know if a plumber is good?
A good plumber tells you what is wrong and why before talking about price, and puts the price in writing before starting.
Read the full answer →Can I negotiate with plumbers?
You can change the scope, and that is where the price really moves. Ask for the options side by side.
Read the full answer →What is the most common plumbing problem?
Clogged drains. Slow sinks, tubs and toilets come first, with leaking faucets and running toilets close behind.
Read the full answer →My pipe has burst. What do I do right now?
Close the main shutoff, open a low tap to drain the system, stay out from under any sagging ceiling. Then call.
Read the full answer →Do you repair the wall or ceiling afterwards?
Yes. Drywall is the main trade of the company behind this brand, so the opening gets closed and finished by us.
Read the full answer →My toilet blocks every few weeks. Is it the toilet?
Sometimes, but repeat blocks usually come from the drain beyond it or a clogged vent, which a new bowl does not cure.
Read the full answer →Do you charge to find a leak?
The visit is free. A search for a leak inside a wall or slab is quoted separately before it begins.
Read the full answer →How does leak detection work?
By elimination. A pipe leak test at the meter shows water is escaping, then the system is narrowed section by section until one opening reaches the leak.
Read the full answer →Is hydro jetting better than snaking?
For grease and scale on a sound pipe, yes. On a fragile or cracked line it is the wrong tool, which is why the camera comes first.
Read the full answer →My drains gurgle. What does that mean?
A partly blocked line or vent is pulling air through a trap. Deal with it now and you usually avoid the backup that follows.
Read the full answer →What's the average lifespan of a water heater?
Commonly eight to twelve years for a tank, longer for tankless with regular servicing. Hard water and a neglected anode rod shorten both.
Read the full answer →Can a plumber fix a water heater, or does it need replacing?
Usually a plumber can fix it, because most breakdowns come down to one component. A heater whose tank body is seeping water is the one case with no fix.
Read the full answer →There is water around the base of the water heater. Is that urgent?
Yes, until you know the source. A fitting or valve can be fixed. A leaking tank cannot, and it can fail suddenly.
Read the full answer →My water bill jumped with no change in use. What is it?
Usually a running toilet or an underground leak. A meter test with everything off tells you quickly.
Read the full answer →Can I supply the faucet myself?
Yes. Share the model number ahead of the visit so we can confirm the fit.
Read the full answer →Do you install sump pumps?
Yes, including replacing a failed pump and adding a battery backup where the basement needs one.
Read the full answer →How often should a water heater be serviced?
Once a year. Flushing and checking the anode rod is the difference between eight years and twelve.
Read the full answer →What is the normal price to replace a water heater?
There is no one normal price. Size, gas or electric, venting, where it sits and the code items set the number, and you get it in writing after a free look.
Read the full answer →Why do plumbers charge so much to replace a water heater?
Because the tank is only part of the job. Code items, venting, the permit and hauling the old tank away are the rest.
Read the full answer →What is the average labor cost to install a 50 gallon gas water heater?
We price the whole job in writing, labor included. On a gas heater the vent and the gas line move the labor most.
Read the full answer →What is the labor cost to install a 40 gallon hot water heater?
About the same as a 50 gallon. The labor follows the job more than the tank size, and it is part of one written price.
Read the full answer →How much should it cost to replace a 50 gallon electric water heater?
Usually the simplest swap there is, with no vent and no gas line. The price comes in writing after a free look.
Read the full answer →How much does a 40 gallon hot water heater cost?
The tank is the smallest part of the bill. What it connects to and where it goes set the installed price.
Read the full answer →What are the signs you need a new water heater?
Water from the tank itself settles it. Rust in the hot water, rumbling, ten years on the label and slow recovery point the same way.
Read the full answer →Should I buy a water heater from a plumber?
For most people, yes. When the plumber supplies it, one company answers for the size, the fit, the code items and the install.
Read the full answer →How much does Home Depot usually charge to install a water heater?
That is their number to give. Compare any installation quote, theirs or ours, line by line on the same items.
Read the full answer →How much does Lowe's charge to install a water heater?
Their price is theirs to quote. What matters more is what gets added to any starting price on the day.
Read the full answer →Do you work with property managers?
Yes. Apartment buildings, rentals between tenants and managed homes, with the insurance certificate sent alongside the proposal.
Read the full answer →Do you warranty your work?
Yes, 60 to 90 days on our workmanship, set by the type of job.
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Still have a question?
Ask us on the phone between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM, or put it in an estimate request.