Frequently asked questions

Your main shut-off valve is usually located where the water line enters your home — often in the mechanical room, crawl space, or near the water meter. Turn it clockwise to shut off water to the entire house. Make sure everyone in your household knows where it is before an emergency happens.

A sudden spike usually means water is running somewhere it shouldn't be. The most common culprits are a running toilet (the flapper may not be sealing), a dripping faucet, or a hidden leak in a supply line. Turn off all fixtures and check your water meter — if it's still moving, you likely have a leak. Call us and we can help track it down.

Low pressure throughout the whole home (not just one fixture) can indicate a failing pressure reducing valve, a partially closed main shut-off, a supply line issue, or in older homes, mineral buildup inside the pipes. If it came on suddenly, there may also be a leak dropping your pressure. Give us a call and we can diagnose it.

We recommend avoiding them. Chemical drain cleaners are highly corrosive and can damage pipes — especially older ones — from the inside out. For minor clogs, try a plunger or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. For anything more stubborn, call a plumber. A $20 bottle of drain cleaner that damages your pipes can end up costing thousands.

Absolutely — especially for homes built before 2000. In Kelowna, older homes frequently have poly-B pipe, aging water heaters, or galvanized supply lines that a general home inspector may not flag in detail. A plumbing inspection before you buy can save you from inheriting a very expensive problem. We offer pre-purchase plumbing assessments — contact us to book one.

Check exposed pipe under sinks, behind the water heater, or in your mechanical room. Poly-B is usually grey (sometimes black or blue) and is often stamped with "PB2110." It was commonly installed in Kelowna homes built between 1985 and 1998. Not sure? We'll check for you at no charge during a free estimate.

Poly-B degrades from the inside out — which means it can look fine on the outside right up until it fails. Beyond the leak risk, many BC insurers are now requiring replacement as a condition of coverage renewal. We generally recommend replacing it proactively rather than waiting for a failure, which can cause significant water damage.

Most Kelowna homes fall in the $3,500–$10,000 range depending on home size, number of bathrooms, and how accessible the pipes are. We give fixed quotes — so the number we give you is the number you pay. Contact us for a free in-home estimate.

No — you can stay in your home. We prioritize keeping at least one bathroom operational with running water throughout the job so your daily life isn't too disrupted. Most replacements take 2–5 days.

Yes. A permit is required for poly-B replacement in Kelowna, and we handle the entire process — application, inspection coordination, and final documentation — on your behalf. You'll receive the closed permit and completion paperwork for your insurer.

Most gas and electric storage tanks last 10–12 years. Tankless units can last 20+ years with proper maintenance. If your tank is approaching or past that range, it's worth replacing proactively — a failed tank can cause significant water damage.

Key warning signs include: rusty or discoloured hot water, popping or rumbling noises (sediment buildup), water pooling around the base of the tank, inconsistent hot water, or a tank over 10 years old. If you notice any of these, call us — it's often better to replace before it fails than after.

It depends on your household size, how much hot water you use, and your available space. Storage tanks have a lower upfront cost and are simpler to maintain. Tankless units cost more upfront but deliver endless hot water and have lower long-term operating costs. We'll walk you through the tradeoffs at your free quote — no pressure either way.

Yes, a permit is required for hot water tank replacements in Kelowna. We handle the permit application and inspection as part of every job — you don't need to do anything.

Not always. For gas tanks, the pilot light may have gone out or the thermocouple may have failed — both are repairable. For electric tanks, an element or thermostat may have failed. Before assuming you need a new tank, give us a call and describe the symptoms — we can often diagnose it over the phone.

As early as possible — ideally before your renovation starts. The plumbing rough-in happens before drywall and tile, so your plumber needs to be coordinated with your general contractor from the beginning. Last-minute plumbing bookings can delay an entire renovation. Contact us as soon as you have a start date in mind.

Yes — any relocation of drain or supply lines requires a permit in Kelowna. Simple fixture swaps (like replacing a toilet or faucet in the same location) generally don't. We handle permit applications for all work that requires them.

Absolutely. We regularly work as the plumbing sub on renovations managed by general contractors, interior designers, and owner-builders. We're used to coordinating our schedule around other trades and showing up when we say we will.

Yes — we install customer-supplied fixtures all the time. If you'd prefer we source the fixture, we can recommend and supply the right product for the job. Either way works.

A standard single-bathroom rough-in typically takes 1–2 days. More complex layouts or multi-bathroom renos take longer. We'll give you a clear timeline as part of your quote so you can coordinate with other trades.

First: shut off the water at the main shut-off valve immediately to stop more water entering. Second: do not touch any wet electrical fixtures or switches — cut power at the breaker if there's any risk. Third: call us at 250-300-0283. While you wait, move valuables and put buckets down. Do not use chemical drain cleaners or try to patch walls — you may hide a leak that needs to be properly repaired.

Yes — a leak from the base of the tank usually means the tank itself has failed and cannot be repaired. Shut off the cold water supply to the tank (the valve on the pipe going into the top of the tank) and call us. The tank will need to be replaced.

Shut off your main water supply immediately. Open faucets around the house to drain remaining water from the pipes. If any water is near electrical panels or outlets, shut off power at the breaker. Mop up or towel up as much water as possible to reduce damage. Call us at 250-300-0283 and we'll get to you as fast as we can.

Sudden and accidental water damage is typically covered by home insurance. Slow leaks due to lack of maintenance usually aren't. Contact your insurer as soon as possible and document the damage with photos. We can provide written documentation of the cause and repair for your claim.

No — quotes are free and come with no obligation. We'll come to your home, assess the job, and give you a fixed price. You decide whether you want to proceed. No pressure.

Once you've approved a quote, that's the price — we don't add surprise charges partway through a job. The only exception is if we discover something genuinely unexpected that wasn't visible during the estimate (for example, a hidden second leak behind a wall). In that case, we stop, show you what we found, and give you a revised quote before continuing.

Yes — Connexion Plumbing is fully licensed, registered & incorporated, insured, and bonded in BC. We carry WCB (Workers' Compensation Board) coverage and hold a Technical Safety BC licence. Marc is a Red Seal certified plumber with over 10 years of industry experience. All work is done to BC code and permitted where required — you're fully protected on every job.

We don't carry the overhead of a large company — no franchise fees, no fleet of trucks, no layers of management. On big projects like poly-B replacements or full renovation rough-ins, that difference can be significant. You get 10 years of hands-on experience at a price a larger operation simply can't match.

For urgent situations, call us directly at 250-300-0283 and we'll do our best to get to you the same day. For non-urgent bookings, we typically have availability within the week. We respond to all quote requests wihtin a couple hours or the next business day if requests come in after hours.