Plumbing & heating FAQ

Yes. Mario Plumbing & Heating answers the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and dispatches across Burnaby, Vancouver, the North Shore, the Tri-Cities, New Westminster, Richmond, and Delta. We handle burst and frozen pipes, sewer backups, gas-line concerns, flooding, and no-hot-water calls — the failures that cannot wait until Monday. Call 778-929-3235 any time and we will help you triage it.

For true emergencies we aim to dispatch within the hour wherever a crew is available, and we will give you a straight ETA when you call rather than a vague window. Response time depends on your location in Metro Vancouver and current call volume, but flooding, sewage backups, and no-heat situations are always prioritized. Calling 778-929-3235 is faster than any form for an emergency.

First, stop the water: turn off your main shut-off valve (for a fixture leak, the local shut-off under the sink or behind the toilet may be enough). Open a couple of lower taps to drain pressure from the lines, switch off the water heater if the leak is on a hot line, and cut power to any outlet or appliance near standing water at the breaker. Move valuables clear, lay down towels, and photograph the damage for your insurance. Then call us and we will walk you through the rest.

In most Metro Vancouver homes the main shut-off is where the water line enters the building — commonly in the basement, a crawl space, a mechanical/utility room, or near the water meter or hot water tank. It is usually a round handle or a lever; turn it fully clockwise (or perpendicular to the pipe) to stop all water to the home. Find and tag yours today, because a 2am flood is the wrong time to go looking.

Shut the main water valve immediately, then open taps to relieve pressure and let the lines drain. Kill power at the breaker to any circuits near the water, contain the flow with towels and buckets, and document everything for insurance. A burst pipe can release dozens of litres a minute, so the faster the water is off the less damage you face — then call 778-929-3235 and we will contain and repair it.

Pricing depends on the job, but we work on transparent, up-front quotes that you approve before any work begins — no hidden fees and no surprise charges. Small repairs (a faucet, a running toilet, a minor leak) are at the lower end; larger work like a water heater replacement, a repipe, or a renovation rough-in is quoted after a quick assessment of your space. You will always know the price before we pick up a tool.

It depends on the tank: size (40 vs 50 gallon), gas vs electric, and whether the job needs new venting, an expansion tank, or a permit for a fuel or size change. A straightforward like-for-like swap sits at the lower end; a fuel switch, a move to tankless, or code upgrades cost more. We assess your exact setup and give you one up-front, all-in price before we start — no surprise add-ons on the final bill.

We are upfront about any diagnostic or call-out fee at the time you book — never buried in the final bill — and where applicable it is credited toward the repair if you go ahead. Our goal is zero surprises: you hear the number first, then decide.

For installations and planned work — water heater replacements, repipes, bathroom renovations, fixture upgrades, backflow installs — we provide a clear written quote before you commit. For diagnostic emergency calls we tell you any assessment fee up front. Call 778-929-3235 to book an estimate.

Sudden, accidental water damage (like a burst pipe) is often covered by BC home insurance, while gradual leaks or wear-and-tear usually are not. Shut off the water fast, photograph everything, and keep our invoice — documentation matters for a claim. We are happy to provide the detailed paperwork your insurer asks for.

Yes. Mario Plumbing & Heating is a Red Seal accredited, WorkSafeBC-registered, fully insured plumbing and heating company. Every job is completed to the BC Plumbing and Building Codes by qualified tradespeople, which protects your home, your warranty, and your insurance.

Our core 24/7 service area is Burnaby (our home base), Vancouver, North and West Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, Richmond, and Delta. In Surrey and White Rock we take on premium, custom work by referral rather than routine dispatch. Each area has its own page on this site with local details.

Yes. We stand behind our workmanship and install quality, code-approved parts. If anything is not right with work we performed, we come back and make it right — that accountability is a big part of why we have 190+ five-star Google reviews.

Three things: we actually answer the phone 24/7 (with 190+ five-star reviews to back it up), we quote up-front so you approve the price before we start, and we leave your home clean — same-day where possible, done to code, no mess. We are a local Burnaby team, not a national call-centre franchise.

Yes — we are happy to install a quality faucet, toilet, or water heater you have already bought. One honest heads-up: when you supply the part, its manufacturer warranty is yours to manage, and if a customer-supplied unit turns out to be faulty, a return trip is not covered the way it would be on a part we supply and warranty ourselves. We will always tell you up front if we think a specific unit is a poor choice before we install it.

In most cases, yes. We stock common 40- and 50-gallon gas and electric tanks plus tankless units, so a failed water heater can often be diagnosed and replaced the same day you call. No hot water is treated as a priority call. In BC, switching fuel/size/venting — or going tankless — requires an installation permit, which we handle for you.

Often, yes. In BC a like-for-like residential swap with an input of 50,000 BTU/hr or less can sometimes be done under a replacement decal — but only if the venting method does not change. Switching fuel (gas to electric or back), changing the BTU input or tank size, going from atmospheric to power venting, or moving to tankless all require a full installation permit. We pull and handle the permit for you so the work is legal, safe, and keeps your insurance and warranty intact.

As a rough guide: a 40-gallon tank suits a 2–3 person household, 50 gallons fits 4–5 people, and larger or high-demand homes may want 60+ gallons or a tankless unit that never runs out. Recovery rate — how fast the tank reheats — matters as much as capacity, and gas recovers faster than electric. We size it to how your household actually uses hot water so you are not paying to heat water you will never use.

On an electric tank it is usually a failed heating element, thermostat, or tripped breaker; on a gas tank it is often a pilot or ignition fault, a closed gas valve, or a faulty thermocouple. Sediment buildup, a leaking tank, or simple old age (10–15 years) are also common. We diagnose the exact cause and tell you honestly whether a repair or a replacement is the smarter spend.

A storage tank water heater typically lasts 10–15 years; a well-maintained tankless unit can last 20+ years. Metro Vancouver’s very soft water means little scale, which is gentle on tanks — but once a unit is past 12 years and showing rust, noise, or leaks, planning a replacement beats waiting for a flood.

Tankless heats water on demand, lasts longer, and the U.S. Department of Energy estimates it is 24–34% more efficient than a tank for homes using up to ~41 gallons a day. The trade-offs are a higher up-front cost and reliance on power (it stops in an outage). For long-term owners it often pays off; for tight budgets a quality tank still makes sense. We will give you the honest pros and cons for your home.

Yes — plumbing and heating under one roof. We service and repair boilers, hydronic and radiant heating systems, and keep them tuned for quiet, efficient heat through Metro Vancouver’s cold, damp winters. A pre-winter service helps avoid a no-heat emergency in January.

A drain that clears then clogs again usually has a deeper cause: grease and food buildup in the kitchen line, hair and soap in the bathroom, or — very common in older Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods with mature trees — root intrusion in the main sewer line. A camera inspection shows exactly what and where, and hydro-jetting scours the pipe wall clean so it stays clear, unlike a snake that just punches a hole through the blockage.

Watch for an unexplained jump in your water bill, the sound of running water when every tap is off, warm spots on the floor (a hot-line slab leak), musty smells, staining or bubbling paint, or a toilet that hisses on its own. Two DIY checks catch most leaks: read your water meter before and after two hours of no use, and do a toilet dye test. If something is leaking but you cannot find it, our electronic leak detection pinpoints it without tearing the house apart.

Yes. Root intrusion is one of the most common causes of recurring main-line backups in older Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods with mature trees. We run a camera to confirm exactly where roots are getting in, then hydro-jet the line to cut and flush them and scour the pipe wall clean — far more thorough than a snake, which only punches a hole through the mass. If the pipe itself is damaged, the camera footage shows you the condition so you can decide on a repair with the full picture.

Low pressure can come from a partially closed shut-off valve, a clogged aerator or fixture, a failing pressure-reducing valve, corroded or undersized pipes, or a hidden leak bleeding off pressure. If it came on suddenly or affects the whole home, it is worth diagnosing — sometimes it is a five-minute fix, sometimes it is the early warning of a bigger problem.

Almost never. Metro Vancouver’s water is among the softest in North America (about 0.3 grains per gallon) because it comes from the Capilano, Seymour, and Coquitlam mountain watersheds. The issue to watch here is not hardness but mild copper corrosion from soft, slightly acidic water — addressed with a conditioner or pH adjustment, not a softener.

Call 778-929-3235 any time, 24/7, or request service through the form on this site and we will get right back to you. For emergencies, call — it is the fastest way to get a crew dispatched. We serve all of Metro Vancouver with up-front pricing and same-day service where possible.