Plumber in Artesia, CA

Plumbing in Artesia

Artesia is a small city on the Los Angeles County side of the line, just west of Cerritos and a short drive from La Palma. Like its neighbors, it began as farming and dairy country; the name comes from the artesian wells that once made the area good for agriculture. Today it's a compact, busy city, best known for the shops and restaurants along Pioneer Boulevard, often called Little India.

Artesia's homes are generally older than those in Cerritos, with many built in the 1950s and early 1960s, along with apartments, duplexes and mixed-use buildings closer to the commercial streets.

Plumbing in older Artesia homes

Galvanized and early copper lines. Homes from the 1950s were often plumbed with galvanized steel, which rusts inside, reduces water pressure and eventually leaks. Many have been replaced partly over the years, leaving a mix of old and new pipe. Signs of remaining galvanized pipe include low pressure, rusty-looking water when a tap is first opened, and gray metal pipes visible at the water heater or under sinks.

Older drain and sewer lines. Cast iron drains and clay sewer laterals from the original construction are prone to cracks, corrosion and roots.

Additions and conversions. Older homes often have added bathrooms, converted garages or back units with plumbing tied in over the decades, sometimes not ideally. These are common sources of slow drains and leaks.

Hard water that leaves scale on fixtures and sediment in water heaters, as across the region.

Common plumbing jobs in Artesia

• Drain cleaning for kitchen, bathroom and main line clogs
• Sewer line repairs for roots and broken pipe
• Repiping homes with galvanized or failing copper lines
• Water heater repair and replacement
• Toilet, faucet and fixture repairs
• Leak detection for high water bills and hidden leaks

Restaurants and kitchens

With so many restaurants along Pioneer Boulevard, grease is a familiar issue in Artesia. At home, it's the same problem on a smaller scale: cooking oil and fats poured down the kitchen sink cool and harden in the line, catching food particles until the drain blocks. Wipe pans with a paper towel and throw it out, keep a can for used oil, and run hot water after using the disposal. If your kitchen sink keeps clogging, the problem may be further down the line than the sink trap.

Multi-unit properties

For owners of duplexes, back units and small apartment buildings, plumbing problems can affect more than one household at once - a main line backup, for example, may show up in every unit. Knowing where each unit's shutoff is, where the sewer cleanout is located and how old each water heater is makes it much easier to deal with problems quickly.

Signs to watch for

• Water pressure dropping over time
• Rusty or discolored water
• More than one slow drain at once
• Water heater over 10 years old, or rusting at the base
• A water bill that's higher than it should be

Adding an ADU or back unit?

California has made it much easier to build accessory dwelling units, and many Artesia homeowners are adding them or converting garages. Plumbing is one of the biggest parts of that work. The new unit needs water service, a sewer connection and often its own water heater, and an older sewer lateral may need to be inspected to make sure it can handle the extra flow. A camera inspection of the existing line before construction starts can prevent surprises later, and a plumber can advise on whether the water line from the meter is large enough for both homes.

When to call

If something's leaking, backing up or not heating, call to reach a local plumber who serves Artesia, La Palma and the surrounding area.