Plumber in Cerritos, CA

Plumbing in Cerritos

Cerritos shares more than a border with La Palma. Both started out as dairy communities: Cerritos incorporated in 1956 as Dairy Valley, a year after La Palma incorporated as Dairyland, and both changed their names in the 1960s as farmland gave way to housing. Today Cerritos is a master-planned city on the Los Angeles County side of the line, known for its library, the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Cerritos Towne Center and the Auto Square.

Much of Cerritos' housing was built in a fairly short window, mostly in the late 1960s and 1970s. That's good news in some ways, since the neighborhoods are well planned and consistent. But it also means a lot of homes have plumbing that's reaching the same age at the same time.

What Cerritos homeowners run into

Copper approaching the end of its life. Homes from this era were typically plumbed with copper, much of it under concrete slabs. After 50 years, pinhole leaks and slab leaks are increasingly common. Once a house has had one, more often follow. See slab leak repair and repiping.

Water heaters working hard. Hard water in this part of Southern California leaves sediment in tanks and scale in tankless units. Larger Cerritos homes with several bathrooms also put more demand on the water heater.

Sewer laterals. Original clay or cast iron sewer lines and mature trees on the parkways are a common recipe for root intrusion.

Remodels. Many Cerritos homeowners have remodeled kitchens and bathrooms over the years, which is often the best time to replace old supply lines and shutoff valves while walls are open.

Common plumbing jobs in Cerritos

• Leak detection for warm floors, running water sounds and high bills
• Slab leak repairs and reroutes
• Whole-house repiping with PEX or copper
• Water heater repair, replacement and tankless upgrades
• Sewer line inspections and repairs

Thinking about repiping?

Because so many Cerritos homes were built around the same time, it's common to hear neighbors on the same street talking about slab leaks and repipes. If you've had more than one leak, or your plumber has found corrosion in exposed copper, it's worth getting an opinion on whether a repipe makes more sense than continued repairs. In slab homes, new lines are usually run through the attic and walls, taking the plumbing out of the concrete for good.

Selling a Cerritos home

If you're preparing to sell, two California rules come up regularly:

• Water heater bracing. Sellers must certify that the water heater is properly braced or strapped.
• Water-conserving fixtures. Single-family homes built before 1994 are required to have water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and sellers have to disclose whether the home complies. See our post on California's water-saving fixture rule.

Buyers' inspectors also commonly flag older water heaters, slow drains, corroded supply lines and signs of past leaks, so a plumbing check before listing can save surprises.

Waiting for hot water?

Many Cerritos homes are larger, two-story houses with bathrooms at the far end from the water heater. If you're running the tap for a minute or more before hot water arrives, a recirculation system can help. These pump hot water around a loop so it's ready at the fixture, either on a timer, on demand with a button, or with a sensor. They save the water you'd otherwise run down the drain while waiting. Whether one suits your home depends on the layout, the water heater type and the existing pipes, so it's a good question to raise with a plumber, especially during a water heater replacement or a repipe.

When to call

Call for leaks, clogs, water heater trouble or sewer backups. Call to reach a local plumber who serves Cerritos and the neighboring cities.