Emergency Plumber in San Marcos, CA

San Marcos basics

Vallecitos Water District provides both water and sewer in San Marcos and maintains the mains. Lines installed to serve a private property are the owner's responsibility, so anything from the meter or the sewer main connection to the house is plumber territory. Vallecitos disinfects with chloramines, and part of its supply is desalinated seawater from the Carlsbad plant. The housing here is fairly young, with a median build year of 1994, so many emergencies involve water heaters, supply hoses, valves and fixtures rather than decades-old pipe.

Steps to take right now

1. Close the house shutoff and open a low faucet to relieve pressure.
2. For a leaking water heater, turn off the gas or breaker and close the cold supply.
3. If drains are backing up, stop using water everywhere in the house.
4. If you smell gas, leave first, then call 911 and SDG&E at 1-800-611-7343 from outside.
5. If water is coming from the street or meter box, call Vallecitos at 760-744-0460.
6. Photograph the damage, then call a plumber.

What you see and what it often means

Pressure deserves a note. Vallecitos installs a regulator on its side of the meter where pressure exceeds 175 psi, but the district says that regulator protects the meter, not your line, so some homes need a customer-side regulator at the owner's expense.

Cost factors

• The hour and day of the call; after-hours work usually costs more.
• Whether the leak is exposed or hidden behind finishes.
• Whether a pressure regulator, expansion tank or water heater has to be replaced.
• Permits through the City of San Marcos Building Division, (760) 744-1050. Its residential permit packet includes a water-conserving fixture certificate: homes built on or before January 1, 1994 must replace non-compliant toilets, showerheads and faucets as part of permitted work.