Water heater and drain service in Greater East Side, Saint Paul, MN 55106

Postwar homes on the Greater East Side usually have a gas water heater in an open basement near the furnace. That's good news for replacement, since there's room to work. The challenges are older venting, a gas line that may need a new shutoff and a floor drain that may be partly blocked, which matters if the tank ever leaks.

We look at age, sediment and leaks first. A tank that's over a decade old and rusting at the base is ready to go. We install a new heater from a maker like Rheem, A. O. Smith or Bradford White, connect the vent and gas properly and pull the permit. Most swaps take a few hours.

Houses built in the late forties and fifties typically have cast iron drain lines under the basement slab. After seventy years, those pipes can scale on the inside or rust through on the bottom. You might notice a sewer smell near the floor drain, slow drains that come back after cleaning or damp spots on the slab.

We clear the line and run a camera to check the condition under the floor. Sometimes the fix is just a good cleaning. If the pipe has holes or a collapsed section, we explain options, from breaking out a short stretch of concrete to replace a section, to lining the pipe. You'll see the footage before deciding.

Many East Side homes have had kitchen remodels over the years, but the drains behind the cabinets are often original. New dishwashers and disposals push more water and food waste into old lines. Laundry setups in the basement may still use a washtub and a floor drain that can't keep up with a modern washer.

We clear and replace kitchen branch lines, hook up dishwashers and disposals, and set up laundry drains with proper standpipes and valves. If you're planning a remodel, we can run new supply and drain lines while the walls are open. Call (651) 215-2087 and tell us about your project or problem.