Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Tell us what's going on with our free estimate form, or call or text us, and there's no charge for the estimate.

Yes, we're licensed and insured. We're also women-owned and locally owned. Read more about who we are.

Yes. We're available 24/7, so call (828) 344-5244 whenever something goes wrong. Our emergency plumbing page covers what to do while you wait.

Absolutely. Our number, (828) 344-5244, takes texts, so feel free to send a quick description (and a photo, if it helps). Rather type it all out? Use the form on our contact page.

We're based in Asheville and serve towns across Western North Carolina, from Hendersonville and Brevard to Weaverville, Waynesville and Black Mountain. See the full list on our service area page.

Yes. Our labor and installation come with a limited lifetime workmanship warranty: if we made the mistake, it's ours to fix for as long as you own and live in the home. It covers our workmanship, not manufacturer defects in parts, and it doesn't transfer to a new owner. See the full terms on our approach page.

We do: Silver, Gold and Platinum monthly plans, with no contract term. Each includes priority scheduling and regular inspections, and Gold and Platinum add a water heater flush. See our maintenance plans.

We're the plumbing side of Geek Construction Team. On kitchen and bathroom remodels, we handle the plumbing and they take care of the rest of the project.

If water is going where it shouldn't and you can't stop it, that's an emergency. So is sewage backing up, no water at all or a water heater that's leaking. A dripping faucet or a slow drain can usually wait for a regular appointment. Not sure? Ask us. We'll be honest about whether it can wait.

Shut off the main water valve (or the small valve under the fixture), switch a leaking water heater off at the breaker or its gas control, move valuables out of the way and stay out of standing water near outlets. Then snap a few photos for your insurance company.

Open the faucet that pipe feeds so melting water has somewhere to go, then warm the area gently with a hair dryer or a space heater kept at a safe distance. No torches. If the pipe has already split, shut off the main and call us. Once things thaw, a whole home plumbing inspection is a smart way to find other pipes at risk before next winter.

Yes. We're a true 24-hour plumber, and a backup is an emergency any time. Stop using water in the house (every flush and every shower adds to it), keep people and pets away from the mess and call (828) 344-5244.

Yes. The same 24/7 number covers offices, shops and rental properties. Our commercial plumbing page has more on how we work with businesses.

Business owners, property managers and contractors, mostly at a small-business scale: offices, shops, restaurants and rental buildings. If you're not sure we're the right fit for your building, call and ask. We'll tell you honestly.

Yes. We're available 24/7. Tell us when your doors are open and when they aren't, and we'll plan the visit with that in mind.

Yes. Contractors are one of the groups we serve, and since we're the plumbing side of Geek Construction Team, we know how a job site runs.

Yes. Water heater repair and replacement is part of our commercial work. Rheem is our preferred brand. Tell us the size and type of unit you have, and we'll let you know what it'll take.

We start with your story, because when and where something happens is half the clue. Then we check the fixture or line involved, look at the parts around it and test until we can point to the cause. You'll hear what we found and why it happened, not just what we replaced.

Yes. If a repair would only buy a few months, we'll say so and walk you through replacement options, too. If a simple fix is all it needs, you'll hear that as well.

Usually, yes. A steady drip wastes water around the clock, and it's often an early sign that a washer, cartridge or connection is wearing out. Hidden drips are worse: under a sink or in a crawl space, they can quietly rot wood and grow mold before anyone notices.

Those are our favorite puzzles. Before you call, jot down when it happens: time of day, which fixtures are running, whether it's hot or cold water, and what the weather is doing. Patterns like that point straight at the cause and make the visit quicker.

We do. Most of our work is residential, but business owners and property managers call us for repairs too. Our commercial plumbing page has more.

A filter removes things from your water, like sediment, chlorine taste or iron. A softener exchanges the hardness minerals that cause scale and spots. They solve different problems, so some homes need one and some need both.

Yes. Well water often brings sediment, iron, sulfur or hardness, and a whole-house setup can be built to deal with the ones your well has. We size it to the well's flow so your pressure doesn't suffer.

CSI and Watersoft are our preferred brands for whole-house filters and softeners. Other brands are available on request.

It depends on the system and your water. Cartridge-style sediment and carbon filters need replacing every few months or so, while larger media tanks clean themselves and last much longer. Heavy sediment or iron means more frequent changes. We'll show you what to watch for, or come change them for you.

Yes. We install reverse osmosis systems for drinking and cooking water, usually under the kitchen sink with their own faucet, and we can take care of the filter and membrane changes afterward.

It can. Hard water leaves scale inside tanks and tankless heat exchangers, which makes the heater work harder and wear out sooner. Softer water means less buildup and less water heater repair down the road.

We check the meter, shut off fixtures one by one and follow the water's path along pipes and framing. The goal is to know where the leak is before we open anything, so any hole we make stays small.

Yes. Those are the materials we see most in homes around Asheville, and a leaky section of any of them can be repaired. Where an old galvanized or copper line is failing in more than one spot, we'll explain your options honestly.

Open the faucet it feeds so melting water has somewhere to go, and warm the area gently with a space heater or hair dryer, never an open flame. If the pipe has split, close the main shut-off valve right away and call or text (828) 344-5244. We answer 24/7.

All the time. Crawl spaces are where a lot of supply and drain lines run in Western North Carolina homes, and we'll point out anything else down there that looks like trouble.

If one fixture is slow, it's probably a clog in that drain, and regular drain cleaning will handle it. If several fixtures back up together, or the lowest drain in the house fills when you flush, the problem is likely in the main sewer line.

They can. Roots usually get in through a small gap at a joint, then keep growing. Over time they can widen cracks, shift sections of pipe and block the line completely. Catching root problems early keeps the repair smaller.

Stop using water right away. No flushing, no showers, no laundry. Keep kids and pets away from the area, and call or text (828) 344-5244. A sewage backup is an emergency plumbing situation, and we answer 24/7.

Check for a drain nobody uses, like a guest shower or a floor drain. Every drain has a trap that holds a little water to block sewer gas, and when that water evaporates, the smell gets in. Run water in it for a minute. If the smell keeps coming back, something else is going on and we should take a look.

Yes. Restaurants, offices and rental buildings get sewer trouble too, and a backup there affects a lot of people at once. Our commercial plumbing page covers how we work with business owners and property managers.

That's called short cycling. The most common cause is a pressure tank that's lost its air charge, but a failing pressure switch or a leak somewhere in the system can do it too. It's worth fixing soon, because all that starting and stopping wears out the pump.

It depends on how hard it works. Sediment, water use and short cycling all play a part, so fixing a waterlogged tank early is one of the easiest ways to help a pump go the distance.

Sputtering faucets usually mean air is getting into the system. A dropping water level in the well, a leak in the pipe between the pump and the house or a failing check valve are common causes. If it starts suddenly, give us a call before the pump runs dry.

Make sure the pressure tank, switch and any exposed pipes stay above freezing or are insulated. A well house or crawl space with a broken vent can freeze in a mountain cold snap.

For most households, yes. No water means no flushing, no washing and no cooking. Call or text us any time, and see our emergency plumbing page for what to do while you wait.

Humming almost always means the motor is getting power but the plate can't turn, usually because something is jammed inside. Cut the power, free the jam with the hex wrench from underneath, press the reset button and try again. If it spins freely and still just hums, give us a call.

Grease and cooking oil, coffee grounds, eggshells, pasta and rice (they swell), bones, fruit pits and stringy stuff like celery, corn husks and onion skins. Anything that isn't food stays out too. Run cold water while it grinds and for a few seconds after.

Sometimes. A leak at the sink flange or the drain connection usually comes down to a seal or a loose fitting we can fix. Water dripping from the bottom of the unit itself usually means the internal seals are done, and that means a new disposal.

No, even with the switch off. Use tongs or pliers to pull out anything stuck, and cut the power first. If you can't see what's jamming it, let us take a look.

Food bits love to hide under the rubber splash guard and inside the chamber. Scrub the underside of the guard and run some ice cubes through to knock the gunk loose. If the smell sticks around, there may be a partial clog further down the line, and our drain cleaning service can clear it.

It depends on how much is changing. Keeping the layout and swapping fixtures may only take new valves, supply lines and connections. Moving the toilet, shower or vanity means new rough-in work for drains, vents and supply lines. We'll walk through your plan and tell you which camp you're in.

Often, yes. The real question is how the drain gets there: a toilet needs a large drain with the right slope and a vent. In a home over a crawl space, getting under the floor is usually easier than in one built on a slab. We'll look and tell you what it takes.

Geek Construction Team, our sister company, handles the remodel itself. We're the plumbing side of the same company, so you can bring both of us in or call us for just the plumbing.

Tell us what you have in mind before the rough-in starts. Valve heights, drain positions and supply connections depend on the exact model, so knowing the fixture early saves headaches later.

Island sinks take more planning than a sink on a wall, because there's no wall to run a vent up. The drain has to go down through the floor and connect to your system with a vent setup that meets code. We'll look at what's under your floor and explain the options.