Service area
Plumbing in Appleby
Appleby spreads across east Burlington on both sides of Appleby Line, from lakeside streets near Appleby Village up past the QEW. Most of its homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s and have already been through two or three cycles of repairs.
- A plumber routed to your street in Appleby
- Drains, leaks, water heaters and basements
- Familiar with the pipes in these houses
- The plan explained before any work
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The houses of Appleby
South of the highway, the area is mostly detached bungalows, backsplits and two-storeys from the suburban boom of the 1960s and 1970s, set on generous lots with mature trees. Closer to the lake the houses get larger and the lots deeper. North of the QEW, development continues into the 1980s with more townhouses and semis. Appleby Village, the plaza at Appleby Line and New Street, serves as the local landmark for most residents.
Because the housing stock is so consistent, the same systems tend to wear out on the same streets within a few years of each other.
Area at a glance
- Area
- Appleby
- Municipality
- City of Burlington
- Water
- Halton Region, lake-supplied
- Call
- (365) 464-5184
Common plumbing problems here
- Original copper reaching its limits: pinhole leaks in fifty-year-old copper, often in the basement ceiling near the water heater. See leak detection.
- Cast iron and clay drains: scaled cast iron in the house and clay or early plastic laterals outside, with root problems where trees are close.
- Old shut-off valves: gate valves that no longer close fully when a fixture needs repair.
- Basement bathrooms: owners finishing lower levels often need a basement bathroom rough-in, sometimes with a sewage ejector where drains sit too low.
Worth checking here
- Floor drain flows and has a cover
- Sump pump starts when the float lifts
- Water heater age on the rating plate
- Hose bib shut-off closed before frost
Water, drains and basements
East Burlington felt the August 2014 storm heavily, and several Appleby-area streets saw basements flooded by both overland water and sewer backup. Since then, many owners have added backwater valves and disconnected downspouts. If your house has neither, our page on basement flooding repair walks through the first hours after water arrives, and the prevention guide covers what to do before.
Water here comes from Halton Region's lake treatment plants, so hardness is moderate and water heaters gather sediment over time. Flushing the tank once a year helps it last. Scale also collects in faucet aerators and shower heads, so a drop in flow at one fixture is often fixed by a simple cleaning rather than any pipe work. When the whole house loses pressure at once, though, the cause is usually further back in the supply line.
Find your main shut-off
In most houses here the water enters at the street-side foundation wall, with the meter and main valve together. Tag that valve before you need it.
Getting us there
Appleby is easy to reach from the QEW at Appleby Line, and from New Street and Lakeshore Road for the southern streets. Driveways are typically wide and parking is simple. For calls in townhouse complexes north of the highway, give us the unit number and any visitor parking rules when you book, and let us know whether the basement is finished.
Neighbouring areas include Elizabeth Gardens, Pinedale and Longmoor. Our guide on water heater lifespan is relevant to almost every house on these streets.
Questions we hear
My copper pipes are original. Should I replace them?
Not automatically. If you have had more than one pinhole leak, it is worth having the piping assessed, since leaks often cluster in the same runs.
Can I put a bathroom in my Appleby basement?
Usually, yes. The depth of the main drain decides whether new fixtures can drain by gravity or will need an ejector pump to lift waste.