Condo and Multi-Unit Plumbing in Toronto

Plumbing that many people share

In a condo or apartment building, the pipes inside the walls are usually shared. A kitchen stack may collect drainage from every suite above it, and a single riser valve can control water to a whole column of units. That makes careful planning just as important as the repair itself.

• Vertical risers feeding hot and cold water to stacked suites
• Kitchen and laundry stacks that collect grease and lint from many units
• Booster pumps and pressure-reducing valves in the mechanical room
• Recirculation lines keeping hot water at the far end of each floor

Common calls from multi-unit buildings

• Drips through the ceiling from the unit upstairs
• Sinks low in the stack overflowing while floors above run dishwashers
• Old riser valves that leak by when they are closed
• Low pressure or slow hot water on upper floors
• Noisy pipes and hammering when fixtures close

How a planned shut-down works

1. We confirm which riser or branch feeds the affected suites
2. Management posts notice to residents with the time window
3. The valve is closed, drained down and the work done
4. Water is restored slowly and air is bled from the line
5. Every suite on the riser is checked for leaks and flow

Stack cleaning on a schedule

Kitchen stacks in older buildings slowly narrow with grease. Jetting them from the roof vent or the base cleanout, then checking with a camera, prevents the bottom-floor backups that cause the most damage and the most complaints.