Pipe Repair Van Nuys — Specialists in Aging Apartment Plumbing

If you own or manage a multi-unit building in Van Nuys, you already know the routine: a tenant calls about low water pressure, a ceiling stain appears out of nowhere, or a slow drain suddenly backs up into three units at once. Van Nuys was built up fast in the postwar decades, and thousands of the apartments lining Sherman Way, Sepulveda Boulevard, and the side streets in between still run on the same galvanized steel pipes installed in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Those pipes are now corroding from the inside out — restricting flow, leaching rust, and developing pinhole leaks that can go undetected for months before causing serious water damage.

EZ Plumbing has been handling pipe repair in Van Nuys and across the San Fernando Valley since 1989. We understand the specific challenges of older multi-unit construction: cramped utility chases, pipes buried beneath original concrete slabs, and shared sewer laterals where one unit’s blockage becomes every tenant’s problem. Our licensed plumbers (C-36 License #583868) come equipped to diagnose and repair deteriorating galvanized supply lines, corroded drain lines, and failing copper connections — with minimal disruption to occupied units.

Whether you’re a property manager dealing with a recurring leak in a 12-unit building or a homeowner in a 1960s single-family on Vanowen Street, we’ll give you an honest assessment of what needs fixing now and what can wait — so you’re not overspending on repairs that don’t solve the root problem.

Why Galvanized Pipes in Van Nuys Buildings Are a Growing Problem

Galvanized pipe was the standard in residential construction through the early 1970s, and Van Nuys has an unusually high concentration of buildings from that exact era. The problem isn’t just age — it’s the way galvanized steel corrodes. The interior walls of these pipes gradually build up rust and mineral scale, narrowing the water flow over decades. Eventually, the pipe wall weakens to the point where pressure changes, seismic movement, or just time causes a breach. In dense apartment complexes, a single failed supply line can mean water intrusion across multiple units and significant liability for property owners.

Our pipe repair Van Nuys service starts with a proper diagnosis — often using camera inspection for drain lines — so we’re not guessing at what’s behind your walls. We repair isolated sections when that’s the right call, and we’re straightforward about when a building’s galvanized system has reached the end of its functional life and repiping makes more financial sense than continued spot repairs.

Shared Sewer Laterals and Multi-Unit Pipe Disputes

One issue we see regularly in Van Nuys rental properties is conflict over shared sewer laterals. Many older multi-unit parcels have two or more buildings tied into the same sewer connection running to the city main. When there’s a backup or root intrusion, determining which unit, building, or owner is responsible can become a real dispute — especially in properties that have changed ownership multiple times. EZ Plumbing can perform lateral camera inspections, locate the source of the blockage or break with precision, and provide written documentation that’s useful for landlord-tenant or co-owner situations. Our pipe repair Van Nuys team has navigated these exact scenarios many times throughout the Valley, and we’ll help you understand what you’re responsible for before any work begins.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pipe Repair in Van Nuys

My Van Nuys apartment building was built in the 1960s — how do I know if the galvanized pipes need repair or full replacement?

If your building is still on its original galvanized plumbing and you’re seeing chronic low pressure, rust-colored water at certain fixtures, or recurring leaks in the same areas, those are signs the system is failing broadly rather than at one isolated point. A spot repair may buy time, but we’ll be honest with you: if the pipes are 60-plus years old and showing these symptoms throughout the building, continued repairs often cost more over two to three years than a planned repipe. We can inspect the system and give you a clear breakdown so you can make a financially informed decision.

We have three units in our Van Nuys building backing up at the same time. Is that a shared lateral problem?

Almost certainly. When multiple units on the same property experience simultaneous drain backups, the blockage or damage is nearly always in the shared portion of the sewer lateral — downstream from where the individual unit lines converge. This is common in older Van Nuys multi-unit properties where lateral lines haven’t been inspected or cleaned in years, and where tree root intrusion from mature landscaping is a frequent culprit. We’ll run a camera through the main lateral to pinpoint the exact location before recommending any repair.

Who is responsible for pipe repair when the break is in the sewer lateral shared between two buildings on the same lot?

In Los Angeles, property owners are responsible for the sewer lateral from their building all the way to the connection at the city main — even the portion that runs under the public sidewalk. If two structures on the same parcel share a lateral, responsibility typically falls on the property owner of record for that parcel. If the property has been subdivided or sold in portions, the answer gets more complicated and sometimes requires reviewing recorded easements or CC&Rs. We’ve dealt with this exact situation in Van Nuys and can help document the condition of the line for your records or for any legal or insurance purposes.

Can pipe repairs be done while my Van Nuys tenants are still in the building, or will they need to be relocated?

Most pipe repairs we perform in occupied multi-unit buildings in Van Nuys can be completed with only a temporary water shutoff — typically a few hours. We coordinate shutoff windows in advance and work efficiently to minimize the inconvenience to your tenants. For larger repairs involving slab access or extended sections of pipe, we’ll give you a realistic timeline upfront so you can communicate clearly with residents. Tenant displacement is rarely necessary for targeted pipe repair Van Nuys work, though larger repiping projects may require more planning around unit access.

For Pipe Repair in Van Nuys, call EZ Plumbing at (818) 908-2710 or schedule service online.