What we do
- Outdoor hose bibs replaced, with vacuum breakers
- Angle stops under sinks and toilets swapped for quarter-turn valves
- New braided supply lines with every stop
- Main house valves replaced with full-port ball valves
- Leaking valve stems repacked where repair makes sense
- Wall penetrations sealed around new bibs
In Alhambra homes
The City of Alhambra’s 2025 water quality report lists total hardness at 240 ppm. The U.S. Geological Survey calls anything above 180 mg/L very hard. That scale is what seizes multi-turn valves: the stem and washer get crusted in place, and when they are finally turned, they often refuse to close or start dripping at the stem.
Get a quote in one text
Send photos of the valves or spigots, and tell us whether your main house valve closes. Our number for photos is (626) 684-3505, and the price comes back before any work is booked.
Angle stops
The small valves under sinks and toilets are the first line of defense in a leak. We replace stiff or weeping stops with quarter-turn valves that close in one motion, and fit a new supply line at the same time.
Hose bibs
A spigot that drips at the spout needs new internals or a new bib; one that leaks behind the handle needs packing. Cracked or corroded bodies are replaced, and every new bib gets a vacuum breaker so hose water cannot siphon back.
The house valve
If the main valve will not close, everything else is harder. We replace it with a ball valve. That requires shutting water at the meter; your water supplier operates the meter valve, and we coordinate around that.
Leaks you do not see
The EPA’s WaterSense program says the average household’s leaks can waste more than 9,300 gallons a year. A weeping stop under a vanity is a quiet part of that.
Testing
After replacing a valve we open and close it fully, check for drips at the stem and connections, and show you where each shutoff is.
What goes to a plumber
Repiping, slab leaks and work on the street side of the meter go to a plumber or the water supplier.
Valves behind toilets
Toilet stops are turned so rarely that they are often frozen. We replace them with quarter-turn stops and braided lines so the toilet can be isolated in seconds if it overflows.
Front yard spigots
Spigots near walkways get kicked and bumped. When the pipe behind the wall is loose, we secure it to the framing so the new bib does not wobble or crack the stucco.
Before a trip
Knowing where your valves are and that they close is worth five minutes. We show you each one after the work.
Sources: City of Alhambra, 2025 Annual Water Quality Report; U.S. Geological Survey, Hardness of Water; U.S. EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week.
Repair guides for this job
- Replacing a toilet without harming a vintage tile floorReplacing a toilet in an Alhambra bath with original 1920s or 1930s tile: measuring the rough-in, repairing the flange and protecting the old floor.
- Low water pressure at one faucet, shower or toiletWhy one faucet, shower or toilet in an older Alhambra house runs weak, the quick checks you can do first, and what a repair visit looks like.
- Replacing a garbage disposal under an older kitchen sinkWhat to check when a disposal hums, leaks or will not turn on, and how we fit a new one under the deep vintage sinks found in older Alhambra kitchens.
- Fitting a new faucet to an old sinkHow to tell which new faucets fit an older sink, why vintage wall-mount and widespread sinks need care, and what our faucet replacement visit involves.
Looking for a handyman in Alhambra for more than one job? Send the whole list and we’ll price it together.
We serve Alhambra first, plus Monterey Park, San Gabriel and other nearby cities. Have a question? See the handyman FAQ.