Plumbing Repair in Ajax, Ontario

Signs a Fixture or Valve Needs Repair

Small problems cost less to fix before they ruin a cabinet, a floor or the ceiling below. Book a repair if you notice any of these:

• The toilet refills on its own between flushes, or water keeps trickling into the bowl long after a flush. A worn flapper or a tired fill valve is the usual cause, and both can be replaced without changing the toilet.
• A faucet keeps dripping after it is shut, or leaks into the cabinet when it runs. Many single-handle faucets can be rebuilt with a new cartridge, as long as the faucet itself is sound and replacement parts are made for that model.
• One tap has weak flow while the others are fine. Unscrew and rinse the aerator at the tip of the spout first; if the flow is still poor, the cartridge or the supply line to that fixture is the next thing to check.
• A shut-off valve under a sink or behind a toilet is stiff, weeps at the stem or no longer stops the water.
• Pipes knock or bang when the dishwasher or washing machine stops filling. This is called water hammer, and we trace where it starts before recommending a fix.
• An outdoor tap drips at the spout, or leaks around the handle, the first time it is turned on in spring.

Ajax Water and Your Fixtures

Ajax drinks treated Lake Ontario water from the Region of Durham, and one of the Region's water supply plants is in Ajax itself. For the system serving Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa, the Region's published hardness is 125 mg/L (milligrams per litre) as calcium carbonate. Those minerals leave scale wherever water sits or dries, so aerators, showerheads, faucet cartridges and toilet fill valves collect it over the years. Rinsing an aerator is a quick job for a homeowner; scale inside a cartridge or fill valve usually means a new part.

A softener is not required with Region water; the Region calls it a personal preference. If scale keeps wearing out your fixtures, a softener is one option to price, and our water softener page explains how it works.

Shut-Off Valves and the Water Meter

Ajax homes on Region water have a meter near the spot where the service pipe enters, and a shut-off valve sits on either side of it. The Region of Durham repairs leaks at the meter and its fittings. A leak at either of those valves, or anywhere else on the house side, is the homeowner's to fix, and that is repair work our plumbers do.

Test the main valve once or twice a year, and before any planned plumbing job: run a basement tap, close the valve slowly and check that the flow stops. If the valve is stiff, do not force it with a wrench, because an old gate valve can break inside. A quarter-turn ball valve is the usual replacement, since it is easy to operate and you can see at a glance whether it is open or closed.

For a leak at the meter itself, the Region's numbers are 311 and 905-668-7711 during the day, and 905-576-9991 after hours. For anything on your side of the meter, the number to call is ours, (905) 576-3043.

Older Homes, Renovations and Ajax Permits

Ajax grew from the community built for the Defence Industries Limited munitions plant during the Second World War, followed by planned postwar subdivisions, and the Pickering Village heritage conservation district along Old Kingston Road dates from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Older homes may still have original valves or sections of galvanized supply pipe, and fixing one part can expose another that is worn. We show you what we find and price any extra work on its own, so you decide what gets done and when.

Fixing a faucet, a toilet or a valve is a repair. Relocating a kitchen sink, adding a second bathroom or roughing in a basement washroom adds new plumbing, and the Town of Ajax handles plumbing permits for that kind of work. To apply, use the Town's Online Application Portal or email buildingpermits@ajax.ca. Inspections are requested by phone at 905-619-2529 at least 24 hours ahead.

What a Repair Costs

Most repairs are priced after the plumber has seen the problem, because parts, access and labour time differ from job to job. For planning plumbing repair in Ajax, our 2026 Oshawa plumbing cost guide prices an appliance hookup at $150 to $300 (that covers connecting a dishwasher, a washing machine or a fridge's water line), and spot repairs on a leaking pipe or drain line at $500 to $1,500. We can supply a new fixture from Moen, Kohler, American Standard, Riobel or Mirolin, or fit one you already own, and either way the fixture is priced separately. The quote itself is free, and you approve the written price before the plumber begins.