Plumbing Blog

Tips, insights, and trenchless technology from the Done Right team

Side Sewer Repair in Seattle: A Shared Line in Lake City, Dug Out, Rebuilt and Lined to the Main
Job StoryOctober 2026

Side Sewer Repair in Seattle: A Shared Line in Lake City, Dug Out, Rebuilt and Lined to the Main

At an Olympic Hills home in Lake City, a six-inch side sewer shared with the neighbors had settled and its old concrete was breaking apart. Ben, Jeremy and Joseph T. dug down to it, rebuilt the section and the wye in SDR 35 PVC on gravel with a new cleanout, and lined the shared run out to the city main.

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What Should My Water Pressure Be? Straight Answers for Seattle-Area Homes
Questions & AnswersOctober 2026

What Should My Water Pressure Be? Straight Answers for Seattle-Area Homes

Between 50 and 70 psi suits most homes, and Washington's plumbing code requires a regulator above 80. How to test your own pressure, what high pressure does to valves and hoses, where your regulator is, and why a water heater's relief valve drips.

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Kitchen Faucet Installation in Mill Creek: A Touch Faucet and a Glass Rinser, Set Up Right
Job StoryOctober 2026

Kitchen Faucet Installation in Mill Creek: A Touch Faucet and a Glass Rinser, Set Up Right

A homeowner in the Highlands at Mill Creek bought a touch-activated Delta faucet and a glass rinser and asked for them installed properly. Jeremy fitted both in one visit, with the supplies, the solenoid and the rinser's own tee set right, and the kitchen back in service that afternoon.

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Drain Repair in Bellevue: A Laundry Drain That Emptied Into a Bucket, Rebuilt Before Lunch
Job StoryOctober 2026

Drain Repair in Bellevue: A Laundry Drain That Emptied Into a Bucket, Rebuilt Before Lunch

A Northtowne laundry room where the washer was draining into a bucket. Nick and Jeremy opened the wall, cut out the rusted galvanized standpipe, rebuilt the drain in two-inch ABS with a P-trap and a cleanout, and cabled the rest of the line before lunch.

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A Fall Plumbing Checklist for Puget Sound Homes: Eight Things to Do Before the Rain Settles In
Seasonal GuideOctober 2026

A Fall Plumbing Checklist for Puget Sound Homes: Eight Things to Do Before the Rain Settles In

Roughly three quarters of the Seattle area's rain falls between October and March. Here are the eight things we check on our own houses before it starts: hoses and bibs, the water heater, the sump and crawlspace, the side sewer, downspouts, the main shutoff, the meter and exposed pipes.

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How Long Does a Water Heater Last in Seattle? Answers From Our Recent Jobs
Questions & AnswersSeptember 2026

How Long Does a Water Heater Last in Seattle? Answers From Our Recent Jobs

Ten to fifteen years is the rule, and Seattle tanks usually reach the top of it. Why the city's soft water stretches a heater's life, the signs it is about to fail, sizing and fit, and the City Light heat pump rebate.

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Water Service Line Materials: What’s Buried Between the Meter and Your Home
GuideSeptember 2026

Water Service Line Materials: What’s Buried Between the Meter and Your Home

A look at the pipe materials we find on water service replacements around Seattle — galvanized steel, polybutylene, black poly, copper, and more — what tends to go wrong with each, and why we typically recommend PEX A for new installations.

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Who Is Responsible for a Water Service Leak — And Can You Get Reimbursed?
Homeowner GuideSeptember 2026

Who Is Responsible for a Water Service Leak — And Can You Get Reimbursed?

A water service leak can run up your bill for weeks before you notice it. Here is how responsibility is divided at the meter in the Seattle area, which utilities offer leak adjustments, and what you need to document to qualify.

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Trenchless Water Line Replacement on Mercer Island: A New Line Without Digging Up the Yard
Job StorySeptember 2026

Trenchless Water Line Replacement on Mercer Island: A New Line Without Digging Up the Yard

A leaking black poly water service on the east side of Mercer Island, replaced with new one-inch PEX pulled between two small pits, and a yard left as it was.

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Trenchless or Open Trench? How We Decide Which Way to Replace a Water Line
Field GuideSeptember 2026

Trenchless or Open Trench? How We Decide Which Way to Replace a Water Line

Most water service replacements we do are trenchless and most spot repairs are open cut. Here is what decides it, what each costs, and jobs we did both ways.

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How Much Does Sewer Line Repair Cost in the Seattle Area?
Questions & AnswersSeptember 2026

How Much Does Sewer Line Repair Cost in the Seattle Area?

From a camera inspection to a full dig-and-replace, "sewer repair" spans a huge price range. Eight questions homeowners ask us most, answered with the real figures from our own jobs.

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Water Heater Replacement in Mill Creek: What a Complete Install Includes
Job StorySeptember 2026

Water Heater Replacement in Mill Creek: What a Complete Install Includes

A same-day water heater swap in Mill Creek — and everything around the tank that made it a complete installation instead of a fast one: stand, straps, expansion tank, new valves and a dated install.

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Signs Your Water Line Is Failing: What We Actually See in the Field
Field GuideAugust 2026

Signs Your Water Line Is Failing: What We Actually See in the Field

A buried water service almost never fails loudly. Eight signs we actually find behind failed water lines around Seattle and Snohomish County — and the five-minute meter test that settles the question.

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Sewer Cleanout in Kenmore: The Access This Line Never Had
Job StoryAugust 2026

Sewer Cleanout in Kenmore: The Access This Line Never Had

A Kenmore side sewer with no cleanout anywhere on the run — so Nick and Jeremy installed a two-way cleanout, cleared the line through it, and put a camera down to find the roots at fifteen feet.

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Water Service Repair in Shoreline: Hand-Dug, Turf Back Down
Job StoryAugust 2026

Water Service Repair in Shoreline: Hand-Dug, Turf Back Down

How we repaired a failing water service in Shoreline's Echo Lake blocks — locates called, the trench hand-dug beside a street tree, a new section clamped in, and the turf back down the same day.

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How Much Does Water Line Replacement Cost in the Seattle Area?
Questions & AnswersAugust 2026

How Much Does Water Line Replacement Cost in the Seattle Area?

What water line replacement really costs in the Seattle area, what moves the price, and how to tell a spot repair from a full replacement. Nine questions, answered with real numbers.

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Woodinville Water Line Replacement: Rebecca's 5-Star Experience
Customer StoryJune 2026

Woodinville Water Line Replacement: Rebecca's 5-Star Experience

When Rebecca's Woodinville water bill tripled, she discovered another leak in her main water line. Here's how a full trenchless replacement — done the next day in under 5 hours — solved it for good.

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Same-Day Water Heater Installation in Snohomish
Customer StoryJune 2026

Same-Day Water Heater Installation in Snohomish

When Milo's water heater failed with warranty and parts complications, most companies would say “next week.” Here's how Done Right delivered same-day service anyway.

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Clearing Up 3 Common Misconceptions About Plumbing
TipsFebruary 10, 2024

Clearing Up 3 Common Misconceptions About Plumbing

There are quite a few misconceptions about plumbing that can lead to costly mistakes. We explore three of the most common ones — and how to avoid them.

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Sewer Back Ups: 10 Essential Tips & Steps To Stay Safe
SafetyJanuary 18, 2024

Sewer Back Ups: 10 Essential Tips & Steps To Stay Safe

A practical guide to preparing for sewer backups — why they happen, how to keep your family safe, and what prevention steps can help avoid the worst.

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Embracing the Future: Trenchless Water Line Replacement
TrenchlessDecember 4, 2023

Embracing the Future: Trenchless Water Line Replacement

Trenchless water line replacement is changing what homeowners expect from a major plumbing job. Less digging, less mess, faster results — here’s how it works.

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