Our team of expert plumbers at Van Franey Plumbing can be relied upon in a plumbing emergency; a plumber answers 24/7. We specialize in sewer blockage & backup emergencies as well as burst pipes, diagnosing leaks and repairing the problem.
We provide 24/7 emergency plumbing services, week day scheduled repairs and installation of water heaters, toilets, sinks, faucets and waste disposals throughout Cape Coral, Southwest Florida.
What is different about plumbing in Cape Coral
Cape Coral was platted in the late 1950s and built out in waves, and each wave left its own plumbing behind. The canal homes south of Cape Coral Parkway and along the Caloosahatchee went up in the 1960s and 70s with copper supply lines and, in the earliest streets, cast iron drains under the slab. Copper of that age pits from the inside and opens pinholes, usually at the water heater first and then in the slab. Homes from the late 1970s through the early 90s across the central Cape, from Santa Barbara to Chiquita and up past Pine Island Road, are the ones most likely to have gray polybutylene supply lines, a material insurers and inspectors now flag on sight. The northwest and northeast Cape filled in during the 2000s boom with CPVC, much of it run through hot attics, where it turns brittle and cracks at the fittings after fifteen or twenty years.
Every one of those homes sits on a slab, so a supply leak either shows itself in the attic ceiling or hides under the floor until the bill arrives. A good share of our Cape Coral leak diagnostics calls start with a water bill and end with a reroute through the attic or a full repipe.
Cape Coral water and the second set of pipes
The City of Cape Coral runs its own utility, and in its recent reports the drinking water comes from deep aquifer wells treated by reverse osmosis. That leaves it softer than most of Southwest Florida, with a chloramine disinfectant that you notice in the taste and on your skin. Scale is less of a problem here than in Fort Myers or Lehigh; the disinfectant is what most Cape homeowners want filtered. Cape Coral also has a separate irrigation system in much of the city, carrying canal and reclaimed water through a second set of pipes for lawns only. It is not for drinking, and the two systems must never be connected. If a hose bib runs cloudy or smells like the canal, or you are not sure which line feeds what, that is worth a look. Parts of the north Cape that have not yet been connected to city utilities are still on private wells and septic.
Salt air, canals and fixtures
On a canal or near the river, salt air works on everything metal. Outdoor hose bibs seize, water heater fittings corrode, disposal flanges pit, and the finish comes off faucets years before it would inland. Dock and seawall hose lines are a common source of the mystery leak that only shows up on the bill. When we replace exterior fixtures on the water, we choose brass and stainless that hold up to it.
Neighborhoods we serve
We cover all of Cape Coral: the southeast Cape and the canal streets around Cape Coral Parkway and the Yacht Club, Pelican and the southwest Cape out to Tarpon Point and Cape Harbour, the central Cape along Santa Barbara, Del Prado and Chiquita, the northeast around Pine Island Road and Del Prado North, Burnt Store Road and the northwest Cape, and Matlacha across the bridge. If you are not sure whether your street is in our area, call and ask.
Seasonal homes
Thousands of Cape Coral homes are occupied only from November to April, and the copper and polybutylene systems in the older ones are exactly the systems that let go in an empty house. Before you head north, find and use the main shutoff valve, set the water heater to vacation or off, and leave a key with a neighbor or manager. When you return, run every fixture and look at the water heater base before settling in. We also work with the rental managers who keep the Cape full in season, turning units around between tenants and answering the midnight sewer call.
Plumbing services in Cape Coral
The calls we get most from Cape Coral are pinhole leaks in older copper, polybutylene failures, CPVC cracks in the attic, sewer backups where the city line meets the house, garage water heaters at the end of their life, and repipes once a house has had more than one leak. The full list of what we do:
Our plumbing services include:
- Sewer & Drain Cleaning
- Backflow Prevention Devices
- Leak Diagnostics
- Toilet Repairs & Replacement
- Whole House Water RePipes
- High Velocity Water Jetter
- Video Camera Diagnostics
- Water & Well Pumps
- Faucets, Sinks, Disposals
- Water Heater Installation
What to expect on the visit
A licensed Van Franey plumber comes across the bridge in a marked truck stocked for the common Cape Coral jobs. We diagnose first, explain what we found and the choices you have, and do the work once you agree. On a leak call that means pressure testing and listening before anything is opened. On a drain call it often means a camera in the line so you can see whether the problem is grease, roots, or a broken pipe. Water heater replacements and repipes are permitted and inspected through the City of Cape Coral, and we handle that paperwork. Floors are protected and the work area is cleaned before we go.
When to call
Call right away for a burst pipe, water you cannot shut off, sewage backing up into the house, no water at all, a tank leaking from the bottom, or gas you can smell. Close the main valve first if you can. Call during the day for a slow drain, a toilet that keeps running, a dripping faucet, a hose bib that will not close, or a water bill that jumped. A plumber answers 24/7.
Call Van Franey Plumbing 24/7 for emergency service in Cape Coral at (239) 851-0207 or to request a plumber
Learn more before you call
- Does my home have polybutylene pipes, and what should I do about them?
- Why copper pipes get pinhole leaks in Southwest Florida
- What is in Cape Coral tap water?
- Where is my main water shutoff valve, and should I close it when I leave town?
Common questions from Cape Coral homeowners
How do I know if my Cape Coral home has polybutylene pipe?
Look at the water heater connections and under the sinks for gray plastic pipe, often stamped PB2110, with copper or plastic crimp fittings. Homes built from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s are the likely ones. If you find it, a repipe conversation is worth having before the next leak.
Is my irrigation water the same as my house water?
No. In the parts of Cape Coral with dual service, irrigation comes from canals and reclaimed water through a separate line for lawns only. It is not treated for drinking and should never be connected to the house plumbing.
Do I need a water softener in Cape Coral?
Often not. The city reports reverse osmosis treatment, which removes most of the hardness at the plant. Most Cape homes get more benefit from a carbon filter for the disinfectant, with a small RO unit for drinking water. A hardness test at your tap settles it.
Do you come to Cape Coral for emergencies at night?
Yes. A plumber answers 24/7, and Cape Coral is one of the areas we serve most. Shut off the main valve first if you can reach it, then call.