Leaks and drips
Under the sink, behind the toilet, a pinhole in an old copper line. I find where it starts, not just where it shows.
Plumber for Grand Forks and the Boundary
I'm Dana Reyes, and Kettle River Plumbing is me and a well-stocked van. Dripping taps, a tired pressure tank, a cabin that needs draining before the cold sets in: call or text, and you get me, not a dispatcher.
I pick up 7 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday. After hours, leave a message or a text and I call back first thing. If water is pouring, shut the main valve and say so in the message.
Jobs I do
Most of my week is small jobs in houses and cabins. I carry the common parts, so a lot of them are done in one visit.
Under the sink, behind the toilet, a pinhole in an old copper line. I find where it starts, not just where it shows.
Cartridges, new kitchen and bathroom taps, shut-off valves that won't shut off, a sink swap during a small reno.
Running, rocking or leaking at the base. Fill valves, flappers, wax rings, or a new low-flow toilet set properly.
Electric tanks replaced, elements and thermostats swapped, relief valves that drip. Gas tanks I hand to a gas fitter.
I thaw them safely, no torch on the pipe, then look at why it froze: a cold crawlspace, a dead heat cable, a line too close to the wall.
Sinks, tubs and showers that won't empty. Snaked and cleared, and traps rebuilt when the old ones are past saving.
Big commercial jobs, new-build rough-ins and anything gas. Those need a bigger crew or a gas fitter's ticket, and I would rather send you to someone good than stretch. Ask and I'll give you a name or two.
Rural and cabin work
Half the Boundary runs on a well, a pressure tank and a softener in the basement. That's the work I like best.
Low pressure, short cycling, a pump that runs all night. I test the pressure switch and tank, replace them, and set up jet pumps and shallow submersibles. Deep well pump pulls need a hoist truck, and I'll book one with you.
Hard Boundary water eats taps and tanks. I install softeners, sediment and carbon filters and UV systems, and service the ones you already have.
Fall: drain the lines, blow them out, antifreeze in the traps and a tag on the main so nobody turns it on by mistake. Spring: fill, check every joint and start the tank.
How it works
Tell me what's happening, send a photo if you can. Often I can tell you on the phone whether it's a ten-minute fix or a bigger job.
Before I come out you know the call-out, my hourly rate and roughly what a job like yours costs. If I find something bigger, I stop and ask first.
Drop sheets down, old parts taken away, and a written invoice that says what I did and what I'd keep an eye on.
Pricing guide
Prices in Canadian dollars, before GST. Parts are extra and on the invoice at what they cost in town.
Includes the first half hour on site, in Grand Forks.
$95
Billed in 15-minute steps.
$115/hr
For water that can't wait. Call-out, then $165/hr.
$180
Travel outside Grand Forks is a flat amount per town, listed under Area I cover.
| Job | Usually |
|---|---|
| Toilet rebuildFill valve, flapper and supply line | $170 – $230 |
| Kitchen tap swapYour tap or one I bring | $190 – $280 |
| Thaw a frozen linePlus a look at why it froze | $210 – $450 |
| Cabin or RV winterizingDrain, blow out, antifreeze in traps | $220 – $320 |
| Pressure tank replacedTank, switch and gauge | $1,150 – $1,650 |
| 40-gallon electric hot water tankSupplied, installed, old one hauled away | $1,900 – $2,450 |
| Water softener installedUnit, bypass and drain line | $2,300 – $3,200 |
These include parts, labour and the call-out in Grand Forks. Your price depends on what I find; you get the range before I start.
Area I cover
I live in Grand Forks and work along Highway 3 in both directions. Travel is a flat amount per trip, added to the call-out.
Further up a forest road, or past Rock Creek? Ask. I'll tell you honestly if it's worth my drive and your money.
About Dana
"I'd rather do six jobs a day properly than twelve in a hurry."
I learned the trade in Trail and Castlegar, mostly on old houses and older cabins, and came home to Grand Forks to work for myself. Being on my own means the person you talk to on the phone is the person who turns up, knows your house, and remembers what she fixed last time.
I'm careful about what I take on. If a job is beyond one person, or it's gas work, I'll say so straight away and point you to someone I trust.
Dana Reyes
Ask for a visit
Fill this in and it lands on my list. I read requests between jobs and call you back to work out a time; nothing is booked until we've talked.
If water is running where it shouldn't, don't wait on a form: call.
Questions
If I'm reachable, yes, at the evening and Sunday rate. I'm one person, so I can't promise to be free at 2 am. Know where your main shut-off is: closing it buys you time until I get there.
No. Gas needs a gas fitter, and I'd rather send you to one than do it halfway. I can do the water side of a gas tank swap if your gas fitter wants a hand.
Of course. Send me the model first so I can tell you if it'll fit your setup. Cheap fixtures sometimes cost more to install than they save.
September and early October fill up fast, so book by the end of August if you can. If you're leaving before the first hard frost, I can do it while you're still there and show you what I did.
Often it's the pressure tank or the switch, which is cheaper to fix than a pump. Tell me what the gauge reads when the pump kicks on and off, and I can usually narrow it down on the phone.
E-transfer, debit or credit card on site, or a cheque. You get a written invoice either way.