At a glance
- Place
- Claremont
- Setting
- Rural hamlet
- Phone
- (365) 363-2754
- Read next
- Our service area
Homes and plumbing in Claremont
Claremont is a small community in the north end of Pickering, well above the urban area. It has a historic core with older houses and churches, newer homes on larger lots around it, and farms on every side. Almost every property relies on a private well for water and a septic system for waste. The land sits on the edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine, which shapes the groundwater the wells draw from.
Plumbing here combines the house system with the water supply and treatment equipment that a city home never needs: a well pump, a pressure tank, and often a softener, filter or UV system. Each piece affects the others. A softener that is set wrong can drop pressure, and a clogged sediment filter can make a healthy pump look like it is failing. We check the whole chain, from where the water enters the basement to the furthest tap, before we name a cause.
Common problems we see
Hard water is the most common complaint, with scale on fixtures, short water heater life and spotty dishes. Some wells bring iron or sulphur, which stains sinks and gives the water a smell. Pressure problems come from tired pressure tanks or switches. Older houses in the village core can have pipes in cold spots that freeze in deep winter. And septic systems, if neglected, slow every drain in the house.
Local tip Rotten egg smell from hot water only? That often comes from a reaction inside the water heater rather than from the well itself. It is a common rural issue and can usually be fixed without replacing the tank.
Services most asked for
- Water softener installation and service.
- Water filtration systems for iron, sulphur and sediment.
- Water heater repair, including anode changes that tackle odours.
- Frozen pipe thawing in older homes.
- Gas line work for homes using propane or natural gas appliances.
Treat the water, protect the house
On a well, treatment equipment does a lot of the work that the city does for town homes. A softener and filter set up properly will protect your water heater, keep fixtures clean and make the water nicer to use. Set up badly, they can waste salt and water, or send more brine to the septic than it needs. We test the water before recommending anything, size the equipment to your household and set it to regenerate only as often as it should. Our page on hard water in Durham gives more background.
For deep well pump work, a licensed well contractor is often the right call. We will tell you when that is the case and help you sort out which side of the system needs attention.
Getting to you
Claremont is a drive north from Ajax, and we plan our visits so you get a firm window. Call (365) 363-2754 and let us know you are on well and septic. We look first, explain what we find and leave the choice with you.
Questions we hear on the phone
Do you test well water?
We do basic hardness and iron checks on site to size treatment equipment. For bacteria testing, use the free kits offered through the region and its public health unit.
How often should a softener be serviced?
Most need little beyond salt. A yearly look at the settings, the brine tank and the resin bed keeps it working as it should.