Q. I was told my 39-year-old tile shower is leaking through something called the base pan. Then I was told by my contractor that there is no "quick fix" for this problem. He claims that because of the age of my home the entire shower stall has to be ripped out and most likely the water and drain piping as well, then the whole thing has to be rebuilt from scratch with a new shower pan, tile and piping. This may cost thousands! Is this all necessary? Can't we just plug the leak?

A. I'm sorry, but I don't really have any good news for you with this issue. But if you read on I may be able to suggest a little different road to take that may save some money for you.

First of all, in a tile shower stall the "shower pan" is the most critical element in protecting your home from water damage. The shower pan is like a little swimming pool under the shower tile floor that holds all the water in the stall. Way back when your shower was installed the pan was usually made of copper, but nowadays a rubber membrane is usually the contractor's choice for shower pan material.

Either way if the pan ruptures, the only way to remove the pan is to break up the entire base of the shower. If the stall is fairly new and tile can be matched, you may get away without removing the stall. But, if the shower is older and matching tiles cannot be found, removal of the entire shower stall may be the best way to go to avoid having a bathroom that looks like a mess. Sometimes you have to spend the money to keep up the value of a home.

Anyway, your contractor sounds like he's telling you that same advice, and I'm sorry that there is no "quick fix" that I know of to solve this problem. But I do have an idea that may save some money and here it is: After the old shower stall is removed, instead of installing a new tile shower stall, why not install a new component fiberglass type stall with a support base and walls that just snap into place?

This may save you hundreds of dollars since it is a less labor intense installation. Also, these new pre-cast stalls look great and because they are installed in pieces, you can easily carry in the units to the bathroom without disturbing the rest of the house.

Q. I have an old electric water heater that I wanted to drain some water from to remove the sediment. But it appears that so much sediment has built up in the tank, so now my drain valve is completely blocked up. How can it be drained?

A. First of all, since a water heater is a piece of heating equipment, I always recommend that only a licensed contractor service them. Now back to your tank, this sounds like the bottom of the water heater has a layer of what we refer to in the business as "mud." Sometimes the mud is the only thing that's stopping the tank from leaking. When an older tank is this full of sediment it's usually an accident waiting to happen. I suggest that it's time to call in a licensed plumber and replace the water heater before you have a big mudslide inside your home.