20+ Years
Serving KC Metro
Plumbing, Heating & AC
Service & Repair
Excelsior Springs, MO
Family, Women & Veteran Owned • Serving the Kansas City Metro Since 2003
We Exceed Expectations
Full Nelson serves Excelsior Springs homeowners with plumbing, heating and air conditioning work built on clear explanations and technical skill. This is a two-county city, spread across 10.843 square miles of Clay and Ray counties, with 10,553 residents at the 2020 census.
It also has the oldest housing stock of anywhere we work in the northern metro. The median Excelsior Springs home was built in 1969, and 756 housing units date from 1939 or earlier. Working on a town that was built as a resort a century and a half ago is a different job than working on a subdivision. Learn more about our company.
- Family, Women & Veteran Owned
- Licensed & Insured Technicians
- Serving the Area Since 2003
Expert Plumbers
Plumbing Services in Excelsior Springs, MO
The city exists because of water. In 1880 Travis Mellion, a Black farmer, discovered what became Siloam Spring while looking for something to help his daughter Opal, who had fallen ill with scrofula. The town was founded that year and incorporated as a fourth class city on 12 July 1881. Regent Spring followed in 1881, and the iron and manganese water from Regent won medals at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Over forty mineral springs were eventually identified, including Siloam, Regent, Soterian, Empire and Superior, along with waters classed as sodium bicarbonate, calcium bicarbonate and saline sulphur. Siloam was described as the only natural supply of ferro-manganese mineral water in the United States and one of only five known worldwide.
That history built the town at speed. By 1909 Excelsior Springs had 14 modern hotels and around 200 boarding and rooming houses. The first Elms Hotel opened in 1888. The building stock that survives from that era carries plumbing that has been extended, rerouted and patched across four or five generations, and a single house may hold cast iron, galvanised steel, copper and modern plastic all at once. Full Nelson’s licensed plumbers trace what is actually installed rather than assuming.
Licensed & Insured
All work guaranteed
-
Drain Cleaning
Century-old drain lines scale internally until the usable diameter is a fraction of what the pipe measures, and roots from mature trees find the joints in clay tile. Homes from the 1960s wave, which is the largest single block here at 851 units, have their own pattern of failure at forty to sixty years. Clearing the blockage is straightforward. Knowing whether the line has working life left is what saves money over the next decade. Full Nelson provides drain cleaning services and tells you honestly which situation you are in.
For more serious issues, we offer:
- Drain cleaning
- Rooter services
- Clogged sinks
- Showers
- Floor drains
-
Sewer Repair and Replacement
Excelsior Springs runs its own collection system: 88 miles of sanitary sewer mains, 1,930 manholes, 3,877 service connections and nine lift stations. Treatment is by lagoons and an overland flow system rather than a conventional mechanical plant, which is unusual in this metro.
The laterals feeding that system are as old as the houses. Vitrified clay tile from the resort era was never watertight by modern standards, and a century of root intrusion, ground movement and freeze cycles opens the joints further. Camera inspection is not optional on a house this old. Full Nelson runs the camera, shows you the footage, and explains your sewer repair options before quoting anything.
Our services include:
- Sewer line repair and installation
- Sewer video inspection
- Trenchless excavation using pipe bursting technology
-
Sump Pumps and Battery Backup Systems
Excelsior Springs sits in the valley of the East Fork Fishing River, and downtown occupies the confluence of the East Fork and the Dry Fork. Development from 1880 onward went in on the valley floor and the hillsides above it, which is exactly the geometry that concentrates stormwater.
The flooding is documented, not theoretical: the city records flood events in the late 1960s, in 1993 and in 2015. It is running a Fishing River Watershed Study for downtown to address flooding, drainage, erosion and sedimentation, with a three to five year implementation. Phase one, the Dryfork Greenway Project, ran from March to June 2025 with closures on Kennedy Street and North Main Street. Public Works maintains 10 bridges and 21 miles of storm drains.
For a house with a basement in that valley, the sump pump is working equipment. Full Nelson installs sump pumps and battery backup systems sized for the volume this ground produces, with battery backup because the storms that fill a pit are the ones that take the power out.
Our services include:
- Sump pumps
- Battery backup systems
-
Gas Leaks and Gas Repairs
Many Excelsior Springs homes were built for coal heat and converted to gas decades later, in stages, by different hands. The oldest sections are threaded black iron that has been in service far longer than intended. If you smell the rotten egg odor of natural gas, hear hissing near an appliance, or notice vegetation dying over a buried line, call immediately. Full Nelson locates the leak, repairs it, and pressure tests the entire system rather than only the section that failed.
Our services include:
- Gas leak detection
- Gas leak repair
- Gas line testing
- Gas line installation
-
Toilet Repairs and Replacements
Bathrooms in nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century houses were added after the fact, usually carved from a bedroom or a closet, and the drain lines serving them were routed to fit the existing structure rather than to ideal slope and venting. That history explains a great deal of chronic toilet trouble in this housing stock. Full Nelson diagnoses whether the fixture, the drain or the vent is at fault before recommending repair or replacement.
Our services include:
- Toilet repairs & replacements
- Flapper replacements
- Toilet rebuilds
- Water-efficient toilets
-
Faucets and Shower Valves
Older Excelsior Springs homes often carry shower valves and tub fillers from manufacturers that no longer exist or stopped making the cartridge decades ago. Full Nelson can tell you quickly whether a valve is still serviceable or whether the wall needs opening for a replacement body, and we can match period-appropriate finishes where that matters to the house. We handle faucet and shower valve work throughout.
Our services include:
- Kitchen faucets
- Bathroom faucets
- Shower valves
- Tub fixtures
-
Water Filtration
There is a distinction worth being clear about here, because the town’s name invites confusion.
The mineral springs and the tap water are two different things. The mineral water made Excelsior Springs famous, but it is no longer a public supply. A 1971 state health mandate ended hand bottling, and the Hall of Waters bath department and water bar closed in the early 1990s when building and water system repairs forced it.
Your drinking water today comes from six city wells, all groundwater, with no surface water and no purchased supply. The city produces 1.5 million gallons a day and distributes it through 117 miles of main, 4,207 service connections, 695 fire hydrants and nine water towers holding 5.8 million gallons. Published figures put carbonate hardness at 112 mg/L, calcium at 14.5, magnesium at 18.3, sodium at 15.4, total dissolved solids at 129 and pH at 8.44.
That is moderately hard, ordinary well water, and it is softer than most supplies in this metro. Chlorine used for disinfection produces the taste some households want to treat. Full Nelson tests at your tap and recommends filtration based on measured results rather than on what the town’s name suggests.
Our services include:
- Whole-home water filtration systems
- Water quality assessment
- Filtration solutions
-
Water Softeners
At 112 mg/L, Excelsior Springs water still leaves scale in water heaters and deposits on fixtures, though more slowly than in cities on harder supply. Whether a softener earns its cost depends on household size, water usage and what equipment you are protecting. Note also that the city’s water system is over 80 years old with roughly $63 million in utility infrastructure, so what leaves the plant and what arrives at the end of a long distribution run are not always identical. Full Nelson measures hardness at your address rather than quoting the plant figure, and gives you a straight answer on whether a softener is worth it.
Our services include:
- Water softeners
- Water softener installation
- Water softener service
-
Well Pumps and Well Tanks
Properties outside the city on the rural edges of Clay and Ray counties draw water from private wells. When a submersible pump fails or a pressure tank bladder ruptures, the property loses water entirely. Full Nelson diagnoses well system faults and replaces pumps, pressure tanks, pressure switches and related components.
Our services include:
- Well pumps & Well tanks
- Low water pressure issues
- Short cycling
- Pump failure
Expert Plumbers
Excavation Services Excelsior Springs, MO
Excavating in a town with multiple National Register historic districts means working around mature landscaping, original stone and brick work, and street frontage that both the city and the neighbours care about. It also means working on valley and hillside ground where spoil has to be controlled and grade restored properly. Full Nelson provides excavation services suited to that and recommends trenchless methods wherever the site allows.
Licensed & Insured
All work guaranteed
-
Water Main Line Repair and Replacement
Water service lines in the older parts of Excelsior Springs have been in the ground for many decades. Corrosion, root pressure and ground movement all take a toll, and on hillside property a leak frequently surfaces well downhill of the actual break. Watch for a wet patch that never dries, pressure that dropped throughout the house, or a bill that rose without a change in habits. Full Nelson locates the fault properly before digging and completes water main line repair or replacement.
We offer:
- Water main line repair
- Water main line replacement
- Restoring water service
-
Sewer Line Repair and Replacement
When camera inspection shows a clay tile lateral with collapsed sections, multiple root masses or a significant belly, spot repairs stop making sense. Full Nelson handles sewer line excavation and installs modern materials rated to serve the house for generations rather than patching a line that will fail again next year.
Our services include:
- Sewer line repair
- Sewer line replacement
- Video inspection
- Recommending a solution
-
Septic Tank Repair and Replacement
Properties outside the city sewer system rely on septic tanks to treat household wastewater. Slow drains throughout the house, gurgling in the pipes, sewage odor in the yard and saturated ground over the tank all indicate a system needing attention. Full Nelson inspects septic systems and completes the repairs needed to restore function.
Our services include:
- Septic tank repair
- Septic tank replacement
- System inspection
- Identifying issues
-
Septic Lateral Field Repair and Replacement
The lateral field disperses treated effluent into surrounding soil for final filtration, and it depends on that soil accepting water at a workable rate. On sloped valley ground, effluent migrates downhill instead of dispersing evenly, overloading the low end of the field and leaving the high end unused. Seasonal groundwater in the Fishing River valley compounds it. Full Nelson evaluates lateral field damage and performs repair or complete replacement.
Our services include:
- Septic lateral field repair
- Septic lateral field replacement
- System assessment
- Restoring proper drainage
-
Trenchless Sewer Repair and Replacement
Trenchless work earns its keep here. A trench across the ground between a historic house and the street may take out a century-old tree, a stone retaining wall, a brick walk, or all three, and on a slope it destabilises grade that then has to be rebuilt. Pipe bursting and pipe lining confine excavation to access pits at each end of the damaged run. Full Nelson evaluates whether trenchless methods will work on your property and explains the limits honestly.
Our services include:
- Trenchless sewer repair
- Trenchless sewer replacement
- Pipe bursting
- Pipe lining
- Installing new pipes
Fast & Reliable
Water Heater Services Excelsior Springs, MO
Water heater replacement in a house of this age is rarely a straight swap. Basement access can be narrow, ceiling height is often low, and existing venting may run into a masonry chimney that no longer meets code for a modern appliance. Full Nelson provides water heater repair and installation in those conditions and prices the work honestly, including whatever the venting actually requires.
Gas Water Heater Repair and Replacement
Gas water heaters heat faster and cost less to operate than electric models. Pilot assemblies that will not stay lit, failed thermocouples and sediment accumulation that causes rumbling are the common failures. Full Nelson services all major brands and installs replacement gas units properly vented for the building they go into.
Same Day
Service Available
Electric Water Heater Repair and Replacement
Electric water heaters serve homes where gas is unavailable or where running a new line into a converted space is impractical. Heating elements burn out, thermostats fail, and tank interiors corrode until they leak. Full Nelson diagnoses the fault and advises whether repair or replacement is the better decision.
Tankless Water Heater Repair and Replacement
Tankless units heat on demand, remove the standby loss of keeping a full tank hot around the clock, and mount on the wall, which recovers floor space in the tight utility areas common in this housing stock. On groundwater at 112 mg/L the descaling interval is longer than on harder supply, but it is not optional. Full Nelson services tankless systems from all manufacturers and installs new units.
Hybrid Water Heater Repair and Replacement
Hybrid water heaters use heat pump technology to pull warmth from surrounding air rather than generating it electrically, using far less energy than resistance elements. They need a space that stays above 40 degrees year-round with adequate air volume, and not every old basement here qualifies. Full Nelson evaluates the space before recommending a hybrid system.
Stay Comfortable Year-Round
Heating Services
Excelsior Springs, MO
Missouri winters bring ice storms and extended cold that test any heating system, and they test century-old houses harder than most. Full Nelson acquired a 25-year Kansas City HVAC company in 2019, adding decades of heating experience to our plumbing foundation.
Stay Comfortable Year-Round
HVAC expertise in Kansas City
-
Furnace Repair, Installation, and Maintenance
Many Excelsior Springs homes were built before forced-air heating existed. Some still run boilers and radiators. Others were converted by threading ductwork through wall cavities and closets, which produces uneven room-to-room temperatures that no thermostat setting fixes. Full Nelson provides furnace repair for all makes and models and, when it is time to replace, sizes equipment to the house as it exists rather than to a nameplate.
Our services include:
- Furnace repair & replacement
- Furnace installation
- Furnace maintenance
-
Heat Pump Repair, Installation, and Maintenance
Heat pumps deliver heating and cooling from one outdoor unit, and cold-climate models hold efficiency well below freezing. For homes here without adequate ductwork, a heat pump paired with ductless indoor units is often a better answer than forcing a conventional system into a structure never designed for it. Full Nelson provides heat pump service for all brands.
Our services include:
- Heat pump repair and replacement
- Heat pump installation
- Heat pump service
- Heating system maintenance
-
Filters, Humidifiers, UV Lights, and Indoor Air Quality
Older houses are leakier than new construction, and heated winter air in a leaky house drops to very low humidity. That causes static shocks, dry skin and irritated sinuses, and it opens joints in original woodwork, floors and trim that are difficult and expensive to restore. Full Nelson installs whole-home humidifiers, high-efficiency filters and UV light systems.
Our services include:
- Improving indoor air quality
- High-efficiency filters
- Humidifiers
- UV lights
- UV light installation in ductwork
Breathe Easier
Air Conditioning Services
Excelsior Springs, MO
Missouri summers combine heat and humidity, and houses built before air conditioning existed do not shed that heat well. Valley ground holds moisture on top of it. Full Nelson provides air conditioning services throughout Excelsior Springs and the surrounding area.
Stay Comfortable Year-Round
HVAC expertise in Kansas City
-
Air Conditioning Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance
Refrigerant leaks cut capacity, dirty coils block heat transfer, and failing capacitors force compressors to work against themselves. Full Nelson technicians diagnose the actual fault and complete AC repairs that restore cooling. When equipment reaches the end of its service life, we install properly sized replacements rather than matching an old nameplate.
Our services include:
- Air Conditioning Repair & Replacement
- Air Conditioning Installation & Maintenance
- Refrigerant leaks
- Compressor problems
- Electrical failures
-
Mini Split Repair, Replacement, and Installation
Mini splits matter more here than in most of the metro. A meaningful share of the housing predates ductwork entirely, and threading ducts through an early twentieth-century house is invasive, expensive and often impossible without damaging original plaster and trim. Mini splits deliver heating and cooling room by room through a small wall penetration. They also suit third-floor conversions, carriage houses and additions.
-
Filters, Dehumidifiers, UV Lights, and Indoor Air Quality
Old basements hold moisture, and in a valley that moisture migrates upward through the house all summer. Whole-home dehumidifiers address it far more effectively than running the air conditioner harder. In a house that has taken on water during one of this town’s flood events, controlling humidity afterward is what keeps mold from establishing. Combined with upgraded filtration and UV treatment, the difference is measurable.
-
Duct Services
Ductwork retrofitted into an old house leaks at seams that were never sealed to current standards, and much of it runs through unconditioned basements and attics. Full Nelson provides duct cleaning and duct sealing.
- Power When You Need It
Generator Installation
Excelsior Springs, MO
Excelsior Springs sits at the northeastern edge of the metro with mature tree cover through its older neighborhoods and long feeder lines running out into Clay and Ray counties. Ice storms and summer winds take those lines down, and outages here can run longer than in the dense suburbs simply because crews have more ground to cover. In a valley town with a documented flood history, an outage during a storm also stops the sump pumps at the moment they are needed.
A standby generator starts automatically within seconds and keeps the sump pump, refrigerator, HVAC system and lights running until crews restore service.
Whole-Home Standby Generators
- Whole-Home Standby Generators
- Automatic startup during power outages
- Keeps lights, HVAC, and appliances running
- Protects against storm-related outages
Full Nelson sizes generators to your home’s actual electrical load and handles the complete installation, including the automatic transfer switch and fuel connection.
For Local Businesses
Commercial Heating & Air Conditioning
Excelsior Springs, MO
Excelsior Springs has a commercial building stock that most towns its size do not. The Hall of Waters, built between 1936 and 1938 as a Public Works Administration project in Art Deco and Depression Modern style, was listed on the National Register in 1983 and now houses city hall, the municipal court, the visitor center and a museum. The Hall of Waters Commercial West Historic District, listed in 1999, contains 20 contributing buildings developed between roughly 1894 and 1948 in Victorian, Classical Revival and Art Deco styles. There is a Commercial East district and an Elms Historic District as well, and the city is a designated Preserve America community.
Restaurants, retail, offices and hospitality operating in buildings of that age face real mechanical constraints: limited roof structure for rooftop equipment, tight service access, and systems adapted into the building rather than designed for it. The city’s largest employment sectors are retail trade, manufacturing and health care, and named institutional employers include Excelsior Springs Hospital, Excelsior Springs School District 40 and The Elms Hotel and Spa.
Full Nelson provides commercial HVAC services and commercial plumbing, including scheduled maintenance programs.
Commercial HVAC
Installation, Repair & Maintenance
Walk-In Coolers
Service and Repair
Freezers
Commercial Freezer Service
Refrigeration
Maintenance Programs
24/7 Emergency Service
Excelsior Springs, MO
A burst supply line at 3 AM or a furnace that quits during an ice storm cannot wait for morning, and in a house with original plaster and woodwork the damage compounds fast.
Full Nelson provides true 24/7 emergency service. When you call, a real person answers and dispatches a technician to your Excelsior Springs home. We respond day or night, weekends and holidays included.
The Full Nelson Difference
Why Excelsior Springs Homeowners Choose Full Nelson
Nearly 10,000 customers across the Kansas City metro use Full Nelson for plumbing and HVAC work.
Straightforward Communication
Our technicians explain what they find and present options without sales pressure. You understand what a repair involves and what it costs before we begin. No surprises when the invoice arrives.
Trained, Certified Technicians
Every team member receives ongoing training on current equipment and techniques. The technician on your site has the skills to complete the work correctly the first time.
True Local Ownership
Shawn and Heather started Full Nelson in 2003 and still own it today. We answer to our neighbors, not a corporate office in another state.
We Stand Behind Our Work
Full Nelson guarantees every job. If something is not right, we come back and make it right.
Save More Every Year
Total Home Care Club
Join our Total Home Care Club for scheduled maintenance and member benefits. Regular service keeps systems running efficiently, catches problems before they become emergencies, and extends equipment life.
Member Benefits
- 10% member rate discount
- 24/7 guaranteed service
- Plumbing & drain checkups
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal Maintenance
- Promotional Discounts
Regular maintenance = fewer breakdowns + lower energy bills
Schedule A Service in Excelsior Springs, MO
Ready to schedule plumbing, heating or air conditioning service? Contact Full Nelson today.
Leawood Office
4901 W. 136th Street
Leawood, KS 66224
Kansas City Office
8525 Parallel Parkway
Kansas City, KS 66112
We offer financing options to help manage larger repairs and installations. Ask about current specials and coupons when you call.
Clay & Ray Counties Beyond
Service Areas Near Excelsior Springs
Full Nelson also serves Liberty, Kearney, Gladstone and Kansas City, MO. See all service areas.