Most good water conditioner will recommend replacing a gate valve regardless of its condition. The time to discover if it will work is not during a flood in your bathroom. If you have it replaced with a ball valve then check your water heater and laundry valves, too. Have them replaced at the same time with premium ball valves. Ball valve laundry bibbs make it easy to shut off the water to the washer after each use which may help to prevent floods in the future.
To find a plumber, all one has to do is flip and run through the Yellow Pages or do a search on the Internet. From there you will see loads of plumber whom are advertising to get your job. The next thing you should do as a consumer is to take remember that there some plumbers whom advertise 2 different ads in the same place. Thus it is important to not water line repair make a rush decision. Look through the list of plumbers available and call a few (minimum of 3).
You don't want to be paying your plumber to clear the area before they start work particularly if you are paying an hourly rate. Empty cupboards and make sure there is nothing that may cost the plumber time and you money gaining access to the job.
Once you have disconnected the tank remove it from your work space. Do a thorough measurement of the remaining pipe for reference when you go to the hardware store. I will be honest with you, you might need to make a few trips back to the store. Once you get the new tank, slide it into place to line up the plumbing.
One tip is to avoid hiring a plumber, who is a part or who is representing a company. They usually work on a commission basis. The company usually has a flat rate for every plumbing service and the plumber's commission will be added up to the company's charge. This is one of the main reasons why some plumbers charge you with a ridiculously high amount of money for their services. Opt for freelance water line repair plumbers instead. They work for themselves, so the price is usually negotiable.
The key to finding local businesses when doing an online search is to include your zip code in the query, such as, "plumber 72764". This will tell Google or bing that you want results from that geographic location!
In short, the emergency plumber you hire should be from a reputable company. If you think that you can rely on him then you should look for another one. An emergency plumber should be skilled and should be able to deliver quality services to everyone.