Rockville MD Rockville, MD · Answers first
Plumbing FAQs for Rockville, MD: What Homeowners Ask Before They Call
Most plumbing calls start with a question, and the answer decides whether you need us now, later or not at all. These are the ones we hear most often from Rockville callers, answered without the sales pitch.
Rockville has two water utilities and a permit system run by WSSC Water, so some answers here are local rather than general. Questions about one particular job are answered on that job's own page.
When water is the problem right now
What should I do first during a plumbing emergency in Rockville?
Find the main shut-off valve, which sits near the water meter or where the supply line enters the house, and turn it fully closed. Then open a faucet at the lowest point in the house to let the pressure out of the pipes.
Move anything valuable away from the water, keep clear of outlets and appliances that may be wet, and call. Tell us what you can see and say if the flow has stopped, since that decides how we plan the visit.
Does this need a call right now, or can it wait until morning?
Call at once if water is running and you cannot stop it, if sewage is coming up through a drain, or if a ceiling is bulging with water. Those get worse by the hour and the damage is the expensive part.
A slow drip under a sink, a toilet that keeps running or a water heater that is merely noisy can usually wait for a scheduled visit. If you are unsure, describe it and we will say which side of the line it falls on.
I smell gas. What do I do before calling a plumber?
Leave the building first, and do not switch lights or appliances on or off on the way out. From outside, call your gas utility or the emergency number.
Call us once the property has been made safe. Finding the cause and repairing the line is the gas line repair job, and it comes after the gas has been dealt with.
Who supplies your water and sewer
Is my water from the City of Rockville or from WSSC?
It depends on your address and not on your ZIP code. The city runs its own treatment plant and serves roughly 70 percent of Rockville, and WSSC Water serves the rest.
Your water bill names the utility, which is the quickest way to be sure. Knowing it matters when the problem sits near the street, because a call to the wrong utility costs a day.
Who owns the pipe between the street and my house?
Ownership changes at the meter. The utility looks after everything up to it, and the run from the meter into the house is yours, so a leak on that stretch is a repair you pay for.
A meter test tells the two apart. Close the house valve and watch the dial. If it still turns, the leak is outside, and our leak detection page explains the test.
Why do some Rockville homes get repeated sewer backups after heavy rain?
The city's own plan describes inflow and infiltration, which is rain and groundwater entering sewer pipes through cracks and joints. It calls this a major problem when it happens, and it names repeated backups as a sign that a pipe segment has failed.
Rockville's storm drains have always been separate from its sewers, so this is not an overflow from a combined system. If the same drain closes up after storms, a camera inspection is the next step, and it is covered on our sewer line repair page.
Permits, inspections and licences
Who issues the permit for plumbing work in Rockville?
WSSC Water issues plumbing and gas permits across Montgomery County, and it inspects most plumbing projects. Ask any plumber whether the job needs a permit before it starts.
Across the two counties WSSC covers, most plumbing work must be done by a plumber holding a WSSC licence as well as a Maryland one. Gas work needs a master gasfitter.
Does replacing a gas water heater need a permit and an inspection?
Yes. A first-time installation or a replacement of a gas appliance needs a WSSC permit, and an inspector from the same agency will then visit and check the finished work, and that visit has to happen within 10 business days of the install.
We arrange the permit when we quote the job. Sizing and the rest of the work are covered on the water heater installation page.
How can I check that a plumber is licensed to work here?
Ask for the WSSC licence number, then verify it by phoning the WSSC licensing line, 301-206-8588. The Maryland State Board of Plumbing, which sits within the state labour department, licenses journey and master plumbers.
That check works for any plumber you are thinking of hiring, including us. It is better than a number printed on a web page, because the answer comes from the licensing office.
Basements, coverage and price
What can I do to stop sewage backing up into my basement?
Keep the main cleanout reachable, keep grease and wipes out of the drains, and have a line that backs up more than once inspected by camera. A backwater valve on the sewer line closes when flow tries to reverse toward the house.
A valve will not help with rain that enters through a wall or a window well. Ask what a valve protects against before buying one, and check whether the work needs a WSSC permit.
Do you cover my ZIP code?
Our areas page lists the ZIP codes on our dispatch list and the towns that have a page of their own. The list is area information and not a promise of a visit.
The reliable way to find out is to call with the street address. If we cannot reach it, we say so at once.
Why is the price a range instead of a fixed number?
The same job costs different amounts in different houses. Access, the age of the fittings and what we find behind a wall all change the work, so a number given before anyone has looked would be a guess.
Our cost page gives wide ranges for common jobs and the factors that move them. You get a price for your own job once we have seen it.
What to tell us on the call: address, ZIP and where the water is
A good call takes about two minutes. These are the details that let us decide quickly and arrive with the right parts.
- Give the street address and the ZIP code on your mail, not just the town name
- Say where the water is, and whether it is still running or has stopped
- Tell us if you have already closed the main valve and whether it held
- Mention the age of the house or the water heater if you know it
- Say whether it is a house, a townhouse or an apartment with shared walls
If we cannot help with the job or the address, we say so before anything else, so you can try another plumber without losing the morning.
Describe what you see and hear to learn if it needs a visit
Describe what you can see and hear. We will tell you what it probably is and whether it needs a visit today.