Back in July, a storm sat over the east side of town and dumped rain like it had nowhere else to be. In a few days, the sewer district had more than 1,500 calls about flooded basements. They came from Hyde Park, Oakley, Norwood, Madisonville, Mt. Lookout and plenty of streets in between.<\/p>\n
Our phones were ringing too. And almost nobody asked us what it was going to cost. They asked, \u201cIs this my fault or the city\u2019s?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Honestly, that\u2019s a fair question, and most people have never had a reason to know the answer. So let\u2019s talk about it. Here\u2019s what we think a good plumbing company in Cincinnati, OH should be doing for you, and what we try to do every day.<\/p>\n
We love Cincinnati houses. The brick, the hills, the porches. But a lot of these homes went up in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the plumbing came along with them.<\/p>\n
Back then, lead was a perfectly normal thing to run water through. Sewer lines were clay or cast iron, and they were built to last a long time. They did. Now many of them are cracked and full of tree roots.<\/p>\n
On top of that, plenty of older neighborhoods have combined sewers. Rain from the street and everything you flush share the same pipe. On a normal day, that\u2019s fine. In a storm, the pipe fills up, and the easiest way out can be your basement floor drain.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not meant to scare you. It\u2019s just good to know what you\u2019re working with.<\/p>\n
If a drain keeps clogging, we don\u2019t snake it and hope for the best. We put a camera down the line, and you can watch the screen right next to our plumber.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s a grease clog, and a cleaning fixes it. Sometimes it\u2019s roots. Sometimes the pipe has sagged or split, and no amount of cleaning is going to save it. Either way, you\u2019ll see it yourself, and you\u2019ll get the price before we touch anything.<\/p>\n
We think that\u2019s what professional plumbing in Cincinnati, OH should look like. No guessing. No mystery bill at the end.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve had water in your basement once, you\u2019re probably nervous every time the forecast says \u201cheavy rain.\u201d We get it.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what makes the biggest difference in a Cincinnati basement:<\/p>\n
If it happens anyway:<\/b> before you call us, call the Metropolitan Sewer District at 513-352-4900. They take reports day and night. If the city sewer was overloaded, MSD\u2019s Sewer Backup Program may cover cleanup and damage. Take photos and video of everything, floor drains included. You have up to two years to file a claim, but do it while it\u2019s fresh.<\/p>\n
If MSD tells you the problem was on your side, maybe roots, a broken pipe, or a wad of \u201cflushable\u201d wipes, call us. We\u2019ll find exactly what failed and fix it so you\u2019re not doing this again next spring.<\/p>\n
When something goes wrong, the first question is usually \u201cwho do I call?\u201d Here\u2019s how it breaks down for most Cincinnati homes.<\/p>\n
| Part of the system<\/b><\/td>\n | Who\u2019s responsible<\/b><\/td>\n | Who to call first<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Public sewer main under the street<\/td>\n | Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD)<\/td>\n | MSD at 513-352-4900<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Sewer line from your house to the street (lateral)<\/td>\n | You, in most cases<\/td>\n | A licensed plumber<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Floor drains, cleanouts and backwater valves<\/td>\n | You<\/td>\n | A licensed plumber<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Water main under the street<\/td>\n | Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW)<\/td>\n | GCWW<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Lead service line bringing water to your house<\/td>\n | GCWW replaces it for free with your signed OK<\/td>\n | GCWW<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Pipes, fixtures and water heater inside your home<\/td>\n | You<\/td>\n | A licensed plumber<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Not sure which one you\u2019re dealing with? Call us at (855) 326-7586. If it\u2019s the city\u2019s problem, we\u2019ll tell you, and we\u2019ll point you to the right people.<\/p>\n What Cincinnati Homeowners Should Know About Lead Water Lines<\/h2>\nHere\u2019s some genuinely good news. Greater Cincinnati Water Works recently passed 10,000 lead service lines replaced, and the replacement is free for homeowners now. If you get a letter, sign it. The work usually takes about five hours.<\/p>\n The catch is that the city replaces the line coming to<\/i> your house. Whatever\u2019s inside the walls is still on you. Some older homes have lead or galvanized pipe running from the meter to the kitchen sink. If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019ve got, we\u2019ll come take a look and tell you honestly. GCWW will also test your water for free if you ask.<\/p>\n Plumbing is one of those jobs where a shortcut doesn\u2019t just cost you money. A badly vented water heater or a sloppy gas line can hurt someone.<\/p>\n Our plumbers are licensed, insured, and trained to Ohio code. When a job needs a permit, we pull one. That might feel like a hassle today. You\u2019ll be glad we did when you sell the house someday, and the inspector starts poking around.<\/p>\n The Eco Guarantees That Protect Your Home While We Work<\/h2>\nLetting a stranger into your home is a big deal. So we put our promises in writing:<\/p>\n
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