Potomac Plumbing FAQs: Direct Answers on WSSC, Permits and Emergencies

The owner is responsible for the sewer service from the property line to the building. WSSC maintains only the connection to its main. After a backup, WSSC recommends hiring a WSSC-registered plumber or sewer cleaner to clear the line. Its emergency number is 301-206-4002, and its claims office at 301-206-7095 handles cases where roots or a WSSC pipe caused the damage.

WSSC maintains the water service from its main to the property line, so a leak on that stretch is WSSC's to fix. A leak past the property line belongs to the owner. If water is surfacing near the meter and the source is unclear, call WSSC at 301-206-4002 for the street side and a plumber for the house side.

Ask for the WSSC license number before work starts, then confirm it with WSSC's licensing office at 301-206-8588 or in its online licensee search. Maryland also requires a master plumber's license number on company vehicles, and the Maryland Board of Plumbing runs its own license lookup.

WSSC publishes a pipe-type map that shows what it has recorded for customer-side service lines at an address. WSSC removed known lead pipes from its own distribution system in the early 2000s. Pipes inside the walls are a separate question that only an inspection answers, so look up the address before asking for a repipe quote.

Only with the plumbing inside the house, such as fixtures, the water heater and supply lines. The tank, the drain field and the well and its pump belong to septic and well contractors, and the owner operates and maintains those systems. Parts of Potomac, including areas of Glen Hills, rely on them.

Calls to this number cover ZIP codes 20854 and 20859. Other nearby towns have pages on this site, but the street address decides whether we can send a plumber. Call with the ZIP code and address, and we confirm.

Turn off every tap and appliance, then watch the meter's leak indicator for ten to fifteen minutes. If it keeps moving, water is escaping somewhere. Close the main shutoff at the house and look again. A dial that stops points to a leak inside the house, and one that keeps moving points to the service line before the shutoff.

Check the foundation first, because many Montgomery County homes sit over basements or crawl spaces, not slabs. In a slab room, the signs are a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water with everything off, an unexplained jump in the water bill, damp flooring and low pressure.

Yes. Warm floors and high bills have other causes, so a plumber should locate and confirm the leak with test equipment before anyone cuts concrete. Keep the written findings, because an insurer or inspector may ask to see them.

There is no fixed interval. A drain that runs freely does not need cleaning on a schedule, and one that keeps slowing down does. Kitchen lines carrying grease and lines near tree roots may need attention every year or two, while others go many years. Repeated slowdowns call for a camera look in place of repeated cleaning.

A cable clears a single blockage, and hydro jetting scrubs the pipe wall, so jetting suits grease or scale that keeps returning. A camera inspection should come first. It shows whether the cause is buildup, roots or a damaged section that no cleaning method will fix.

Grease, food scraps and soap residue narrow the kitchen drain over time, and the blockage returns until the pipe wall is cleaned. If the dishwasher drains into the same line, water may show up there too. A backup that reaches other fixtures points to the main drain instead of the sink line.

It shows the pipe material, joints, sags, cracks, roots and any collapse, along with the distance from the cleanout. The recording turns a guess into a repair plan and a clearer quote. Ask for the footage, because a second plumber may want to see it.

A worn flapper or a fill valve that does not shut off is the usual cause. Lift the tank lid. If water spills into the overflow tube, the fill valve is set too high or failing. If the tank slowly empties into the bowl, the flapper is leaking. Both are routine repairs.

Yes, because a toilet that refills by itself loses water all day and the bill shows it. To find the cause, put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait without flushing. Color in the bowl means the flapper leaks, and a refill that never stops points to the fill valve. Both parts are routine repairs.

It can. Wet ground and full storm drains put extra load on the sewer system, and a basement floor drain is often where a backup shows first. Water that comes up in several fixtures at once suggests the main, and the owner is responsible for the sewer pipe from the property line to the house. Call WSSC on 301-206-4002 if the backup may involve its main in the street.

Both. Replacement makes sense when the bowl is cracked, the porcelain is worn or the toilet clogs repeatedly. A plumber also checks the shutoff valve and the floor flange so the new toilet seats and seals properly.

A hum without spinning usually means jammed blades. Switch the unit off at the wall, turn the blades by hand using the slot underneath, then press the reset button. A leak from the bottom or side usually means a failed seal and calls for replacement, while a leak at the drain flange or hose can sometimes be tightened.

Repair first when the faucet is in good shape and the cause is a washer, cartridge or seal. Replace it when the finish is worn, parts are no longer made or repairs keep coming back. A steady drip wastes water and raises the bill, so fix it soon either way.