Faucet Repair in District Heights, MD

District Heights homes and plumbing

District Heights is a small, fully built-out city near Route 4 that started as farmland. Many of its Cape Cod-style houses date to the 1940s, when developers used FHA financing to build modest single-family homes, and later construction brought the median build year to about 1968. In homes of that age, older supply and drain piping is common. Faucets have often been replaced over the years, but the shutoff valves and the pipe stubbing out of the wall may be original.

WSSC Water supplies the city, using chlorine as its disinfectant and a corrosion inhibitor to protect customer-side pipes. WSSC owns the water service line from the main to the property line; from there into the house, the line belongs to the owner. Prince George's County says replacing existing fixtures generally does not require a permit, though water heaters and testable backflow devices do, and plumbing permits are issued by WSSC rather than the county. WSSC also requires a registered plumber for repiping and service line work.

Choosing a path

Signs to act on

• Constant dripping, especially from the hot side
• Water around the handle or the base
• Hard-to-turn handles or valves
• Low flow at one tap
• Corrosion on pipes or fittings in the cabinet

Seasonal notes

Older Cape Cods often have outdoor spigots fed through the basement or crawlspace with an inside shutoff. Close that valve and drain the spigot each fall, and leave the outside faucet open over winter. When you turn the water back on in spring, check the inside wall for drips. Indoors, there is no best season for a drip; it is simply less costly to fix before the worn part gives out. If several faucets in the house are showing their age, having them handled in one visit is usually more efficient than separate calls over the winter.