Emergency Plumber in Riverdale, MD

When it's an emergency

• A pipe spraying or water running down through the ceiling
• Sewage backing into a basement drain, toilet or tub
• A water heater leaking from its tank
• Rusty water and a sudden pressure drop across the house
• A gas smell in the kitchen, basement or near the meter

Drips, a running toilet or one sluggish drain can wait for normal hours.

Riverdale's local conditions

The Riverdale mailing address covers the Town of Riverdale Park, renamed from Riverdale in 1998, plus unincorporated areas around it. It's an older streetcar-suburb area along US 1 just south of College Park, and the median home in Riverdale Park was built in 1957. Houses that age can have galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains and original valves, and those are the parts that tend to give out in a freeze or under a backup.

WSSC Water supplies water and sewer, disinfecting with chlorine. Its tap analysis reports hardness averaging about 140 mg/L from the Potomac plant and about 64 mg/L from the Patuxent plant, which can build up in older water heaters. WSSC's Emergency Service Center at 301-206-4002 takes street-side breaks and overflows. Part of the water service line is utility-owned and part belongs to the customer; if you plan to replace your portion, WSSC asks to be told.

The Town of Riverdale Park lists Washington Gas as its gas utility. For a gas smell, leave the area, move somewhere safe, call 911, then call Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1.

What affects the cost

• The hour. Night and weekend calls usually cost more.
• Old materials. Galvanized or cast iron next to a break is often in similar shape, so more pipe may need replacing.
• Access. Plaster walls and tight basements add time.
• Permits. Most plumbing projects, including service line repairs, need a WSSC Water permit and a plumber or gasfitter holding a WSSC license.

When you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who takes urgent work around Riverdale. Give your street address and a landmark such as Riverdale Park Station, the Riversdale mansion or East-West Highway, say whether the main is off, and describe what's happening. Ask about after-hours pricing. No arrival time is promised.