Questions we hear every week

We use upfront, flat-rate pricing. When you call, we tell you the trip and diagnostic fee. After the tech finds the problem, you get a set price for the repair, and you decide whether to go ahead before any work starts. Larger jobs like sewer replacements and new systems get a written quote.

No. Repairs are priced by the job, not by the clock, so a tech who takes longer to free a rusted fitting doesn't cost you more. If we find something unexpected partway through, like a second broken section of pipe, we stop, show you, and price it before we continue.

Financing is available on approved credit for larger projects such as sewer lateral replacements, repipes, and new furnaces, boilers or air conditioners. Ask your dispatcher or tech, and we'll explain the options before you sign anything. Smaller repairs are paid when the work is finished.

Often, yes, especially if you call in the morning. We keep room in each city's schedule for same-day repairs. During the first big freeze or a heat wave, the schedule fills fast, and we'll give you an honest window. Care Plan members get priority scheduling in both cities.

Yes. Both city lines are answered 24 hours a day, every day, by a person, not a voicemail box. After hours, the dispatcher helps you stop the damage over the phone, tells you the after-hours trip fee, and sends the on-call tech for your city if you decide to go ahead.

Shut off the main water valve, usually in the basement on the wall facing the street, near the water meter. Turn it clockwise. Then open a faucet on the lowest floor to relieve pressure, move valuables out of the water, and call your city's line. Take photos for your insurance company if you can.

If several drains are slow at once, the toilet gurgles when the washer drains, or water comes up through the basement floor drain, the main line is the likely problem. A single slow sink is usually a local clog. When the main backs up, stop using water and call us to clear and camera the line.

Yes. You can watch the screen with the tech during the inspection, and we send you the recorded video afterward. We note where problems are and roughly how deep, so you can see why we're recommending a cleaning, a spot repair, or a replacement. It's your pipe, so you should see it.

Often, yes. Our trucks carry the most common tank sizes, and many straight swaps are finished the same day. If you need a tankless unit, a special size, or new venting, it may take a day or two to get parts. We'll tell you on the phone what's realistic for your situation.

Yes. Steam is common in older Pittsburgh houses and Philadelphia rowhouses and twins. We service and replace steam boilers, test and clean low-water cutoffs, replace radiator and main vents, and fix banging pipes. Many steam problems come down to vents, pressure settings, or a radiator that's lost its slope.

Usually, yes. Rowhouses rarely have room for ductwork, and ductless mini-splits need only a small hole for the line set. One outdoor unit can serve several rooms, and most models heat too. We plan the head placement and line routing so the install looks neat inside and on the back wall.

A fall heating tune-up for your furnace or boiler, a spring AC tune-up, a water heater flush and anode check, and a whole-house plumbing check covering shutoff valves, supply lines and the sump pump. Members get priority scheduling and member pricing on repairs. Ask your city's dispatcher for the current plan price.