Allentown PA Plumbing ProsPlumbers in Allentown, PA | for leaks, sewer backups and no hot water
Calls to the dispatch line are answered at any hour and routed to a licensed, insured local plumber serving your area. Many Allentown homes are old, and in the city the sewer line from the street to your house is yours to repair, so a good first call starts with knowing which pipe is which.
Plumbing services for Allentown homes, rowhouses and rentals
Fourteen residential plumbing services sit behind one phone number, from general plumbing repair to water heater installation. Describe the plumbing trouble when you call and the dispatcher routes it, and you can schedule plumbing service for work that can wait. Six services are below; the full list is one click away.
Leak detection & repair
A meter check shows whether water is moving when everything is off. Then the plumber locates the leak before opening a wall or floor.
Leak detection detailsSewer line repair
In Allentown the sewer line from the street into your house belongs to you. A camera shows where it fails so you repair the right section.
Sewer line detailsDrain cleaning
One slow fixture or the whole house? The answer decides between a snake, a jet, or a camera look at the main line.
Drain cleaning detailsWater heater repair
Leaking tank, no hot water, or only lukewarm: where the fault sits decides whether to repair or replace.
Water heater detailsWater line repair
LCA owns the pipe to the curb box and you own the pipe from there to the house. Know which side is leaking before you pay.
Water line detailsRepiping and pipe repair
Galvanized, copper or a lead service line? Check the LCA letter and ask a plumber to identify the pipe.
Repiping details
Why a plumbing call in Allentown starts with a question about your pipes
Housing in Allentown is old. Secondary sources put the median build year near 1952, with roughly four in ten homes built before 1940 and rowhouses the most common type; treat those figures as approximate. In older home plumbing that means galvanized and lead supply lines, clay and cast iron drains, and repairs that touch more than one pipe.
The first question is who owns the problem. Lehigh County Authority (LCA) runs the water and sewer systems and owns the water pipe up to the curb box. The rest of the water line, and the whole sewer line inside the city, belongs to the homeowner.
Call now, or can it wait?
Some plumbing emergencies cannot wait for morning, and some plumbing trouble is worth a calm look first. The left column lists the common plumbing emergencies. Use the table as a first sort, then call and describe what you see. The dispatch line is open 24 hours, so nobody has to wait for business hours to report the problems in the first group.
| Call now | Usually fine for a scheduled visit |
|---|---|
| A burst or leaking pipe you cannot stop | One slow drain |
| Sewage backing up into a tub, floor drain or toilet | A dripping faucet |
| No water at all | A toilet that keeps running |
| A water heater that is leaking or flooding | A water heater that is lukewarm but not leaking |
| Water coming through a ceiling or wall | A fixture that needs replacing |
Need a plumber in Allentown?
Call and describe what you see. The dispatch line routes you to a licensed, insured local plumber serving your area. Ask for license details before work begins.
Plumbing for Allentown homeowners: the questions that come up most
Sewer backups in older houses. A backup in a basement drain or lower-level tub usually points to the sewer line. In the City of Allentown the customer owns the entire sewer service line from the street connection into the house, and LCA will email a map of the approximate lateral location if you ask for one. A camera inspection then shows whether the fault is roots, a bellied section or a broken joint, which is why repairing a failing sewer line starts with the camera and not with a bigger auger.
Leaks and the curb box. Water that keeps moving when every fixture is off shows up on the meter. LCA owns the meter and the pipe from the main to the curb box. The pipe from the curb box to your house is yours, so a leak on that side is your repair. A meter test and a look at the curb box come first, and finding a hidden leak comes after that.
Old supply lines. LCA is mailing letters to about 43,000 customers saying whether their service line is lead, galvanized steel or unknown, and it keeps a status map. A plumber can identify the pipe where it enters the house. If it is lead or galvanized, pipe replacement is the question to raise, and LCA decides eligibility for its own lead program.
Cold snaps. Allentown winters bring freeze-thaw cycles, and LCA has reported strings of water main breaks in hard winters. The meter belongs to LCA, but you protect it from freezing. If a pipe splits, shut off the water at the main and call. Never thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame. When the frozen section sits between the curb box and the house, it is a job for frozen water line repair.
Permits and who does the work. Allentown’s plumbing code says plumbing work must not start until a permit is issued, with an exception for repairs that touch only working parts. The city also licenses its own Journeyman and Master plumbers. Ask who pulls the permit and for license details before work begins, and call the Bureau of Building Standards and Safety at 610-437-7591 if you are unsure what your job needs. Replacing a water heater is one of the jobs where that question matters.
Frequently asked plumbing questions
What counts as a plumbing emergency in Allentown?
A burst or leaking pipe you cannot stop, sewage backing up into a tub, floor drain or toilet, no water at all, a water heater that is leaking or flooding, and water coming through a ceiling or wall are emergencies. A water heater problem that comes with a gas smell is a gas emergency first: leave the building and call UGI Utilities at 800-276-2722 or 911. Most other problems can wait for a scheduled visit, and the dispatcher can help you judge once you describe what you see.
I rent and have a major leak. What should I do?
Shut off the water at the nearest fixture valve or the main if you can do it safely, move belongings away from the water, and call your landlord or property manager right away. Allentown registers and inspects rental units, and repairs to the building plumbing are normally arranged through the owner. If water is spreading and you cannot reach the owner, call the dispatch line and say that you rent, so the plumber knows whether the owner has to approve the work.
What should I do first in a plumbing emergency?
Stop the water if you can: close the fixture valve, or the main shutoff where the water line enters the house. Turn off the water heater if it is the source. Keep electrical devices away from standing water. If you smell gas, leave and call UGI Utilities or 911 from outside. Then call the dispatch line and describe what you see, including where the water is coming from and whether you have stopped it.
Can I get a plumber today?
Same-day arrival depends on demand, the weather and where the nearest plumber is, so the dispatcher gives you the real picture when you call. Call early rather than late, because a clear description of the problem lets the dispatcher judge how urgent it is. We do not promise an arrival time.
Do you answer calls at night and on weekends?
Yes. The dispatch line answers at any hour, nights, weekends and holidays included, and routes the call to a plumber serving your area.
Who owns the pipe when water or sewage is the problem, Lehigh County Authority or me?
Lehigh County Authority (LCA) owns the water pipe from the main to the curb box, and you own the pipe from the curb box into the house. In the City of Allentown you own the entire sewer service line from the street connection into the house, and LCA will email you a map of the approximate lateral location if you ask. Outside the city the split can be different, so ask your own water or sewer authority.
Plumbing service areas around Allentown
Calls from Allentown go to plumbers serving the city and nearby Lehigh and Northampton county communities. Each area page names that place’s own water and sewer operator and permit office, because the rules change from town to town.