Emergency Plumber in Tempe, AZ

Who do I call for a break in the street versus one in my house?

The City of Tempe Water Utilities Division handles water, wastewater and stormwater, and it keeps a dedicated water emergency line at 480-350-2837; routine customer service is 480-350-8361. A main break, a geyser at the meter or sewage coming out of a manhole is the city's to fix. Pipes inside your walls and the lines across your own lot belong to the owner, and that is where a plumber comes in. The city says lead in drinking water comes primarily from private service lines and home plumbing, one more reason the owner's side of the line deserves attention.

Does an emergency repair in Tempe need a permit?

It depends on the fix. Tempe exempts leak repairs from permits only when no valves, pipes or fixtures are replaced or rearranged. Replacing a section of pipe, a valve or a water heater generally means a plumbing permit from the Development Services permit counter at City Hall (480-350-4311). A plumber can stop the leak tonight and handle the permit as part of the follow-up repair.

Why do older Tempe homes seem to fail at night?

They don't fail more at night, but they do fail more. Tempe is a landlocked, older inner-ring suburb with a median build year of about 1983, so many houses still have original valves, supply lines and drains. Hardness across the system ranges from 9.5 to 29 grains per gallon, averaging 10.9, which leaves scale inside water heaters and fixture valves. Add slab-on-grade construction and you get the familiar emergencies: a tank that lets go, a shutoff that won't close, or a slab leak that shows itself as a warm floor and a meter that won't stop. If you rent near Mill Avenue or the ASU campus, ask the landlord where the main valve is before you need it.

A Tempe note

Gas service in Tempe comes from Southwest Gas. If you smell gas, don't stop to shut anything off; get out, then call 911 and Southwest Gas. For water, test your main valve every so often so it turns when you need it, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. No arrival time is promised for an emergency call; it depends on the hour and the plumber's schedule.