Plumbing Services
Everything Chestnut Heights Plumbing does for homes and small businesses in Elyria and nearby Lorain County communities, and a quick way to find the service that fits your problem.
Our Service Lines
Most calls fall into one of six service lines. Each has its own page with the warning signs, the options and the questions people ask us most.
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Drain Cleaning
Kitchen, bathroom and main drains cleared by cable or water jet, with a camera look when the cause is not obvious.
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Water Heaters
Repair and replacement of gas and electric tank heaters and tankless units, sized for your household.
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Sewer Lines
Camera inspection, root and blockage clearing, and repair or replacement of the line out to the street.
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Sump Pumps
New and replacement pumps, battery backups, check valves and discharge lines for wet Lorain County springs.
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Emergency Plumbing
Burst pipes, sewage backups and no hot water: what to do in the first minutes and how to reach us.
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Commercial Plumbing
Restrooms, water heaters, grease traps and tenant calls for landlords, property managers and small businesses.
Other Work We Do
These jobs do not have a page of their own, but they are a regular part of the work. Call and describe what you need.
- Leak repair. Dripping supply lines, leaking valves and fittings, and wet ceilings traced back to their source.
- Clogged toilets. Stubborn clogs cleared with the right auger, plus running toilets and worn fill valves and flappers.
- Faucets and fixtures. New faucets, sinks, toilets, shower valves, tub fillers and towel warmers, connected and tested.
- Garbage disposals. Jammed or humming disposals freed, leaks fixed, and worn units replaced under the sink.
- Burst pipes. Frozen and split pipes repaired, with advice on keeping that wall or crawl space from freezing again.
- Remodel plumbing. Supply and drain work for bathroom and kitchen remodels, from small updates to full repiping.
Which Service Do I Need?
Start from what you are seeing. The urgency column is the honest answer to "can this wait?". If you are not sure, the troubleshooting guide walks through the common symptoms step by step.
| Symptom | Likely service | Urgency | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water spraying from a pipe, or a ceiling dripping | Burst pipe or leak repair | Now: shut off the main valve first | Emergency Plumbing |
| Dirty water coming up at the basement floor drain | Main line clearing and a camera look | Now: stop using water upstairs | Sewer Lines |
| Water on the floor around the water heater | Water heater repair or replacement | Now: close the cold inlet valve | Water Heaters |
| No hot water at all | Water heater repair | Same day if you can | Water Heaters |
| Several drains slow or gurgling at once | Main drain cleaning | Soon, before it backs up | Drain Cleaning |
| One slow sink, tub or shower | Drain cleaning | This week | Drain Cleaning |
| Sump pump runs nonstop, or not at all | Sump pump repair or replacement | Before the next heavy rain | Sump Pumps |
| Restaurant drains slowing, grease smell | Grease trap and kitchen line service | Soon, before a busy shift | Commercial Plumbing |
| A toilet that keeps running | Toilet repair | When convenient; it wastes water | Troubleshooting |
Lorain County Seasons and Your Plumbing
Freeze-thaw in winter, wet basements in spring
January and February cold snaps freeze pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces, garages and outdoor faucets. The split often does not show until the pipe thaws and starts spraying, which is why burst pipes tend to come in the days after the coldest night.
From March into April, melting snow and spring rain soak the clay soil around Lorain County foundations. Sump pumps run for hours at a time, weak pumps fail when they are needed most, and basement floor drains can back up when the ground and the sewers are full.
A few steps each year prevent most of these calls:
- In the fall, disconnect garden hoses and shut off and drain outdoor faucets that are not frost-free.
- Insulate pipes that run through unheated spaces, and open sink cabinets on outside walls during deep cold.
- Before spring, pour a bucket of water into the sump pit and make sure the pump starts, pumps and shuts off.
- Keep gutters clear and downspouts pointed well away from the house.
Finished Work
Two of our finished fixture jobs: a black shower panel with a vessel sink, and a compact bathroom with a new shower, toilet and vanity.
What Is Covered, and What Needs a Permit
Which plumbing jobs need a permit?
As a rule, new work and replacements of major equipment do: a new or replacement water heater, sewer line repairs and replacements, new water or drain lines, and the plumbing for a remodel. In Ohio these are permitted and inspected locally, by a city building department or the county health district, depending on the community.
What usually does not need a permit?
Repairs generally do not: clearing a drain, fixing a leak at a fitting, replacing a fill valve or flapper, or swapping a faucet or toilet for a similar one in the same place. Local rules differ, so when in doubt we check before the work, not after.
Who takes care of the permit and the inspection?
When a job needs a permit, you hear about it with the quote, along with the inspection it involves, so the schedule and the price already allow for it. Nothing about it is left for you to discover after the work is done.
Is the sewer pipe under the street my responsibility?
Often the homeowner is responsible for the whole lateral, from the house to the city main, but the rules differ between communities. The sewer lines page explains it, and your city's utility department can confirm it for your address.
Do you work on rental and business properties?
Yes. We work for homeowners and small businesses, including landlords and property managers. The commercial plumbing page covers restrooms, grease traps, water heaters and tenant calls.
Related Pages
Prefer to talk it through? Call (440) 740-3345 and describe what is happening.
Ready to have it looked at?
Call and describe the problem, or send a request with a good time to reach you. You get an honest quote before any work starts.