Plumber serving Centerville, UT
Plumbing Trouble in Centerville? Who Approves the Work and What to Ask First
A plumbing problem in Centerville raises two questions at once: what is wrong, and who has to sign off on the fix. This page covers both for a home in Centerville, from a backing-up drain to a replacement water heater.
Drains backing up: the District, not the city, approves sewer work
Sewer service in Centerville comes from the South Davis Sewer District, the same district that serves Bountiful, North Salt Lake, West Bountiful and Woods Cross. The District states that its approvals, permits and fees are not covered by city building permits, and it directs owners to contact it to connect or repair a building sewer (lateral).
That has a practical consequence. If a camera shows a broken or root-filled lateral, the repair has a District approval step on top of anything the city asks for. The District's office number is (801) 295-3469.
For a single slow drain, the simpler first step is clearing the drain. For several drains backing up at once, start with the sewer line inspection and repair page.
Replacing a water heater: Centerville's permit form
Centerville City publishes a plumbing permit form that lists a new or replacement water heater as a permit item. A tankless heater is treated differently: the form says to provide a schematic, that it cannot be issued over the counter and that it needs to be reviewed.
The form also asks whether the work is done by a contractor licensed under the Construction Trades Licensing Act or by an owner claiming the owner-builder exemption. The office is at 655 North 1250 West, and the plumbing permit contact number on the form is (801) 677-6438.
- Ask the plumber who is pulling the permit for a replacement tank.
- For a tankless unit, ask whether a schematic is part of the quote and how long review takes.
- Keep the permit paperwork with your home records.
The choices for the unit itself are on the water heater replacement page and the tankless water heater page.
A wet yard in Centerville may not be your plumbing at all
Centerville keeps irrigation water separate from the culinary water that comes into the house. The city's utility sheet lists two secondary water providers by location: south of Chase, the Centerville Deuel Creek Irrigation Company at 801-298-3675, and north of Chase, the Weber Basin Water District at 801-771-1677.
So a soggy spot in the lawn or a hissing sprinkler box can come from a pipe that is not on the house's meter. Test before you dig:
- Turn off every fixture inside the house and read the water meter.
- If the meter does not move, the leak is probably not on the house side of the culinary line.
- Check which irrigation provider serves your street, and call them before calling a plumber.
- If the meter does move, the leak is on the culinary side. See the meter test.
When the smell is gas
Gas in the Centerville area is supplied by Enbridge Gas Utah. A gas smell is not a plumbing call. Leave the house, call your gas utility or 911 from outside and do not use switches or flames. Once the utility has made the area safe, the page on repairing a gas line covers what comes next.
Burst and frozen pipes in the cold months
Davis County sits at the foot of the Wasatch Range, and winter brings real freezing, so exposed lines in garages, crawl spaces and exterior walls are the weak points. Bountiful's own climate record, the nearest one on file, shows average January lows in the low 20s Fahrenheit and snowfall that peaks from November to February.
Know where the main shutoff is before a cold snap, and do not use a flame on a frozen pipe. The steps are on the burst and frozen pipe page, and drying a wet wall is covered under cleanup after a burst.
Hot water that runs out too soon: four checks before you call
A heater that gives a short shower and then goes cold is one of the most common calls. Four quick checks narrow the cause before anyone arrives.
- Find out whether the unit is gas or electric, and check the breaker or the pilot light.
- Note how old the tank is. The date is on the rating label on the side.
- Listen for rumbling or popping when it heats, which points to sediment.
- Look at the base and the fittings for moisture, even a small amount.
Tell the plumber what you found. Water at the base of a tank usually means replacement, while a failed thermostat or element is a repair. The comparison is on the repair or replace guide.
Common Centerville plumbing calls and where to read first
| What you notice | Page to read |
|---|---|
| No hot water, or a leaking tank | Water heater repair |
| Scale on faucets and glassware | Water softeners |
| Several drains slow at once | Sewer line repair |
| A toilet that runs or clogs | Running and clogged toilets |
| A pipe that froze or split | Burst pipe repair |
| A disposal that hums and will not spin | Garbage disposal repair |
If your problem is not on the list, call and describe it. The same plumbers handle jobs that do not fit a category.
Four questions that apply to nearly every Centerville job
A few questions apply to nearly every Centerville job.
- Does the job need a permit, and who is pulling it.
- If it touches the sewer lateral, who is handling the District approval.
- What will be in writing: the cause found, the repair, the parts and any warranty.
- If digging is involved, who is placing the Blue Stakes 811 request. Notify at least 3 business days ahead, and note that private lines are typically not marked.
License details are available on request before work begins, and a plumber's license can be checked on the state's plumbing license page. Ranges are on the plumbing price ranges page, and the plumber confirms a price after seeing the problem.
Say which part of Centerville you are in and what is happening.
Call (833) 840-2034Finding Centerville on the map
Centerville is a Davis County city about two miles from Bountiful. The person who answers confirms whether your address is in range when you call, so give the street address, not just the town name.
Ready to say which part of Centerville has the problem?
Call (833) 840-2034 and say which part of Centerville you are in and what the problem is. A plumber serving your area takes the call from there.