Repiping in Boyds, MD

Is my Boyds home on public water or a well, and does it change a repipe?

Water and sewer service around Boyds varies by address, so check before work starts. WSSC Water is the public water and sewer utility for Montgomery County. If you get a WSSC bill, your plumbing starts at the meter and service line. If not, the house is probably on a private well, and the plumbing starts at a pressure tank. The job inside the house is similar either way, but on a well property the plumber has to shut down and protect the pump and any treatment equipment, then bring it all back online at the end.

What kind of pipe is in houses out here?

Boyds grew as a railroad and dairy-farming village on the B&O Metropolitan Branch, and some of the older homes near the station have been re-plumbed in stages over many decades. That often means galvanized steel in original sections, copper in later remodels, and plastic in the newest work. Mixed systems tend to leak at the transitions. Newer houses in the area are more likely to have copper or PEX throughout and seldom need a full repipe.

Who handles permits and inspections?

WSSC Water issues permits for and inspects plumbing throughout Montgomery County, including all natural gas and LP gas installations, so its rules apply even on properties not connected to WSSC water. Most work has to be done by a plumber registered with WSSC Water. Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services handles building permits if the repipe is part of a larger renovation. For WSSC customers, part of the water service line is utility-owned and part belongs to the owner; WSSC banned lead as a service line material in 1954 and has a What's Your Pipe Type? map for looking up an address.

A Boyds note

Older farmhouses here often have plumbing running through crawlspaces, fieldstone foundations or unheated additions. A repipe is a good chance to move lines into heated space so they don't freeze on cold nights. Tell the plumber about outbuildings, frost-free hydrants or barn lines that tie into the house system.