When a flooded restroom or kitchen backup is an emergency
A kitchen drain that backs up before the dinner rush, a failed riser in an apartment building or a flooded restroom closes the doors, and our 24/7 line takes those calls on nights, weekends and holidays. While you wait, find the building's main shutoff and the shutoff for the affected branch, close them, and keep staff and tenants out of wet areas.
Tell dispatch how many fixtures are affected, which floors and whether the water is clear or sewage. Three fixtures backing up on one floor points to a branch or the building drain. Water on every floor points to the stack or the lateral. Same-day appointments are available when the problem is a slow leak or a nonurgent repair.
Offices, retail and light industrial
Bloomfield has commercial and industrial corridors along Cottage Grove Road (Route 218) and Blue Hills Avenue (Route 187), plus older industrial areas near Tobey Road and Granby Street, according to the town's plan of conservation and development. For a building owner there, that means mixed ages of piping, and a repair often meets a second old fitting hiding behind it.
- Restroom fixtures: flush valves, toilets, urinals and sensor faucets that fail on a heavy-traffic day.
- Water heaters and recirculation lines serving kitchens, breakrooms and restrooms.
- Hidden leaks in ceilings and slabs that show as stains, damp carpet or a bill that creeps up.
- Floor drains and mop sinks that back up from a shared branch.
- Tenant buildouts that add sinks or restrooms and need new supply and drain lines.
Restaurants and food service
Grease is where kitchens get into trouble. MDC runs a Fats, Oils and Grease program for businesses, and its rules require food service establishments in the covered classes to install an active grease recovery unit, a super capacity grease interceptor or an outdoor in-ground interceptor of at least 1,000 gallons. Pot sinks, pre-rinse sinks, wok stations and floor drains that may carry grease have to connect to it.
The same program calls for full cleaning of recovery units and super capacity interceptors at least quarterly, and for outdoor interceptors to be emptied every 3 months or sooner when they reach 25 percent of operating depth. A written log and receipts stay on site, and the establishment registers with MDC. In practice, that means your cleaning dates are an inspection item, so keep the paperwork where an MDC inspector can find it.
Grease trap pumping and what we do
We service and clean interceptors and inspect the inlet and outlet baffles. If your trap needs hauling and disposal, ask on the call who handles that step, so the receipt you keep on site is complete.
A kitchen line that backs up even after a pumped trap usually has a clog or a collapsed section downstream, and we look at that with a drain camera or a hydro jetting pass.
Kitchen drain backing up during service?
Stop using the dish pit and floor drains, then call the 24/7 line. Tell us if the water is gray, greasy or dark, and we will send the right gear for a grease clog or a main line blockage.
Backflow prevention and testing
Backflow devices keep dirty water from flowing back into the drinking supply. MDC inspects properties for cross connections, and its program says owners of commercial, industrial and residential buildings must install and maintain control devices where a toxic or objectionable substance could be present. The program also covers lawn irrigation systems, boilers, fire suppression and ice machines, among others.
Owners must notify MDC and get plan approval before installing that equipment. MDC's page does not give a testing schedule, so check the notice you received or call MDC's Utility Services at 860-278-7850, extension 3780, on weekdays to learn your due date. We test and repair assemblies, replace worn check valves and relief valves, and discuss new devices. Where a test is overdue, call early so there is time for a repair and a retest.
Apartment buildings and property managers
Multifamily buildings add shared risk. One tenant's clogged line can flood the unit below, a failed shutoff can affect a whole stack, and a water heater serving several units fails for everyone at once. In Bloomfield, the Blue Hills Avenue area mixes single-family homes, townhouses and apartments, according to the town's plan.
Isolate the problem
We close the closest valve and identify which units, stacks or branches are affected.
Document the source
We photograph the failed part and tell you in writing what we found, which helps you with tenants and insurers.
Repair or temporary fix
We make a lasting repair when we can and a clearly labeled temporary fix when parts must be ordered.
Restore and report
We test service to each unit and give the manager a list of any remaining risks.
Property managers who call for tenants should have the unit number, a contact who can give access and the shutoff location ready. Sewer questions such as owner responsibility for the lateral are covered in our sewer inspection work.
Repair or replace in a commercial system
| Situation | Repair makes sense when | Replace when |
|---|---|---|
| Flush valves and faucets | Parts are available and the body is sound | Several fixtures fail across the building |
| Water heater | A single part has failed | The tank leaks or repairs keep returning |
| Grease interceptor | Baffles and lids are intact | The tank is cracked or undersized for the kitchen |
| Backflow assembly | Test failed on a worn seat or spring | Body is corroded or the model is obsolete |
| Drain branch | One blockage cleared by jetting | Camera shows a collapsed or offset section |
Licensing, permits and scope
Connecticut licenses plumbing work in classes. The P-1 unlimited contractor and P-2 unlimited journeyperson licenses cover all plumbing and piping work, while P-6 and P-7 are limited to sewer, storm and water lines. You can verify any license on the state's eLicense lookup. Our crews are licensed and insured, and we pull permits when the job requires it.
Bloomfield's Building Division enforces the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code, which builds on the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC). Plumbing has its own trade permit separate from the building permit. Adding, altering, replacing or relocating supply or drain piping is not exempt, so a tenant buildout normally needs one. Call 860-769-3516 to ask about your case.
What drives commercial plumbing cost
Every building is different. These items shape the quote.
Ask your insurer how your commercial property policy treats water damage and sewer backup. Policies usually cover sudden and accidental damage, and backup often needs an added endorsement.
Call us with the building, the problem and the access details, and we will give you a clear price before work starts.
We also serve businesses in Hartford and nearby towns on the same line.
Commercial plumbing questions
Yes. Our dispatch line runs 24/7, and a flooded restroom, a kitchen backup or a failed riser is what it is for. Close the nearest shutoff, keep people out of the wet area and call. Nonurgent work can usually be booked as a same-day appointment when available.
We service and inspect them and trace downstream clogs. MDC requires covered food businesses to clean recovery units and interceptors on a set schedule and keep a log, so ask us on the call how hauling and paperwork are handled.
We test and repair assemblies. MDC runs the cross-connection program, so check your notice or call Utility Services at 860-278-7850, extension 3780 on weekdays, for your due date.
Often, yes. Tell us your hours when you call. Scheduled work can happen before opening or after close, and emergencies are handled right away.
Yes. We handle shared stacks, water heaters and drain lines. Bring the unit numbers, an access contact and the shutoff locations to the call.
Adding, altering or replacing supply or drain piping is not exempt in Bloomfield, so a buildout needs a plumbing permit. Simple leak repairs in existing pipes and fixtures generally are exempt. Call the Building Division at 860-769-3516 to confirm.