Emergency Plumber in Hollywood, FL
Hollywood was planned and built in the 1920s, and many homes still sit on pipes from decades ago. When something fails, the age of the house is the first thing to check.
Plumbing emergency in Hollywood?
Close the shutoff, then call and give your street address.
(754) 320-541224/7 emergency lineA planned city with older plumbing
Hollywood was incorporated in 1925 and was laid out as a planned community by Joseph W. Young during the 1920s land boom. By 1960 the city had more than 12,000 single-family homes. A large share of housing is therefore decades old, and original drain lines may be cast iron or clay.
Pipes of that age wear out in predictable ways. Cast iron rusts from the inside and sheds scale, clay cracks at joints, and roots find the cracks. A sewer camera shows the condition of the pipe. Sewer line repair fixes a section, and sewer line replacement covers longer runs.
Warning signs in an older home
- Gurgling drains after a toilet flush.
- A sewage smell in the yard near the cleanout.
- Rust-colored water after the supply has been off.
- Low pressure that gets worse each year.
- Damp patches on slab floors.
Any one can be small. Several together suggest a pipe near the end of its life.
How Hollywood water is treated
The city runs its own treatment plant. According to the city's water supply plan, it draws on the Biscayne Aquifer and on brackish Floridan Aquifer water treated by reverse osmosis, and it uses lime softening, membrane softening and reverse osmosis. The plant serves most of Hollywood and small parts of Davie and Dania Beach, and it also supplies treated water to Broward County under a resale agreement.
Different treatment methods leave different mineral levels, which affects scale on fixtures and inside tanks. Read the city's yearly water quality report before you choose treatment equipment, and see water filtration for taste and odor problems.
| Home age | Likely pipe | Typical issue |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1950 | Cast iron or clay drains, galvanized supply | Roots, rusty water |
| 1950s to 1970s | Cast iron drains, early copper | Pinholes, slow drains |
| 1980s to 1990s | Copper, some polybutylene | Fitting leaks, repiping |
| Newer | PEX or CPVC | Fixture and heater service |
Hotels, condos and rentals
The city has a large stock of condos, small apartment buildings and short-term rentals along with single-family streets. In a condo, the building usually owns the risers and the main drain line. If a drain backs up in several units, call the association first.
Commercial properties, including restaurants and shops along the main corridors, have grease traps, backflow devices and their own testing schedules. See commercial plumbing.
- Find the shutoffKnow where the main valve is before you need it.
- Call with the addressGive your street and cross street.
- Ask what the camera showsFor sewer work, ask to see the footage.
- Compare repair and replaceAsk for both prices on older lines.
Leaks that do not show
Slab homes hide leaks. If the water bill rises or the meter moves with everything off, start with leak detection before opening floors.
After a storm or a long vacancy
Seasonal residents and rental owners leave homes empty for weeks. Standing water in unused traps dries out and lets sewer gas into the house, and a small leak can run for days with nobody home. Before leaving a home empty, close the main valve and check under sinks for dampness.
After a heavy storm, watch the lowest drains in the house. If a tub or floor drain bubbles or rises, stop using water and call. Repeated backups often mean a lateral that is cracked, bellied or full of roots, and a camera inspection will show which.
What changes the price of a Hollywood plumbing call
- Pipe material and age
- Cast iron, clay and copper each need different parts and methods.
- Access
- A slab floor or a finished wall takes longer to open.
- Length of the run
- Sewer laterals vary widely in length.
- Permits
- Replacement work may need a city permit.
Ask for the scope and price in writing before work starts.
ZIP codes include 33019, 33020, 33021, 33023 and 33024. Service depends on your street address.
Hollywood, Broward County.
Questions people ask before they call
Most Hollywood addresses are reachable. The dispatcher checks your street on the call.
Many homes date from the postwar decades, and some from the 1920s. Pipes in older homes may be cast iron or clay.
The City of Hollywood runs the utility and treatment plant for most of the city.
If a camera shows heavy scale, cracks or collapse, replacement can cost less than repeated repairs. Ask for both quotes.
Yes, (754) 320-5412 is answered 24/7.
Plumbing emergency in Hollywood?
Shut off the water if you can, then call and describe what you see.