Harrisburg Rental Plumbing Checklist

Harrisburg has a large stock of older rentals, from Midtown rowhouses to student housing near Penn State Harrisburg. Old pipes, basements and cold winters make quick reporting important. Share this list so tenants know what to watch for and when to speak up.

Report within a few days

• A dripping faucet or running toilet
• Slow drains in more than one fixture
• Rusty or brown water when taps first open
• A damp smell in the basement
• A sump pump that runs constantly or not at all

Report right away

• Water in the basement or dripping from a ceiling
• A pipe that froze or burst
• Sewage coming up a basement floor drain
• A leaking water heater
• A gas smell (leave and call the gas utility from outside)

Before winter

1. Keep the heat on, even when away
2. Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls in cold snaps
3. Don't block basement heat from reaching pipes
4. Know where the shut-off is; see finding your main water shut-off

Basements

Keep belongings off the basement floor and report a sump pump that seems weak before the next storm. More: sump pumps and wet basements.

For property managers

Central Pennsylvania's freeze-thaw cycles are hard on older plumbing, and a small leak in January can turn into a flooded basement by morning. Quick reports protect tenants' belongings as well as the building.

Rowhouses share walls, so a leak in one unit can show up next door first. Neighbors and tenants who mention stains or drips help catch it early.

Test sump pumps in fall and spring, shut off and drain outdoor faucets before winter and camera-check slow laterals between tenants. See frozen and burst pipes, sump pumps, sewer laterals and water heaters.