Commercial Plumbing in Bahama, NC

What to expect when you call

You'll be connected with an independent local plumber who works in rural northern Durham County. Start with the basics: what the building is used for, whether it runs on a well, what heats the water, and whether you have water at all right now. Commercial properties in Bahama tend to be small, such as churches, older stores, farm buildings and rentals, so the call is usually about a single building rather than a multi-tenant property.

Cost factors

• The water system. A well pump, pressure tank or filter problem is a different job from a leak inside the building.
• Fuel for the water heater. Propane units need gas line and venting checks; electric units need element and thermostat checks.
• Old construction. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century buildings can hide old pipe and tight crawl spaces.
• Travel and access. Long private lines and rural properties add time.
• Permits. Durham City-County Building and Safety covers replacements and private water and sewer service lines.

Local conditions in Bahama

Bahama grew from farming and the railroad, and its farmhouses and stores along Bahama Road date from the 1800s and early 1900s. The Bahama Village Historic District, Stagville Road and Red Mountain Road are part of that rural setting, and Lake Michie, a main Durham reservoir, sits nearby but serves City of Durham customers rather than Bahama itself.

Because the City generally requires annexation and a Utility Extension Agreement before providing water or sewer, most Bahama properties depend on wells and private onsite wastewater systems. Durham County Environmental Health permits, inspects and tests wells and onsite systems (919-560-7800). County well-testing data are useful context for any business serving the public: 38% of 857 tested Durham County wells exceeded the manganese advisory, about 23% of 501 exceeded the iron advisory and 1.05% of 860 exceeded the arsenic standard. Those figures are countywide, not specific to Bahama.

Piped gas is rare here. In ZIP 27503, only 0.7% of homes heat with utility gas, compared with 35.4% propane and 61.9% electric, so most water heaters run on electricity or propane.

Short checklist

• Find the well pump breaker and the main shutoff
• Know where the tank and its access lids are
• Note the water heater's fuel and age
• Clear a path to the crawl space or utility room