Duncan sits between Spartanburg and Greer, with town limits that reach from US 29 down to I-85. We are based in Spartanburg, so Duncan is a straightforward run down either road, and our phone is answered by a person at every hour.
The utility map here differs from the rest of the county, and that matters in an emergency. Water comes from SJWD, and sewer belongs to the Town of Duncan, billed through SJWD. Gas comes from the Greer Commission of Public Works, not Piedmont. Knowing which one to call for the public side saves real time.
Most homes in town are newer, built during the growth of the last two decades, with older houses near Main Street and the SC 290 crossroads. The newer ones flood from attic water heaters, failed supply lines and upstairs laundries. The older ones add aging pipe and drains to that list.
When you call, we help you stop the water first, then get a plumber headed your way.
Duncan's emergency contacts
Keep this list somewhere you can find it in the dark.
- Gas smell: leave the house, then call 911 and Greer CPW at (864) 848-5500
- Water bubbling up at the meter box or in the road: SJWD
- Sewage overflowing from a public manhole: the Town of Duncan
- Leaks, bursts or backups on your side of the meter or tap: Gas Guys
Attic water heaters
An attic tank is out of sight until it fails, and then it announces itself through a ceiling. If water is coming through, close the cold valve on top of the heater, turn the gas control to Off or switch off the breaker, and keep everyone out from under any sagging drywall.
A pan with a working drain line catches many of these leaks before they reach the ceiling. If yours has no drain, or the line ends in the attic, that is worth fixing even before the tank fails.
Once the water is stopped, the replacement itself can usually be planned for daylight. An attic swap takes more hands and more care than a garage one, and we would rather do it right than fast.
Upstairs laundry and supply lines
Two-story homes often put the washer upstairs. A burst washer hose there can send water through two floors before anyone notices. Braided stainless hoses last longer than rubber ones, and a quarter-turn shutoff box behind the washer makes it easy to close.
Toilet and faucet supply lines are the other common failure. Each fixture has its own shutoff, and it is worth turning each one once a year so it works when you need it.
If water has run for a while, move furniture and rugs out of the wet area and photograph the damage for your insurer. Drywall and subfloor dry faster when the water is stopped early.
Backups and the town sewer
The Town of Duncan maintains the public sewer. The line from your house to the town's tap is yours. If a drain backs up inside, stop using water and call us to clear it. If a manhole on the street is overflowing too, the blockage may be in the town's main, so call the town as well.
After we clear the line, a camera inspection tells you whether it was a one-time clog or something that will come back, such as a sag, a broken joint or roots at the tap. In newer subdivisions, construction debris left in the line is another cause we sometimes find.
Tonight or tomorrow
Water you cannot shut off, sewage inside the house, no water anywhere, or any gas smell are reasons to call at any hour. A single slow drain, a running toilet, or a leak that stopped when you closed the fixture valve can usually wait until morning, and we will say so if that is the case.
In Duncan specifically
Find your main shutoff
In slab homes, the main shutoff is often in the garage, near the water heater or in a utility closet. In crawlspace homes, look inside the foundation on the street side.
Very soft water
SJWD water is extremely soft, so scale-related clogs and heater failures are uncommon. Most emergencies here are mechanical: hoses, fittings and tanks.
Permits after the emergency
If an emergency becomes a replacement, such as a new water heater or sewer line, the permit comes from the Town of Duncan inside town limits.
Older homes near Main Street
Houses that predate the growth can have galvanized supply pipe and cast iron drains. A burst joint or a cracked drain there is a different repair from a PEX fitting in a new subdivision.
How an emergency call works
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You call, a person answers
Day or night, someone walks you through shutting off the water, gas or power while a plumber gets on the way.
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Stop the damage
The first job on site is to stop the water and make the house safe. A full repair sometimes waits for parts or daylight.
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Find the cause
A split pipe, a failed supply line, a blocked main or a rusted-out tank. Knowing why keeps it from happening again.
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Explain, then repair
We tell you what we found and the options before any repair beyond the emergency fix. Then we repair, restore the water and check for leaks.
The full guide to emergency plumbing, and everything else about plumbing and gas in Duncan.