Inman was incorporated in 1882 where Howard Gap and Blackstock roads crossed, and grew with the railroad and with Inman Mills, which James A. Chapman opened in 1902 and which ran until 2001. In the 1930s the area called itself the fresh peach capital of the world. Today it sits between I-26 and Lake Bowen, close enough to Spartanburg to draw new subdivisions.
Utilities in Inman are split three ways, and it helps to know which is which. Water comes from the Inman-Campobello Water District, formed in 1954. Sewer is the City of Inman's own wastewater department, which bills separately from the water district. Natural gas is Piedmont Natural Gas.
Permits work differently here too. The City of Inman has its permit applications and inspections processed by SAFEbuilt through an online portal, and that covers gas, mechanical and plumbing work inside city limits. Outside the city, Spartanburg County Building Codes issues them.
Gas Guys is a short drive up I-26 in Spartanburg, and the phone is answered around the clock.
Inman at a glance
- Natural gas
- Piedmont Natural Gas. Piedmont Natural Gas serves Inman; homes out past the mains, toward Campobello and the state line, generally run gas appliances on propane.
- Water
- Inman-Campobello Water District
- Sewer
- City of Inman
- Permits
- City of Inman (processed by SAFEbuilt)
- Housing
- Early 1900s homes in the old town and near Inman Mills, mid-century houses, and newer subdivisions on the outskirts.
Plumbing and gas in Inman: what to know
Older houses, mixed pipe
Houses in the old part of town date from the early 1900s, and their plumbing has usually been redone more than once. Expect a mix: some galvanized steel, some copper, maybe CPVC or PEX from a recent remodel, and cast iron drains under the floor. Where one material meets another is where corrosion and leaks tend to start.
Two offices for water and sewer
Your water comes from the Inman-Campobello Water District and your sewer service from the City of Inman, and they are not the same office. A leak at or before the water meter goes to the water district. A backup in the public sewer main goes to the city. Everything between the meter and the house, and the drain from the house to the sewer tap, belongs to the homeowner.
Crawlspace freezes
Many older Inman houses sit on crawlspaces with supply lines running under the floor. On the handful of hard-freeze nights each winter, pipes near foundation vents and on north walls freeze first, and the split often shows only when it thaws. Close the vents for winter, insulate exposed lines, and know where your main shutoff is before you need it.
Gas beyond the mains
Out past the city toward Campobello and the North Carolina line, homes without a Piedmont main run their gas appliances on propane. The tank and regulator belong to your propane supplier. The piping from there to the range, water heater or gas logs is house piping, and it gets the same sizing and pressure testing as a natural gas line.
Masonry fireplaces converted to gas logs
If your older home has a brick fireplace that was later fitted with gas logs, the gas line was added after the fact, often through the floor from the crawlspace. Vented logs need the damper locked open; vent-free logs have their own clearance and room-size rules. A pilot that will not stay lit after a summer off is usually a dirty thermocouple, not the line.