Nationwide Plumbers is a NYC Licensed Master Plumber (License #2023) in business since 1984, dispatching 24/7. In Kips Bay we handle apartment leaks, drain and sewer cleaning, gas line repair, Local Law 152 inspections and water heaters. Call 718-748-2727.
Kips Bay runs from about 23rd to 34th Street on the East Side, and its buildings fall into two groups. Along First Avenue and the river you find large post-war towers, including the Kips Bay Towers complex and Waterside Plaza, next to the hospital campuses of Bellevue, NYU Langone and the VA. On Second and Third Avenues and the side streets, older tenements and walk-ups stand beside mid-century brick rentals, with shops and restaurants on the ground floors.
Lexington Avenue in the upper 20s, known for its Indian restaurants, adds busy commercial kitchens to the mix. So in one afternoon a plumber here might trace a leak between floors of a 20 story co-op, clear a grease line under a restaurant, then check a walk-up's gas piping. We bring the licensing, insurance paperwork and equipment for all three, and we dispatch around the clock.
Services we offer in Kips Bay
- Leak detection between floors in high-rise co-ops and condos
- Restaurant drain cleaning and jetting on Lexington and Third Avenues
- Gas line repair and Local Law 152 inspections for walk-ups and mixed-use buildings
- Steam boiler repair in older walk-ups
- Shower valve and mixing valve repair in post-war apartments
- Water heater replacement for townhouses and small buildings
- Property management accounts for managing agents and supers
- Toilet and fixture repair
Common plumbing issues in Kips Bay
Leaks that travel between floors
In a concrete high-rise, water from a failed shower valve or a washing machine hose can travel along a slab or pipe chase and appear in an apartment two floors down. The stain is rarely right under the source. We use leak detection to find where it starts, so the right apartment gets opened and the repair is documented for the managing agent.
Temperature swings in post-war towers
Large post-war buildings rely on shared hot water systems and pumps to serve many floors. When the mixing valve inside one apartment wears out, residents get showers that swing hot and cold, or hot water that crosses into the cold line and affects neighbors. Replacing the cartridge or the full valve usually fixes it, and we coordinate any riser shutoff with the super.
Grease in shared commercial drains
Ground floor restaurants on Lexington, Second and Third Avenues often share the building sewer with the apartments above. Grease and food waste coat the line until it backs up into a cellar or basement floor drain. We clear it with our van-mounted jetter, with a 45-day guarantee, and can camera the line afterward to confirm it is open.
Why Kips Bay residents choose Nationwide Plumbers
- One licensed contractor for high-rise apartments, walk-ups and restaurants
- COIs for co-op and condo boards, sent before the visit
- 24/7 dispatch for active leaks and backups
- Written estimate before work starts
Service area in and around Kips Bay
We service all of Kips Bay, Manhattan (ZIP 10016, 10010), including the area bounded by:
- North: East 34th Street
- South: East 23rd Street
- East: East River
- West: Lexington Avenue
Nearby neighborhoods we also serve: Murray Hill, Gramercy Park, Stuyvesant Town and NoMad. For our full coverage, see our Manhattan service area page.
Plumbing in Kips Bay: FAQ
Water is coming through my ceiling. How do you find which apartment it is from?
We start in your unit and work upward, checking the apartments and pipe chases above with leak detection tools. In high-rises the source is often a shower valve, toilet supply or appliance hose one or two floors up. Once we find it, we repair it and write up what we found for the building.
Do you work with managing agents in Kips Bay?
Yes. We set up property management accounts with managing agents and supers, provide COIs, and send written estimates for approval. For buildings with gas piping we also handle Local Law 152 inspections and GPS2 filings.
My shower keeps going cold in a post-war building. Is it the building or my apartment?
Often it is the mixing valve in your own shower, which can wear out and let cold water cross into the hot side. If neighbors on your line have the same problem, it may be the building's hot water system. We can test your valve first and tell you which one it is.
