Nationwide Plumbers is a NYC Licensed Master Plumber, License #2023, in business since 1984. In Little Italy we jet restaurant drains, service basement kitchens and pumps, repair gas lines and handle Local Law 152 inspections, with 24/7 dispatch. Call 718-748-2727.
Little Italy today centers on Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal, a few blocks of restaurants, cafes and bakeries in five and six-story tenement buildings, with Grand Street and Hester Street crossing through. Every September the Feast of San Gennaro fills Mulberry Street. The buildings date mostly from the late 1800s and early 1900s, with apartments upstairs and food businesses at street level.
Restaurants here often run kitchens and prep areas in the basement, below the street and below the sewer in some cases. That brings grease interceptors, floor drains, and sometimes ejector pumps into play, all sharing the building's old cast iron house drain with the apartments above. Gas demand from commercial ranges and ovens is high, and the piping that feeds it falls under Local Law 152.
Services we offer in Little Italy
- Hydro jetting for restaurant kitchen lines
- Grease interceptor installation and connection
- Sewage ejector pumps for basement kitchens and restrooms
- Commercial gas line installation and gas line repair
- Local Law 152 gas piping inspections and GPS2 filings
- Commercial water heaters for kitchens
- Floor drain and mop sink repair
- Steam boiler service for the apartments upstairs
Common plumbing issues in Little Italy
Grease and the shared house drain
A busy Mulberry Street kitchen can coat a drain line with grease in weeks. When the shared house drain closes up, the backup shows in the restaurant basement first, then in the apartments. We jet the full run to the street, check it with a camera and recommend a cleaning schedule. Properly sized and maintained grease interceptors reduce the problem.
Basement kitchens below the sewer
Prep sinks, dish machines and restrooms in a cellar may sit lower than the street sewer, so their waste has to be pumped up. A failed ejector pump in the middle of service shuts a kitchen down. We install duplex pumps with alarms where space allows, so one pump can carry the load if the other fails.
Gas load from commercial cooking
Adding a pizza oven, a larger range or a second fryer increases the gas load on piping that may have been sized long ago. An undersized line causes weak flames and pilot outages at peak hours. We calculate the load, resize the piping when needed and file the work with the city.
Why Little Italy residents choose Nationwide Plumbers
- Our own van-mounted jetter for restaurant grease lines
- After-hours scheduling around restaurant service
- COIs for landlords and managing agents
- Technicians who speak English, Spanish and French
Service area in and around Little Italy
We service all of Little Italy, Manhattan (ZIP 10013), for emergencies 24/7 and for scheduled work.
Nearby neighborhoods we also serve: Nolita, Chinatown, SoHo, Lower East Side and Tribeca. For our full coverage, see our Manhattan service area page.
Plumbing in Little Italy: FAQ
How often should a Little Italy restaurant jet its drains?
Most busy kitchens benefit from jetting every few months, depending on menu and volume. After the first cleaning, we look at the line on camera and suggest a schedule. Our jetting comes with a 45-day guarantee on the line we clean.
Our basement ejector pump failed during dinner. Can you come tonight?
Yes. Our dispatch runs 24/7. Call 718-748-2727 and tell us it is a commercial kitchen. We will diagnose the pump, restore service where possible and quote a replacement in writing. See our pump service page for details.
Do we need a permit to add a gas appliance?
Most new gas appliance connections and piping changes in commercial spaces must be filed with the Department of Buildings by a Licensed Master Plumber and inspected. We size the piping, file the work and pressure test the new line.
Do you service the apartments above the restaurants?
Yes. We work for landlords and tenants in the residential floors too, including steam heat, bathroom leaks, toilets and gas lines. Because the apartments share building lines with the restaurant below, we often find and fix a problem that affects both.
