Plumbing in Rhode Island includes old stacks, damp basements, and, in a surprising number of yards, a cesspool or a tired septic system instead of a modern sewer. Galvanized pipe clogs and stains fixtures. Cast iron in three-families cracks and prints a stain one floor down. High groundwater near the bay pushes at foundation floors in a long rain. Say whether you are on a street main or an old system in the yard.
A gurgle is often a vent. A sump that runs whenever the tide of weather is high needs a discharge that actually leaves the building, not a hose aimed at the sill. Hose bibs freeze after a coastal cold snap and split in hiding. A soggy patch or a sharp smell in the yard is a reason to mention the waste system, not a detail to skip because the toilet still flushes today.
Laterals in the older cities belly and hold grease. Disposals added to small stacks find the weak fitting. Old metal service lines still enter cellars. Do not scrape them. Note the metal and any change after street work. Know the main shutoff. A valve that has not moved in decades may weep, and that is still better than hunting it during a flood of a burst line.
Backups in basement baths near sea-level streets can be the city side or the building drain. Say whether the problem arrives with heavy rain. A roof leader leaking inside a wall gets called a pipe leak for months. If the stain tracks storms and not the shower, say that. Radiator drips are heat piping. Keep the water's source straight.
Name the town, the kind of waste system if you know it, and the symptom. Leak, clog, backup, freeze, or no hot water are different jobs. Mention the ceiling below and any recent remodel. Call the number on this page.