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A Silver Spring homeowner came to Tim Whistler Plumbing with an ambitious basement remodel in mind. The existing setup was a problem: an oversized old boiler taking up floor space, steel radiator piping running across the basement at exactly the wrong height for finishing, and drain lines under the slab that had been installed by an unlicensed contractor and were already causing issues. The goal was to clear the basement for a clean remodel, upgrade the heating and hot water systems, and bring everything back up to current code with the proper permits and inspections.
The big old boiler had to come out, but the home still needed dependable hydronic heat. The steel radiator piping that ran across the basement at head height needed to be relocated up into the ceiling so the basement could actually be finished. The water heater also needed to be replaced and ideally relocated. And under the slab, the previous contractor's drain work needed to be torn out and redone properly before any of the new finishing work could go in. All of it had to be permitted and inspected, which meant the layout had to be planned to current code from the start.
We started by pulling the old boiler and the old water heater. The cast iron radiator return and supply lines were re-routed up into the ceiling, freeing the basement floor and walls for finishing. For heating and hot water, we replaced both units with ENERGY STAR rated tankless gas systems, which freed up significant floor space, dropped the homeowner's energy bills, and qualified for a utility rebate. Then we broke up the basement slab where needed, removed the bad drain piping, and re-plumbed the entire basement floor with properly sized, properly sloped drain lines. Every part of the job was permitted and inspected as required.
The previous drain work was a good reminder why a license and a permit actually matter. By the time the homeowner called us, the original installation was already failing, and the only fix was to pull it all and start over. Permitted and inspected work costs a little more up front and saves you a lot down the road.
The basement is now a clean, open space ready for finishing. The homeowner has two ENERGY STAR tankless units in place of the old boiler and water heater, properly sized and vented drain lines under the floor, and overhead radiator piping that's tucked into the ceiling instead of running across the room. The work qualified for the energy rebate and passed inspection cleanly. The customer was super happy with the result.
If you're planning a basement remodel and your heating, hot water, or drain lines need to come up to code at the same time, give Tim Whistler Plumbing a call at 1-866-477-6190. We handle plumbing, boiler and tankless installs, gas line work, and full code compliance under one license across Silver Spring, Bethesda, Washington DC, Arlington, and the rest of the DMV.
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