A creek through the middle
Wyomissing Creek runs through the center of Mohnton. A town with a creek through its middle has low ground beside the water, and basements closest to it are the most likely to take on water first.
After a hard rain, a common problem is a sump pump that is running without rest, or a floor drain that has begun to rise. See sump pumps and basement water and drain cleaning.
A dense borough inside Cumru Township
Mohnton covers about three quarters of a square mile and had 2,927 residents in 2020, roughly 3,800 people per square mile. The borough is bordered on all sides by Cumru Township, and Wyomissing Avenue and Church Street are its main streets.
Closely spaced houses mean that a leak, a backup or a water shutoff can involve a neighbor's wall or yard more often than on a large lot. When you call, say if you are inside the borough limits or in the township around it, and say which side of a shared wall a problem is on.
Cold weather in a small borough
Reading's January average is a high near 38 degrees and a low near 23, and Mohnton is a few miles away, so expect similar conditions. Pipes in garages, porches and exterior walls freeze first.
If water slows to a trickle in a deep freeze, open the tap and warm the pipe slowly. See frozen pipe repair for the steps, and burst pipe repair if a pipe has split.
A short checklist for Mohnton homeowners
- Know where your main shutoff is and make sure it turns.
- Test the sump pump before the wet season.
- Insulate pipes in unheated spaces before the first hard freeze.
- Keep the number for a 24/7 plumber where you can find it fast.
Drains on sloping lots
On any lot that slopes, water runs toward the low side of the house, and a plumber can tell you where your sewer line leaves. A line that drops steadily moves waste along. A line with a flat section can hold water and clog.
If a drain slows down only after heavy rain, groundwater may be entering the line through a joint. A camera can show it. See sewer line repair for what the inspection involves.
Old houses, new fixtures
Houses settled in the nineteenth century and updated in pieces often combine old pipe with new fixtures. A new faucet on a corroded supply line can leak at the connection, and a new toilet on an old flange can rock.
A plumber can check the whole path, not only the part that is visibly broken. That is often cheaper than repeated small repairs. See leak detection and repiping if the pipes themselves are the problem.
Settled in 1846, named in 1906
Mohnton was settled by Benjamin Mohn in 1846 and grew around milling, gunsmithing and hat-making. The post office, first called Mohn's Store, was renamed Mohnton in 1906, and the borough followed in 1907. Zion Evangelical Church, built in 1894, is one of its older landmarks.
Homes of that age often have been updated one room at a time. A kitchen remodel here, a bathroom there. The pipes behind the walls may be a mix of old and new, and a plumber who sees the mix can say which parts are worth replacing together.
Next door
Mohnton is near Shillington and Sinking Spring. Say which street you are on and a plumber will confirm availability.