It happens to the best of us!

There are circumstances in life that are out of our control. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in something you aren’t even aware is an issue until it’s too late. I recently was in a spot like this myself when I experienced a back-up in my pipes. While I personally am not a plumber, I am glad to have our company as a part of my team. After this experience I can completely empathize when someone calls in and says their shower and/or sink is backing up with sewage. Thankfully, in my situation I knew the gist of what could have been the issue.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Since the situation started when I ran my washer it was most likely a back-up in my main sewer line, or a blockage in the drain line(s) leading to my house. This was also causing my toilet to leak around the base due to water pressure build up in my bathroom. Luckily, I was able to get on the schedule without too much waiting and get a tech out to my house. He found not only that my sewer line wasn’t in the best of shape, but that it was blocked with mounds upon mounds of those handy “flush-able” wipes. Given my profession, (and previous blogs) I am fully aware that anything labelled “flush-able” (unless it is toilet paper) is not, so these wipes could not have come from us. Searching for answers, I went back to the landlord of the house. They said the wipes most likely came from a combination of them and the previous owner over the years.

SOLUTION, AND PREVENTION

Assuming the owner of my house, and previous owner didn’t know about that fun little scam “flush-able” wipes companies are running, no one was truly at fault for the issue. Unfortunately it was an urgent issue. I was without service for 24 hours, as well as the next morning until it was cleared out with a hydro jetter. With this story I hope to convey that just because you aren’t guilty of causing issues with your home, doesn’t mean you won’t possibly suffer from past wear and tear. It’s never too early to have someone come out and give a camera inspection on the line just to make sure it’s in good condition. In most cities, homeowners own their entire sewer line until it reaches the city main connection.

When your line needs to be repaired or replaced, it’s up to you to fix it. Preventative measures taken to protect your line are very important for making sure it will last as long as you’re there, and hopefully beyond that if you plan on moving. Luckily for you, our Tacoma plumbers have cut down the cost of our main line sewer camera inspections through a clean out. They used to go for $225.00 and now are just $89.00! That’s a price reduction of $139.00! As I’ve said before, just because you aren’t aware of an issue now there is no harm in doing routine maintenance to keep your home in the best possible shape! If you would like to have your sewer lines checked, or have any other questions on pricing on a hydro-jetter or snake please don’t hesitate to call us!