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We all try to care about the environment as much as we can on a day to day basis. Most people don’t realize how something like their own sewer line can be affecting themselves, their cities, and their environment. A single pipe running from your home to the street way can create a huge problem if not taken into consideration.

According to Thomas Rooney, president of Insituform Technologies in Chesterfield, MO (the world’s largest sewer, oil and water-pipe repair company) “The biggest environmental problem in the world today is broken sewer pipes polluting waterways, swimming areas and drinking water all over the world.” A 2004 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Integrity Project asserted that sewage overflow both threatens the environment, and constitutes a public health crisis. Some 500,000 Americans become ill each year from contaminated drinking water, and as many as 3.5 million others get sick from swimming in water tainted by sewage overflows.

Of course there are ways to tell if your sewage line is not up to standards without the hassle of digging up your entire line. For example: getting a camera inspection of your line to see its current condition. If there are any cracks or corrosion that can lead to root intrusions, collapsing of the pipe or further damage that could cause raw sewage to be leaking out of your pipe. If you do have to root intrusions or other damage to your line you have options to get that taken care of as well. You can have your sewer line trenched (dug up), and the whole line replaced with new PVC piping which we give a full warranty on. In addition, you could also choose a trench-less option where there is one hole dug on each end of the piping, and a new pipe is “shot through” from one end to the other. Both of these issues can help get your pipe become view-able and ready for a camera scope to see if you may have any further issues that need to be assessed.

When your side sewer leaks it can cause damage to more than your home drainage system. It becomes a burden on billing, damage to your lawn, inside your home and the possibility of getting raw sewage into the streets. It can also cause odors in and around your home, as well as other serious issues. A lot of commercial and residential owners tend to pass up thinking of their side sewer due to it being out of sight, and in turn, out of mind. It is very important that you are aware of what is happening within your property and its surroundings.

According to the United States Census Program and Suburban City Stats, the population of the city of Tacoma was 203,446 in 2013. Based on that number, 79.7% of people were living in the same home for at least a year or more. There were also, 14,355 business firms open. That makes almost 79,000 homes in the city alone which makes for a frightful number of sewers that could use inspecting. In 2013, the city of Pierce County noted that there are only 17.4 houses per month on average that have their side sewer replaced. that’s a total of just over 200 per year in all of pierce county. That is something to take into consideration when thinking that side sewers are built to last for decades, but when people don’t keep up on caring for them they become worse and worse, and are much more likely to affect other things in and around the property. It is very important to stay informed on the condition of your line. Here at Harts we are happy to help with a video camera scope which is a very fast and easy process. It’s always better to be safe then sorry. We are open 24/7 for emergency services so if you are curious about your system, please don’t hesitate to call.

Sewer Impact 1.3

A thought that is easily overlooked in both homeowner’s and renter’s minds is the hardness of the water they are using. Sometimes its easy to forget all the things we use our water for. In addition to cleaning our bodies, homes, vehicles and dishes we eat from, it is also used in the majority of food and beverages we consume. The thought of letting ourselves or loved ones consume anything but clean, healthy water is never appealing. Luckily there are ways to test the hardness of your home or businesses water, and even ways we can help you solve any apparent issues.

First, lets start with some water consumption facts: In America people spend about $15 billion dollars a year on bottled water. That is 11.8 billion gallons of water consumed per person. Out of all those people paying for water, only 8% of Americans have a water treatment plan for their home or business. There are approximately 162 million residents in the U.S., including 131 million single family residents, and 120 million of those homes have no way to filter their homes water. It’s hard to imagine how much money would be saved if ten or even fifteen percent of Americans chose to get a water treatment plan rather than making trips to buy filtered water.

There are many complications that can happen due to having hard water in the home or business. Some of these can be: clogged hot water pipes, water heater deterioration, rust stains in sinks or tubs, and even possible health issues. Although the PNW is known for having better natural water than some other states, it is still a big issue and it never hurts to be safe and save money. There are ways to test in home water and pipes to see what condition they are in, and if you should take advantage of the installation of a treatment system.

There are water test kits that your certified plumber can use in your home to find out the hardness level of your family’s bathing and consumable water. This can be as simple as a test strip ran under the tap, or a sample collected and sent in to testing. These will check the hard levels and give you a better idea of what is found in your homes water as well.

If you make the choice to get your water tested, please let us know! We would love to help. Rather than spending thousands on new water filters or bottles of water to drink, systems can be installed on your water lines to make every drop of water in your house filtered and clean. There are many things to think about when using water regularly, and the convenience of having all of your water filtered is an absolutely amazing option. We would love to be a part of giving you an estimate, testing your water and even the installing a filtration system. We are open Monday through Friday and 24/7 for emergency needs.

How Hard is Your Water?

The process of getting a camera inspection of your home or businesses drains can be useful for multiple reasons. Much like all technology, this too has advanced over the course of history. While in “the good ol’ days” locating an issue in a drain took more of an educated guess, in today’s plumbing world we are capable of getting a real time, up close video of your properties branch lines leading up to the city main.With these inspections, we are able to find blockages, breaking, or corrosion in your pipes. Most commonly we find root intrusions that have sneaked in through cracked or damaged pipe walls. All of these can lead to a back ups or blockages in your drains, which may result in overly costly projects if not found soon enough.]

It’s actually quite simple. First we send a plumbing technician with the proper equipment to your property. He then goes in through a drain (whether it’s a sink drain, toilet or clean-out if available), leads the camera through the piping, and watches the video in real time as the depth it reaches is indicated on screen. Sometimes there is just one issue found, but other times multiples. If the technician is able to push through the blockage, he can continue to the maximum depth, which is generally the to the connection to the city mainline. Once the technician is able to locate the issue(s) at hand, he can locate the trouble area through a transmitter in the camera. The camera will send a signal to our locator, which will pinpoint the area to be marked for repair or replacement.

Reasons home and business owners might want to get a video inspection of their drains include: current or previous back ups or blockages, checking the quality of a new or selling property, remodeling of a home or business, checking to see if pipes are up to date with the latest and most efficient material, or to keep up on maintenance. All of these are very important, and even if your property is not currently having issues with drainage, an inspection of piping can be exponentially crucial if your home was built around 1965 or sooner. If your sewer pipes are not constructed with PVC piping, it is literally only a short matter of time until your pipe will no longer be functioning to its fullest ability.

Pipes that were built into residential and commercial properties throughout history range in durability. For example: orangeburg (which was used through the 1970’s) basically consists of cardboard bits moistened and formed together into a hardened pipe, and typically lasts up to about 50 years. Another of these previously used materials is galvanized sewer lines (commonly known as cast iron) which last about 75 years considering the common issue of rust build up, cracking, breakage and corrosion of the piping. Another, and usually most common pipe used is Cement, which is said to last up to 100 years at best, but also needs replacing due to cracks leading to breakages in the pipe and other intrusions. In the late 1960’s PVC pipe became available, and when installed correctly can last the entire lifetime of a sewer line.

Getting a video inspection can range in price between each plumbing business, but is generally priced between $200.00 to $400.00 depending on what pipe(s) are being inspected. Check out our deal on Groupon to save money on camera inspections and drain cleaning. If you are considering the idea of scoping your own drain lines, think again. Camera inspection equipment that gives you the same length and accuracy of a licensed contractor may cost up to $10,000.00 or more. Our cameras are much different than the ones available at your local stores. Store bought or rented cameras more than likely won’t be able to scope down far enough to make any difference. Camera scoping equipment used by licensed plumbing contractors not only comes with a lighted camera head, a self leveling view, a locating device, and the ability to take pictures of any issues, but can also extend to hundreds of feet if needed. This makes the process a whole lot easier. Just to call a contractor, sit back, and relax while watching the technician do all the work for you.

I urge you to consider getting a camera scope of your properties sewer and drain lines. In the city of Tacoma there were thousands of homes built during 1965 or before that are still standing to this day! Why take the risk of not having durable lines to protect your property, its surroundings, and your wallet in the future if something does go terribly wrong. It is very wise to make sure your home or business is up to date with the most durable drain and sewer lines. Here at Harts Services we are happy to make an appointment with you to give a camera inspection and make your life that much easier, knowing your property has the best care possible. We are open 24/7 for emergency calls and regular weekly hours to help you with all of your plumbing and excavation needs. If we can do anything to help, please don’t hesitate to call!

Tacoma Side Sewers 1.3 - Inspections

TIMELINE HISTORY OF TACOMA AND ITS SEWER SYSTEM:

1880: Community sewers were first constructed, made to route shortest distance to the tidewaters of commencement bay.

Early 1940s: City began to assess the amount of pollution of resources and how to handle to abundance of it.

1944: $3,000,000 bonding issue happened for the construction of much needed sewer treatment plant to serve parts of Tacoma.

1949: Construction of the main sewers begins throughout the city.

1955: City begins phase 1 of a program to establish sewage and drainage improvements that would continue to help with pollution issues.

Late 1950s: Program for surface water/wastewater separation begins. Eliminating major discharges of raw sewer through storm drains.

1993: Disconnected all storm drains from sewer system to help program of surface water and wastewater separation.

1995: City begins spending approximately $4,000,000 a year upgrading or replacing old sewer pipes in a new Inflow and Infiltration program.

Tacoma has come a long way since this all began. If you would like to learn more about the history of Tacoma, you can visit their website at City of Tacoma. Tacoma also has a side sewer program in place to help residents and business owners with the cost of repairs and replacement of sewers. Please refer back to our previous Blog for more information. Additionally you can visit the City of Tacoma’s website to learn more. If there is anything we can help with here at Harts Services in any way with changes, upgrades or locating your homes piping and sewer lines, please don’t hesitate to call. We are open 24/7 for emergencies along with regular business hours if you need us.

Side Sewers 1.2 History of Tacoma

Anything you need to keep water flowing through your home or business facility, our plumbing company can handle it! Why do any of the dirty work yourself when there are skilled, experienced sewer pipe experts right in your backyard? Our company provides sewer pipe repair, maintenance, and installation, as well as 

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Customer service and answered the phone was pleasant and helpful. Person who came on site to discuss the work was thorough, gave great advice, and made suggestions for future planning.

Hart's Services got here about 3 hours after calling them. Very courteous and helpful with going over my options for all of my plumbing needs. They are getting our emergency repair work completed for a reasonable rate.

Very friendly, very knowledgeable. Made replacing my whole sewer line as painless as possible.

Quality Plumbing Services in the Tacoma Area

At Harts Services, our #1 priority is your utmost satisfaction. We won’t just show up at your location and provide easy fixes that will eventually come undone, causing you more aggravation and costing you more money. Our plumbers provide lasting results at affordable prices, holding themselves to the highest standard for excellence in every job they undertake. We also offer peace of mind inspections, maintenance plans, and customer education to ensure complete peace of mind today and in the future.

When Others Say They Can't, We Say We Can!

Harts has amazing customer service and responded promptly to our plumbing emergency! Chris has been to our home in the past and is very knowledgeable and professional. Harts is a great local company to work with.

I was so happy to finally get my faucets outside my house fixed. Anytime I turned them on they dripped, dripped, dripped. Now I have frost free hose bibs and no drips! Thanks Harts!

Harts Services is a very professional company. We called because our sewer was backing up into our home and they had someone at our house within the hour.

Fast service, excellent follow-up, and Tim who performed the service was excellent and easy to work with. Will definitely use again if needed.

Thank you Chris McAlister from Harts Services. The service was professional, quick but thorough. Thank you

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