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Buying a new home can be an altogether exciting, and nerve racking experience. Of course, one of the most important steps to make sure that everything inside the home is in good working condition. While this seems like common sense, most of the time, people are quick to forget about what’s going on underneath the house which is just as important. Getting your potential home’s sewer and water pipelines inspected could possibly save you a very expensive issue later down the line.

Due to Tacoma’s historic nature, a lot of the old original sewer lines still run through the city. Unless the line has been replaced, you will most likely be dealing with either cement, clay tile, or orange burg pipe. All of these materials were not meant to last more than a few decades. This is why if the side sewer from the house you are considering is 25 years or older, or does not have PVC running to the city main, it’s a good idea to get a camera scope, because it probably needs to be replaced. A simple camera scope of your sewer line will allow you to see any existing, or potential problems.

In the city of Tacoma, property owners are completely responsible for the care and maintenance of their own side sewers. This is all the more reason to be aware of what’s going on underground before purchasing a new home or property. Buildings that were constructed prior to 1980, tend to have pipes that are made of clay, or other materials that do not last, which makes them subject to deteriorating, crumbling, cracking, or root intrusions. This can lead to blockages, which can in turn lead to back-ups in your sinks, toilets, or pretty much any other system that relies on water drainage. Another problem can be rain or groundwater seeping into your sewer. This can cause overflowing of sewage into city streets or homes.

There are a few steps you can take to prevent future hassles before buying your new home. Ask the previous owner if they have ever had any problems with overflows, slow draining or leakages. This should give you a pretty decent idea of the recent history of the system. If they don’t know, Tacoma keeps permit record for some, but not all properties within the city. You can research these records by visiting this site, and clicking permit/ site history or calling.

Environmental Services at (253) 591-5588. Of course, the best thing you could do is to get one of our technicians out there for a camera inspection. This way, you will be able to see any sum pumps, drains, or other sources that may be allowing extra water into your sewer system. To schedule a side sewer inspection, contact our office at (253) 331-1206.

Before You Buy a Home in Tacoma

One of the hardest parts of getting sewer repair work done is the hit you take to your wallet. Plumbing services can be costly, and depending on the amount of work you need done they can seriously set you back. Luckily, the city of Tacoma has a financial-aid program in place that may be able to help you cut down some of those unsightly numbers, and keep your cash safe and sound in your pocket. The Tacoma Sewer Conservation Loan Program is available for both residential, and commercial repair work.

The residential sewer loan conservation program is unique in the way that it will cover up to 90 percent of side sewer repair or replacement costs. With a featured interest rate of two percent below the prime on loans between 1,000 to 10,000 dollars (with a minimum of four percent) this loan is secured through an interest on the property where the project is taking place.

For commercial jobs, such as installing equipment to prevent pollutants from entering your sewer, there is a system in place to offer low-interest loans for up to 90 percent of the estimated cost. This loan will cover almost all commercial equipment needed to prevent said pollutants at an interest rate of two percent below the prime for jobs between 10,000 to 100,000 dollars (also with a minimum of four percent).

To qualify for residential loans, your home must be located within the city of Tacoma, and served by Tacoma Waste Water Management. If you are not sure if you meet this criterion, you should be able to find out by looking at one of your utility bills. In addition to the former, you must also have good credit with Tacoma Public Utilities, or provide a recent good credit report.

This loan program is not designed for new construction or replacement projects, but for pre-existing structures and must be applied for before the replace mentor repair of the sewer is completed. The money from your loan will not be paid out until the completion of the project has been verified by the City of Tacoma’s Environmental Services department.

Just like the residential loan program, to be eligible for commercial loans your business must be located within city limits, and served by Tacoma Waste Water Management. The program only applies to existing commercial structures, and must be applied for, before the project is completed. Your business must also have good credit.

To begin the application process you must first determine the full cost of your project, and the loan amount. To do this, you must show that you have received several quotes before being considered. You can then download the application packet located here for residential loans, and here for commercial loans. After completion of the packet, you must send it to the proper address for your loan. Addresses for both residential, and commercial loans, in addition to more information can be found here. If you would like more information, or have questions about the Tacoma Residential Sewer

Loan Conservation Program contact Cathy Morton with Planning and Land Services at 253-591-5763.

If you are interested in an estimate for repairs on your sewer in Tacoma, or would like to discuss your situation with a sewer specialist, please call us at (253) 331-1206.

Sewer Conservation Loan Program

WHAT THEY ARE, HOW THEY WORK, AND WHY YOU NEED THEM IN YOUR LIFE

With all the advances in plumbing technology today, there is perhaps none more important than video inspection technology. Video pipe inspections allow for more regular maintenance inspections, helping you to find leaks, clogs, broken pipes, loose connections, tree root infiltration as well as other problems that might have otherwise required complete excavation of a pipe or drain system. This is accomplished through the use of a small mobile camera called a Rigid See-Snake.

The Rigid See-Snake is an extremely durable reel and camera system that allows you to pinpoint problems underground. It has a flexible camera head, as well as a fiberglass-reinforced pushrod which allows it to execute multiple 90-degree angles and travel up to 325 feet. It’s friction reducing design allows for maximum push with minimal effort. The camera head is also equipped with self-leveling technology, which keeps the image upright as it navigates through turns and fittings. As the snake is pushed down into the pipe, It delivers a clear, sharp image to a Gvision monitor.

Gvision is a high-quality lightweight way to monitor what is happening in your pipes. When coupled with the See-Snake it is a surefire way to catch any obstructed or damaged areas that may exist underground. The monitor is mounted easily onto the camera reel, and can record directly to a thumb drive, hard drive, iPhone, or iPad for later viewing. In addition, an LCD screen and internal battery allow for up to four hours of full-color video inspection time that can be seen even in direct sunlight. Once an internal problem is spotted on the screen, the trouble area is found using a Rigid Locator.

The Rigid Locator is (just as it sounds) a fast easy way to locate exactly where your See-Snake has spotted an affected, or compromised area. This piece of equipment is extremely helpful, as it is able to guide you down the snake line as well as measure the depth of the camera head. When used along with the See-Snake, and Gvision monitor it allows for a quick and accurate diagnosis of pipes with no need to excavate the entire line.

The importance of regularly scheduled camera inspections cannot be emphasized enough. They are an extremely crucial part of sewer repair and maintenance. Due to the underground nature of sewer systems and pipes, it is easy to slip into an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality when it comes to check-ups and upkeep. This can be detrimental to the quality and general integrity of your pipes. There are three specific times when it is most important to schedule an inspection: when you notice a problem and want to diagnose it accurately, before you purchase a home, and lastly if it has been more than a couple of years since your last inspection and your home is more than 30 years old. The benefits of a regularly scheduled inspection are vast, ranging from the prevention of back ups and blockages to the removal of dirt, tree roots, sand, and grit. Most importantly, regularly scheduled inspections can help determine the overall quality of your sewer so you can identify and prevent potential issues before they become real issues.

For more information on camera inspections and pipe maintenance, feel free to contact our office at your convenience.

Sewer Inspections

For as far back as there have been sewer systems, there have been clogged pipes. Luckily with today’s advanced technology, we can deal with this age old problem in a completely modern way. For the toughest clogs, you need the toughest solution: hydro jetting.

The basic principle behind hydro jetting is using a strong jet of water to dislodge even the most stubborn of obstructions, while consequently cleaning your sewer lines at the same time. While snaking may only punch a hole through the clog to permit drainage for a short period, using a jetter will actually break up whatever is causing the stoppage and allow it to flow freely from the pipe, thus completely clearing the way for water drainage.

Hydro jetting utilizes several different styles of jetter heads to push 2-18 gallons of water through pipes at an estimated 4000PSI. Using both forward and rear facing nozzles, the head is forced forward into the obstruction while strong jets of water break it apart, as well as clean the pipe walls. The jetter head is attached to a high pressure hose which is in turn connected to a water reservoir. The reservoir allows the jetter to be used remotely and independant from an outside water source.

Depending on the size of the jetter, it can clear pipes anywhere from 1 ½ to 12 inches. While jetting is a great way to get rid of complete blockages, this can be an expensive and tedious job that will shut down traffic, businesses, and buildings. With regular routine maintenance from a high pressure jet, these problems can be avoided before they even have a chance to occur.

Hydro jetting is a great option for both commercial and residential areas. The jets are able to flush out any sand or silt buildup from a septic system, as well as clear out roots and other obstructions that snaking can’t handle. In a commercial setting the plumbing is used much more frequently, and therefore is prone to many more maintenance issues. Hydro jetting can be a great preventative tool, and will reduce the chance of losing business and inconveniencing customers. From the residential perspective a hydro jetter is usually your last option before needing to replace either part or all of your sewer line. Many times cutting the roots out with a hydro jetter can buy the home owner a year or two to save the funds needed to completely replace the sewer pipe.

Because of the expensive and dangerous nature of jetting machinery, many plumbing companies do not offer this service. Here at Harts Services we are proud to say that our technicians are highly trained and knowledgeable about the equipment used in this process. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the maintenance or repair of your pipes through jetting, please feel free to contact our office.

Hydro Jetting: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Jet

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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