Sewer Cleaning Golden

To keep sewer lines from clogging, they need to be cleaned at regular intervals. While the gold standard is every 18 to 22 months, that may not be realistic for all Golden residents. "If your system is failing and you have roots coming in, you're going to need more frequent maintenance," Mittelstadt says. "On the other hand, if you've got a newer system and no history of trouble, you might be able to stretch it to 24 months.

In Golden, cleaning out clogged pipes can carry a price tag of anywhere from $100 to $300. A number of factors influence the cost, including the kind of clog, the location of the pipe, and whether any additional repairs are needed. For really serious pipe problems or for emergencies, cleaning out the pipes can cost considerably more. Your best bet for an accurate figure, though, is to get a quote from a local plumber.

In Golden, Colorado, the most effective way to clean a main sewer line is to use a professional high-pressure water jetting service. This method employs a specialized hose with a nozzle at the end that blasts water under high pressure throughout the sewer line. The jetting thoroughly clears obstructions, debris, and any kind of buildup in the line. Jetting is much safer than using chemical drain cleaners, which can damage the pipes and endanger the health of the people living nearby. Also, clean pipes are an environmentally friendly system. The sewer line's efficient operation prevents untreated sewage from contaminating the groundwater that serves as Denver-area residents' drinking water supply.

Sewer pipe sludge begins with the pipe itself. To survey it requires a camera system, something I am fairly sure each sewer department must have by now, to maintain a dangerous sort of intimacy with the underbelly of a city. Once the buildup is identified, there are a number of ways to remove it. First among them, I believe, is high-pressure water jetting—blasting the sludge with water that comes out of the nozzle moving at about the same speed as a bullet. Jetting is an effective way to "break up tough blockages"—which is what sludge seems to turn into when left alone for too long. For cutting through thick or hardened sludge, motored mechanical systems might also be employed. I have visions of augers and other sorts of digesters churning through the "pipe soup" to clear the way for zipping downhill sludge.

Unclogging a main sewer line usually takes a plumber 1 to 2 hours, depending on how complex the clog is and what tool or method the plumber decides to use.

Sewer pipes can have very different life expectancies depending on what they're made from. Environmental factors affect their longevity, too, as do the quality of installation and the maintenance we give them. Cast iron might last us 75-100 years, clay pipe 50-60. PVC could easily last over 100, if we maintain it. Some say that with regular inspections and the kind of handy repairs that used to be routine (and that now tend to be called "rehabilitation"), some kinds of sewer pipe could last indefinitely.

If several drains in your house are slow or backing up at the same time, you might be justified in thinking that your main sewer line is clogged. You could also have a sewer line that's partially collapsed. These are both pretty serious problems, but they're not the only possible explanations for the signs. Slow or backed-up drains can also result from problems with the drains themselves or in some cases from plumbing that's not configured to drain properly. Weird plumbing phenomena also happen when the line is clear but there's not enough air pressure in the drainage system—so those circumstances are also possible.

Household sinks and drains often have minor clogs that can be cleared with Drano, but sewer lines are different. When they are clogged, it takes professional plumbers and advanced techniques—like snaking or hydro jetting—to restore proper flow. Using a strong chemical drain cleaner in a sewer line may well result in damaged piping, and you might end up without a sewer line or with one that is bound to clog again. If your sewer line is clogged, contact a Golden plumber who knows what he's doing.

A sewer line blockage can most easily be cleared with a plumber's snake or drain auger. This tool, which is inserted into the pipe, helps by breaking apart what is causing the clog and removing it from the line. In instances when the sewer line is persistently clogged, the blockage may need to be cleared with hydro-jetting, in which high-pressure water is used to clear the line. Hydro-jetting should only be performed with the necessary safety precautions or by a professional, as the high-pressure water can be a hazard if improperly handled.

In Golden, if a sewer line is blocked, the problem likely lies within the private portion of the line, which is the section that runs between the home and the public sewer main. That part of the line is the property owner's responsibility. But what if the blockage is located in the public portion of the line? In that case, the responsibility typically shifts to the local municipality that maintains the public sewer system. The next logical step for the resident is to call the local public works department. It can help determine the location of the blockage and identify which party is responsible for the line.