Drain Repair

It is indeed feasible to mend a drain without resorting to excavation, thanks to trenchless methods. These include pipe relining and pipe bursting, which repair compromised drainage lines by utilizing the access points already available. Minimally invasive and cost-effective, these methods restore the proper function to a drain with minimal disruption to the surrounding vicinity.

Unclogging a drain usually costs around 100 to 300. But there are a number of factors that can push the price above or below that range. If the clog is really severe, or if the drain is located in a place that makes it hard to access, it might cost quite a bit more—especially if the plumber isn't cheap.

Typically, who pays for repairs to the drains depends on where the problem is located and what is causing it. Drain problems that are located on private property tend to be the owner's problem. They are the ones who usually pay for repairs. That outcome is straightforward because the property owner's rights extend to everything within the boundaries of their property.Sewer problems that arise in shared spaces or issues that are clearly the fault of a public drainage system are usually repaired by a local municipality or a water company. These places have the rights and responsibilities that make them the reasonable parties to pay for drainage repairs.

Replacing a sink drain can have many different costs associated with it based on a number of factors. These include the type of sink you have, the difficulty level of the drain replacement, the geographic area you live in, and whether or not you decide to use a professional plumber. Most reports suggest that if you go the professional route, you could pay anywhere from 150 to 350. If you go with the DIY method, you're looking at 20 to 100 for materials and tools.

If a downspout is broken and lying in wait underground, it will try to communicate that fact to you in certain inevitable ways. The most obvious and perhaps the most alarming is that water pressure coming inside your house suddenly starts to dip. Unseen water flowing underground has a way of making its presence clear. And while a broken pipe can make noise—gurgling as it tries to push water uphill or along a path that wasn't in the original design—your next-door neighbors or anyone passing by won't hear anything because your music won't be made above ground.

The expense involved in digging a drain can differ greatly, swayed by numerous factors. These range from the drain's own dimensions—the length and depth of the trench—to prevailing local soil conditions and labor rates. For an uncomplicated project in accessible, average soil, you might pay anywhere from $10 to $30 per linear foot. Yet, if your project is complex, or if you live in hilly or otherwise tough terrain, that cost could double or even triple. Always get multiple estimates; draining a difficult site can be very expensive indeed.

The length of time that underground drain pipes last depends on the materials of which they are made. For example, the lifespan of a drain pipe made of PVC is about 25 to 40 years. If a cast iron drain pipe were installed, its lifespan would be roughly 50 to 100 years. Drain pipes made of clay might last about 50 to 60 years. Of course, some factors—like the environment in which the pipe is installed, the volume of material going through the pipe, and the maintenance directed at the pipe—can enhance or reduce a lifespan.

First, find the section of the drain pipe that is cracked and see to it that the area around it is clear. Next, turn off the water so that you can work on the pipe without getting soaked. Clean the outside of the pipe really well—it's got to be almost surgically clean if you want the repair to hold. The method with which you carry out the repair will depend greatly on the material of the pipe, but most methods work best if you do some preliminary coaxing of the pipe back into its proper shape. After the coaxing, conduct the repair according to your pipe's material and the instructions that come with your repair kit.

How long it takes to repair a ruptured underground water main depends on several things—how bad the break is, how easy or hard the location is to get to, and what the local rules and regs have to say about it. In the simplest of cases, you might be looking at a repair time of between 4 and 8 hours. More involved situations could run anywhere from 1 to several days.

Replacing a cast iron drain pipe can incur a wide range of costs, affected primarily by the length of the pipe, its location, how easy it is to get to, and the going rate for labor in your part of the country. Most estimates I found suggested the price for homeowners would land somewhere between $200 and $2,000. If the pipe is right out in the open and the job is pretty much what you'd call plumbing 101, you're likely to encounter costs in the low range. However, if you're dealing with a pipe that's in tough territory and the job turns out to be more like serious construction work, expect the cost to go way north of $1,000.