Most homeowners only think about sewer lines until there’s a problem. Whenever there’s and problem with your home’s sewage system – and you live in Oakland or the East Bay – chances are you’ll be learning about the concept of a private sewer lateral (or PSL). What is a Private Sewer Lateral? A private sewer lateral (PSL) is the pipe that connects … Read More
How to Troubleshoot Sewer Line Problems
Even if you haven’t noticed any issues, undiagnosed sewer line problems have the potential to cause extensive damage to your home if not remediated in the early stages of malfunction. Sewer line symptoms like clogs, backups, or oder are warning signs that should alert homeowners to possible sewer line damage. If you identify any of these sewer line problem warning … Read More
How to Identify and Repair a Sewer Line Belly
Sewer line bellies are a common problem with sewer pipes and can be a real headache for homeowners. A belly or sag in a sewer pipe will eventually lead to standing water and sediment collecting inside the sewer line, which over time results in erosion, blockage, and ultimately a major sewer line backup. What Is a Belly in a Sewer … Read More
Is Buying Sewer Insurance a Good Idea?
You may have heard about sewer insurance and wondered whether you should invest in the protection. Indeed sewer line and sewer lateral repairs can easily run into the thousands of dollars. Why not get insurance and peace of mind, if monthly premiums are only around 15 dollars a month? Well, like many things in life: It’s complicated. First of all, … Read More
The Importance of a Sewer Inspection Before Buying a Home
Buying a home can be one of the most challenging things you do in life. It’s often a stressful process with so many things you need to discover, learn, and understand. The laundry list of items to be considered seems never ending, and well-intended custodians can sometimes forget to disclose costly details in the race to win you the home … Read More
How to Identify the Symptoms of a Sewer Line Break
The sewer line is a part of your house. Just like your roof, your doors and your windows – it serves a particular function and purpose. If left unchecked, breaks and fractures can cause a lot of distress and property damage. Learning how to identify the symptoms of a sewer line break can prevent these issues. Common Symptoms and Solutions … Read More
10 Questions To Ask A New Sewer Contractor
Selecting an experienced plumber can be a challenging task. Making the right choice for your project can consist of a lot of factors and you’ll want to know how to screen for the best service you can find. Dealing with underground plumbing issues often requires a fast response. You want a company that is reliable and can communicate effectively so … Read More
Safety First: Why Pipe Spy’s Confined Space Certification is So Important
Sewer line repair or replacement is physically demanding work and not visible to us above ground. Though we have tools that help us gather information about where the sewer line is located, its depth, surface areas that need to be restored, and other utilities in proximity, the total story is not revealed until we dig the ground up where necessary to complete the project. … Read More
Utility Easements: Getting Your Neighbors’ Blessing
Sometimes neighbors share utility spaces underneath their properties, and it’s not always a welcomed realization. By law, an easement is a right to cross or otherwise use someone else’s land for a specified purpose; and lots can get lost in the translation of this law when it comes to property lines, neighbors, and the cost to resolve issues related to it. To … Read More
Open Trench Excavation: Why We May Have to Do It
Open trench excavation is the traditional and was the most common method for sewer lateral repair or replacement. Open trench excavation consists of excavating a trench for the manual installation of each piece of pipe. This type of sewer work is applicable to collapsed pipes, severely broken pipes, and heavy root blockages. The open trench method is, on average, more … Read More