by Aaron on December 19, 2011
“Do I need to replace my waste piping?”
“When do I need to replace a waste line?”
“Do roots really break my piping?”
“What is an offset?”
All these are pretty much asking the same question. Generally the story goes that a plumber came over to your home because there was a backup and after they cleared the line they sent a video camera down to make sure everything was ok. Oops! As if having backed up plumbing east bad enough now the plumber telling you that your waste line needs to be replaced? Can it really be??
Well there are many factors and questions that go into whether or not a waste line needs to be replaced.
One of the major questions you should ask is “how old is my waste line and how much do I want to out into it?”
Also the question of what is causing the break needs consideration. Think of repair vs. replace as a sliding scale of investment for your line. If, for instance, your waste line to your home is 10 years old, there is a slight offset in the line and no other problems, maybe a spot repair is more cost effective than pipe bursting. Now on the other hand say your home was build in the 1950′s, there are several offsets including root intrusion, then we are probably further down on the replacement aspect of the scale. In the end it’s down to how much investment you want to put in vs. what the problem is. Obviously for one time permanent fixes we suggest pipe bursting replace – its a no hassle one time fix all solution that can be done on the lower side of $4k-$7k. On the other hand we have many customers that we suggest, and are very happy to have a spot repair on a good line and will last for 30 more years.
In the end the most important aspect is get the data (age of line and cost of repairs) and a plumber who you trust to do your plumbing and who’s relationship you trust in the long term. If you pick a plumber with up front straight forward pricing like ours, the decision usually becomes and easy, worry free one. Feel free to email is with any questions or call us.
-Aaron Eddy
925-462-1090
by Aaron on July 19, 2010
Summertime Leaks!
Its summer, its hot, and you are spending a little more time walking around your yard
when you spot something unusual. Maybe its a patch of grass that looks a bit greener than
the rest or a puddle where you are sure you weren’t spraying the hose. Random leaks like
this are not uncommon during the summer months, here are a couple reasons why:
1. Summer heat can mean problems for your piping, expanding the pipes, and potentially
causing any weak areas or joints to break and leak. It only takes a little break to cause
big problems. A small leak over time is actually leaking large amounts of water,
of which you may only see a little bit. A small puddle on the ground next to your
home might actually be the tip of the iceberg on a large leak going on underground.
2. It actually might be a leak that has been going on for a long time but you haven’t
noticed until the dry season. People usually spend more time outside walking around their
property during the summer months than winter. Also, during the winter when everything
is wet it is hard to tell the difference between a leak and a puddle.
So what to do?
If you do have a pipe leak or you think you are losing water, it’s time for some simple
investigation.
First, make sure there is a pipe in the area of concern. If there is no pipe it is still possible
for a leak to come up in another area than where the leak is but is a little less likely.
Second if you DO think you have a leak check to make sure you only have the one.
Usually leaks come in bunches because of the age of the piping.
If you have done your homework and still want a second opinion on your plumbing
issue but don’t want to pay $200 to have a plumber come and look at a leak we have a
service that is perfect for you http://calcoastplumbing.com/water-audit-coupon/ . At Cal
Coast Plumbing we have a $78 ($68 if you call before 10am) whole home inspection and
tune up where we do a full diagnosis of your plumbing system that INCLUDES looking
for and observing leaks. Need to get the repair done after? No problem and we have
discounts available for that also! Up to 20% off!
No enough info for you? No prob! Feel free to give me a call at 925-462-1090 and I
would be more than happy an answer any more questions you have.
-Aaron Eddy
925-462-1090
