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Sewer Replacement

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gavin-van-w-o-banner_compressedWhen it comes to sewer line replacement, we have found many consumers to be very confused. I reviewed plumbing websites from around the country to see what people who sell sewer line replacement are saying. I found some to be flat-out lies, while others try to explain it well.

Some companies want the revenue of their customers, whether or not it’s in the best interest of the consumer. DAILY, I repeat, DAILY, we are getting calls from homeowners who are told they need complete sewer replacement (at the cost of $1800-24,000). We offer second opinions, and in most cases, we are able to solve the problem for under $400. We’ll get the sewer scope (a type of sewer camera) to work to tell you if you need sewer replacement or just sewer cleaning.

If you feel pressured to replace a line, don’t make a decision based on your fear, pressure or on the sales skills of the person talking to you.

I suggest, as with any large decision, to get a second opinion — it could save you thousands of dollars and days of time. (Not to mention saving your yard, drywall, etc.)

Whether or not you will become our customer, we are happy to answer any questions you have regarding sewer replacement or sewer lining. Let our 70+ years of experience answer your questions. We know the good guys and the bad guys in our industry. We are happy to refer you to the good guys.

I’ve got your back,

Plumbinggirl

Sewer Jetters Aren't for everyone

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drain_ctaWithin my industry, we hear of service providers using certain tools that we don’t think are the right fit for the customer. One example is using a jetter or mini-jet on a residential property. We have found jetters to be fantastic for large commercial drain cleaning jobs where sludge, grease and sediment are problems. Butt (hehehe), for residences, we use a machine created in the late 30’s and consists of a tightly wound cable with blades on the end. The size of the blades depends on the circumference of the pipe we are cleaning. We feel it is the best tool for clearing most clogs, including roots, hair and food. If a person has roots in their 4″ line, why would someone choose to blast them with water from a jetter? Why would they use 2″ blades and not cut along the edge where they are growing in? Why would they risk flooding someone’s home with high-pressure water gone awry?

Here’s another too that’s not right for everyone: tankless water heaters. They just aren’t the right fit for certain people. We have found their high cost coming down as the technology improves. We have found restaurants to be big fans of these as they require high volumes of hot water on demand to be critical for business. Butt, hehe, empty nesters really don’t require them.

Thirdly, don’t embarrass yourself with chemical store-bought drain cleaning products. If you would like a solution besides one of these products, please call or e-mail me because, here’s me standing on a soapbox, in my opinion, they cause more problems than not. I have technicians who have gone to homes to clean lines when these products didn’t work and have gotten severe chemical burns on their arms, necks and faces in some cases. Other times, we have seen pipe damage that could only be remedied by replacement. Feel free to search the internet for the negative effects of drain cleaners.

I ask that if you have questions, call us. We won’t laugh. We won’t criticize. We will offer advice based on our 72+ years in the drain-cleaning industry in Denver. Now go have fun! And if you want a jetski, by all means, get one!

With Love & In Fun,

PlumbingGirl

PS. and I NEVER want to hear another joke about plumber’s crack!

Dear Garvin's Sewer Service

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dreamstime_xxl_20866752Sewer service isn’t all we do! We also employ some amazing technicians in other fields beyond sewer and drain cleaning. And when they get some praise, we like to brag about them.

“This is just a short note to thank you for sending George [edited] to help me with a furnace problem on Sunday, March 27th. George was most helpful and professional in assessing and dealing with the problem. Unlike some repairmen I have had in the past, who try to impress me with technical jargon and leave me in the dust, George took time to fully explain and educate me as to how the furnace worked, how the problem affected its performance, and what he could do to fix it. He was not condescending when he explained why using the filter I was using was detrimental to the performance of the furnace.

George is one of a number of reasons, along with Matt and the plumbing crew, that we have switched all of our plumbing and heating business from [competitor] to you.

Thanks again,

L. Meyers, Denver”

 

Thanks L. Meyers! We’ll be sure to tell George!

A Good Reputation In Sewer Repair

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“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it” ~Benjamin Franklin

A news report just out exposes a competitor for selling unnecessary commercial sewer repairs. (Denver Channel 7 News, Feb. 2011) Unfortunately, we’ve been preaching buyer beware on this for years. Our 70 years in business is a representation of our reputation for honesty, integrity and do-rightedness :).

garvins_cta3I found particularly interesting the comments below the story. I won’t comment on those here other than I do agree that consumers do need to know who to hire for drain cleaning and sewer repair. Remember that every business with a large advertising budget has to re-coop that somewhere (read higher overhead=higher prices). Many consumers don’t understand that we can pay $100,000 PER YEAR to complete in the phone book, $10,000+ PER YEAR to compete on a referral network list, $1000’s per radio spot, plus thousands more in direct mail, fliers, tradeshows, etc.

Garvin’s marketing consists mostly of reputation. We have third generation customers. We do lots of face-to-face networking. We talk, eye-to-eye with our potential customers. We get new customers from word of mouth marketing. And we’ve done it that way for over 70 years.

I would LOVE a sales-bonus trip to Vegas, and I’m sure my staff would too. Instead, we throw company BBQ’s to reward the hard work of our staff. We send flowers to the wife of a technician who spent his weekend fixing broken furnaces instead of at home. We give gift cards to techs as thank you’s. I wish we could give more, but sleeping well at night, knowing we have made a living by being fair, is more important. Our employees seem to agree: 11 of our 34 staff has been with us for over a decade.

Garvin’s Sewer Service hopes to be a trusted name in the industry when it comes to sewer repair and drain cleaining. If for some reason we can’t help you, we can tell you who is trustworthy and refer them. We have also created partnerships with other service providers (such as flooring, carpet care, painting, duct cleaning, restoration, landscaping etc.). If you ever have questions, please don’t hesitate to call (303) 571-5114 or email: askplumbinggirl@hotmail.com

With Gratitude and Integrity,

Kris

Beyond Sewer Service – A Furnace Testimonial

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dreamstime_xxl_20866752Here at Garvin’s we’re so much more than just a drain and sewer cleaning service. Here’s a letter I wanted to share with you from a happy customer:

To Whom it may concern:

I had the pleasure of having some work done on my furnace on 2/13/2011. I would like you to know that George T. is a great asset to your company. I have lots of work done on my house as I am a single female and no handyman! George was very professional, efficient and thorough checking out the noise my furnace has been making. As luck has it, of course, the furnace refused to make the noise while he was there, making its repair difficult. He took two fans off the furnace to check for any problems but found nothing. However, the noise miraculously has stopped, at least for the last 2 days.

I will be sure to use your company whenever I have any items that your company deals with. Thank you for your service. You are lucky to have George as an employee.

Sincerely,

DJM, Lakewood Homeowner

 

Thanks DJM! We’ll pass it along to George! Have something you’d like to say about Garvin’s Sewer Service? Visit Plumber Girl on Facebook!


Love, Charity, Spirit – What Garvin's Sewer Service Does To Help

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dreamstime_xxl_7309839Love, Charity and Spirit are words used interchangeably in many cases. It’s my opinion, the commercialism of THIS Christmas Season seems to be replaced with Spirit more than ever. Maybe it is a step back to simpler times as we think about those out of work, foreclosed on, underemployed, etc. Maybe this economy has us appreciating the family, homes and jobs we and our loved ones DO have. Maybe those with things are more empathetic than ever before. Nonetheless, the Christmas Spirit is here and very alive and it is beautiful.

Today, I had the tremendous oppourtunity to sort toys and gifts for the Denver BOMA Toy & Gift Drive. I had to hold back tears as I walked into the sorting room to see thousands of toys, clothing, toiletries, food and gifts. The BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) Drive collects gifts from over 100 buildings, asking tenants and staff to give of new and/or slightly used items, which are in turn distributed to several Denver charities. The charities include women’s shelters, the Denver Children’s Home and the Jeffco Action Center.

On Friday, my sister Jennie, attended SMDRA (South Metro Denver Realtors Association), where they also had done a toy drive for Interfaith Communities. She took pictures and shed some tears for the hundreds of toys that were donated. She personally has been a recipient of such giving when she found herself a single mother due to her ex-husbands incarceration.

Humbled by the knowledge that life can change at any minute with someone’s careless acts, the loss of income or even misjudgments of our own, we give. We give because we recognize that we are blessed, regardless of what we have, because of Love, Charity, Spirit, however one chooses to interpret them.

Garvin’s Sewer Service is dedicated to making Denver a better place to live. Let us know how you help our cities on northern Colorado.

Free your hose or seek sewer service!

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dreamstime_l_2667231I’m not being obscene, (not that I put that past myself), but now is the time of year to unscrew your garden hose and store it. It is also time to release any water from your sprinkler system. If you don’t, you may be sorry this winter and/or spring.

Also, if you haven’t already, kick on that heating system and make sure it is working. The last thing you want to deal with is needing heat and not having it.

Holidays are also a particularly busy time for our drain cleaning technicians as the volume of people staying in their homes (as opposed to being out and about) increases, and more people are entertaining in their homes. This increases the volume of things that can clog a drain, and can cause back-ups. This can be very embarrassing and gross, so be ready with contact information for your favorite, handy-dandy drain-cleaning company.

Lastly, if you have a plumber or heating technician to your home, ask them to check your water heater. Cold showers on cold days make for grumpy faces.

Happy Winter Preparation!

Plumbing Girl

Hatcliff Testimonial for Garvin's Sewer Service

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dreamstime_xxl_20866752another great testimonial from a client who used our Heating Service:

Mitch,

Just a quick note about the heater “tune-up” I had done today.

George was GREAT! He called about 1/2 hour before arrival to let me know he needed to make a parts run and would be running late… When he did arrive, he was polite and courteous… pulled covers off the funace and explained what he was going to do. When he was finished, he explained to me how the furnace worked, special attention was directed to intricate parts that if not maintained, would result in the unit shutting down. He fabricated a holder to keep the filter in one place and explained the difference between the less expensive filters and higher end ones and his recommendation. George installed the CO2 dectector for me. Before he left, he made sure I didn’t have any other questions or concerns.

I am thoroughly satisfied with the service I recieved today. I have marked my calendar to call next spring for AC tune-up. You can rest assured that Garvin’s has a new client!

Mr. Hatcliff, Arvada

Thanks! If YOU or someone you know is experiencing a COLD spell, whether furnace, thermostat or water heater, give Garvin’s a call. Trusted, honest family owned company serving Greater Denver since 1940! 303-571-5114 24/7/365

https://www.garvinssewerservice.com/hatcliff-testimonial

Laborious Sewer Service

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dreamstime_xxl_15692023Dear Matt,

I know I talked to you about this but would like to tell you again how impressed I was with your team. You personally responded to my sewer service problem promptly and got everything moving even though it was a Friday before our last long weekend. This put a new meaning to “Labor” day that we all will not soon forget.

Brian was very dedicated as he hand-dug searching for my line for many grueling hours through not the best conditions — aka clay soil and very large tree roots. He was very careful of my plants and surrounding areas. You cannot even tell anyone was there except for the new cleanout and some exposed dirt that still needs to settle. He also did a wonderful job with the new cleanout installation.

Mike was a huge help to Brian digging when he got there and elected to be “in the hole” most of the time because he fit so well and was quite good at maneuvering in the extremely tight spot. I am sure this was one job he will not soon forget and could have done without some of his hands on learning experience that night.

Adam was our hero when he arrived and was successful in retrieving your sewer snake and then cleaning out the rest of the line to the street. I am sure it was our good luck that this did not involve any major tree roots or collapsed lines. We all breathed easier when he was through. I also appreciated that he came back and ran that part again the next morning after everything was in place.

Finally as I feel like I have met most of your staff with this experience, they were all very courteous, kept on task- even though it was a very long task. They took great care to see that very little was disturbed and put back in prime condition. You should be very pleased that these gentlemen worked so well as a team- not all companies are that fortunate to have that team effort. Most of all they made this- if possible- a pleasant experience which at one time did not look very promising. I will definitely refer any friends or neighbors to your company for sewer service in the future. Take no offense if I say you guys are great but hope I don’t have to see you again in the very near future.

Thanks again,

Kay K.

Boulder, CO

 

You’re welcome, Kay! We’ll be sure to let Brian know how pleased you are!