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The Basics Of Becoming a Plumber

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The pipes a drain company needs to deal with.Have you ever wondered what kind of training occurs for someone who wishes to become a plumber? For those who have the inclination, it’s actually a great career path. Here are the basics of how to become a plumber.

Make sure you have a GED or High School Diploma

It’s should come as no surprise that plumbing and sewer cleaning contain a lot of science. It’s important to have a solid knowledge of math (geometry and algebra) and science (basic physics, and in the case of sewer cleaning, gravity!).

Vocational Training

High school won’t teach you everything you need to know about plumbing and sewer repair. Find a local trade school or community college that offers classes in plumbing. You’ll learn all about piping for both whitewater and blackwater and how to deal with the installation and problems associated with each.

Apprenticeship program

In most cases, prospective plumbers participate in an apprenticeship program that lasts for a few years. During this time you’ll be making money and learning about the trade in real-world drain cleaning and rooter service. One of the best ways to find an apprenticeship program is to contact a local plumbers’ union.

Get Licensed

Before you can get licensed, you’ll need the experience of being a plumber and also need to pass an exam proving that you know state and local plumbing codes. To find out more about these requirements, check out the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies website.

Be Nice

Whether you work for Garvin’s Sewer Service or strike out on your own, the one piece of advice we can give you is this: be nice! Treat your customers kindly and fairly, and always deliver the best plumbing services possible. That’s something that has kept Garvin’s in Denver for over 75 years.

Becoming a plumber isn’t necessarily easy, but there is a clear path you can take filled with lots of on-the-job training. If you’re on your way to becoming a plumber, good luck! And if you’re just interested in sewer drain cleaning, give Garvin’s a call and we’ll get your plumbing moving again.

 

 

Breaking Down The Declaration Of Service For Our Drain and Sewer Cleaning Customers

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Drain cleaning is a Garvin's specialty.At Garvin’s Sewer Service, we believe in being as upfront about everything as much as possible. For instance, we tell you that we’re not going to charge you extra on weekends, we give you direct quotes on how much something should cost, and are going to be honest with you regarding what your home needs, whether you need simply drain cleaning, extensive sewer cleaning, or if you’ll need to contact someone for sewer replacement. We’re also not going to send down the sewer camera (an added charge) unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Because we think it’s important to be upfront with our customers, we have a Declaration of Service that we’d like to talk about. It’s our way of telling you that you’re getting the best from Garvin’s every time. There are five basic parts:

  • When your serviceman arrives, he will be wearing a Garvin’s uniform with a Garvin’s logo patch and a name patch or badge.

We understand how awkward it can be opening the door to someone you’ve never met before. If you’ve called for sewer cleaning, you may already be in “frazzled emergency mode,” and we want you to know exactly who you’re opening the door for.

We make sure all of our service agents wear a Garvin’s Sewer Service uniform with a name badge. This provides you with two pieces of information: first, it ensures that the person is actually from a licensed sewer cleaning company. Second, you can rest assured that the technician who has arrived has the entirety of Garvin’s training. In other words, we’re not sending third-party businesses to your door. We’re sending Garvin’s best.

  • Your serviceman will introduce himself and ask you about the problem(s) you are experiencing.

The introduction is important. If you missed the nametag the serviceman is wearing, it’s a good auditory reminder so that you can make reference to him later (especially if you’re writing us a thankful testimonial!)

It’s also important that our serviceman talk to your about your problems. Though you might have talked to one of our representatives on the phone, details can get lost the more times the information is relayed. Tell them exactly what’s happening, and please be completely honest about what happened just before the problem and if you’ve tried to fix it yourself.

  • You may ask for him to come in through an alternate entrance and/or to wear protective foot coverings.

Our service technicians are clean, but we understand if you just got new carpet if you’d like us to come in through the garage. We always have protective foot coverings at the ready if you’d like us to wear those. We’re always out to make you feel comfortable in your own home and to protect your home as well.

  • After your serviceman evaluates the problem, he will return to his truck for the needed equipment.

There will probably be a few trips in and out to the Garvin’s truck for equipment, parts, paperwork, or to contact the home office. Feel free to say”hi” to us as we’re in and out, but we’ll also understand if you want to be doing your own thing while we’re taking care of your drain cleaning or sewer cleaning.

  • Your serviceman will use protective mats and, as needed, a protective cover on his machine(s) to keep your areas as clean as possible. Sometimes the access to the problem may require the technician to take his machine apart.

Let’s be honest: we’re a drain and sewer cleaning service. That means we’re the experts at getting rid of stuff that you wish was already gone. Rooter service will be physically touching the blockage with its spinning blades, but we’ve also got the cleaning process of the equipment down to a science. We’ll put down as much protective matting and covers as necessary so that the surrounding areas aren’t contaminated. We know that cleanliness in sewer drain cleaning is something that people recognize, and will always go out of our way to protect your home.

We take our Declaration of Service seriously, because we think of our customers along the front range as our neighbors. Want to see our amazing customer service (and sewer cleaners) in action? Contact Garvin’s Sewer Service, because we’re ready to show you what we’ve got.

 

 

 

Can You Do Without Plumbing and Sewer Cleaning?

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dreamstime_xxl_2013267Okay, so let’s say that you wake up tomorrow and there’s a leprechaun sitting at the foot of your bed. And he has nothing to do with Lucky Charms.

Now, we’ll pause for a moment to let you imagine that. (We’ll also stop to let you wonder why someone would ever start a blog about sewer cleaning in that fashion.)

Okay, so he’s sitting there and he says “You stole my gold, so I’m going to take away all of your utilities! Electric, water, heat, cable, internet, phone! All gone, hee hee hee.”

But you tell him “wait a second, I never stole your gold!”

He chews on his tiny leprechaun pipe and says “You know what, maybe it wasn’t you. But I’m still a jerk, so I’m going to steal all of your utilities save one! Choose which one you will keep!”

So you’re thinking “I’d really like to drop kick this little twitwad, but there’s a good chance that he’ll put a curse on me or something.” So maybe the thing to do is play his game. So you ask him if you can think for a few minutes, and while he watches The Price Is Right, you go over your options.

 

Electricity

How can you deal without electricity? The TV won’t work, you won’t be able to to use the coffeemaker or your lights!

On the other hand, TV isn’t really all that important. You can grab coffee on the way to work. It’s April, and the days are getting longer so that you won’t need candles until after 8pm. Yeah, you can probably go without electricity for a while.

 

Heat

The fact is, neither of these is going to work without electricity. So you definitely shouldn’t choose to keep your gas. Also, it being April and all, you’re going to be okay for quite a few months until winter comes.

 

Cable

Seriously, when did this become a utility?! It’s not, people! You should get rid of this one on your own without the leprechaun’s help!

 

Internet

The internet is nice. It provides entertainment and allows people to work from home. It also helps in shopping and builds our economy. But without the electricity, your modem is dead even if you have a laptop. At least you can use your…

 

Phone

Your phone will help you get to the internet, and you can recharge it in the car or at the office. You can also read all of the blogs we’ve written about drain cleaning, sewer cleaning, and rooter service.

And technically a cell phone is not a home utility, so maybe the leprechaun will forget about this one. Anyways, would you really choose your phone over…

 

Water and Plumbing

C’mon, you knew this blog was heading here. Plumbing is obviously the most important utility you have. It brings you fresh water so that you can brush your teeth, lets you shower so that you don’t offend your co-workers, and sends your morning business down the toilet. You can do the dishes, and since your washer doesn’t work without electricity you can still hand wash a few choice items. Fresh water allows you to drink without getting sick or resorting to soda, and you know that plumbing and sewer service is what helps to keep you healthy and well.

 

Everybody Seen The Leprechaun, Say “Hey!”

So, you tell the leprechaun that you’ve made your decision. He tells you to wait until after the Showcase Showdown, and he yells at the contestant to spin again on 65 cents. You suggest that they stick, and he gives you a dirty look.

A few minutes later he asks what your decision is. You tell him that fresh water coming in and old water going out is more important that any other utility. And much like at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he says “You have chosen…wisely.” At which point he vanishes in a puff of smoke. You get to keep everything!

You smile and walk into the bathroom, opening up your drawer. Ah, good, his gold is still there. You should probably be more careful the next time you steal a pot of gold; after all, you don’t want to lose your plumbing and sewer service!

 

 

 

Digging Into The Reasons You Might Need Rooter Service in Denver

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dreamstime_xxl_28600807While Denver isn’t really the oldest city in the country, it doesn’t exactly mean that our sewer pipes are exactly new. In fact, because the most reliable sewer pipes didn’t come along until around 30 or 40 years ago, Denver will suffer many of the same problems as any other city in the country.

So if you own a business or are renting a building in Denver, there are many reasons why you might need rooter service before you know it.

Old Pipes: Old pipes can be made from many materials, and we wrote an entire blog about the various types of pipe that were used from the lateral line from your business in the public sewers. Old pipes are more likely to leak and break, which could lead to needing more frequent sewer cleaning. If you suspect you might have a break, give us a call and we can send down the sewer camera to find out if you’ll need a replacement or if you simply need more frequent sewer service.

Growing Trees: Let’s say that you’re not in an old part of Denver but are in a relatively new building that has newer sewer pipes. The problem them stems from the rapidly growing trees that have been planted in the last 10 years. Those trees, often planted in sidewalk spaces that are two small for them, are sending their roots down and heading for your sewer lines. Rooter service is the answer when you want to get those roots out.

Excess Use: If you have a restroom that’s open to the public, you’re more likely to be calling us for drain cleaning service. Why? Take a guess! Your toilets will be used more often, people will be using more toilet paper, people will let pieces of paper towels go down the drain, all because they simply aren’t as careful when they’re out in a public place. The fact is, when people are in a public restroom they know that they can just walk away from a problem so they’re much less likely to be careful about what they send down the drain. All this mean more frequent drain cleaning service for you.

If You Own A Restaurant: If you own a restaurant, it’s pretty obvious that you’re going to need more frequent drain cleaning services. That’s because grease is constantly heading down the drain, and grease traps don’t help until after it’s already past your drains. If you have a backup because of having too much grease in your drains, business is going to stop until it’s fixed. The best thing to do is engage Garvin’s Sewer Service for some preventive drain cleaning. We’ll be back at the same time every month (or every two months or however you decided to set it up) so there’s a much less chance of a surprise backup.

Previous Tenants: If you’ve just opened up your new business, congratulations. And while the visible fixtures they left behind might look good, you have no idea of knowing what they sent down the drain when they were in charge of the building. The best thing to do is to play it safe and have Garvin’s stop by to clean out the drains so that nothing they sent down ever comes back up.

There are so many things up against you when you have a business; don’t let your drains be one of the. Contact Garvin’s today for the best sewer drain cleaning you can find.

 

 

 

Would You Like To Be A Plumber Or A Sewer Drain Cleaning Service Expert?

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dreamstime_xxl_31295984Did you know that there’s a serious shortage of plumbers in our country? There’s more and more plumbing work due to a growing population in America, while there are fewer and fewer plumbers to do those jobs.

It’s Never Not Needed!

Okay, forgive the double negative, but plumbing and drain cleaning services will never not be needed. In other words, people are always (always!) going to need fresh water coming into their homes, and always (ALWAYS!) going to require that their wastewater is taken as far away from them as possible.

It’s Doesn’t Require Tons of Schooling!

If you’re interested in becoming a plumber, you’ll need to follow four basic steps: have your high school diploma or GED, get vocational training, complete an apprenticeship program, and then get licensed. Considering that a four-year college student tends to wrack up $25,000-$50,000 in debt, becoming a plumber makes a lot more sense when you realize you’ll be spending less for schooling, starting work earlier in your life, and probably making more money!

It Can’t Be Outsourced!

So many (too many) jobs in our country are being outsourced, whether they’re informational or manufacturing. But no one will ever be able to outsource plumbing and rooter service!

Nationwide Opportunities!

Where do you want to live? Well, we have to admit that Denver is a pretty amazing place, and we’ve been serving it with sewer cleaning for over 75 years. But if you want or need to move away from the area for some reason, you won’t any problems finding a job. There are plumbing and sewer service opportunities all across the country. Basically, anywhere in the country you see a house or business is going to need sewer cleaning eventually.

It Can’t Be Replaced!

Can a computer take care of your sewer cleaning? Can a robot install your plumbing? We’re certainly a long way away from that! The fact is, rooter service has gotten more technological over the years, since we’re using sewer scopes more and more. But the fact is that someone will always be needed to bring the machines to your house and make sure that they’re taking care of your sewer drain properly.

And all of that adds up to…

It’s Good Money!

It’s basic supply and demand…there’s more and more work for fewer and fewer plumbers. Plumbers are always going to be needed, and people are happy to spend money when it means that their house will be in order and that their wastewater will go away. Garvin’s Sewer Service will never fleece a customer, and at the same time we’re always sure to pay our service agents a fair salary.

All in all, plumbing and sewer service is a good job that fewer and fewer people are interested in. We don’t know why, because it’s an interesting job and provides an incredible service to individuals and society as a whole. Think you have what it takes to join the best team in town? Contact Garvin’s today!

 

 

 

What Else Are People Saying About Our Sewer and Drain Cleaning Service?

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Some time ago we responded to a number of testimonials that we’d received from people in Denver and the surrounding areas. We’re always happy to respond to what people are saying about our drain cleaning service, so let’s take a look at what our customers are saying about Garvin’s.

 

“Because I know Garvin’s can be trusted to do good work and not try to sell me something that I don’t need, that is why I am a longtime customer.”

— Cindy P, Denver, CO

Thanks for noting that, Cindy. We have the no-frills reputation because the only drain cleaning services we’ll perform are the services that customer actually need! (Strange concept, we know). At the same time, we’re going to let you know if we notice a problem. If you’ve called us to clean out your kitchen sink drains for the second time in as many months and notice a willow tree in your front yard, we’re going to suggest you move beyond typical drain cleaning and invest in some rooter service to get rid of those willow roots (which are some of the worst roots to get in your sewer drain).

 

“Honest, friendly service each and every time. [W]e use your company for the last 10 years.”

— Joe S, Boulder, CO

After having been in the drain cleaning service business for over 75 years, we’re happy to say that Joe is one of our newer customers! We have customers who have been coming to us for 20, 30, 40, and even 50 years. We don’t always have the same technicians over the decades, but we always make sure to hire the best, most honest, and friendliest experts so that we can maintain our stellar reputation in the Denver area. And speaking of friendly workers…

 

“I recommend you to my friends! Romie was helpful, solved our problem and even came on a Sunday morning! Good job!”

— Tom A, Thornton, CO

It takes a certain kind of friendly technician to be that helpful on a Sunday morning, doesn’t it? Tom points out something that’s true of all businesses: how important work of mouth is to the survival of a company. So keep telling your friends, Tom!

 

“On a scale of 1-10, I give you a 10. You came when I called. You did a good job. You cleaned up your mess. Your techs are friendly and personable. Thanks!”

— Mrs. Straley, Denver, CO

Well, we can’t ask for much more than a 10, can we? We came when you called (which is why so many people name their dogs “Garvin’s Sewer Service”!). We did a good job (we’d be worried that she didn’t say “great job” but we already got the 10, so we’re good with good), we cleaned up (when dealing with sewer cleaning, it’s a must!). All that and we were personable and friendly. With so many people mentioning that part of their experience with us, it’s pretty obvious that we’re doing something right in the hiring process!

One more thing we’d like to point out: our clients aren’t just from Denver, but from all along the front range. We handle customers from Denver, sure, but also from Boulder, Longmont, Thornton, Westminster, Aurora, Arvada, and every other city and suburb around. We’ve been serving up the best in drain cleaning services for decades and look forward to serving the front range for many more to come. Contact us when you want the best sewer drain cleaning around!

 

 

 

5 Silly Things You Shouldn’t Do With Your Grease

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"Mmmmm, catalyst for the requirement of unnecessary drain cleaning service." — Homer Simpson

“Mmmmm, catalyst for the requirement of unnecessary drain cleaning service.” — Homer Simpson

Okay, so you’ve just cooked a roast in the crockpot or cooked up a yummy batch of bacon. The bacon grease is pretty obvious, as it sloshes around the pan. The roast is a little bit less so, because you’re thinking “should I make gravy from it?” (Nobody ever makes gravy from bacon grease. And I’m thinking that’s a million dollar idea.)

So, what are you going to do with all that oil and grease? What would a drain cleaning company do with it? When it cools, are you going to throw it in the trash? That’s probably a good idea. Here are a few things you should not do with your grease.

Grease The Hinges: Got a squeaky door? Your bicycle gears not tripping properly? Well, the former will cause your hinges to starting stinking up the house as the grease goes rancid. The latter will cause you to be chased by every dog in the neighborhood because your gears smell so tasty!

Make A Grease Sculpture: It’s malleable. It’s easy to work with. It smells good while you’re using it. People use food for art all the time, just check Google for cheese sculptures! So why not use grease? Because it’s disgusting, that’s why!

Use It As a Hand Cream: Open up your typical hand cream (as opposed to a hand lotion) and most of it looks like cooking grease. In fact, a lot of it feels the same as well. So what’s wrong with using it as a hand cream? Well, it’s going to take forever to get off your hands, and in the meantime you’re going to be greasing up your books, computer mouse, faucet, car keys, and absolutely everything else you touch.

Use It As Perfume: Bacon perfume? This might not be such a bad idea, depending on what kind of person you’re trying to attract!

Pour It Down The Drain: Aw, c’mon, you knew this one was coming! Why else would a drain cleaning service write this blog other than to tell you that sending your grease down the drain is just as silly as the other reasons mentioned here. Not only is it silly, it can also be damaging to your sewer system and cause you to need premature sewer cleaning. So just don’t do it!

What Affects Sewer Line Replacement Costs?

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sewer repair_ctaWe talked in our last blog about the different options you might have when you need sewer line replacement. If you can’t take advantage of a less invasive service such as sewer bursting or sewer lining, you might need sewer line replacement. Of course, the first step to finding out if you need sewer line replacement is to get a third-party opinion to verify that you need a replacement in the first place. Garvin’s will send down the sewer camera to give you our professional opinion so that you have the best options available to you.

Now you might wonder why Garvin’s Sewer Service is spending so much time talking about sewer line replacement, when what we really focus on is drain cleaning and sewer cleaning. Well, what it comes down to is our interest in the community; you’re our neighbors, and we don’t want you having to pay $15,000 when a $500 fix will do. We also don’t want your yard to go through a catastrophic event if it doesn’t need to. On top of that, we’re interested in helping our colleagues in the sewer line replacement business keep their industry’s good name as clean as possible, because less than reputable sewer line replacement companies have fooled too many people into getting new sewer lines they didn’t need.

Who You Go With: We recently replaced a door handle on one of our vans. The first bid came in at $268 dollars. It seemed a little steep, so we decided to try someone else. That one came in at $220. We could have stopped there, but we tried one more place. $110. We went with this last one, and because of some work they had originally bid for didn’t need to be done, the total bill was $96.

Now these were all reputable body shops in the area, according to internet research and Angie’s List. But different companies have different needs, suppliers, rent costs, and attitudes about how they want to be perceived in the community.

All this to say you might get wildly varying bids from sewer replacement companies. Check around, make sure they’re reputable, ask us…you might be surprised at the difference in bids.

Distance From the Street: If you live in a modern neighborhood, there’s a good chance that you have a small front yard and that the amount of sewer line you’re responsible for from your house to the public sewer line is a fairly short distance. If this isn’t the case and the distance is greater there’s a good chance you’ll end up paying more. A longer distance means more pipe, more trenching, and more time removing the old pipe.

Tree removal: In the unfortunate instance that you need a tree removed, you’ll incur that cost as well. It might be a service offered by the sewer replacement company or it might be something you’ll need to contact a landscaping company about. And speaking of a landscape company…

Lawn Repair: Sewer line replacement destroys your lawn, from the trenching and from the treads of the trencher itself compacting your dirt. Some people are content to just throw some grass seed on top of the trenching line, while others will want to match the grass color and texture exactly. Settling of the trenching line might give you a low spot, or a high spot might need to be flattened.

But the Biggest Determiner of Price Is…: whether you need sewer replacement at all! We’ll reiterate it: it’s important to get a third-party’s sewer camera down there to help you determine the best course of action. That’s where Garvin’s Sewer Service comes in.

Getting your sewer line replaced is a huge operation. But when it’s over you may never need sewer cleaning again. In fact, because the PVC and ABS pipe used today will last right next to forever, it’s (almost) certain you won’t need to have pipe replaced again (barring the biggest earthquake Colorado’s ever seen.)

We hope you don’t need a full sewer line replacement. If you think you do, give Garvin’s a call and our sewer scope can help you decide on our best option.

 

How Rooter Service Heals Your Home

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dreamstime_9956210Have you ever thought about how your home resembles your body? You furnace system is the lungs, your electrical system is the veins, and the drain and sewer systems are the…well, heck that really does work, doesn’t it, because the sewer system is the waste system.

So, when your body’s waste system isn’t working as you’d like, when stuff just isn’t moving through the way you’d like it to, what do you do? Well, strangely there are a lot of correlations between your digestive system and your sewer system.

Don’t put the bad stuff in in the first place: What’s the best way to keep your digestive system healthy? Don’t put the bad stuff in. Don’t eat too much cheese. Don’t let the meat just sit there.

When it comes to your sewer system, keep the stuff out that clogs it up. Don’t put oil into it, don’t send the grease down in the first place.

Clean it out: If your bowels aren’t working quite right, maybe you need to clean them out a little. Perhaps you should eat more fiber, keep more fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator.

The best way to prevent problems with your sewer system is to invest in a little drain cleaning service. By taking care of your drains and getting regular cleaning, you’re less likely to need sewer service.

And if it gets too serious…: Sometimes you need a deep cleaning, to start everything from scratch. With you body you might take a laxative to make sure everything is out of the way.

When it comes to sewer service, rooter service is the way to go. It resets your sewer drains so that everything is moving smoothly again.

You always want to keep your sewer pipes as clean as possible to make sure that the blackwater goes into the public system as easily as possible. Give Garvin’s a call, we can always help!

 

 

 

Advantages of Preventive Drain and Sewer Cleaning For Your Business

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dreamstime_6349709If you own a business that has a considerable amount of drains that are likely to get clogged “at some time or another,” we’d like to tell you about our preventive maintenance plan. When you take advantage of our preventive sewer cleaning service we set up a time with you so that your drain cleaning and sewer service are always taken care of. What are the advantages?

Peace of mind: If you have a restaurant, there’s no preventing so of the grease from going down the drain. Even with grease traps that might protect the sewer system you’re still going to need regular drain cleaning.

You could keep putting it off, wondering when something is going to go wrong. You could open up shop every morning wondering if today is the day you can’t wash anything because the grease has finally clogged up your drains. What could possibly give you peace of mind so that you’re not always worrying about it? Preventive drain cleaning is the answer.

Avoid Emergencies: When’s a good time to have sewage spilling over your floors? It’s a trick question, because there isn’t one! It doesn’t matter if it happened overnight, during the 2-4 pm downtime, or after all of the patrons have gone home…there’s no good time to have a backup. When you have us take care of your preventive drain cleaning there will be a MUCH smaller chance of needing emergency drain cleaning service anytime soon. And speaking of timing…

A Set Time: One of the great parts of having preventive drain and sewer cleaning is that you get to pick the time we show up. Are you a restaurant that needs us to show up well before 11:00 when you open? Or are you a dog groomer who needs up there after you close at 6 pm? We’ll arrange a time with you when we should show up, which is something you can’t decide when it comes to emergency sewer service.

Another advantage is that you don’t have to think about calling us. Once we set up a time to take care of your sewer drain cleaning, we can be there every month, every six months, or every year, depending on how often you need us. You’ll never have to wonder “how long since my last drain cleaning, I wonder if I should call them?”

Reset!: One of the best things about getting preventive drain and sewer service is that it resets your drains. Every time we’re there, everything suddenly starts running smoothly again. Essentially your drains are back to being brand new, preventing your kitchen from smelling like rancid grease and spoiled milk, or your dog salon from smelling like rotting hair (say goodbye to that wet dog smell!)

Sewer camera: When you have us coming on schedule for basic drain cleaning and you think something is wrong with your sewer pipes, just give us a call and we can bring along the right equipment and we’ll deal with it all at the same time. If you think there are roots in the line or grease and food have made it past the grease trap, we’ll take care of your rooter service. If we suspect a break we can send down the sewer camera and find out if it’s on your property or if it’s the city’s problem.

Preventive drain and sewer cleaning are a great way to ensure your business stays up and running. Call us and we’ll set up the right schedule for you.