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What can go wrong with plumbing in a newer home

What can go wrong with plumbing in a newer home

You love the thought of a new home. New kitchen. Open floor plan. The office with a view. The yard with so much potential!

Perhaps you’re getting ready to leave your current home behind, or you’ve purchased a new house and you’re excited to settle in.

Once-upon-a-time we covered what can go wrong with plumbing in older homes. Unfortunately, even though a new home seems like a fairy tale dream come true, things can still go awry.

Here are 5 plumbing issues that can occur in new homes—even Camelot.

  1. Roots: You heard us. Even new builds can have root issues in pipes. Roots can enter your sewer line in two ways: through the normal, healthy joints or through or through a break in the line. While we hope there are no breaks in the sewer line of your new home, it’s possible that on a new build, the ground can adjust and cause a line to separate. If you have a sewer back up, we can clean and camera the line to make sure it is clear AND that there are no problems with the sewer line itself.In Colorado, our long periods of drought mean plants get powerfully thirsty. So, it doesn’t take much for new plants to seek out the available water in a home’s sewer lines. While we’re on the topic, some trees and shrubs have particularly aggressive roots, so it’s important to think about what types of trees and shrubs you will plant around your new home, if you have a choice. Poplars, elms, oaks and juniper shrubs can cause particular issues. Remember that a new tree will have a root system that extends 2-3 times farther than the crown of your tree. Think of what those roots will do to plumbing while planning your landscaping.
  1. Blocked drains: During construction, builders sometimes aren’t careful about ensuring construction debris stays away from plumbing. Building “leftovers” can make their way into your plumbing and partially or entirely block drains, creating headaches for future homeowners.
  1. Leaky faucets: When you move into a new home, check each sink, shower, tub and outdoor faucet to ensure they aren’t leaking. You may have broken fixtures or need new washers or fittings. Even tiny leaks can add up to big water loss over time.
  1. Running toilets: Toilets that make noise when you aren’t in the room are sad, unhealthy toilets. Wish you could test your toilets for leaks? You can! Do the blue dye test in as little as 15 minutes to see if your toilets need the help of a professional. We’ve put together a short video to show you how.
  1. Inspection protection: Want peace of mind? Be proactive. Ensure all of the afore-mentioned issues don’t become your issues when you move into a new home. Call a friendly, reputable company like Garvin’s to do a sewer inspection and a professional walkthrough. We can perform any needed maintenance and help ensure your new home is in great shape when you move in.

Whether you’re dreaming of moving into a castle with a five car garage, or downsizing to a townhome with a smaller yard, Garvin’s Sewer Service in Englewood can help you with all of your plumbing and sewer service needs. We proudly serve homeowners in the greater Denver and Boulder areas and are excited to be expanding more in the north, serving Brighton, Broomfield and Evans, Colorado. Our services are speedy and priced right and our technicians are top-notch. Call 303-571-5114 today, or contact us for a quote.

How Rooter Service Heals Your Home

 

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

 

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.

 

How Our Lifelong Customers Use Our Sewer Service

 

dreamstime_l_8714890We’ve mentioned it many times before, and we’re happy to keep telling you: Garvin’s Sewer Service has been serving the Denver area for more than 75 years. We’re extra proud of that fact because we’ve seen so many other sewer companies come and go, so it’s pretty obvious that we’re doing something right!

We have many customers that are lifelong customers, and since we’ve been around for so long it’s obvious that when we say “lifelong” we mean it! Here are the many ways that we’ve helped our customers and why they keep coming back to use again and again at different parts of their lives.

The Child: We’re all shaped by our parents, as they influence the types of food we eat and the people we interact with. But they also have a bearing on how we view businesses and products. If your dad insisted on buying Chevy, there’s a really good chance you’ll be buying Chevy for most of your life. (You might start buying foreign cars, but you probably won’t ever buy Ford!)

Kids pay attention even when you think they don’t, and it’s likely that they’ll notice if a parent is happy with the service they got from their local sewer company. So while the child might not be our customer directly, we are ensuring a lifelong customer by providing excellent sewer drain service to their parents.

The Apartment Renter: Here’s another case where we’re securing our reputation even though we’re not directly working for the receiver of our services. If something happens with a renter’s sewer line, they’ll call the superintendent. And if it’s beyond the superintendent’s abilities, the super will call us. Once a renter’s drain cleaning is taken care of and their water starts flowing again, they’ll have a positive view of Garvin’s Sewer Service.

All that work and our lifelong customer isn’t even a paying customer yet! Let’s fix that…

The New Homeowner: So the renter leaves the house and becomes a homeowner. They know that Garvin’s Sewer Service worked hard for their parents or their superintendent (of both) and now they’re having trouble with their home and need sewer cleaning. It might be that they need a sewer inspection with our sewer scope before they sign the final paperwork, or it might be years down the road. Either way, whenever they need drain or sewer cleaning they know exactly who to call.

The Landlord: Have you noticed how many people around here will buy their second home and keep the first one to rent out? We have many customers who use us for their primary residence but also for the one for which they’re a landlord.

The Retiree: So our customer is 70 years old now and has been using Garvin’s for their sewer service for many years. We’ve truly made a lifelong customer that’s almost as old as we are!

Sure, this isn’t the way it happens every time, but we have customers who wouldn’t dream of calling anyone else because of the sewer and drain cleaning we’ve performed for them over the years. If you’d like to experience the amazing service of Garvin’s, give us a call!

 

 

 

The Advantages of Knowing Your Yard: Sewer, Water, Electrical, Cable, and Gas

 

Don't pave that space if you're going to need some sewer cleaning.There’s so much going on underneath the ground that we never even think about, and we’re not talking about the lives of worms, insects, and other animals. There are pipes and cables that are connecting your home to the rest of the world, and it’s important to keep those lines safe so that you’re not losing your connection. Here are the reasons to know where everything is before you dig.

What Plants To Plant: We wrote an entire blog about what trees you need to avoid if you don’t want your sewer pipes and water lines being inundated with the roots. But it’s also important to avoid plants that might wrap around shallow telephone and cable lines, pulling them out of the ground and exposing them to the blade of your lawnmower or weed eater.

Where Not To Dig: We often hear about “calling before you dig” because of electric and gas lines. But it’s also important to know where not to dig so that you’re not disrupting your neighbors connection to phone and cable, which are carrying their internet. You’ll become very unpopular in the neighborhood if you knock out half of everyone’s internet!

Where Not To Lay Concrete: Sometimes there’s a space next to the driveway that’s either grass or gravel, a nice place for people to park during a party. If you’re considering laying concrete there and making it a permanent parking space, it’s important to know if you’ll have to rip it up if there are pipes and electrical wires under that space that need replacing in the future.

So, how do you find out what’s going on under your yard? Call 811 or visit http://colorado811.org/ to get your utilities located. And when you need sewer cleaning, give Garvin’s Sewer Service a call!

 

 

 

The Worst Trees That Require You To Get Repeated Rooter Service

Some trees will require you to need rooter service.

“I’ll take the center square to block…my sewer pipes.”

In previous posts we told you about the problems of planting trees directly over your water and sewer lines, because eventually the roots are going to get in and you’re going to need repeated sewer service. But there are some trees that are going to cause you exponentially more problems because of the way their root systems work. You also need to be aware that the older your sewer system is, the more likely that the roots can get in.

If you’re considering planting some trees in your yard, be sure to avoid putting these particular varieties anywhere near pipes. We’re not saying that you shouldn’t plant these trees if they’re some of your favorites. But you do need to take extra precautions about placement to make sure that they’re not over any sort of water line.

Willows: Willows are perhaps the best-known of the sewer-destroying trees. Their roots are very aggressive and will do whatever they can to get into the joints of your water pipes or sewer lines. The worst offenders are the very popular weeping willow and the corkscrew willow, but just about anything in the Salix species of trees and shrubs will end up causing you problems.

Poplars: When you think of poplars, you probably think of the tall, fast-growing trees that are often planted in straight lines as windbreaks or to provide privacy While slow-growing trees will go deep in order to get to groundwater, trees like poplars have shallow root systems and would rather dig into a pipe than go any deeper. Interesting fact: cottonwoods are in the populus family.

Silver Maple: While they are fast-growing and turn a lovely shade of orange in fall, these trees can be big problems not only for your sewer lines but also for your sidewalks. On top of that, they aren’t very strong trees, so they’re more likely to topple during a storm or drop a branch onto your roof. If you really want a silver maple in your yard, plant it far away from your house and from all sewer and water lines.

American Elm: Along with the Siberian Elm, the American Elm is the most popular elm tree planted in Colorado. Like the trees mentioned above, the shallow roots don’t head much further down than a water-filled pipe, and once they dig into that there’s no reason to go any deeper.

We’re guessing that, after reading this article, you’ll be pretty careful about putting any of these anywhere near your sewer lines. But if you’ve moved into a house and you’re experiencing slow drains and toilets that drain cleaning just doesn’t seem to fix, you might want to look at the trees in the yard and see if they’re any of the offenders we talked about. It might not be your fault, but it is your problem. Regularly-scheduled rooter service might be a good idea in order to keep everything running smoothly and prevent sewer backups. Contact Garvin’s and we can make sure you continue to love the trees in your yard.

 

 

 

No Paper Towels! Why They’ll Lead You To Sewer Cleaning Faster Than You Think

No Paper Towels! Why They’ll Lead You To Sewer Cleaning Faster Than You Think

 

Some of you might remember the short-lived television show “The PJ’s,” a stop-motion animated series that followed a building superintendent named Thurgood (voiced by Eddie Murphy) in “the projects.” In the very first episode there’s an exchange between the superintendent and a voodoo practitioner that rings true in all sewer services expert’s hearts:

 

Ms. Mambo Garcelle: Super, my toilet is clogged!

Thurgood: What did you flush down the toilet?

Ms. Mambo Garcelle: Nothing!

   (Thurgood stares at her suspiciously)

Ms. Mambo Garcelle: A goat’s head, wrapped in paper towels.

Thurgood: How many times do I have to tell you people? NO PAPER TOWELS!

Why you shouldn’t flush paper towels

Now, while we don’t advocate flushing goat heads down the toilet, we love the joke…paper towels are worse on the sewer system than an entire goat’s head! But why are paper towels so bad on our sewer system, and why are they one of the biggest offenders that lead to sewer cleaning?

Paper towels are tough

When you see paper towel commercials, they’re always bragging about how tough they are. Heck, Brawny even uses the epitome of toughness, the lumberjack, as its mascot (or is it just a hipster…seriously, we can’t tell anymore). Paper towels are designed to hold up when wet, unlike toilet paper which is designed to hold up to wetness for just a few seconds and then break apart. It’s this toughness that prevents them from disintegrating no matter where they are in the water system.

Paper towels are absorbent

The other thing paper towel commercials are always bragging about is their absorbency. That’s great when you’ve spilled a glass of iced tea on the counter, but you’ve got to think about what’s actually happening…the paper towel is getting bigger as it absorbs water. So when you flush a paper towel, it’s growing to its maximum size and stays at that size all the way down your drain and into your house lateral sewer line. When you combine this with their toughness, it’s just one big wad of dead tree fibers heading down and asking to get caught on something..

Paper towels are big

Try this: take a square of toilet paper and try to fit it through a straw. Not exactly easy, but it can be done. Now try to do the same things with the smallest paper towel you can find. Toilets were designed to handle one of these two paper products and we’ll give you a hint…it wasn’t the paper towel!

Despite the wonders of select-a-size, paper towels are still big and thick. Because of this they’re more likely to be grabbed by whatever else is hanging out in your sewer line, stuff like tree roots and grease monsters. The paper towels are just going to sit there, not degrading, because they were designed to not degrade. Then they’re going to help grab the next paper towel you send down, and then the smaller stuff like regular old toilet paper, and it’s all making the problem worse and worse until you need professional rooter service.

We’ve said it many times before, but it never ceases to amaze us how many time people ignore us: the only stuff that should go down the toilet is human waste and toilet paper (preferably a brand that disintegrates quickly). If you follow this rule, it’s likely that you won’t need sewer cleaning quite so soon.

2 Questions To Ask When Your Sewer Cleaning Expert Is About To Leave

 

Whether we’re at your home for emergency sewer cleaning or just preventive rooter service, it’s always nice to see a technician go. As nice as we are, it’s great to have your service taken care of an off your list, and we understand if you’ve got no problems saying goodbye so that you can get on with everything else you have to do that day.

But before we go, make sure you have all the information you need to make informed decisions in the future. Here are 3 questions to ask your sewer drain cleaner before they go.

What Can Be Done To Prevent This Problem In The Future? Sometimes problems just happen. Even if you’re steadfast about preventing grease from going down the drain, 15 years of the tiny amounts of oil that are in vegetables might eventually build up and cause you to have a clogged kitchen sink. There’s not much that can be done about time-related problems.

But some problems can be avoided with just an ounce of prevention. Keep the bacon grease out of your drains, don’t flush paper towels, and have us back regularly because the roots have found your pipes.

Can I Have Your Card? — There’s a good chance that we’re going to leave you with a business card or a magnet for your fridge. If you’ve been pleased with our sewer cleaning service, there’s a good chance that you’re going to want to call us again the next time you have trouble. You don’t always remember the name of a business that performs well, but you will check your refrigerator to see who treated you well last time!

We’ll be there and get the job done as thoroughly as possible as quickly as possible. But before we leave make sure you get all your questions answered. Contact Garvin’s today!

 

 

 

What We Know That You Don’t: The Knowledge That Guides Our Sewer Drain Cleaning

 

Certain tree roots can lead to premature sewer drain cleaning.In the last blog we talked about everything that we need to learn from you when you’re in need of emergency sewer service, stuff like the history of the problem, if other sewer companies have tried to fix the problem, and if you’ve tried to fix the problem with chemical drain cleaners.

But what you might not know is what we already know when you walk up to your door. Here’s the information we’re coming to you with that you’re probably not even thinking about.

The Trees In Your Yard: If we see a willow tree in the middle of the front yard, we’d put money on what your problem is. Willow trees are notorious for getting into sewer pipes as they search for water, so seeing one in your front yard pretty much guarantees that you’re going to need rooter service. Other trees we watch out for are poplars and elms. Bushes aren’t usually a problem, but they might be hiding…

Where the external clean out line is: Many people like to hide their external clean out pipe behind a bush, and if it’s summer we’re not likely to see it. But we’ve dealt with enough PUD’s (Planned Urban Developments) to be able to close our eyes and point to exactly where it is. We’ve seen a lot of housing developments go up in Denver, and if the design of a home is the same then the plumbing and lateral sewer lines are usually in the same place as well. And speaking of neighborhoods we notice…

The Decade Your House Was Built In: When we walk up to your house, we’re scanning the area to gather as much information as possible. One thing we do is estimate when the house was built, which gives us a good idea of what kind of sewer pipe was used. If it’s a fairly new house, we’re obviously dealing with PVC or ABS. But if you’re house is from the 1950’s we’ll be dealing with something completely different. Of course, the year your house was built also tells us something about…

The Conditions Of The Sewer System In Your Neighborhood: Being so far west, Denver can’t really be considered an “old” city. We’re not exactly dealing with the ancient underground sewage systems that a city like Paris or London has to deal with. But the sewer systems have changed considerably over the years, and we know if the problems you’re having are due to your personal lines or if there have been problems with the public sewer system that might be causing you to give Garvin’s a call. We might also be able to deduce what your problem is if…

Your Neighbors Have Called: If we’ve been to three other houses on your block in the last month and they’ve all had the same problem, it might help us figure out exactly what’s going on with your sewer system. Did we have to perform rooter service because all of the trees in the neighborhood have reached the age where their roots are invading pipes? Or is it a 1950’s neighborhood where the pipes have started disintegrating?

That’s what we know before we even step one bootie-covered foot in your home! What we know can really help us deliver the best sewer cleaning available in Denver and along the front range. When you suspect problems or want to avoid them with preventive sewer cleaning, contact Garvin’s Sewer Service!

 

 

 

How To Talk To Your Sewer Drain Cleaning Expert

 

As you can imagine, we’ve gotten some pretty frantic calls over the years. People who have sewage blocking their toilet. People who have sewage flowing up out of their toilet. People who have sewage actively shooting out of their toilet. All of the people who called had a perfectly valid reason to be frantic!

When we get these calls, we suit up, grab our equipment, slide down the firepole (we don’t have a firepole, but DANG! we should get a firepole!) and race to your home as quickly as the law will allow. When we get there, we’ll dive right into the situation, but in order to help us find the cause of the problem it’s important that you tell both the person who takes your call and the technician we send as much as possible, no matter what problem you’re having. Basically, we need to know as much as you do. So we’d like to offer this advice.

Try To Be Calm: We understand that you’re in the middle of what is probably the worst experience of your year (we see a lot of people’s worst experiences). But the more calm you can be, the more information we can get out of you in a timely manner and the sooner we can get to the root of the problem.

Give Us The Background: Be sure to tell us exactly what’s been happening. Has the problem with your plumbing been going on for years, or is this the first time you’ve ever had an inkling of a problem? When was the last time you had sewer cleaning performed? Is Garvin’s the only company you’ve called to help with your sewer service, or have others had their go at it this year? Tell us everything you know, because even small details about how your sewer system has been acting can be important.

Tell Us Your Habits: It might be embarrassing, but it’s important for us to know exactly how you treat your drains and sewer lines. You might be embarrassed to tell us that you pour your bacon grease down the sink and flush your feminine hygiene products, but it’s important for us to know because it might alter the tools we use and the decisions we make. On a related note…

Be Honest: It’s important for us to know what you’ve already tried. If we’re there for drain cleaning, it’s critically important to let us know if you’ve already tried a chemical drain cleaner. We have had drain technicians scarred by drain cleaners that were sitting in the drain, even after the customer had insisted that no cleaners had been used. For our own safety and yours, please let us know about anything dangerous that might be in your drains.

Stand Back!: Once you’ve filled us in, stand back, ‘cause we’re gonna get to work! We’ll be protected from the situation with eye and face protection, rubber boots, and clothing that is specially disinfected once we leave. We don’t want you to have to deal with the stuff that can make you sick, so be sure to get some fresh air and find your insurance agent’s phone number.

When you call Garvin’s, you’ve called the sewer drain experts, so make sure that you give us all the information you can. We’ll make this terrible experience as easy as possible for you.