Spring means the greening of the grass, sprouting of leaves and of course as plants begin to grow up their roots continue to grow. For some homes growing plants and tree roots mean more than a greater foundation for growth, it also means issues with sewer lines. Older homes with cast or clay sewer lines it can be fairly common to have root growth make it into the joints and obstruct the drain.
Recently our plumbing department was called for a second opinion on a sewer line. One of our well known competitors tried to convince the homeowner that their sewer line was collapsed in several places and the only fix was to excavate and replace (Although we do not know the price that was quoted, repairs like this can be quite expensive). Our service plumber ran our camera down the pipe to assess any and all damage. In this case we were able to save a homeowner a large amount of money. How? By simply showing them exactly what our plumber saw. The home's pipes were in pretty good shape, except for some common root grow that routine cabling would resolve.
What should be taken from these events? First of all, if you're told expensive sewer repairs are necessary insist on having a camera run through the line. Also insist on seeing either the live video of the damage or ask for a copy of the video on the spot. If a company is not willing to provide either, walk away. Secondly, save yourself a major headache and call Bryant! Our plumbers have quality equipment and work every day to turn customers into happy customers, not to sell costly unnecessary services . If major repairs are the only and best option our plumbers can locate the location of the damage, minimizing any excavation necessary.