5 Residential Plumbing Services to Get Before You Sell Your Home

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A home is a huge investment for most people, and home buyers shop carefully to find homes that appeal to them in different ways. Don’t be surprised if a potential buyer asks about any residential plumbing services you have done recently. Even better, have a list of things that were covered on your home plumbing inspection, and go over them as you show the house. You want to get the most value for the property, and some simple plumbing services will help you sell for better prices.

1. Household Plumbing Inspection

Getting a home plumbing inspection is one of the most important residential plumbing services to get before putting your home on the market. It provides prospective buyers with a sense of assurance that the home is well-cared for and in good condition. And while a home plumbing inspection is not required by law in most states, it is a great way to boost the asking price.

Residential plumbing contractors will give your plumbing system a complete evaluation, from looking for problems with septic systems to checking for leaks and slow-moving drains. Since home plumbing is inspected by licensed plumbers, any problems that are discovered can be repaired right away.

2. Septic Pump-Out

Knowing that the septic tank is newly emptied is another item that can lead to a faster or more profitable sale. Since this only needs to be done at long intervals, home buyers will immediately see the benefit of having plenty of time before they need to worry about their private sewer system. The process only takes a few minutes, and experienced contractors won’t leave a mess all over your property as some fly-by-night companies may do. Depending on your local laws, you may be required to get a pump-out before putting your home on the market.

Rooter service is one of the most common residential plumbing services, but not every plumber has the equipment to perform a septic pump-out. Because of the special equipment required, some companies avoid the added investment. Look for established plumbing contractors that feature household plumbing repair and rooter service.

3. On-Demand Hot Water

Tankless water heaters have become popular in recent years, and make an affordable plumbing upgrade that new buyers will love. On-demand water heaters are installed in your hot water line, typically beneath a counter or above a ceiling. This eliminates the need for a special water heater closet, and that can be a big plus for home sales as it provides extra space that can be repurposed for other uses.

Without a huge storage tank, tankless water heaters usually outlast conventional systems by 10 years or more. And since they have very few parts that can fail, tankless systems require much less maintenance and upkeep over the years. For many people, however, the biggest attraction for tankless water hears is the fact that they can save anywhere from 10 to 50 percent on your energy bills. For large homes, you can install tankless heaters at heavy-use points to assure the family of always having hot water when they turn the knob.

Even if you choose to stay with a tanked water heater, keep in mind that they are rated for around 10 or 12 years before they should be replaced. Replacing the ones in your home and then listing new water heaters as a selling point will increase buyer interest and appeal. 

4. Trenchless Sewer Replacement

Like on-demand hot water, trenchless sewers are growing in popularity because they can be done quickly and unobtrusively. If you have to make sewer repairs before your house sells, trenchless systems won’t destroy your landscaping or leave long scars across drives and walkways. If the sewer lines being replaced are beneath the home or run under any large slabs or paved areas, trenchless sewer repair is a more affordable solution to consider.

As the name implies, trenchless sewer repair and replacement is ideal for areas that would be severely damaged by digging a ditch. Trenchless begins by digging an opening at each end of the line to be repaired and then using special equipment to bore from one to another. If you consider a situation where the sewer line extends all the way across your basement it is easy to see how 2 openings saves time, money, and resources.

5. Repair Sinks and Drains

Don’t underestimate the power of minor plumbing repairs showing big returns. Shiny new drain covers installed after professional drain cleaning creates an aesthetically pleasing appearance that buyers will take note of. But the visual aspects are only the beginning of how your sinks and drains can affect the sale. Make sure that the drains are working properly and that there aren’t any leaks under sinks, in the water heater pan, or around tubs and toilets. Faulty plumbing can literally make or break a home sale, so take a little time and bring in licensed contractors to get everything in top condition.

Professional plumbers can handle everything from replacing tubs and showers to installing a new dishwasher to modernizing kitchens and bathrooms. You do not have to renovate before selling your house, but minor alterations can lead to big increases in home value and buyer appeal. Additionally, newly installed appliances like tubs or toilets have their own manufacturer warranties that mean years of trouble-free living, and everyone needs less stress in their lives.

Plumbing is a necessary part of modern living, and you won’t get much for a home that has decayed cabinets beneath the sinks, strange odors in the laundry room, or perpetually wet spots near your septic system. For a relatively small investment, home plumbers can repair anything that isn’t working, install new appliances where they are needed, or spruce up kitchens and bathrooms with a bright new look.

Always research your contractors before you hire them. Look at online reviews, check with the local Better Business Bureau, and always insist on contractors that are licensed and insured. Not only are unlicensed contractors breaking the law, but hiring them introduces the possibility of the project not turning out as planned.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 household plumbing services for homes and multifamily buildings. We pride ourselves on our professional and quality work. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for residential plumbing services any time, any day of the week.

5 Situations Where Trenchless Sewer Replacement is the Best Choice

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Fixing sewer problems with trenchless sewer replacement is a faster, simpler, and more appropriate solution than traditional trenched repairs. In some cases, trenchless may be the only logical solution. If you are considering having your sewer lines replaced, take a look at these 5 situations where trenchless sewer lines are the best option.

1. Protect Your Landscaping

If your existing sewer lines run beneath established landscaping, a trenchless sewer replacement will preserve your landscaping investment. It should also be noted that long-established landscaping– especially trees and shrubbery– is the primary cause of sewer line damage resulting from the slow penetration of powerful root systems.

2. Under Your Foundation

Traditionally, replacing the sewer lines beneath your foundation entailed expensive concrete removal, hand-digging, and more. With trenchless replacement, two holes are dug at each end of the installation, and special equipment drills beneath the foundation to insert new lines. The final costs are often much lower than the older, labor-intensive method. Consulting with a qualified plumbing contractor will help you determine which replacement method works best for your situation.

3. Crossing Paved Areas

Unless you want to have your driveways and sidewalks cut out and then patched afterward, trenchless sewer lines are the best way to put new pipes under existing pathways. A common example is when a patio or paved courtyard has been installed over the original plumbing lines.

4. Limited Sewer Access

There are a lot of reasons that plumbing contractors may not be able to get to the area for traditional ditch-based sewer lines. Renovations and household additions that have been built since the original lines were installed, lawn decorations, fixed storage buildings, and other construction are typical. Because a trenchless sewer system only requires 2 access points, it can eliminate extensive tear-down and rebuilding.

5. Municipal Tie-Ins

As cities expand, sewer systems get upgraded and older septic tank systems are replaced with municipal sewer lines. When this happens, new sewer lines need to be installed from the sewer mains to your house, often traversing areas that are difficult or even impossible to reach with traditional trenching equipment. When this happens, trenchless sewer installation is sometimes the only solution.

Trenchless sewers are more versatile than sewers that require long ditches, removal of existing structures, and costly foundation removal and replacement. Even in a situation where a trench system is less expensive at first glance, the additional removal and replacement costs associated with the job can easily make trenchless sewers a more cost-effective solution.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 household plumbing services for homes and multifamily buildings. We pride ourselves on our professional and quality work. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for residential plumbing services any time, any day of the week.

What is Trenchless Sewer Replacement?

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Trenchless sewer replacement is a modern method of repairing or replacing old sewer lines that no longer work properly. For scenarios where the sewer line runs beneath driveways, landscaping, or other buildings, trenchless installations may be the most appropriate method to use. To illustrate, let’s look at the benefits of a trenchless sewer replacement.

No Messy Ditches

Trenchless sewer replacement requires digging at least one hole at one end of the line to be replaced, but some methods need a hole at each end. These openings are the only places where the existing lines need to be accessed, whether you are having your existing lines repaired or a new line installed.

Faster Job Completion

Trenchless sewer installation requires less digging and other manual labor than traditional sewer line installation, and that means the job can be completed faster. Depending on the trenchless method being used, the size and type of job, and other factors, a trenchless system can be installed in as little as a single day. Even jobs that take more than one day will be completed in a fraction of the time a traditional trenched sewer would require.

Less Lawn Invasive

Trenchless sewer techniques use methods that can be performed with only a hole at each end of the line. This means there are no huge piles of soil choking your lawn, no shovels or ditch-digging machines cutting the roots of shrubs or trees, fragile flower beds can remain intact.

Trenchless plumbing is less lawn invasive in several ways. There are no long ditches, there are fewer workers to accidentally trample grass, and you will need fewer materials and supplies available to close up the worksite when the sewer has been installed. Basically, the more traffic you can keep off your lawn and out of your landscaping, the smoother, faster, and less expensive the project will be.

Reduced Demolition and Construction

While it is possible that some interior demolition will be necessary to complete the project, there will be much less than with traditional sewer pipe replacement. Since there aren’t any trenches involved, you won’t have to have huge areas of flooring removed and the slab underneath cut away. In the same vein, there will be less dust in your home’s air to settle on furniture or tables, less noise from power equipment, and fewer costs associated with putting it all back together again.

More Cost-Effective

While it is true that trenchless sewer installation can have a slightly higher initial cost, the overall price is comparable or even lower than traditional sewer installation. More advanced equipment and technical expertise are required, and that increases the initial cost, but faster job completion, fewer materials, and reduced demolition and construction help reduce the final cost. For many homeowners, the speed and reduced invasiveness are more than sufficient to make trenchless systems more appealing and appropriate.

Whether you are having an existing line repaired or installing a sewer replacement line, using trenchless technology offers enough benefits to be worth serious consideration. Before you resign yourself to a ditch running all the way across your lawn, compare the costs and other benefits between the systems carefully. You may discover that trenchless is the way to go.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 household plumbing services for homes and multifamily buildings. We pride ourselves on our professional and quality work. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for residential plumbing services any time, any day of the week.

How to Know if You Need Sewer Replacement Services

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Sewer lines wear out or get damaged over time, and can be efficiently repaired by trenchless sewer replacement. Trenchless sewer replacement services use end-point hoiles for pipe insertion so that most of your lawn remains undamaged, but the same techniques are excellent for areas with ground-level barriers that prevent trenching. Here are some important tips on recognizing when it’s time for sewer replacement services. 

Drains Slow Down or Stop Flowing

The first sign that you need trenchless sewer replacement will usually be noticed in the toilet, tub, or shower drains. These household drains typically have a higher flow of water than sinks, so clogged or broken sewer lines back up faster. Before you invest in sewer line replacement, try to identify other causes for drains that back up. Many of these are easy and inexpensive to fix with rooter service, such as hair in the shower drain or too much tissue in the toilet. 

Bad Odor From Drains

When material begins to collect in your sewer lines instead of draining properly, you may begin to notice foul odors near your household drains. This is a sign that matter is decomposing in your sewer pipes. Sometimes this type of clog can be cleared up by running a snake through the line or with different ways to fix a broken sewer line, but trenchless sewer replacement may be the most efficient solution.

Wet Spots in the Yard

If you have specific places in your yard that seem to be wet or have standing water more often than seems appropriate, it could be an indication of a sewer line that needs repair. These spots will typically become wetter and larger when doing tasks that use a lot of water such as bathing or washing laundry.

Bright Green Grass

When your sewer lines leak, they release nutrient-rich sewage into the ground. This may result in the grass growing a brighter shade of green, and growing faster than the surrounding area. This symptom is sometimes apparent even if the leak is too far below the ground to cause a wet spot. 

Wet Floors

In the home, floors that become wet for no obvious reason may indicate the need for trenchless sewer replacement. Because a broken or clogged sewer pipe prevents water from draining properly, it may back up in sinks or tubs, or even under your toilet if the wax ring is old or damaged.

The good news is that most sewer problems develop slowly, so you will see the need for trenchless sewer replacement developing. The reason it happens slowly is that most exterior problems are related to things like a pipe getting slowly crushed under a path or tree roots growing through the line. The important thing is to get the repairs as soon as you notice the problem because it will become more expensive as time goes on.

Trenchless Sewer Replacement — Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 residential plumbing services for homes and multifamily buildings. We pride ourselves on our professional and quality work. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for residential plumbing services any time, any day of the week.

The Different Ways to Fix a Broken Sewer Line

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Your local plumber offers more than rooter service. If you have a larger problem than a single instance of a clogged toilet, your plumber can take a look at your entire plumbing system, including your sewer line. Your plumber can insert a video camera down your pipes to find issues, such as sagging pipes or a broken sewer line. When your sewer line is broken, your plumber can repair it in the traditional way or use a trenchless method.

Traditional Sewer Replacement with Excavation

In the past, the only way to repair a broken sewer line was by excavating the entire damaged section. The damaged piping was removed then replaced with a new section of pipe. Traditional replacement is still used, but since the acceptance of trenchless sewer replacement in the plumbing industry, it’s been used less frequently. Traditional replacement can be expensive and uproot landscapes, gardens, and buildings, so plumbers try to avoid it.

Trenchless Sewer Replacement

The least invasive repair option is trenchless sewer repair & replacement. The first trenchless technology was created in the 1970s, when British agricultural engineer Eric Woods developed the pipe replacement technique cured-in-place piping (CIPP). He developed this method when he needed to repair a damaged air duct above his mushroom bed, as he couldn’t remove the pipe. Instead, he pulled a plastic-wrapped felt tube containing resin through the damaged pipe, then inflated it to fill the pipe. This hardened into a new layer, fixing the pipe without major construction.

In addition to CIPP, your sewer line replacement contractor will consider two other methods. Here’s what you need to know about those trenchless sewer replacement methods:

Sliplining

Sliplining uses the broken pipe as a pathway for the new pipe. The new pipe must be narrower than the broken pipe, so it can fit inside and be grouted into place. This turns the old pipe into an outer shell that is slightly larger than the new pipe, so if you want to upsize your new pipe, you’ll want the next method: pipe bursting.

Pipe bursting

Pipe bursting uses a bursting tool that pulls a new pipe along the broken pipe, dismantling the broken pipe open as the new pipe replaces it. The new pipe can be of any size, so this is the best trenchless option if you want a new pipe of a similar or larger diameter.

When you’ll need traditional sewer replacement

Trenchless sewer replacement requires an intact old pipe to work. If the old pipe is too damaged, misshapen with a pipe belly, or sags, you’ll need traditional replacement. Additionally, if your old pipe is close to the surface and not underneath gardens or buildings, it could be cost effective to use traditional replacement because it’s easy to dig a narrow trench. 

When you can use trenchless sewer replacement

The fundamental prerequisite for trenchless sewer replacement is the old pipe being intact enough to act as a feeder tube. In most cases, if the old pipe can be a feeder tube, you can use trenchless repair.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating — Family-owned rooter service

To determine the best way to fix your broken sewer line, contact Ehret. Co Plumbing & Heating through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292. We’ll inspect your sewer line and talk you through the different repair options available.