Sewer Scope – Do it or Lose Thousands!

Nov 11th 09

filed under: Real Estate Answers

Scoping your sewer line is a serious job and MUST be done during the inspection process when buying a home for sale. Sewer line repairs can cost in the thousands of dollars. In fact the least expensive one I’ve seen was $4,200 and I regularly see them in the $8,000 range. It involves digging up the yard and in worst case scenarios it can mean digging up and replacing the sidewalk and even small sections of the street. Big time money for items like this.

“Below I’m using actual sewer line photos provided by Warren at Pipe Spies.”

Scoping the sewer line involves Pipe Spies going through the sewer clean out, toilet or through a roof vent with a long hose that has a camera attached to the tip. The camera videos the pipe from the house to the sewer main usually out at the street. This allows them to see any breaks, roots, low spots or other problems in the line.

Warren says “All or nearly all the problems I find that need repair are undetectable by simply running water continually or flushing the toilet.”

Tips:

  1. Don’t use a sewer scope company that also owns a backhoe to repair the lines. Companies with the tools to repair the line may be tempted to tell you it needs major repairs.
  2. Order the sewer scope to take place during the actual home inspection. (Don’t forget to order the Radon test too.)
  3. Most home inspectors will suggest a sewer scope on all older homes and especially if there is or was a tree located in the front yard above or near the location of the line.
  4. Cost of a sewer scope is around $200 but can literally save you thousands.
  5. I’m not going to debate how old is old enough to need to be scoped. That is up to you and your chosen home inspector.

Email Warren at Pipe Spies to schedule an appointment.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

posted by Steven Beam // Please leave a comment.

My water pipe is frozen-What now?

Nov 8th 09

filed under: Real Estate Answers

Frozen Colorado Winter

Frozen Colorado Winter

It’s getting cold out so you better be prepared! Frozen pipes are a real problem in Colorado and a little knowledge can save you a lot in repairs.

You came home and turned on the water and nothing comes out! You don’t see any water leaking from broken pipes and suspect a frozen pipe.

Related article: Frozen Pipes Bring Headaches and Lots of Water. Parker, Colorado

Tip #1: When water is running in only one part of the house it usually means a pipe in an outside wall or uninsulated area is frozen.

What to do:

  1. Locate the main water shutoff for the house and turn the water off.
  2. Open faucets on the line that is affected with the frozen pipe so water will flow once the pipe is thawed.
  3. Turn up your heat and open cabinets so the heat can reach the frozen lines under the sink.
  4. You can run hot water through near by pipes to help heat the frozen pipes.
  5. You can use a hair dryer to heat the pipe slowly until the water flows freely. Heat from the sink backwards to the frozen area slowly.
  6. Do not use a torch or hot iron as heating a pipe quickly can cause it to burst and then you are in BIG trouble.

Tip #2: When you leave town in winter turn off the water supply to the clothes washer. Leave your heat set at 60 degrees and open cabinets and doors so heat reaches pipes. In extreme cases you can shut the main water valve off under the house or leave a small trickle of water run through the line but that is expensive and wasteful.

Contact-Us Search-Homes What-is-my-Home-Worth

Tags: , , , , ,

posted by Steven Beam // 1 Comment »