Sewer Cleaning, Repair, and Replacement
We understand local sewer repair better than anyone. Sewer repair, line cleaning, and installation are some of the larger projects we take on at Ongaro & Sons. After 84 years of professional plumbing experience in the North Bay area, we know each city’s requirements for type of piping allowed and permits needed to perform sewer repair.
How do I know I need sewer Repair?
When your sewer is backed up or starts leaking it is one of the most unpleasant plumbing situations you can encounter. Sewers present much more complicated problems than something like faucet repair, and really require qualified technician. Depending on the condition of your sewer pipe, a section of sewer may have to be replaced, or perhaps even the entire sewer pipe. We perform a video inspection to assess the condition of your sewer.
Video Inspection
Sewer repair correctly done requires video inspection. A camera is inserted into the interior of the sewer pipe and sends back live video of the condition and blockages in your sewer line. Our video inspection equipment includes locators to determine the place and depth of the sewer line damage from above ground, allowing for spot repairs if possible. Video inspections can show root intrusion, separated pipes, offset pipe joints, or broken pipes. A pipe must be draining to be able to see within it, so that could be part of our work to repair your sewer. The video will tell us what we need to know.
Common Sewer Problems
Older sewer lines often need repair. In general, unless there is some kind of accident or earthquake activity, sewer line damage happens over time. A main cause of sewer line damage is tree roots that grow through cracked lines. One small crack in an old sewer line will make it the target for a root system to take hold and block or destroy the pipe. Sewer line cleaning can remove roots, but this is only a temporary solution if you have old clay pipes or Orangeburg pipes (tar infused wood that was popular in the forties). If you have Orangeburg or even older pipes, like those made of clay (with crumbling mortar joints), sewer line cleaning may actually help destroy them. If this is the case, new sewer installation using materials like plastic, are better suited to the North Bay area.
Sewer Installation
If it is determined that sewer repair will not work for older pipes, sewer installation is the next step. Ongaro & Sons offers complete solutions for your sewer needs, including entire sewer replacement installation. As always, we promise fast and dependable service, minimal disruption of your residence or business, and free estimates. We use trenchless pipe replacement that requires digging only at each end of existing sewer pipe, creating minimal disturbance to your landscape, driveways and sidewalks. In some cases your house may not be a good candidate for trenchless pipe replacement, in which case we make every effort to return your landscape, driveway and sidewalks back to the condition it was prior to the work. With Ongaro & Sons, when you need your sewer line replaced, we take care of every aspect of the job, including pipe material and method of installation recommendations, notifying utility companies so they can mark their lines, trenching, permit acquisition, and concrete removal and replacement.