Drain Cleaning in Franktown, CO

Franktown homes and their sewer lines

Most homes in the Franktown area were built from the 1970s onward on lots of several acres or more, ranging from modest ranches to large custom homes. Drain lines inside are typically plastic.

There's no public sewer serving most of the area, so each home sends its wastewater to a septic tank and leach field on the property. That makes the line from the house to the tank the 'main line' for drain purposes.

Long driveways, outbuildings and horse properties are common, and so are extra sinks in barns, shops and mudrooms that see a lot of mud and debris.

What drain trouble looks like in Franktown

Kitchen and bathroom clogs are everyday calls. When the whole house backs up, the cause is usually either a clog in the line to the tank or a tank that needs pumping. Utility sinks in shops and barns clog with mud and hay, and lines in exposed walls can freeze in deep cold.

What drain work usually costs around Franktown

Wells, septic and long runs

Around Franktown, nearly every home handles its own water and wastewater. The pipe from the house to the septic tank is the closest thing to a main line, and on large lots it can be long. A long run needs a steady fall all the way to the tank. If the ground under it settled after construction, or the line was laid with a dip, solids collect there and eventually stop the flow. A camera with a locator finds the spot and its depth, so a repair can be planned without digging up the whole run.

Horse properties and outbuildings

Plenty of Franktown properties have barns, arenas and shops with their own sinks and sometimes a bathroom. Those drains see mud, hay, manure, hair and shop debris that household drains never do, and they clog far more often. A strainer basket in each utility sink, a sediment trap where washing happens and a rule against rinsing tack or tools in the house drains prevent most of these calls.

If an outbuilding's drain ties into the house septic system, heavy debris from it can also shorten the time between tank pumpings.

Castlewood Canyon country

The land around Franktown slopes toward Cherry Creek and Castlewood Canyon, with meadows, pine stands and rock outcrops. Homes on the slopes may have walk-out lower levels, and houses near low ground can see their septic fields stay wet in a rainy spring. A field that's saturated doesn't accept water well, and the result can look like a clogged drain inside the house. If backups follow heavy rain or snowmelt, mention it, because it points toward the field rather than the pipe.

Before calling about a Franktown drain

1. 01

   Check pumping records

   If the tank is overdue, start there.

2. 02

   Note what's affected

   One fixture, the whole house or an outbuilding?

3. 03

   Locate the cleanout

   Usually outside where the line leaves the house.

4. 04

   Describe the drive

   Gravel, steep or snowy driveways help the plumber plan the visit.

Franktown drain warning signs

• A shop sink that drains slower every week
• Gurgling in the house after a long run of laundry
• Wet, soft ground over the field after snowmelt
• Sewer smells near the tank lids
• A frozen line on a windward wall

Freezing on open ground

Franktown homes on open meadows feel the full force of winter wind, and lines in exposed walls, attached garages and crawlspaces can freeze in a deep cold snap. Barns and shops with plumbing need their own heat or a plan to drain the lines before winter.

Costs around Franktown

A clogged kitchen or bathroom drain costs about the same as in Parker or Castle Rock. Travel on rural roads, long lines to the tank and outbuilding drains packed with debris take more time and push the bill higher. A camera on a long run is worth it after the first whole-house backup, since it shows whether the problem is a one-time clog or a low spot that will keep catching solids.

Pine needles, gutters and floor drains

Ponderosa needles collect in gutters and window wells around Franktown homes, and in some older houses those wells or downspouts were tied into floor drains. When needles wash in, they mat together and clog the drain below. If a basement floor drain backs up during heavy rain rather than during laundry, the cause may be storm water rather than the sewer line, and a plumber can confirm where that drain actually goes.

Horse-property habits that save drain calls

Rinsing buckets, grooming tools and boots in a utility sink sends hair, dirt and bedding down the drain, and over months it packs into the trap and the line beyond. A dedicated outdoor wash area with a gravel pad keeps most of that out of the plumbing. Inside, a strainer in every utility sink and a habit of dumping buckets outside rather than in the drain go a long way. These small steps are what separate a shop sink that needs clearing twice a year from one that never does.

Telling the plumber about your Franktown property

Mention the road, whether the driveway is gravel or paved, whether there are gates and how far the house sits from the tank. If the problem is in a barn or shop, say whether that drain ties into the house system or has its own. In winter, let them know about drifting snow, which can make a short driveway impassable for a work van.

Buying acreage near Franktown

On an acreage purchase here, plan on a septic inspection and, if the home is older or there's any history of backups, a camera inspection of the line from the house to the tank. Ask the seller for pumping records too. Together these show the condition of the whole system rather than just the tank.