Drain Cleaning in Mancos, CO

Mancos homes and their sewer lines

Mancos homes include Victorian-era and early 1900s houses near downtown, mid-century homes, and newer houses and manufactured homes on the edges of town and on rural acreages in the valley.

The Town of Mancos runs water and sewer service and treats wastewater in an aerated lagoon system that discharges to the Mancos River. Homes outside town use septic systems.

The town has been replacing sewer mains that include roughly 50-year-old clay pipe, and many private service lines in older neighborhoods are clay or cast iron.

Mancos drain problems

Mancos drain calls come from old clay and cast iron, roots and the river. Service lines in older parts of town have clay joints that let in roots from cottonwoods and street trees, much of the townsite lies in the Mancos River floodplain where the ground stays wet, and winters at 7,000 feet freeze exposed drains.

What drain work usually costs in Mancos

The Gateway to Mesa Verde

The Mancos Valley was home to ancestral Pueblo people for centuries before they left in the late 1200s, and the Old Spanish Trail passed through it in the early 1800s. Cattle ranchers settled the valley in the 1870s, and the town of Mancos was founded and incorporated in 1894. It built its own water system and electric plant in 1904.

Mesa Verde National Park, established in 1906, is just west of town, and from 1907 to 1911 its first offices were upstairs in the Bauer Bank Block, built in 1905 and still standing on the main street. Mancos is on US 160, 18 miles from Cortez and 27 from Durango, with Mancos State Park and Jackson Gulch Reservoir a few miles northeast.

Town sewer and aerated lagoons

The Town of Mancos runs water and sewer service within town limits. Wastewater flows through the town's collection mains to an aerated lagoon system, where it is treated and released back into the Mancos River downstream of town. The town has been upgrading its collection system, in part to replace clay mains about 50 years old. The service line from your house to the main is generally the property owner's responsibility, so if your home is in town, the pipe under your yard is yours to maintain. Homes outside town limits use private septic systems.

Clay and cast iron in older neighborhoods

Homes near downtown Mancos date from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and many have cast iron under the house and clay out to the main. Clay pipe comes in short sections with a joint every few feet, and each joint is a place for roots to enter. Cast iron scales and rusts from the inside. A camera inspection shows the condition of the full line and where any problems are, which helps you decide between regular maintenance and repair.

Living in the floodplain

The Mancos River flows east to west through town, and much of the townsite lies in its 100-year floodplain. Ground near the river stays damp, and in a wet spring or a heavy runoff year, groundwater can seep into cracked service lines and add to the flow. Cottonwoods and willows along the river also send roots toward any leaking joint. If your drains slow during runoff season, mention it when you call.

Winter at 7,000 feet

Mancos sits at about 7,000 feet, and its winters bring cold nights well below zero. Drains in crawlspaces, additions and exterior walls freeze during cold snaps, especially in older homes with little insulation. A drain that stops suddenly on a cold morning is likely frozen. A plumber can thaw it, and insulating exposed pipe or sealing drafts in the crawlspace helps prevent it next time.

When a Mancos drain backs up

1. 01

   Stop using water

   Pause laundry and showers until the line is open.

2. 02

   Check for a town problem

   If neighbors on your street are also backing up, call the town.

3. 03

   Find the cleanout

   Look near the foundation or in the yard between the house and street.

4. 04

   Mention the house's age

   Older homes are more likely to have clay or cast iron.

Mancos warning signs

• Roots on the cable from a clay service line
• Slow drains during spring runoff
• A drain frozen after a cold night
• Rust flakes from old cast iron
• Sewer odor in a basement or crawlspace

Vacation rentals near Mesa Verde

Visitors to Mesa Verde keep Mancos's vacation rentals and guest houses busy through the summer. Guests don't know a house's quirks, and wipes, paper towels and food scraps go down drains that may be old clay or cast iron. If you rent out a Mancos home, post a short note about what can be flushed, keep a trash can in every bathroom and have the line scoped before the season if it has had problems.

Buying an older home in Mancos

When buying an older house in town, ask for a camera inspection of the service line from the house to the town main. The video shows clay joints, roots and any broken sections. Because that line is generally the owner's, knowing its condition before closing can save a costly surprise.

What changes the price in Mancos

Fixture clogs are quick. Roots, old clay and cast iron, thawing and digging to reach a buried cleanout add time. Plumbers serving Mancos usually come from Cortez or Durango. Describe your home's age and what you've noticed, and ask what a Mancos call should cost.