Drain Cleaning in Rockvale, CO

Rockvale homes and their sewer lines

Many Rockvale homes are small miners' houses and cottages from the 1880s through the 1920s, some enlarged over the years, mixed with mid-century houses, manufactured homes and newer houses on the edges of town.

The Town of Rockvale runs its own water system. Ask town hall whether your property is on a town sewer line or a private septic system, since older records can be incomplete.

Houses built before indoor plumbing often have drains that were added later, with cast iron, clay and newer plastic all in the same line.

Rockvale drain problems

Rockvale drain trouble usually comes from age. Coal-camp houses have old cast iron and clay with joints that let in roots, additions tied into the original drains in odd places, and in parts of the old coal field the ground has settled over the years, leaving sags where water and solids sit.

What drain work usually costs in Rockvale

A coal camp between Florence and Cañon City

Rockvale grew from coal found in the valley south of the Arkansas between Florence and Cañon City. By local account, an irrigation ditch dug in the 1860s exposed coal seams, a mining company opened a mine in the late 1870s, and the Santa Fe railroad reached it in 1879. The town was platted in 1880, took a name built from that of an early official, Captain Rockafellow, and incorporated in 1886. Mines such as Rockvale No. 7 and Coal Creek No. 3 operated into the 1920s and early 1930s.

At its peak in 1910, Rockvale had more than 1,400 residents. The population fell to about 320 by 1990 and has since recovered to about 510. The town hall stands on Railroad Street, a reminder of the tracks that once ran through town.

Miners' houses with added plumbing

Many of Rockvale's oldest homes were built as simple miners' houses and cottages before indoor plumbing was common. Bathrooms and kitchen drains came later, sometimes decades later, and were added wherever they fit. Over a century, owners repaired failing sections with whatever pipe was available. It is common to find cast iron under the floor, clay out to the yard and plastic patches in between. Each change in material is a lip where waste can catch, which is why the same fixture in an old Rockvale house may clog again and again.

Settling ground in the coal field

Old underground workings lie beneath parts of the coal field around Rockvale, Williamsburg and Coal Creek, and the ground above some of them has settled over the years. Even without mines, a century of freeze and thaw, tree roots and occasional digging moves buried pipe. A line that has sagged holds a little water in its low spot, and solids settle there. A camera inspection shows the sag and its distance from the cleanout, so you can decide whether to keep it cleared or replace that section.

Town water, and what's downstream

The Town of Rockvale runs its own water system and has been upgrading it, including chlorination for homes on Churchill. Wastewater arrangements can differ from property to property, especially on the edges of town and on older lots. Town hall can tell you whether your address drains to a town line or a private septic system. That answer tells you how far your responsibility extends and where the plumber should look for a cleanout.

Trees in older yards

Mature trees shade many older Rockvale yards, and their roots go after the joints in clay pipe. A root mass can grow slowly for years before it closes the line, often in late summer. Cutting clears the line; a camera shows whether one joint or many are letting roots in.

When a Rockvale drain backs up

1. 01

   Stop using water

   In a small house, a blocked line overflows quickly.

2. 02

   Find the cleanout

   Check the crawlspace, the foundation wall and the yard near where the line leaves the house.

3. 03

   Note the history

   Repeat clogs at one fixture point to a joint or sag; whole-house slowdowns point to the main line.

4. 04

   Ask town hall

   If you don't know whether you are on a town line or septic, find out before any digging.

Rockvale warning signs

• The same fixture clogging every few months
• Roots on the cable after clearing
• Water standing in a sag on the camera
• Rust flakes from old cast iron
• Sewer odor in the crawlspace

Buying an old house in Rockvale

Before buying one of Rockvale's coal-camp houses, ask town hall how the property is served and have the drain line scoped. The video shows the materials, any roots or sags, and where the line leaves the lot. It turns an unknown into a number you can negotiate with.

Grease in narrow old drains

Kitchen drains in older Rockvale houses are often narrow, with tight bends added during remodels. Grease that goes down warm cools in that pipe and sticks, and food scraps catch on it. Wipe pans before washing, keep fat in a can and use a strainer in the sink. If the kitchen drain slows every few months, ask about jetting rather than just cabling.

What changes the price in Rockvale

A fixture clog is short work. Old pipe, roots, crawlspace access and locating an unmapped line add time. Rockvale is only a few miles from Florence and Cañon City, so travel is minimal. Describe the age of the house and any past clogs, and ask what a Rockvale visit should cost.