Drain Cleaning in Rollinsville, CO

Rollinsville homes and their sewer lines

Homes in and around Rollinsville include old cabins from the mining and railroad years, mid-century mountain homes and newer houses on large wooded lots.

Homes rely on private wells and septic systems, often on rocky ground with shallow soil.

Many properties are up long dirt or gravel driveways, with septic tanks some distance from the house.

Rollinsville drain problems

Rollinsville drain calls are mostly about cold and septic. At 8,400 feet with wind funneling down the South Boulder Creek valley, shallow lines freeze, long septic runs on rocky ground clog at low spots, and old cabin plumbing creates joints where debris collects.

What drain work usually costs in Rollinsville

The gateway to Rollins Pass

Rollinsville grew at the foot of the route over the Continental Divide that John Q. A. Rollins opened as a toll wagon road in the 1870s. In 1903 David Moffat's railroad began building up the same route, and from 1904 trains climbed over the pass on the "Hill Route" with its many tunnels and snowsheds until the Moffat Tunnel opened in 1928. The old railbed later became an auto road. Rollinsville remained a small community on Highway 119, with the road west up South Boulder Creek leading to the tunnel's East Portal.

Wind and cold in the valley

At about 8,400 feet, Rollinsville gets long, cold winters, and wind often funnels down the South Boulder Creek valley from the Divide. Wind strips snow cover from open ground, so frost goes deeper, and it pulls heat out of crawlspaces. Shallow septic lines and drains in crawlspaces or additions are the usual freeze points.

Septic on rocky ground

Rollinsville homes rely on private wells and septic systems. Rocky soil limits how deep lines can be buried, and long driveways often mean the tank is some distance from the house. On a run that long, a single settled section holds a little water after every flush, and in January that puddle is where the ice plug starts. A camera pushed from the cleanout measures exactly how far out the dip sits, so only that stretch needs digging.

Cabins and additions

Older Rollinsville cabins have often been expanded, with new bathrooms and kitchens tied into older drains. Those joints catch debris. A camera inspection shows where old and new pipe meet and whether a sag or offset is causing repeat clogs.

Protecting lines in winter

Insulate crawlspace lines, close vents, fix dripping faucets and avoid plowing over the septic line. If you're away in winter, keep the heat on and have someone check the house.

If your Rollinsville home backs up

1. 01

   Stop using water

   In a frozen or plugged Rollinsville line, more water only backs up into the house.

2. 02

   Consider the cold

   If it's been bitterly cold, the line may be frozen.

3. 03

   Check the tank date

   Know when it was last pumped.

4. 04

   Clear the path

   Shovel to the cleanout and tank lids.

Rollinsville warning signs

• A drain that stops in a windy cold snap
• Slow drains throughout the house
• Gurgling in the lowest fixture
• Odor near the septic tank
• Wet ground over the line

What affects the cost in Rollinsville

Simple clogs are quick. Long driveways, rocky ground, septic lines and frozen pipe take more time. Describing the access and the weather when you call helps.

Moffat Tunnel country

West of Rollinsville, the road up South Boulder Creek leads past cabins and small homes to the Moffat Tunnel's East Portal, at the edge of the James Peak Wilderness. Homes up the valley are even colder and more exposed than those in Rollinsville itself. If you live up the valley, plan for longer travel times in winter and keep your cleanout and tank lids accessible.

Drifts that help and drifts that hurt

Wind in the Rollinsville valley moves snow around rather than letting it lie evenly. A deep drift over a septic tank is good insulation, but the same wind can scour a ridge or driveway bare, and a line under bare, frozen ground is the one that freezes. Notice where snow piles up and where it blows clear on your lot; if your septic line runs under a spot that is always bare, insulating board or extra cover over that stretch is worth considering.

Mixed pipe in old cabins

Older Rollinsville cabins may have galvanized steel drains, which rust and build up scale inside, along with newer plastic in additions. Scale catches hair and soap and slows drains. A camera shows how much of the old pipe is left and whether it should be replaced.

Highway 119 and getting help

Rollinsville sits on Highway 119 between Nederland and Black Hawk, and help comes along that road. In a snowstorm, travel through the canyon slows down, and long private driveways off the highway may not be plowed. Shoveling a path from where a van can park to the cleanout and having a porch light on at night make a winter call faster.

Gilpin County records

Septic permits for Rollinsville homes are kept by Gilpin County. If you're buying an older home, ask for the permit history and have the line scoped and the tank inspected. Older systems may predate current rules, and knowing what you have before winter is far better than finding out during a freeze.

South Boulder Creek in spring

Spring runoff raises South Boulder Creek below Rollinsville, and homes on the lower ground near the creek can see the water table rise. A septic field in wet ground drains slowly, and older lines with gaps may take in water. If drains slow during runoff and recover by midsummer, groundwater is the likely reason.