Drain Cleaning in Security-Widefield, CO

Security-Widefield homes and their sewer lines

The older parts of Security are mostly modest ranch homes and bi-levels from the late 1950s through the 1970s, many with clay or early plastic laterals. Widefield and the newer subdivisions east toward Powers Boulevard were built later and generally have PVC.

Water and sewer service here comes from local water and sanitation districts rather than the City of Colorado Springs. The district maintains the main in the street; the lateral from the house to that main is the owner's.

A lot of homes in the community have been rentals at some point, often for military families on short assignments. That means a line can go years without anyone paying attention to it until the day it backs up.

Security-Widefield drain problems

Roots in the older clay laterals cause most main line calls in Security. In newer Widefield homes the usual culprits are wipes, grease and laundry lint. Bi-level homes with a lower bathroom near the main tend to show trouble there first, often as a toilet that bubbles when the washer drains.

What drain work usually costs in Security-Widefield

Mid-century Security homes

The first neighborhoods in Security went up quickly, often by the same builders using the same plans block after block. Their laterals were usually vitrified clay with short sections and mortar or gasket joints. After sixty-plus years of freezing, thawing and settling, those joints have opened enough for roots from street trees and backyard elms to find their way in. A typical first backup shows up in spring or early summer, when trees are drawing the most water.

Because so many homes share a builder, patterns repeat. If the house next door had its line lined or replaced, there's a fair chance yours has similar wear at a similar spot.

Newer Widefield and the eastern subdivisions

Homes built from the 1980s onward toward Fountain and east toward Powers Boulevard have PVC laterals with glued joints, which resist roots well. Clogs here are usually caused by what goes down the drain: grease from the kitchen, wipes labeled flushable, hair from showers and lint from washers that discharge into a floor drain or laundry sink. These clear easily, and a short conversation about what's going into the line usually prevents a repeat.

Bi-levels and the lowest bathroom

The bi-level is the classic Security-Widefield house: walk in to a landing, go up to the kitchen or down to a family room, bathroom and laundry. That lower bathroom sits close to where the main leaves the house, so it's the first to show a narrowing line. Bubbling in that toilet when the washer drains, or water rising in the shower pan, means the main is struggling, and booking a cleaning before it fully stops is far cheaper than cleanup.

What happens on a typical main line call

1. 01

   Locate the cleanout

   Often outside near the foundation or inside by the furnace. Clear a path if you can.

2. 02

   Clear the line

   A cable machine with a root-cutting head opens most clogs in clay lines.

3. 03

   Run the camera

   Video shows roots, offsets and the condition of each joint so you know what's coming.

4. 04

   Talk about next steps

   Maintenance cutting, jetting or a repair quote, depending on what the camera shows.

Good habits for Security-Widefield lines

• Put cooking grease in a can, not the sink
• Use a lint trap on any washer that drains to a sink or floor drain
• Keep wipes out of toilets, even ones labeled flushable
• Know where the cleanout is before you need it
• Scope an older line before planting new trees near it

Rentals and turnover

If you own a rental here, a camera inspection between tenants is a simple way to start each lease with a known line. It's also useful documentation: if a backup happens later, video showing the line was clear and sound helps sort out whether it was caused by use or by roots and pipe condition.

Costs in Security-Widefield

In the newer Widefield subdivisions, most calls are simple clogs that land at the low end of these ranges. The older Security homes tend to cost more, mainly because a clay line with roots needs a cutting head and, ideally, a camera to see how bad the intrusion is. Paying for the camera on the first visit usually costs less over time than repeated emergency calls with no plan.

Water hardness and kitchen lines

Water in the southern part of El Paso County is on the hard side, and hard water leaves mineral deposits that combine with kitchen grease to form a stubborn crust inside drain lines. In older homes with cast iron under the kitchen, that crust narrows the pipe faster than in plastic. A cable punches a hole through it, but jetting scours the walls clean, which is why a kitchen line that has needed cabling twice in a year is usually a good candidate for jetting instead.

Selling a Security-Widefield home

Buyers here increasingly ask for a sewer scope on older homes, especially in the original Security neighborhoods. If you're getting ready to sell, a scope ahead of listing tells you whether there's anything a buyer's inspector is likely to flag. If the line has heavy roots or an offset joint, you can fix it on your own schedule and at your own price, rather than negotiating a repair credit in the middle of a contract.

If the line is in good shape, the video becomes a selling point you can share with buyers.

More Security-Widefield drain questions

1. 01

   How often should an older line be cleaned?

   If roots are present, every one to two years is typical. A camera shows how fast they come back.

2. 02

   Is lining an option here?

   Often, if the clay hasn't collapsed. Lining seals the joints so roots can't get back in.

3. 03

   Does it matter which district I'm in?

   Only for problems in the public main. The lateral is yours regardless of district.