The Plumbinator Round Rock Blog

What kinds of trees do you have in your yard? You need to find out! To protect your plumbing you must know what kind of trees you have and where they are planted in relation to your sewer lines, since some trees are more trouble than others for your plumbing. Tree roots can exploit tiny cracks or holes in your sewer pipes, and use them to invade!  It's a very common problem in Central Texas to have tree roots clog, crack and even completely destroy parts of sewer lines.  Did you know that tree roots can be 2-7 times as long as the tree is tall? These roots will travel long distances seeking water. Roots can actually sense water vapor, and will follow the trail of leaking moisture straight back to small cracks, badly sealed joints, or pinholes in your pipes. Was your home built 1950-1986? Then you very likely have cast iron sewer lines which are very deteriorated and especially vulnerable to root invasion. Read more here. As you can see in the diagram above,  roots w...

Help! I have a plumbing problem! Should I try to do it myself, hire a handyman or call a licensed plumber?  In Texas, there are only TWO legal options when you have a plumbing issue:  1) As the homeowner, you can fix your own plumbing, OR  2) You can hire a state-licensed, insured plumber who is working under a valid Master Plumber's number.  If you have your plumbing work done illegally, it could be a costly mistake, since damage from illegal work isn't covered by your home insurance. Read more below. Question 1: Should I Try to Fix My Own Plumbing? It depends. If the project involves natural or LP gas, NO you should not. Working with gas and gas piping can be very dangerous and anyone who works on gas must be licensed. As far as non-gas related plumbing, whether you should attempt a fix depends on how large and/or complicated the project is. In Texas, homeowners can legally do certain types of things to their plumbing without a permit, like rep...