4 services · Boise
Drains & sewer in Boise, ID
A single slow sink is usually a local clog a plumber can clear in one visit. Several drains backing up at once, gurgling toilets or water at a basement floor drain point to the main sewer line, which may need cleaning, a camera inspection and sometimes repair.
- Licensed local plumbers
- The problem explained before work starts
- Price agreed before the job begins
Drains & sewer services in Boise
Drain cleaning
UrgentIf one fixture is slow, the clog is usually in that fixture's branch line. If several drains back up at once, or the basement floor drain fills when you run the washer, the main sewer line is blocked and needs a larger cable or a jetter.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting cleans the full width of a drain pipe with high-pressure water, washing out grease, scale and fine roots that a cable only punches a hole through. It works best on sound pipe and is usually done after a camera inspection confirms the pipe can take it.
Sewer camera inspection in Boise
A sewer camera inspection runs a waterproof camera through the line from your house to the city main and records what it finds: roots, cracks, sags, offset joints or collapsed pipe. It's the best way to decide between cleaning, spot repair and replacement.
Sewer line repair
UrgentA damaged sewer line can be fixed with a spot repair, a trenchless liner, pipe bursting or an open-trench replacement. Which one fits depends on what the camera shows, how deep the pipe is, and what's on top of it, such as a driveway, trees or landscaping.
Local conditions
Drains & sewer in Boise: what's different
Historic North End and East End neighborhoods have aging sewer laterals that crack and collect roots from mature trees.
Newer subdivisions have PVC drains with fewer problems, but foothills lots can have long, steep laterals.
The city provides sewer service, and a camera inspection shows whether a recurring clog needs repair.
Scoping before buying an older home shows roots and cracks that a standard inspection misses, and keeps any repair targeted. Rapid growth has also added many homes connected to newer mains, where clogs come mostly from grease and wipes.
- Water and sewer in Boise
- Veolia Water Idaho supplies water to much of Boise; the city provides sewer service.
- Permits in Boise
- Plumbing permits are issued by the City of Boise Planning and Development Services.
Boise housing and plumbing
The North End and East End have early 1900s homes with older plumbing; outer areas are largely newer construction.
Other Boise conditions that affect plumbing
- Frozen pipes: Cold snaps freeze exterior-wall and outdoor pipes.
- Hard water: Mineral buildup affects water heaters.
- Older laterals: Historic neighborhoods have aging sewer lines.
- Geothermal heating: Boise has one of the oldest geothermal heating districts in the country, and some downtown buildings use hot spring water for heat.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
Plumbers on Thawline cover Boise and Ada County, including North End, East End, Bench, Harris Ranch, Southeast Boise, West Boise. ZIP codes: 83701 · 83702 · 83703 · 83704 · 83705 · 83706.
When to call a plumber in Boise
- Water backing up in the tub or shower when a toilet flushes
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time
- Water or sewage at a basement floor drain
- Gurgling from drains or toilets
- Sewer smell inside or a soggy patch in the yard
- The same clog returning within weeks of being cleared
How these problems start and how to choose between repair options is covered in the drains & sewer guide.
Drains & sewer questions in Boise
Should I scope the sewer in the North End?
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
More plumbing in Boise
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