Common Questions Answered

ABSOLUTELY! Rapid First Plumbing is a licensed plumbing company. If you are a new customer, or are already a loyal friend of Rapid First Plumbing's professionals, you will enjoy one stop shopping for all your plumbing service needs. Repairs to a leaking faucet, or just want a lovely new one, we can help you with every plumbing need. Water heaters, toilets, sewer line repairs, we look forward to providing you with the excellent service and quality products.

When your sewer line backs up, our first priority is to get your line open and relieve you of the panic feeling that happens with flow is interrupted; however, getting your line open does not necessarily mean your line is fixed. If the cause is root intrusion or other compromising issue in your sanitary sewer line, then it does need repair. Wish we had better news for you, but that’s the reality. Once a line is compromised, your best choice is to opt for repairs. Our team is the best in town at keeping a compromised line open, but rather than having us come out over and over again to put a band aid on the problem, let’s talk about repair and the best long term solution for your home.

A special fiber optic camera is run through the sewer line allowing a visual inspection of otherwise invisible elements of your sewer system. The camera system can produce a recording of the inspection.

There are several great reasons to video inspect your drainage system.

INSPECT A SEWER LINE TO DISCOVER THE CAUSE OF BLOCKAGE.
The camera head has transmitters that allow our professional plumbers to determine the location of the sewer line, and pinpoint the repair location in relation to the ground surface. This allows us to provide an accurate estimate of repair costs necessary to bring your sewer back up to optimum health.

BUYING OR SELLING A HOME.
We are in an area known as “The City of Trees” and roots are pervasive in our area. A Video Inspection by a Rapid First Plumbing Professional can determine the condition of the sanitary sewer system before buying or selling a home.

LOCATE CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS.
A great preventative tip is to do a Camera video inspection for construction debris after a remodel. While doing these inspections we have even located where nails have pierced the drain line. Over a period of time, slow seepage can caused major damage to the structure.

AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE TO DETERMINE THE HEALTH OF THE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM BEFORE A MAJOR BACKUP OCCURS.

Cable machines come in and clear tree roots and impacted drain lines, but in some situations a cable, frequently called a “snake” has a powerhouse partner in drain cleaning. While a cable can create some flow in a drain that is heavily deposited with grease and sludge; high pressure water jetting uses water in an environmentally safe way to clean the drain out to the walls of the pipe. By forcing water through tiny holes in a special nozzle, water jets through at a very high pressure for an extremely thorough cleaning.

Residential client’s who have followed up a cable cleaning with high pressure water jetting appreciate the efficient way grease; hair and sludge are polished away cleanly and efficiently in their private homes.

One of the best ways to appreciate our beautiful California summer nights is right at home. To many a gardeners delight, just about anything grows in this area. Perhaps you have taken time to tour different neighborhoods and enjoyed some of the most beautifully landscaped yards anywhere to be found. It would be devastating to rip up such beauty in order to repair or replace a deteriorated sanitary sewer system. With trenchless technology, we can protect your landscapes, patios, and driveways from long ugly trenching. A minimum access point on either end of the sanitary sewer line, and a new line is "pulled" to replace the old. Your flora will gaily enjoy the sunshine overhead while Rapid First Plumbing's team of experts utilizes advanced technology to burrow underground and protect your investment. Still more common questions to follow.

There is a lot of noise about “Going Green”, but that’s nothing new to Rapid First Plumbing. We have been promoting green products long before the phrase “Going Green” became popular and trendy. Every year, consumers spend millions of dollars on drain cleaning products. Many of these products contain harmful chemicals you may touch or even breathe creating a safety consideration. Liquid chemicals can splash creating a hazard.

The photo at the right is a still shot from a video inspection provided for one of our clients in Carmichael. In the photo the camera head is tilted to the right. The bottom of the pipe is on the left where you can see water holding due to build-up of grease along the top of the pipe, showing at the right of the photo. Grease is lighter than water so it floats along the surface of the waste water collecting along the top of the pipe, gradually eliminating room for normal drainage. Our Drain Cleaner and Septic Tank Treatment is the natural safe solution to reduce frequency of backups. After Rapid First Plumbing professionally cleans your drains, regular monthly treatments of biological elements attack grease and organic build-up in your drains. It is also a great solution if you are on septic where dangerous chemicals could leech into the ground. The nontoxic enzymes are a perfect solution for environmentally friendly living.

To learn more about how we can help you promote healthy drain care, check out our Eco Friendly Products Page.

Faucets Fact: Up to a staggering 34 Gallons per year is lost from a faucet that drips just 1 drip per hour. 60 drips per hour push that to 2080 gallons, or about the equivalent of 124 baths. Just as water carved the Grand Canyon, a consistent drip can also cause a discoloration of sinks and tubs.

Toilet Runs Fact: A toilet with a constant leak uses approximately 22 gallons per day, or 8030 gallons a year. Not only is that A LOT of water down the drain, in these days of metered water that can equate to a significant water bill!

Toilet Runs Story: We know a small business that had one toilet that would run if the employees would forget to jiggle the handle. Hmmm...wonder what the job title was for THAT job?
They are a small business with only two toilets and four people in the office.

This went on for nine months from fall 2009 through early spring 2010.

The average water bill for that time period was $153.26 per month. One month was a whopping $230.70.

They finally fixed the problem and the total repair was less than $175.00.

We checked with them again when we were writing these FAQS. Now the average water bill is only $54.80 per month. It cost them an additional $886.14 on their water bill using the wiggle/jiggle method. When we asked them why they did not get it fixed right away, they really thought it was an expense they did not want to have to deal with, and felt they could get by until the economy was better. They were so busy with the day to day business, it was not until they did a random audit of their bills that they began to connect the dots to the running toilet.

Hmmm...We wonder what they could have done with that additional $700.00 if they had fixed the problem immediately. Perhaps a bonus to that employee that had the job "Toilet Handle Wiggler Jiggler"?