Drain cleaning services in Taft, CA

Drain conditions in Taft

Taft grew up around the oil fields, and many of its houses are older homes with older pipe, commonly clay or a mix of clay and plastic. The ground is gently sloped but mostly flat, and in the older blocks the lines run slow. Out at the edges some properties are on septic systems, so the first question is sewer or septic. Dry, hot conditions can dry the soil around old pipe and shift joints, letting roots in.

If you are buying an older home here, it can be useful to ask for a camera look at the sewer line before closing, and the technician can tell you what the pipe is made of. Tell the call-taker which fixtures are slow and where the cleanout is, if one exists. Older houses sometimes have none. On septic, mention the tank location. Shafter, Bakersfield, Wasco and Lamont are the nearest towns.

Oil-boom homes and older pipe

Many homes were built for oil workers in the 1910s to 50s, with clay and steel laterals now many decades old.

Also see clay sewer lateral clogs and sewer camera inspection.

Septic at the edges

Outside the center, properties use septic. A full tank looks like a clog. The age of a Taft home is a useful clue, and the camera confirms the rest.

See septic home drain clogs.

Local notes for Taft

• Wind, dust and open cleanouts. West-side wind carries dust into broken cleanouts and adds solids. See cleanout location and access.
• Flat ground and slow fall. The land is flat, so a lateral has little fall. Dips hold solids. See main sewer line clogs.
• Summer heat. Summers pass 105 degrees, and soil shrinks and shifts.

Buying an older home

A camera look before closing shows scale, sags and roots. Every Taft home is a little different, so describe yours when you call.

See sewer scope: buying or selling.

What to say when you call from Taft

• If you have a septic tank, mention when it was last pumped. A full tank can look like a clogged drain.
• Say whether a gate, dog or locked access will affect the visit. Large lots often have several.
• Say first whether the house is on septic or sewer. It decides what kind of visit you need.

Taft drain questions