Dennis A. P.
DO NOT USE ARS/Rescue Rooter
DO NOT USE ARS/Rescue Rooter for ANYTHING you cannot see - like plumbing drains in your yard!!! The City of Austin (30 years ago) had come into the neighborhood and planted trees. At the time, my wife was a divorced mom and said "sure, thanks, plant a tree in the front yard". And they did . . three feet behind the water meter . . and, as it turns out, three feet from the waste line!! Three years ago (2020) we had ARS come look at our waste drain to the street and run their Rooter through the accumulated roots which had broken through the joints. $900 later, we were told we would have no more problems. Until September 2023!! We have them out again. They run their Rooter again and then tell us they will have to dig it up again . . @ $2500?!!! While trying to decide what to do - I first called the Austin City Waste Water Department. Within a day they were here with their (much better) pipe viewing camera and we STILL HAD ROOTS?!! The City fellas brought out their 20,000 psi pump and hose and proceeded to cut all the roots out of the pipe. Their advice - NEVER call a plumber - the City will clear the roots FREE!!! Their cameras did show joints with roots showing and said we had 4 - 6 months before they would be back inside blocking the drain. So we called a group in Georgetown that our daughter uses in her commercial property leasing job and they were right out at our home the next day. I had started digging the hole to make it easier, quicker and cheaper than paying the plumbers to dig! In the hole back fill from the ARS "fix", I found remnants of a lunch including a broken soda bottle?! Since this was on top of the pipe, I knew who had left it. As to the "repaired pipe", it was a mess of small sections of 4" PVC and "fernco" (rubber) connectors. Our new guys found that one end of the rubber connector was not even covering the PVC - ROOT ENTRY! Also neither of the two PVC "repaired" connections to the existing pipe were primed nor glued?!! Roots getting through - you betcha!! We now have a well fixed drain line, a knowledgeable plumbing company to call upon and the City of Austin Waste Water Department phone number just in case we ever have another root issue - which I doubt we will!! Dennis in North Austin.

