Drains · Wilmer, AL
Drain Camera Inspection
A camera run done once, done right, and explained so you know what was done and why. That is the whole pitch, and it is why Wilmer homeowners keep the same number.
Master Plumber MP4379BBB A+ accreditedPaul Evans answers
How Paul handles it
Nothing gets sold that the house does not need. Running a one-truck shop means there is no quota pushing a replacement when a repair would hold, which is the single biggest difference between this and a franchise van.
Here is what actually happens. Paul comes out, looks at the real thing instead of guessing from the doorway, and tells you what he found. If it is small, he says it is small. If it is going to be a job, he says that too, and he says why before anything gets taken apart.
You are not hiring a company. You are hiring the owner, and the owner is the person standing in your utility room. The longer version of how this shop runs is on the about page, and the work itself is in the gallery.
What matters on a drain camera inspection job
What the inspection actually covers
Supply and drain condition, visible connections, shutoffs, water heater age and condition, pressure at the fixture, and anything that is working now but clearly on its way out. The point is a written picture of the system you have, not a list of things to sell.
Pressure is the thing most people never check
Municipal pressure above about eighty psi quietly shortens the life of every fixture, valve and appliance in the house, and it is the single most common cause of repeat failures. A gauge on a hose bib answers it in thirty seconds and a regulator fixes it for good.
You get told what is urgent and what is not
A finding that needs attention today gets flagged as that. A finding that will matter in three years gets flagged as that too. Mixing the two together is how inspection reports turn into sales documents, and that is not what this is.
Why the one-truck thing matters here
There is no dispatcher deciding which technician you get and no commission structure deciding what gets recommended. The person who quotes the job is the person doing it, so there is nobody to hand a bad call to. That is the whole reason this shop stayed one truck.
Older houses behave differently
Much of the housing stock in this part of Alabama is old enough to have cast iron drains, galvanized supply, or a mix of three generations of repairs. Those systems do not fail the way a new build fails, and the repair that is right for one is wrong for the other. Experience with the local stock is most of the job.
How to tell what you’re dealing with
Knowing which of these sounds like your house makes the first call a lot shorter.
If it keeps coming back
A line that clogs every few months has something in it that a cable only pushes aside: roots, scale or a sag. The camera shows which.
If it is only one fixture
The clog is almost always in that fixture’s own trap or the short line behind it. Clearing it there fixes it.
If the lowest drain backs up first
Water finds the lowest opening. A tub or floor drain that fills when the washer runs is the main line talking, and clearing a sink does nothing for it.
If a drain gurgles when another runs
Air is being pulled through a trap because the vent is blocked or the line is partly closed. The gurgle tells you where to look.
How a call goes, turn by turn.
From the phone ringing to the truck pulling away, there are four stops and none of them involve a sales pitch.
Start
Paul picks up
You call (251) 421-0367 and the man who’ll do the work answers. No phone tree, no dispatcher, no waiting for a callback from somebody else.
Then
He’s on the way
You get a real time instead of a four-hour window, and he keeps it. One review has him there at 9 for a 7 a.m. call; another, on the way within twenty minutes.
Then
Finds the real cause
A camera, a meter or a pressure test before any number gets said out loud. A guess is how a repair comes back.
Arrive
Fixed and tested
Tested before the truck leaves. You hear what was done and what to keep an eye on, in plain words.
“Our hot water went out on a Friday afternoon & being pregnant I was desperate for a hot shower this weekend. Paul scheduled us with less than a 24 hour notice…”
Other jobs Paul does
More drains work
Things worth doing yourself
None of this needs a plumber. It’s the short list that prevents the calls nobody wants to make.
- Garbage disposal Cold water, not hot, and let it run a few seconds after the grinding stops. Hot water melts grease into the line downstream.
- Aerators Unscrew and rinse the faucet screens once a year, especially on well water. Most weak faucets are just a clogged screen.
- Heater fittings Look at the connections on top of the tank for green or white crust. That is the first sign of a slow weep.
- Shut off valve Know where the main shut off is and turn it by hand once a year. The moment you need it is the worst moment to discover it is seized.
- Water heater Check the T and P valve and look at the base of the tank for rust or damp. Five minutes, twice a year.
Straight answers
Still not sure? Ask Paul directly.
Will a store bought drain cleaner fix it?
Sometimes, for a single slow sink. It does little for a main line and it is hard on older pipe. If more than one fixture is slow, the problem is further down the line.
When does a drain need a camera?
When it keeps coming back, or when more than one fixture is involved. The camera shows what is in the line instead of guessing.
Do you work on older homes?
Yes. A lot of the housing stock here is older, and cast iron, galvanized and polybutylene all behave differently. That is diagnosis work, which is the part that matters.
Who actually shows up?
Paul Evans. Every time. LT Drain is a one-truck, one-man operation on purpose, so the person who answers your call is the person who does the work.
Are you licensed?
Licensed Master Plumber MP4379, bonded and insured. The number is printed on this site because you should be able to check it with the Alabama plumbing board.
Do you charge to come look?
There is a diagnostic visit and it is explained on the phone before he drives out. You will know what the visit covers before you agree to anything.
Let’s talk solutions.
Tell Paul what it’s doing. He’ll tell you what it needs and when he can be there.
Call (251) 421-0367 Or send a messageMaster Plumber MP4379 · BBB A+ accredited · licensed, bonded and insured
