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We Found the #1 Cause of Highland Park, TX Plumbing Issues
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Homeowners in Highland Park, TX call us frequently about rusty water, low water pressure in their showers, and recurring drain clogs. Our Master Plumbers reviewed 5 years of Highland Park plumbing service calls and discovered the #1 source of most local issues:
The average age of sewer pipes in Highland Park, TX homes is 60 years old. Most of these pipes are made of cast iron or clay, and are past their intended lifespan.
At Mother Modern Plumbing, we train our plumbers to identify the exact cause of your sewer issue, compare your repair options, and establish the single best solution to the problem. In Highland Park, that generally means updating your sewer lines to Schedule 40 PVC.
Discover the symptoms of aging sewer pipes, the local plumbing issues they cause, and customized repair options for your home. Then, call Mother 7 days a week for fast, reliable solutions based on a century of Dallas plumbing experience.
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Most Highland Park, TX Service Calls Are for Sewer Issues
Our Master Plumbers and research team reviewed 5 years of internal data from service calls that Mother Modern Plumbing made to homes in Highland Park. The majority of these service calls dealt with sewer line inspections, repair and replacement.
The second most common issue was drain clogs and blockages — a problem generally made worse by blocked or leaky sewer pipes.
Areas of greatest plumbing concern in Highland Park, TX
A majority of plumbing repair service calls come from 2 distinct areas within the Highland Park section of Dallas:
- Old Lake Highlands: The historic homes and aging properties within this neighborhood have a higher median age of existing sewer lines than the rest of Lake Highlands.
- Homes near Turtle Creek: Though much of the “proper” Turtle Creek neighborhood lies outside Highland Park, the Creek itself passes through. Homes located near the creek have a higher incidence of plumbing damage due to flash flooding and waterlogged clay soil.
Most common plumbing symptoms in Highland Park, TX
These are the 10 most common symptoms and warning signs experienced by local residents reported to Mother Modern Plumbing since 2021:
- Clogged or slow drains
- Low water pressure
- Rust-colored water
- Sewage backup in bathroom drains
- Water heater issues (rattling noises or inconsistent hot water)
- In-home leaks (under floors or behind walls)
- Pooling water in the backyard
- Foul odors in sink drains
- Foul odors in backyard
- Mineral scaling on faucets and in appliances
8 of the 10 most common plumbing issues in Highland Park are directly or indirectly caused by issues in the home’s sewer line.
Our Master Plumbers Review of Highland Park, TX Plumbing
Our local research indicates 3 primary areas of concern in residential Highland Park, Dallas plumbing systems:
- The advanced age of local sewer lines;
- Outdated sewer pipe materials like cast iron and clay; and
- Intrusive root systems of mature Live oak and Cedar elm trees.
Most symptoms of plumbing problems experienced by homeowners in your neighborhood are caused by one of these 3 issues.
Aging underground sewer lines
The median Highland Park, TX home was built in 1966. While some homes are newer, half the homes in your neighborhood are over 60 years old.
This high average home age has an upside — Highland Park features a wide variety of some of Dallas’ most stunning historic homes. From Tudor to Spanish Colonial, English Cottage to Mediterranean, these gorgeous houses dot the landscape of Old Highland Park and the Katy Trail.
The downside? Most Dallas area homes built from 1940-1970 still have their original sewer systems intact. The materials used in home sewer lines during this era are severely outdated and prone to leaks, cracks, dips, sewer bellies and complete collapse.
Outdated sewer pipe materials
A majority of Highland Park, TX homes built between 1940-1970 have existing sewer lines made from 3 materials:
- Cast iron
- Clay (terracotta)
- Orangeburg
Each of these pipe materials is outdated based on installation date and its expected lifespan:
TABLE: Expected lifespan of outdated sewer pipe materials in Dallas
Cast iron is the “best case scenario” of old pipe materials. Once prized for its perceived durability, cast iron is now showing troubling signs of aging. Corrosion is chief among these issues, thanks to chemicals in sewage and wastewater, as well as external corrosion from groundwater and shifting soil.
Clay sewer pipes won’t corrode like cast iron, but they’re far more brittle. Local external forces like clay soil and intrusive tree roots cause damage, cracks and leaks in old clay pipes.
Orangeburg sewer pipes are the worst case scenario. These cheap materials are basically comprised of corrugated paper and tar, and are prone to widespread bellies, collapses and systemic decomposition.
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Mature tree root intrusions
Aging homes come with mature trees, and Highland Park is no exception. The gorgeous Cedar elm, Live oak and Red oak trees that line local properties are aesthetically pleasing, but they’re an underground nightmare for your buried sewer lines.
Cedar elms and oaks have some of America’s most aggressive root systems. They constantly seek out organic materials and nutrients to feed on — and they’re in rich abundance within your sewer pipes.
As your pipes age, they’re prone to corrosion, leaks and degradation. This makes it easy for tree roots to penetrate their exterior walls and form cracks and blockages throughout your sewer system.
Our plumbers frequently find complex, multiple root intrusions in Highland Park sewer lines.
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Expert Recommendations for Highland Park, TX Sewer Maintenance
The good news: Most plumbing issues in Highland Park are easily mitigated (or avoided entirely) with a thoughtful home sewer maintenance routine.
Our Master Plumbers suggest the following 3 step action plan for local homeowners concerned about the age of their home’s pipes:
- Annual drain cleaning with monthly enzymatic drain cleaner maintenance;
- A non-invasive sewer line camera inspection; and
- A hydrostatic testing appointment (if the camera inspection shows damage).
Once per year: benefit from $299 drain cleaning service
Annual drain cleaning services prevent hair, food particles, fats and grease from accumulating in your drain pipes. These clogs not only cause slow drains and a foul smell in your home, they also contribute to the breakdown of older pipes.
Mother Modern Plumbing offers $299 drain cleaning service with a complimentary camera inspection (more on this later).
We give all drain cleaning clients a free bottle of Endure, our top-rated drain cleaner for grease. This non-toxic enzyme cleaner keeps your drains free and clear of organic clogs with no harm to your existing pipes.
Safely use Endure once a month for effective, ongoing maintenance of your drains. Its formula continues to eat away at fat and grease in your pipes for weeks after it’s used.
Every other year: conduct a sewer line camera inspection
Schedule a sewer line camera inspection every 2 years if your home’s sewer lines are over 25 years old.
As your pipes age, they’re more prone to breaks, penetrations, leaks and sagging — our cameras quickly identify and diagnose the precise location of your issues in one appointment, with no digging required.
Mother Modern Plumbing’s expert sewer camera inspection services have a 5-star rating in every Dallas-Fort Worth neighborhood. We’re trusted for our advanced camera equipment, live diagnostics and assessment, and fast, non-invasive process.
The best entry point for a non-invasive sewer line camera inspection is your home’s sewer line cleanout. If you don’t have one, we strongly encourage installing one — it increases the efficiency of inspections and repairs while greatly reducing mess and excavation costs.
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If needed: advanced hydrostatic testing services
If your camera inspection shows potential leaks in your sewer line, don’t go digging up your yard just yet. Instead, ask for hydrostatic testing to confirm the leak exists.
Here’s how hydrostatic testing works:
- Isolate the System: First, we plug the pipes to isolate the area being tested. Typically at the cleanout
- Fill with Water: Then, we add water until the system reaches slab level.
- Monitor for Leaks: Next, we check the water level over a set period to see if it drops.
- Evaluate Results: Finally, we identify and address any leaks or weak points found.
This is a great final step for Highland Park homeowners to diagnose and pinpoint their exact sewer line issues before resorting to repairs or pipe replacement.
If You Need Sewer Line Repair in Highland Park, TX
If your sewer camera inspection and hydrostatic test reveal signs of pipe damage, joint separation or sewer line collapse, Mother Modern Plumbing has the right solution for you.
We’ve helped hundreds of your neighbors in the Highland Park area with safe, effective sewer line repair and replacement. From spot repairs to partial replacements, full repipes to sewer line rerouting, we offer a fleet of advanced services customized to your home’s unique needs.
Read our helpful guide to determine which sewer repair solution is right for you:
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Call Mother for Highland Park, TX Plumbing Solutions
Living in the Highland Park section of Dallas is built to be beautiful — whether it’s your mature home, the scenic Katy Trail or a day at the Botanical Gardens. Don’t let one sewer issue ruin your lifestyle!
If your historic home’s aging sewer pipes are failing, or your drains are backed up for the 5th time this year, call Mother to fix the problem once and for all.
Our expert plumbers live and work where you do — we bring nearly a century of combined local experience to every project. That means fast service, informed repair options, and a focus on what matter most: restoring your long-term peace of mind.
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