Drain Cleaning in Pfafftown, NC

How do I know if my home is on public sewer?

In Pfafftown it depends on the address. The community is unincorporated, but parts of it have been annexed into Winston-Salem and Lewisville, much of that in 2006. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities serves homes where its sewer lines reach; others use private onsite wastewater systems. The quickest check is your utility bill: a sewer charge from the City-County utility means you're connected. If you're on a private well and have no bill at all, you're likely on an onsite system too.

Why does that matter when my drains back up?

Because it changes where the trouble might be. If one fixture is slow, it doesn't matter much; the clog is close to that fixture either way. If everything in the house backs up, a plumber first clears the main line from a cleanout. On public sewer, a line that's open to the street but still backing up points to the utility's main. Off sewer, an open line with continuing backups points to the onsite system, which needs its own service. Telling the plumber up front saves time.

Are older Pfafftown homes more prone to clogs?

Generally, yes. Pfafftown mixes old rural homes with newer subdivisions; in its 27040 ZIP code about 34% of houses were built before 1980, and the typical build year falls in the 1980s. Homes from before 1980 are more likely to have cast-iron drains, which roughen inside as they age, and clay or cast-iron pipe outside that roots can work into. Newer houses with plastic drains still clog, but usually from grease, hair, food waste and wipes rather than the pipe itself. In an older home that clogs more than once a year, a camera inspection is often worth asking about.

One local note

However your property is split between Winston-Salem, Lewisville and the unincorporated county, plumbing permits for Pfafftown all go through the same joint Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division. A routine drain cleaning normally doesn't need a permit, but replacing a section of sewer line may. If your home is on a private well, keep in mind that the same division doesn't handle well permits; those come from Forsyth County Environmental Health, which also takes the initial water sample for a new well.