Plumber InDavidson

Old drains in the historic core and the west side mill houses

The historic district, listed in 2009, runs along North Main and Beaty Streets, Concord Road and the college campus. West of the railroad tracks is a second pocket of old housing. The Linden cotton mill opened in 1890 and the Delburg mill in 1907, and small frame mill houses went up along Delburg and Watson Streets between 1916 and 1921.

Houses of that age got their plumbing when cast iron drains and galvanized supply pipe were the standard, and some still have original sections under the floor or in the yard. Cast iron rusts from the inside, the bore narrows, and joints open up. Clearing a clog buys time. A camera shows how much pipe is left. When a section has failed, sewer line repair replaces that length and leaves what is still sound.

A 60 percent tree canopy and what it means for sewer lines

A canopy assessment published in 2023 for the Davidson Lands Conservancy measured tree cover over 60 percent of the town's land area, and the town has been recognized as a Tree City USA year after year. All that shade has a cost underground. Root intrusion is the first thing to rule out when an older house has a slow main drain.

NC State Extension notes that roots generally enter a sewer pipe where it is already leaking, at a cracked section or a loose joint. Cutting them out restores flow, but they tend to come back through the same gap. Hydro jetting clears the line more completely than a cable, and a camera pass afterward marks the entry point so it can be repaired. Extension's other advice is simple: do not plant trees directly over the line.

Lakeside condos and golf course homes from the 1980s and 1990s

Not all of the housing here is old or new. The lakeside condominiums at Davidson Landing were built between 1984 and 1996, and River Run's golf course community started around 1990. Both overlap the years polybutylene supply pipe was on the market (1978 to mid-1995). In a condo building, one failed supply line can damage the units below, so it is worth knowing what pipe is in the walls.

Homes from that period are likely on their second or third water heater by now, since the Department of Energy puts a tank's life at 10 to 15 years. Alpha Drain handles water heater repair and replacement and leak detection for owners, landlords and property managers, and labor carries a 1-year warranty. Later River Run phases, with homes built into the 2020s, were piped in current materials.

What to check before you buy, sell or rent out a house here

Real-estate agents and landlords call a plumber for the things a general home inspection does not open up. In this town the list depends on the decade the house was built, and on whether it has an irrigation system, since Charlotte Water requires a tested backflow assembly on every one. A plumbing inspection is the place to work through the items below.

Most appointments are scheduled within 24 to 48 hours, which fits inside a typical due diligence period. If the irrigation assembly is due, Alpha Drain's backflow testing is $199 per assembly, and the report is filed with Charlotte Water so the next owner starts with a clean record.

• Before 1970: camera the main drain and look for galvanized supply pipe
• 1984 to 1995: confirm whether supply lines are polybutylene
• Any age: find the water heater's manufacture date
• Irrigation: note the backflow assembly type and last test date
• Mature trees near the sewer path: look for roots on camera

Davidson neighborhoods we serve

Davidson Historic District, River Run, Davidson Landing, McConnell, Bailey Springs, Davidson East, Davidson Wood, Summers Walk, The Woodlands at Davidson, Westbranch, Bradford, Lake Davidson Park, Spinnaker Cove, and the streets in between.

Davidson ZIP codes we serve: 28036.