Drain & Sewer Repair in Bryn Mawr, PA

Advanced Drains and Underground Solutions provides drain cleaning, sewer line camera inspection, hydro jetting, and trenchless sewer repair for homes and businesses in Bryn Mawr. We serve the Lower Merion Township neighborhoods that make up the Bryn Mawr community, including the established residential streets between Old Lancaster Road and County Line Road and the denser blocks closer to the Bryn Mawr commercial corridor along Lancaster Avenue.

What to Expect in Bryn Mawr’s Older Housing

Much of Bryn Mawr’s residential development occurred from the late nineteenth century through the 1930s, producing a mix of large Victorian-era properties on oversized lots, early twentieth century brick twins and singles, and rowhome blocks that went up as the community grew around the Main Line rail corridor. Homes from this era were built with cast-iron drain stacks, cast-iron or early lead drain connections to fixtures, and vitrified clay sewer laterals connecting to the street main.

A clay sewer lateral from 1910 or 1920 that has never been replaced or lined has had over a century of root exposure at its mortar joints and a century of soil movement around it. The joint condition in a lateral that age varies widely: a lateral on flat ground with no large trees overhead may still be serviceable; a lateral under a mature oak with mortar joints that dried out decades ago may be heavily infiltrated with roots. Camera inspection is the only way to determine which situation you are in without digging.

Homes built in the 1940s through 1960s in Bryn Mawr use Orangeburg pipe in some lateral runs — particularly for secondary connections and in areas where the builder used fiber pipe as the more economical option. Orangeburg was sold as a 50-year product but deforms under sustained soil pressure, typically showing significant distortion in pipes that have been in place since mid-century. Orangeburg that is deforming creates a progressive restriction that eventually blocks entirely; it cannot be lined and must be replaced.

Sewer Line Repair in Bryn Mawr

Sewer line repair in Bryn Mawr’s established neighborhoods typically involves one of three situations: root intrusion in clay laterals that have compromised joints, pipe belly or sag from settlement, or lateral deterioration from age and corrosion in older cast-iron or Orangeburg runs.

Root intrusion is the most common finding. Hydro jetting clears roots from the interior of the pipe, but it does not repair the joint that roots entered through. After jetting, we camera-inspect to show where the entry points are and what condition the pipe wall is in. If the pipe wall is intact and the joints are the only issue, CIPP lining is often the right repair — the liner creates a sealed, root-resistant interior without requiring excavation along the lateral length.

Pipe belly repairs require excavation at the low point to re-grade the pipe. A belly cannot be corrected by lining — the liner follows the existing pipe geometry and inherits the sag. When a camera inspection identifies a belly, we locate it precisely with locating equipment and excavate only at the affected segment rather than the full lateral run.

Collapsed or deformed pipe — most commonly Orangeburg — requires replacement. Pipe bursting installs new HDPE pipe through the old one, fracturing the deteriorated pipe outward. This restores full pipe diameter without requiring a full-length open trench in most configurations.

Drain Cleaning in Bryn Mawr

Drain cleaning in Bryn Mawr’s older homes addresses the same patterns found throughout Lower Merion Township’s pre-war housing. Kitchen drain lines in cast-iron branch piping accumulate grease and scale on the corroded interior surface. Bathroom drain arms in galvanized steel become restricted as corrosion reduces the interior bore. Floor drains in older basements can become blocked with silt or debris, particularly in homes that have taken on water during storms and had sediment deposited at the drain inlet.

We clear drains with cable equipment for single-line blockages and with hydro jetting when the goal is a thorough clean of the full branch line or main lateral. Jetting uses water pressure rather than mechanical cutting, which removes buildup along the full length of the pipe rather than just at the blockage point.

Bryn Mawr’s Sewer Authority

Bryn Mawr’s residential sewer service is managed through Lower Merion Township, which operates the municipal sewer system in the area. The homeowner is responsible for the lateral from the house to the public main connection; the township maintains the main. For permit requirements on lateral repairs in Lower Merion Township, we handle the application as part of the project scope.

Already Have a Quote? Get a Second Opinion.

Trenchless equipment is easy to buy. A trailer and a liner kit do not make someone a sewer contractor. If you have been told the whole line has to be replaced, or handed a price that does not add up, bring us the written estimate and the video. The site visit is free. We will tell you plainly what we see, including when the answer is that you do not need the work.

Underground Is All We Do

• Craig Devakow has done trenchless sewer work since 2014, five years before he founded this company. Well over 2,000 sewer lines in that time.
• More than 12,000 service visits on record since 2020.
• Owned and run by a licensed master plumber. Pennsylvania HIC #PA151129.
• We own our lining and pipe bursting equipment, and we line pipe from 2 inches to 6 inches.
• You get a camera video of the finished line, yours to keep.
• Everything in writing. We beat any written estimate.

What to Ask Any Trenchless Contractor

1. How long have you done trenchless work, and is it your main trade?
2. Is a licensed master plumber on the job?
3. Do you own the equipment, and what pipe sizes can you line?
4. Will I get video before and after?
5. Who makes the liner, and what does the written warranty say?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if the problem is in my lateral or the township main?

A camera inspection of your lateral from the house to the main connection is the definitive way to determine this. If the camera shows a clear pipe with no obstruction all the way to the main, the problem is downstream — at the main or at the connection. If the camera shows an obstruction in your lateral, the problem is on your side of the connection.

My house was built in the 1920s — should I proactively line my lateral?

Proactive lining is worth considering if your lateral is in borderline condition — open joints, some root intrusion, no collapse — and you want to address it before it becomes an emergency. If the lateral is still functioning and the camera shows acceptable condition, continued use with periodic camera checks is also reasonable. We give you the camera findings and an honest assessment of where the pipe is in its service life so you can make an informed decision rather than a fear-based one.

What is the difference between drain cleaning and hydro jetting?

Drain cleaning typically refers to using a cable machine to cut through or hook and remove a blockage. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to scour the full interior surface of the pipe, removing grease columns, scale, and accumulated debris along the entire line length rather than just at the obstruction point. For heavily coated cast-iron lines, jetting is significantly more thorough than cabling.

Schedule Service

For drain cleaning, sewer camera inspection, or sewer line repair in Bryn Mawr, contact Advanced Drains at 1-855-DONT-DIG. We serve Bryn Mawr and surrounding Lower Merion Township communities from our Delaware County base.