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Water Filtration SystemsTD Plumbing Solutions replaces old cast iron drain pipe for homes in Benbrook and Greater Fort Worth, tunneling under the slab to reach it so your floors don't have to be broken up.
Tunneling means digging a path under the foundation from outside the house to reach the drains below the slab. Terrill removes the old cast iron and lays new PVC in its place. Your tile, wood floors and cabinets stay where they are, and you can often keep living at home during the work.
Most homeowners find out about failing cast iron after years of slow drains, a sewer smell, or backups that return after every cleaning. In homes from the 1950s and 60s, the original drain pipe under the slab is often the cause.
Old cast iron rusts and scales inside, narrowing the pipe.
Pipe rusted through under the slab can let sewer gas into the house.
The pipe wall itself is breaking away.
Many homes from that era still have their first cast iron drains.
A leaking drain under the slab can wet flooring from below.
Roots get in where cast iron has cracked or joints have opened.
Living with old cast iron and slow drains? Call, and Terrill will tell you honestly what your pipe needs. Call (817) 229-9450 · Available 24/7 for emergencies
| Job | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Checking the old pipe | A few hoursDone before any tunnel is planned. |
| Short tunnel to one bathroom | Several daysTunnel length and soil set the pace. |
| Whole-house cast iron | One to two weeks or moreMore drain runs take longer. |
Typical ranges, not promises. Terrill tells you the real timeline once he has seen the job.
Terrill inspects the drains to see how far the cast iron has failed and whether tunneling fits.
You see the route and full price first. The job is permitted where required.
A path is dug from outside the foundation to the drains under the house.
The cast iron comes out and new PVC goes in, set on the right slope and supported.
Drains are tested and inspected where required, then the tunnel is filled.
Talk to Terrill about your job in Benbrook. You get the fix and the price before any work starts. Emergencies are answered 24/7.
Cast iron replacement is a big job, and the price depends on how much pipe is failing and how far the tunnel must go. Terrill lays out the whole plan and price before digging, and Hearth financing can spread the cost.
Drains near an outside wall need a shorter tunnel.
One bathroom costs less than every drain in the house.
Heavy, wet clay slows digging.
More branches under the slab mean more work.
City rules set the permit and inspection timing.
Every price is given before work starts. Larger jobs can be financed through Hearth.
Tunneling reaches drains from outside, so tile, floors and cabinets aren't torn up.
Terrill Dobbs, license RMP 45333, runs the job himself.
TD stands behind its work and pursues the maker's warranty on parts it installs.
You see the price before digging, and can pay over time through Hearth.
Zachary Wilson needed 65+ year old cast iron piping all replaced, and wrote that TD was very knowledgeable and upfront about everything they were doing.
Across Benbrook and Fort Worth, many homes built in the 1950s and 60s sit on slabs with cast iron drains underneath. After 60 or more years, that pipe rusts through along the bottom where waste runs. Once one spot fails, others are usually close behind.
On pier-and-beam homes, the same cast iron often runs through a shallow crawlspace. There, Terrill digs out room to work and hangs new PVC on straps, like the line in the photo.
Often, yes. Tunneling reaches the drains by digging under the foundation from outside the house. The old cast iron comes out and new PVC goes in, so floors and cabinets stay put. It isn't right for every house, so have the layout checked first.
TD Plumbing Solutions in Benbrook replaces old cast iron drains across Greater Fort Worth, tunneling under slabs to reach them. Terrill Dobbs, a Texas master plumber, inspects the pipe, sets out the route and price before work, and does the job himself.
Many cast iron drains in Fort Worth homes are now 60 or more years old, and a lot are wearing out. Rust eats through the bottom first, and soil movement adds cracks. Age alone isn't proof of failure, so have it inspected.
No. Tunneling is real digging, just done under the house instead of through your floor. A path is dug from outside to reach the old drain, the cast iron is taken out, and new pipe is laid in its place. Terrill will explain exactly how your job would go.
Usually, yes, because the floors inside aren't opened. There will be times when you can't use some drains, such as while a section is cut out and tied in. Terrill will tell you when those windows fall so you can plan around them.
Not always. If one branch has failed and the rest is sound, replacing that part may be enough. If the pipe is failing in several places, doing it all at once can save a second tunnel. Terrill shows you what he finds and lets you choose.
Once the new pipe is tested and inspected where required, the tunnel is filled back in and packed down. Soil may settle a bit over the next few weeks. Terrill will tell you what to expect around the outside of the house before work starts.
PVC doesn't rust, and its smooth walls don't catch grease or scale like old cast iron does. It's the standard pipe for new home drains. Where new PVC meets any cast iron that stays, Terrill uses fittings made to join the two so the joint seals.
Pick your town for local details on cast iron pipe replacement & tunneling there, or call and Terrill will tell you straight what your home needs.
Cracked, sagging or root-filled sewer pipe fixed at the damaged section, with the plan and price explained first.
See this serviceFind out what's really going on in the pipe from your house to the street before you pay for a repair.
See this serviceWhole-house repiping that swaps old galvanized or failing copper water pipe for new PEX, planned and done by a master plumber.
See this serviceSee all of our plumbing services, read about plumbing financing through Hearth, or contact TD Plumbing Solutions.
Call and a real person answers. Tell Terrill what is going on and he will tell you straight what it needs.
