Warranty service and older homes

When we bought our home, it came with a home warranty to cover major repairs inside. We have an older home, built around 1971, so we have needed to use the warranty at least once each year. We cover any other things we need done.

Every year we've been here, we've had to have the pipes to the sewer routed to clear out roots. We live at the edge of the Prescott National Forest (it is right behind homes down the street from us) in a subdivision that encourages trees. The pipes are clay, so roots get into them and clog them up.

We know there is a problem when the shower in the downstairs bathroom doesn't drain or fills with water from the upstairs-hopefully shower water, sometimes more unpleasant. Of course, this happened this week while family is visiting and we're using more water.

After the first time shortly after we moved in, when there were no cleanouts except next to the house, I had to hire some plumbing work done in the front yard and down the street. Some of it was required by the city so the sewer outside wouldn't back up into the house. A cleanout was put in the front yard. I had to have a second one dug in front of my neighbor's house. It is about 300 feet from my first cleanout to the sewer connection. This was private, so I am responsible for all of it. No one else is on this portion of the line. This was not cheap.

So, every year, they come, clean out from the house, then from the one in the yard, and occasionally from the third one by the neighbors. It is not fun.

The first choice plumber for the warranty service could not come. Their snake machine broke last week. They've been here before. When the clog is farther out than covered, they've still fixed it and I've paid for the extra above the warranty fee. With their machine broken, a second choice plumber was dispatched. He was very pleasant, snaked the line, said it was now clear, and left. He forgot to tighten all three of the cleanout caps, so when we ran the washing machine, water drained into the yard. We quickly tightened all of those. Then, the next day, during the second shower of the morning, the shower did not drain. (Imagine me rolling my eyes with a very large sigh)

I have called the warranty service and they are re-dispatching the company that did not quite do the job so they can fix it. However, it means not running washing machine or dishwasher, no toilet flushing, and no showers until they come later in the day. In addition, we once again have to wait for the plumber so we can't go out doing things.

My first instinct was to call my own plumber who fixes the non-warranty stuff. And, I am going to buy rootx or rock salt and start using it regularly to keep it mostly root free. I am tired of dealing with it. Hopefully, everything will be fine later today and I will start trying to kill them off.

I have had many older homes (built 1808, 1950, 1955) and some newer (1990 and one we had built), but this one has the most interesting issues when they arise. We had a woodpecker build a nest in the wall, we have huge crows that nest over the garage on a beam, the javelina that ate my hyacinths, etc. It's always something.