Drain Cleaning

How to tell a drain is clogged, not just slow

A slow drain is usually the first warning. Water pooling around your ankles in the shower, a sink that gurgles when the dishwasher runs, or a toilet that bubbles when the washing machine drains all point to a blockage somewhere down the line. One slow fixture is normally a clog in that fixture's own branch. When several drains act up at once, the trouble is further along, in the main line.

Snaking and hydro-jetting: which one fits

A drain snake, also called an auger, is a flexible steel cable with a cutting head. We feed it into the pipe, break through the blockage and pull back what we can. It is the right tool for hair, a wad of paper or a kitchen clog that has not been building for long, and it keeps the price down.

Hydro-jetting uses a hose and nozzle that fire water at high pressure in every direction. It scours grease, soap scale and fine roots off the pipe wall instead of just punching a hole through the middle. We suggest it when a line keeps clogging after snaking, or when the camera shows heavy buildup. It is not for every pipe. Old, cracked or badly corroded lines can be damaged by the pressure, which is one more reason we look first.

Why we run a camera

Clearing a clog without seeing the pipe is guessing. A small waterproof camera on a flexible rod shows what is blocking the line, how far down it sits and what shape the pipe is in. You can watch the screen with us. If the footage shows a sag in the line, a cracked section or roots pushing through a joint, we say so plainly, and you decide what happens next with a written quote in hand.

When it is the sewer line

If every drain backs up, water rises in the lowest tub or floor drain, or there is a wet patch in the yard along the sewer path, the main line is involved. A main line clog is a bigger job than a sink clog, and sometimes the stoppage is a symptom of a damaged pipe that needs sewer line repair. We clear it first either way. The camera then tells us which situation you are in.

Keeping drains clear afterwards

• Put cooking grease in a can in the trash, not down the kitchen drain.
• Use a hair catcher in every shower and tub.
• Flush toilet paper only. Wipes sold as flushable still clog lines.
• Skip liquid drain openers. They can eat at older pipes and leave a hazard for the next plumber.

If a drain clogs more than once or twice a year, get it looked at. A service call now costs less than an overflow later.