4 services
Drain and sewer services
A single slow sink is usually a local clog a plumber can clear in one visit. Several drains backing up at once, gurgling toilets or water at a basement floor drain point to the main sewer line, which may need cleaning, a camera inspection and sometimes repair.
- Licensed local plumbers
- The problem explained before work starts
- Price agreed before the job begins
Drains & sewer services
Drain cleaning
UrgentIf one fixture is slow, the clog is usually in that fixture's branch line. If several drains back up at once, or the basement floor drain fills when you run the washer, the main sewer line is blocked and needs a larger cable or a jetter.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting cleans the full width of a drain pipe with high-pressure water, washing out grease, scale and fine roots that a cable only punches a hole through. It works best on sound pipe and is usually done after a camera inspection confirms the pipe can take it.
Sewer camera inspection
A sewer camera inspection runs a waterproof camera through the line from your house to the city main and records what it finds: roots, cracks, sags, offset joints or collapsed pipe. It's the best way to decide between cleaning, spot repair and replacement.
Sewer line repair
UrgentA damaged sewer line can be fixed with a spot repair, a trenchless liner, pipe bursting or an open-trench replacement. Which one fits depends on what the camera shows, how deep the pipe is, and what's on top of it, such as a driveway, trees or landscaping.
How drains & sewer problems start
Every drain in the house feeds into a main line that carries waste out to the city sewer or a septic system. In most of the U.S. the homeowner owns that line, called the sewer lateral, from the house to the connection at the main, including the part under the street or sidewalk in many cities.
Older laterals are clay or cast iron. Clay joints let in tree roots, and cast iron corrodes and cracks with age. Newer homes use PVC or ABS, which resists roots but can still sag or separate where soil moves.
The services below go from routine drain cleaning to hydro jetting for heavy buildup, camera inspection to see the condition of the line, and sewer line repair or replacement when the pipe itself has failed.
When to call a plumber
- Water backing up in the tub or shower when a toilet flushes
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time
- Water or sewage at a basement floor drain
- Gurgling from drains or toilets
- Sewer smell inside or a soggy patch in the yard
- The same clog returning within weeks of being cleared
Choosing the right fix
Cable or hydro jetting?
A drain cable breaks through most clogs and cuts roots. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to scour grease, scale and root mass from the pipe walls, and is the better choice for kitchen lines and recurring clogs in pipe that is still sound.
When to scope the line
A camera inspection is worth it after a second main-line clog, before buying an older home, or before paying for any sewer repair. It shows whether the problem is a simple blockage or a broken, offset or sagging pipe.
Repair, liner or replacement
A single broken section can be dug up and replaced. Trenchless lining can renew a long run without digging up the yard if the pipe is still shaped well enough. Badly collapsed pipe usually needs full replacement.
Drains & sewer questions
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
Who is responsible for the sewer line?
How often should a sewer line be cleaned?
Other plumbing services
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