Sewer Cleaning

Basic Information

Signs Of Sewer Back Up

• Water pools around a shower drain.
• Toilet bowl water bubbles.
• Bubbling sounds from drains
• A mysterious puddle of water on the floor near tub or sink.
• Foul smell from the kitchen garbage disposal disposal.
• Water rising slowly toward your ankles in the shower
• A slow-to-drain tub, shower or sink.
• An unpleasant odor coming from the drains.
• Toilet overflows
• Poor flushing or no flush at all
• Leaks around your toilet

Commonly Asked Questions

Is there anything I can do to help keep my drains from clogging?
For most kitchen, bathroom, and laundry sinks and tubs just fill full with hot water and then let it drain. This procedure purges out more of the pipe diameter instead of just running on the bottom of the line which helps flush away any unwanted debris to the larger main line.

Can I use a store bought cleaner?
If you use a store bought cleaner, make sure you use hand and eye protection and never try to plunge a sink or toilet after pouring chemicals as they can splash causing serious injury.

How much does sewer cleaning cost?
This answer varies widely depending on many different factors. It is recommended to call your local professional sewer cleaning company to explain your problem.

What can be done to prevent sewer backups?
Do not flush paper towels, feminine products, or plastics down the toilet. Limit the use of the garbage disposal and always run hot water for several minutes after use. Use screens on sink and tub drains to catch hair and other items from falling into the drain. Do not pour grease or oil down the drain. It is recommended that you have a professional sewer cleaning company cable your sewer line annually.

Do I need a camera inspection?
If your sewer is currently backed up you should have it cleaned to remove the blockage. If your sewer backs up regularly, you may want to consider a camera inspection to determine why the sewer is constantly backing up.

Sewer Inspections?
Sewer inspections will show the condition of the underground sewer line with a lighted video camera. The camera will allow you to see if any major issues exist like cracks, offsets in joints, pipe deflection, and sags in the line. Most commonly found are tree roots that have grown into the line which need to be cleaned out annually.

What are the causes of a sewer line backup?
Roots, broken pipe, obstructions, debris, and grease buildup are the most common problems.

Tree roots in the sewer line?
Once you have confirmed that there is tree root intrusion in your sewer lateral it is wise to set up a preventive maintenance program which is based on the severity of your problem.

Smelly Drains

What is causing the bad odors in my drain?
It is possible that there is a partial drain clog located in the trap itself or between the trap and the drain that is the cause of the foul smell.

Eliminating odors coming from the garbage disposal?
Foul odors can occur when there is a lasting buildup of food in the disposal. The first thing you will need to do is clean it. Begin by turning on the unit and hot running water to flush away any food that may still be in the unit. Now run a few of ice cubes through to loosen food that may be stuck to the grinder blades. Next, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the disposal then slowly add 1 cup of vinegar and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The mixture will fizz as it expands. Finally, heat up a large pot of boiling hot water, pouring it down the drain. Don’t forget to remove the black rubber splash guard and clean it regularly. If you are unable to remove the splash guard just lift each flap and scrub the bottom as good as you can. This is a key location for buildup that causes odor, a good cleaning is essential.

Bad smelling kitchen and bathroom drains?
Baking soda and vinegar has been used for decades and is the most popular way for freshening up a foul smelling drain. Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain then slowly add 1 cup of vinegar to the baking soda and let it sit for about 20 minutes. The mixture will fizzle as it expands. Afterward heat up a large pot of boiling water pouring it down the drain to flush away the mixture. Bleach has also been a decades-long cure for freshening up drains. Carefully pour a cup down the drain, let it sit for 20 minutes and then flush it out with boiling hot water. Finally, a few tablespoons of your favorite scented dish soap can also lower the chances of bad smells coming up from your drain area. Running hot water, slowly stream the liquid soap directly into the drain to help cut down on odors

The most common cause of bathroom drain odor is a combination of hair, cosmetic and hygiene products that have turned to a sludgy mess getting trapped around the stopper / strainer area of the sink drain or in the cross hair area of the tub drain. Hair buildup will also slow the drain flow holding back debris that will settle within the pipes possibly causing an unwanted smell. You would need to carefully remove the trap or traps from underneath the sink area to inspect and thoroughly clean out any buildup from them and the drain tailpiece area. If the stinky drain has a pull/push type pop up stopper that are usually found in bathroom sinks, pulling out the stopper, thoroughly cleaning it, the area that it resides in and the trap should be enough to take care of the smell. Drains such as some showers and tubs where the traps are not accessible might have to be mechanically snaked by a professional sewer cleaning company.

Drain Odors

What is causing the bad odors in my drain?
It is possible that there is a partial drain clog located in the trap itself or between the trap and the drain that is the cause of the foul smell.

Eliminating odors coming from the garbage disposal?
Foul odors can occur when there is a lasting buildup of food in the disposal. The first thing you will need to do is clean it. Begin by turning on the unit and hot running water to flush away any food that may still be in the unit. Now run a few of ice cubes through to loosen food that may be stuck to the grinder blades. Next, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the disposal then slowly add 1 cup of vinegar and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The mixture will fizz as it expands. Finally, heat up a large pot of boiling hot water, pouring it down the drain. Don’t forget to remove the black rubber splash guard and clean it regularly. If you are unable to remove the splash guard just lift each flap and scrub the bottom as good as you can. This is a key location for buildup that causes odor, a good cleaning is essential.

Bad smelling kitchen and bathroom drains?
The most common cause of bathroom drain odor is a combination of hair, cosmetic and hygiene products that have turned to a sludgy mess getting trapped around the stopper / strainer area of the sink drain or in the cross hair area of the tub drain. Hair buildup will also slow the drain flow holding back debris that will settle within the pipes possibly causing an unwanted smell. You would need to carefully remove the trap or traps from underneath the sink area to inspect and thoroughly clean out any buildup from them and the drain tail piece area. If the stinky drain has a pull/push type pop up stopper that are usually found in bathroom sinks, pulling out the stopper, thoroughly cleaning it, the area that it resides in and the trap should be enough to take care of the smell. Drains such as some showers and tubs where the traps are not accessible might have to be mechanically snaked by a professional sewer cleaning company.

Baking soda and vinegar has been used for decades and is the most popular way for freshening up a foul smelling drain. Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain then slowly add 1 cup of vinegar to the baking soda and let it sit for about 20 minutes. The mixture will fizzle as it expands. Afterwards heat up a large pot of boiling water pouring it down the drain to flush away the mixture. Bleach has also been a decades long cure for freshening up drains. Carefully pour a cup down the drain, let it sit for 20 minutes and then flush it out with boiling hot water. Finally, a few tablespoons of your favorite scented dish soap can also lower the chances of bad smells coming up from your drain area. Running hot water, slowly stream the liquid soap directly into the drain to help cut down on odors

Commonly Asked Questions

Is there anything I can do to help keep my drains from clogging?
For most kitchen, bathroom, and  laundry sinks and tubs just fill full with hot water and then let it drain. This procedure purges out more of the pipe diameter instead of just running on the bottom of the line which helps flush away any unwanted debris to the larger main line.

Can I use a store bought cleaner?
If you use a store bought cleaner, make sure you use hand and eye protection and never try to plunge a sink or toilet after pouring chemicals as they can splash causing serious injury.

How much does sewer cleaning cost?
This answer varies widely depending on many different factors. It is recommended to call your local professional sewer cleaning company to explain your problem.

What can be done to prevent sewer back-ups?
Do not flush paper towels, feminine products, or plastics down the toilet. Limit the use of the garbage disposal and always run hot water for several minutes after use. Use screens on sink and tub drains to catch hair and other items from falling into the drain. Do not pour grease or oil down the drain. It is recommended that you have a professional sewer cleaning company cable your sewer line annually.

Do I need a camera inspection?
If your sewer is currently backed up you should have it cleaned to remove the blockage. If your sewer backs up regularly, you may want to consider a camera inspection to determine why the sewer is constantly backing up.

Sewer Inspections?
Sewer inspections will show the condition of the underground sewer line with a lighted video camera. The camera will allow you to see if any major issues exist like cracks, offsets in joints, pipe deflection, and sags in the line. Most commonly found are tree roots that have grown into the line which need to be cleaned out annually.

What are the causes of a sewer line back-up?
Roots, broken pipe, obstructions, debris, and grease buildup are the most common problems.

Tree roots in the sewer line?
Once you have confirmed that there is tree root intrusion in your sewer lateral it is wise to set up a preventive maintenance program which is based on the severity of your problem.