Drain Cleaning FAQs

The cause of a clog really depends on where it is in your house. In the kitchen, the problem is usually FOG—that's fats, oils, and grease—that get poured down the sink and then harden into a stubborn blockage. In the bathroom, the main culprit is hair, which gets tangled up with soap scum and toothpaste to form a solid mass. For toilets, clogs are often from flushing too much toilet paper or things that shouldn't be flushed at all, like paper towels and "flushable" wipes.

Prevention is definitely the best strategy! You can avoid most clogs by adopting a few good habits. Most importantly, never pour grease or oil down the kitchen sink; let it cool and throw it in the trash instead. It's also a great idea to use drain strainers or mesh screens on all your sinks and tubs to catch hair and food particles before they go down.

Before a drain stops working completely, it will usually give you a few warnings. The most obvious sign is slow draining, where water takes much longer than usual to empty from a sink or tub. You might also hear strange gurgling sounds coming from the pipes as water struggles to get past the partial blockage. Another common sign is a foul odor coming from the drain.

We strongly recommend avoiding chemical drain cleaners. While they might provide temporary relief, they're often ineffective on tough clogs and can actually damage your pipes over time, especially if you have older plumbing. The caustic chemicals can eat away at pipe walls and create dangerous fumes. Professional mechanical clearing is always the safer, more effective choice.

We use professional-grade equipment including motorized drain snakes (augers) that can break through most blockages, and hydro-jetting for severe clogs. Hydro-jetting uses high-pressure water to completely scour the inside of pipes, removing years of buildup. For complex issues, we use video camera inspection to identify the exact location and cause of the problem.

Our drain cleaning prices are flat-rate. Clearing a single fixture drain — a tub, shower, sink, or laundry line — costs less than clearing a main line, where the price depends on access and whether the job needs a camera inspection or hydro-jetting. Either way, we quote the exact price upfront, before any work begins.