The five usual causes
- Buildup on the pipe wall, so the opening shrinks until anything catches
- A low spot, where water sits instead of running and solids settle
- Slope that is too flat, so the flow never moves debris along
- A venting problem, which stops the drain pulling properly and leaves it sluggish
- Roots or a joint fault further down the line, where one spot catches everything
Telling a local clog from a main line problem
- One fixture only, and it drains slowly all the time: local
- Several fixtures at once, or the lowest drain in the house backing up: the main line
- Gurgling in a tub when a toilet flushes: air being pulled through a shared line
- Water rising in a shower when the washer drains: the shared line is restricted
- It clears, then returns on a schedule: the cause is still in the pipe
What we do differently on a repeat
On a drain that has been cleared before, clearing it again is the least interesting part of the visit. What matters is what the line looks like afterwards, because a clean pipe and a coated pipe need different work.
If a line keeps catching in the same spot, that spot is worth finding, not clearing the same blockage again and again.
Answers
Why does it clear and come back a month later?
Because a cable can punch a hole through a blockage without taking the wall of the pipe back to bare. The drain flows, then the same restriction catches the next thing that comes along.
Is a slow drain worth calling about?
A drain that is slow all the time is easier and cheaper to deal with than one that has stopped. It is also the point where you can still find out why.
Could it be the vent?
It can be. A drain that gurgles, glugs or empties in surges is often short of air rather than blocked, and treating it as a clog never fixes it.
If you need this done
- Drain cleaningSinks, tubs, showers and main lines cleared to the root of the blockage instead of pushed further down the line.
- Sewer line repairBackups, several slow drains at once, or foul odors: clogs, root intrusion and damaged or collapsed lines, repaired or replaced.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
In-home estimate
Rather have someone look at it? Tell us what's going on
We come out, look at the problem and explain what it needs before any work starts. For something urgent, calling is fastest.
Rather talk? Call or text (602) 833-4133.