Clogged Drain Cleaning in California

The causes of a clogged drain change from one part of California to the next. Older neighborhoods deal with cast iron and clay sewer lines under big trees, newer subdivisions primarily with grease and wipes in PVC pipe, and many rural homes with a septic tank that needs attention. Find your city below, or the one closest to you. Every city page shows a rough cost range, what local soil and trees do to drains, and one number that connects you with a local plumber.

Drain problems in California change a lot from the coast to the valleys. Much of Southern California and the Central Valley has hard water that leaves scale in pipes, while parts of the north are softer. Many homes built in the middle of the last century sit on slabs with cast iron drain lines near the end of their life, and ficus, eucalyptus and big street trees send roots into old clay sewer laterals. Long dry seasons end with winter storms that flood yard drains and push grit into the line.

• Hard water in much of the south and the Central Valley
• Cast iron drain lines under older slab homes
• Roots from ficus, eucalyptus and big street trees
• Expansive clay soil in some areas
• Winter storms after a long dry season

Ask whether hydro jetting is safe for the age and type of pipe under your slab before you agree to it.

• Kitchen sink. Cooking grease and oil that cool and harden on the pipe wall, plus food scraps, coffee grounds and soap scum that stick to it. A garbage disposal sends more solids down, not fewer.
• Bathroom sink. Hair mixed with soap, toothpaste and shaving residue, caught on the pop-up stopper or in the trap. Small items dropped down the drain add to it.
• Tub or shower. Hair is the main cause, bound together with soap scum and conditioner. Older tubs with a trip lever drain collect it in the overflow and the drum trap.
• Toilet. Too much paper at once, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and toys. Low-flow toilets from before about 2005 clog more often.
• Floor or laundry drain. Lint from the washing machine, sand and grit, soap, and in basements the silt that washes in. A dry trap lets sewer gas up as well.
• Main sewer line. Tree roots coming in at joints in clay and cast iron pipe, grease built up from years of kitchen use, wipes, and pipe that has sagged or cracked.
• Outdoor or yard drain. Leaves, dirt, sand and roots in yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the pipes that carry downspout water away.