Sewers & Drains

Roto-Rooter is usually the first name that comes to mind when people think about sewer cleaning. After all, the invention of the Roto-Rooter machine ushered in the modern method of drain cleaning in 1935.

But Roto-Rooter does much more than clean sewer lines. We also offer sewer line repair and complete sewer line replacement services and we can handle any other plumbing jobs too.

Kitchen drains clog over time. They run slower and slower as greases, soaps, fats and detergents build up on the inner walls of the pipes and eventually cause blockage. A Roto-Rooter service technician who specializes in kitchen plumbing jobs will use a Roto-Rooter sink machine to cut through the clog and remove all debris. Your kitchen drainpipes will be as good as new and to keep them that way,

Roto-Rooter® Pipe Shield© Roto-Rooter will give you the option of treating your drainpipes with environmentally-friendly Pipe Shield®, one of the many fine drain care products from Roto-Rooter. You may purchase a gallon of Pipe Shield® from your Roto-Rooter service technician to treat your pipes yourself whenever you need to. Pipe Shield® uses natural enzymes to eat away grease and sludge without harming your pipes.

Shower and tub drains present their own challenges. The clog culprit is usually hair and soap buildup in the trap and drainpipe. When you're taking a shower you should never see standing water in the stall or tub. Properly functioning drains should carry the water away almost instantly. If water covers the shower floor and your feet, you have a clogged shower drain, which will eventually become completely blocked. A service technician skilled in shower repair techniques will use one of Roto-Rooter's tub and shower drain cleaning machines to cleanse the drain of any and all debris, restoring it to new condition.

Bathroom sink drains may become clogged with hair, toothpaste, soap and grime. Roto-Rooter provides many bathroom plumbing solutions and sink drains are one of the more common problems we solve. Roto-Rooter will remove the clog and thoroughly clean the entire pipe so your sinks will drain like new.

Sometimes we're called to recover jewelry that fell into a sink drain. Normally, heavy jewelry will not wash past the U-shaped trap beneath the sink (called a P-trap). Most people can easily remove the P-trap by hand or with a wrench to retrieve foreign objects. Place a bucket beneath the P-trap to catch water. Wear gloves. Loosen the slip nuts on both ends of the P-trap and slowly remove the P-trap assembly. Dump the contents into the bucket. If the lost item is not inside the trap, it has traveled farther down the drain line. Do not run additional water. Call Roto-Rooter to have a service technician search your pipes with a fiber optic video inspection camera. We can also retrieve items lost down any other residential plumbing drain or commercial drain.

Toilet drains are sometimes overwhelmed with toilet paper and even the occasional kid's toy. Roto-Rooter can solve the problem with a Roto-Rooter machine that feeds a spinning cable into the toilet drain. The cable has special spring loaded blades on the tip that will cut through any obstruction while hugging the inside wall of the pipe and thoroughly cleaning it to restore full drainage and powerful flushes. See the toilet section for more information on toilet repair.

Floor drains are common in basements, laundry rooms and garages. They may also be found on patios and driveways as well as older bathrooms. These drains are equipped with a trap that should be kept filled with water to prevent odors and sewer gas from escaping. Test drains occasionally to make sure they are aren't clogged and are ready to carry away water and prevent flooding. Dirt and debris can clog floor drains but Roto-Rooter can open them quickly to restore good drainage.

Downspout drains help to channel water from roof gutters away from your home. Many downspouts are connected to the city's storm sewer system via underground pipes which can become clogged with leaves and debris and cause a backup. Roto-Rooter provides professional plumbing services that clean downspouts and their connecting pipes to prevent flooding and restore proper drainage around the home.

Main sewer lines are the largest drains in a home. All other household drains lead to the main sewer line. The main sewer runs underground from the house and connects to a city sewer line or a septic tank. Your main sewer line can become clogged from the debris those other household drains wash into it or by tree roots that penetrate pipe joints from surrounding soil.

If the main sewer line clogs, toilets and drains throughout your house will begin to backup. This is usually a very stressful situation for homeowners and it can happen at any time of the day or night. That's why Roto-Rooter is your 24 hour plumbing company.

A technician using a Roto-Rooter machine will cut through the clog and clean the main sewer pipe right down to its inner walls. If the technician has any indication there is a problem with the main sewer line, he may perform a video camera inspection to determine if the pipe is damaged or corroded. The technician will share the video with the homeowner and present options for sewer line repair or replacement if necessary.