Blocked drains in Richmond Hill and York Region
A drain that backs up once is a blockage. A drain that backs up every few months is something else. We clear both, and we tell you which one you have before you spend anything.
Call (416) 939-0011 Or ask for a callback
Nobody wants to pay twice for the same drain. The way that happens is clearing a blockage without finding out what caused it. If a line has blocked more than once, the honest answer is a camera before more cleaning, not another cable down the same pipe.
What we clear
- Kitchen sinks
- Toilets
- Bathroom sinks, tubs and showers
- Main line backups
- Recurring blockages
- Laundry tubs and washer standpipes
- Drain smells
- Garburators
- Vent blockages
What it usually turns out to be
The things people describe on the phone, and what each one normally means.
Why is my kitchen sink backing up?
Grease and food waste build up on the pipe wall until the opening is too small. It usually clears from the trap or the branch line without opening anything up. If it comes back within weeks, the build up runs further than the cable reached.
Why is my toilet not flushing properly?
A partial blockage in the trap or the branch, or a weak flush caused by the fill valve rather than a clog at all. Two different jobs, and it is worth knowing which before anything gets pulled.
Why is water coming up through the basement floor drain?
That drain is the lowest opening in the house, so a restricted main line shows there first. Stop running water anywhere in the house and call. This one does not wait.
Why does the toilet gurgle when the sink drains?
Air being pulled through the trap. Usually a partly blocked main line, or a vent problem. Not an emergency, but not nothing either.
Why does the same drain keep blocking?
Because something is holding material back. Roots at a joint, a sagging section, or a partial collapse. Cleaning it again treats the symptom. A camera tells you which it is.
Why is there a drain smell but nothing backing up?
Usually a trap that has dried out, which costs nothing to fix. Occasionally build up in a line that is still flowing.
What affects the cost
We will not quote a drain over the phone, because the honest answer depends on where the blockage is, whether there is a cleanout to work through, and what is causing it. All three change the job.
Questions we get
Will drain cleaner from the hardware shop fix it?
Sometimes, for a partial clog in a sink trap. It will not touch roots or a main line, and repeated use of the caustic kind is hard on older pipes and on whoever has to open that line later.
Can I keep using the drain while I wait?
If it is one fixture, yes, sparingly. If the basement floor drain is involved, stop running water anywhere in the house until someone has looked at it.
Do I always need a camera?
No. First blockage in one fixture, no. Same line blocking repeatedly, yes, otherwise you are paying to clear the same blockage over and over.
Do tree roots mean the whole line gets replaced?
Usually not. Roots get in at a joint or a crack, and how much work it takes depends on how far the damage runs. A camera answers that before anyone digs anything up.
Why does it always happen on a weekend?
Because that is when everyone is home and the drains are working hardest. A line that was already restricted gives up under load.
Related services
Ask for a callback
Leave your number and what is going on. If water is running right now, call instead, that is faster.