Drain Cleaning in San Diego, CA

One drain or the whole house?

Start by noticing which fixtures are affected. A slow bathroom sink is usually hair and soap near the trap. A kitchen sink tends to clog with grease and food further down the branch line. If the toilet gurgles when the washer drains, or water comes up in the tub when you flush, the blockage is likely in the main line, and running more water will only make it worse.

Usual causes

• Grease, coffee grounds and food scraps in kitchen lines
• Hair and soap scum in bathroom drains
• Wipes and paper products, even ones labeled flushable
• Tree roots entering the sewer lateral through joints or cracks
• Scale and rough interior surfaces in old cast iron pipe
• Sags or breaks in an aging lateral that let waste collect

How plumbers clear drains

Most clogs are cleared with a drain cable (also called a snake or auger) sized to the line. For grease-heavy lines, recurring stoppages or root intrusion, hydro jetting scours the pipe walls with high-pressure water. When the same line keeps clogging, a sewer camera inspection shows whether roots, a belly or a broken section is behind it, so you are not paying for the same cleaning over and over.

San Diego specifics

Around half of the city's homes were built before 1980, and older neighborhoods near Balboa Park such as Hillcrest and North Park can have cast iron drains and older clay or cast iron laterals that build up scale and let roots in. Canyon and hillside lots often have long laterals with changes in grade. The winter rainy season is when many owners discover drain problems, since storms can overwhelm low spots and outdoor drains.

Whose line is it?

The City of San Diego runs the public sewer mains, while the homeowner is responsible for the sewer lateral between the house and the property line. If a plumber finds a break beyond the property line, they report it to the City's Sewer Emergency Line with a Plumber's Report.

Prevent the next clog

• Wipe grease out of pans into the trash
• Use strainers in sinks and tubs
• Flush only toilet paper
• Have roots cleared on a schedule if a camera shows they are a repeat problem

What affects the price

Cost depends on where the clog is, whether there is a cleanout to work from, the method used, and whether a camera inspection is added. After-hours calls usually cost more.