Drain and sewer service in northern Utah

Count how many drains are slow. One slow sink or tub usually means the clog is close to that fixture, in the trap or the branch line behind the wall. When more than one drain backs up at the same time, the clog is most likely in the main line that carries everything out to the street. Watch the lowest drain in the house. If the basement floor drain or shower fills when you run the washing machine or flush upstairs, the main line is blocked. A toilet that gurgles when the sink drains points the same way. If you think it is the main line, stop running water in the whole house, keep people and pets away from any sewage, and call us. Our drain cleaning page explains what we do next.

A drain cable is a steel cable with a cutting head on the end. A machine spins it down the pipe until the head breaks through the clog or cuts the roots. It opens the line fast, and it is the right tool for most single clogs. It does not clean the pipe wall, so grease and sludge stay behind and the line can clog again. Hydro jetting sends water at high pressure through a nozzle that scrubs the full inside of the pipe. It removes the grease, scale, and sludge that a cable leaves. We run a camera through the line first when we do not know what shape the pipe is in, because a broken or collapsed pipe needs repair, not more pressure.

A line needs repair when cleaning stops working. If the same line clogs again within weeks or months, something in the pipe is catching waste. A camera inspection shows what it is: roots growing through a joint, a cracked or collapsed section, a joint that has shifted, or a low spot that holds water. Roots are a common reason. Ogden City lists pipe breaks or cracks due to tree roots among the causes of sewer backups (source), and tells owners of older homes with a jointed lateral line to consider whether the roots of large trees or shrubs nearby could invade it (source). We can dig up and replace the bad section, or use a trenchless method when the pipe and the site allow it. We show you the camera video so you can see the problem yourself.