Drain Cleaning

Drain cleaning

Slow and blocked drains cleared, with a look at what caused the clog.

A slow sink, a shower that backs up, or a clog that keeps returning all come down to the same thing: something is restricting the drain. Bobrick Plumbing clears blocked and slow drains for homes across Camas, Washougal, Vancouver, and the surrounding Clark County area, and then shows you what caused it so the fix lasts.

Drains we clear

We clear the full range of household drains:

Kitchen sinks slowed by grease and food
Bathroom sinks and showers clogged with hair and soap
Toilets that drain slowly or back up
Tubs and floor drains
Main sewer lines, including clogs caused by tree roots

A single slow fixture usually has a local clog. When more than one fixture backs up at once, the restriction is often further down the main line, and we start there.

How we clear a drain

The method matches the clog. For most sink, tub, and shower lines, a drain cable, or snake, breaks through the blockage and pulls it back. For heavier buildup and root intrusion in a main line, hydro jetting scours the pipe wall clean with high-pressure water. When a clog keeps coming back, a camera inspection lets us see inside the line and find the real cause, whether that is a belly in the pipe, a root, or a broken section.

Camera inspection and the main line

When a clog keeps returning in the same place, a camera inspection turns guesswork into a clear picture. We run a camera down the line and watch what the water meets, whether that is a root that has found a joint in the sewer line, a low spot where waste settles, grease built up over a long kitchen run, or a cracked section of old pipe. From there the fix is specific to the cause, a thorough hydro jetting, a scheduled cleaning, or a repair to the length that keeps catching, so you stop clearing the same blockage twice a year.

What causes drains to clog

Most clogs build up over time from a few familiar culprits: cooking grease that cools and hardens, hair and soap that knot together, food that should have gone in the bin, and, outdoors, tree roots that find their way into an older sewer line. Knowing which one you are dealing with is half the fix, because a grease clog and a root intrusion call for different tools and a different plan to keep them from returning.

What actually clears a drain at home

Before you call, a few things genuinely help. Very hot water and a little dish soap can loosen a light grease clog in a kitchen sink. For a slow bathroom drain, pulling the stopper and clearing the hair caught on it solves more clogs than any bottle. Enzyme-based drain products work slowly and safely on organic buildup over time, and boiling water with a plunger handles a lot of everyday slow drains. When the clog keeps returning, sits deep in the line, or backs up more than one fixture, that is the point to call, because it usually means the restriction is further down than a home remedy can reach.

Keeping drains clear

Once a line is flowing, a few habits keep it that way. In the kitchen, letting grease cool and go in the bin rather than down the drain prevents the most common clog we see. In the bathroom, a simple screen over the shower and sink catches hair before it reaches the trap. A monthly flush of very hot water keeps light buildup from taking hold, and an enzyme product now and then works on what does. For a home on a septic system or an older sewer line with a history of roots, a periodic camera check catches trouble while it is still small.

Finding what caused the clog

Clearing the clog gets the water moving again. Finding what caused it keeps it moving. After we open the line, we tell you what was in it and why, and if a camera shows a root or a damaged section, we walk you through what it would take to address it. That way a clog that used to come back becomes a solved problem you can forget about. For a line that has failed more than once, our repipe and repair work carries it the rest of the way.

Serving Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver

We clear drains across Camas, Washougal, Vancouver, and the surrounding Clark County area. Call (360) 901-9133 or send a few details and we will follow up with a quote.

FAQ

Common questions

What is the best thing to clean out a drain?

For everyday buildup, very hot water with a little dish soap and a plunger clears most slow kitchen and bathroom drains. Enzyme drain products work gradually on organic buildup. When a clog is deep in the line or keeps returning, a drain cable or hydro jetting reaches what a home remedy cannot.

What will dissolve hair in a drain?

An enzyme-based drain product breaks down hair and organic matter over time and is safe for your pipes. For a clog that is already blocking the line, pulling the stopper to clear the caught hair, or running a drain cable, clears it faster.

Why does my drain keep clogging?

A clog that returns usually means buildup, a root in the sewer line, or a low spot in the pipe further down than a plunger reaches. A camera inspection shows the cause so it can be addressed once.

Do you clear main sewer line clogs?

Yes. We clear main lines, including clogs caused by tree roots, with a drain cable or hydro jetting, and we can camera the line to confirm what caused the backup.

When should I call a plumber for a slow drain?

Call when a clog keeps coming back, sits deep in the line, or backs up more than one fixture at once. Those point to a restriction further down the system that is worth clearing properly.