Drain Cleaning in Lawrenceville, GA
Slow sink, gurgling tub, or sewage coming up in the shower? Call and we connect you with an independent local plumber who handles clogged drain and sewer cleaning across Lawrenceville and Gwinnett County.
Clogged Drain Cleaning in Lawrenceville, GA
Start by working out whether it is one drain or the whole house
A clog in one sink is a different job from a clog in the sewer line. If only the kitchen sink is slow, the blockage is usually in that fixture's own branch line. If the tub gurgles when the washer drains, or the toilet bubbles when you run the shower, the problem is further down, in the main drain or the sewer line out to the street.
Call (770) 285-5619 any time and we connect you with a local plumber who handles drain cleaning near you. We are a referral line, not a plumbing company, and the plumbers are independent contractors, so ask for the price before any work starts.
Drain pipe cleaning here usually means one of three tools: a hand or drum auger for sinks and tubs, a larger cable machine for the main drain, or a water jet for grease and roots in the main line. A plumber can also run a camera first to see what is actually in the pipe. For the heavy-duty option, read about hydro jetting.
Signs the clog is in the main drain:
- Several fixtures are slow or gurgling at once
- A toilet rises or bubbles when you drain a tub or run the washer
- Water or sewage shows in the lowest tub, shower or floor drain
- There is a sewer smell near the cleanout in the yard
- The same clog comes back after being snaked
Types of Drain Cleaning a Plumber Can Handle
Pick the one closest to your problem when you call.
Kitchen Drain Cleaning
Grease, soap film and food scraps build up in kitchen branch lines. If the disposal is jammed too, see garbage disposal repair.
Bathroom Drain Cleaning
Hair and soap catch in tub, shower and sink drains. Most of these clear with an auger and no digging.
Main Drain Line Cleaning
When toilets, tubs and the washer all back up together, the blockage is in the main line and needs a longer cable or a jet.
Sewer Drain Cleaning
Clearing the line from the house to the street, often reached through the cleanout. Repeat clogs can mean a damaged pipe, covered on the sewer line repair page.
Camera Inspection
A small camera on a cable shows roots, grease, a sag or a crack so the plumber is not guessing.
Hydro Jetting
High pressure water that scours grease and scale off the pipe wall instead of just poking a hole through it.
What to Do While You Wait for the Plumber
A few steps that help and a few that make it worse
Stop running water in the house. Every flush or load of laundry sends more water into a line that is already full. If you can find the cleanout, a capped pipe in the yard or near the foundation, leave it capped unless the plumber asks you to open it.
Skip the chemical drain openers. They rarely cut through grease or roots, and caustic liquid sitting in a standing drain can burn skin when a plumber has to work on it. If sewage is already in the house, keep kids and pets out of the area and take a few photos before anything is cleaned up.
Check the neighbors too. If the houses next to you are backing up as well, the problem may be the county main rather than your own line. That is a call to Gwinnett DWR, and it saves you paying for cleaning that will not help. More on this in what to do in a sewer backup.
Questions to Ask the Plumber Before Work Starts
You are hiring an independent contractor, so it pays to ask.
What is the price for this clog?
Cost depends on the drain, how far in the clog is, access and time of night. Ask for the number before any work starts, and ask what would change it.
Do I need a camera?
A one-off sink clog usually does not. A main line that has clogged more than once probably does.
Snake or jet?
Snaking opens a channel. Jetting cleans the whole pipe. Ask which one fits what is in your line and why.
What if it comes back?
Ask what the plumber recommends if the clog returns, such as a camera run or a repair, so you know the next step in advance. Read why drains back up in Lawrenceville homes.
Drain Cleaning Questions in Lawrenceville
Straight answers on clogged drains, sewer cleaning and who handles what.
Call (770) 285-5619. The line is answered 24/7, and we connect you with an independent local plumber who handles drain cleaning in Lawrenceville and nearby Gwinnett towns. Tell us which drains are slow and whether more than one fixture is affected, since that helps the plumber decide what to bring.
Mostly which drain it is and how far the clog sits from the opening. A bathroom sink is a different job from a main line with roots in it. Access (a cleanout versus pulling a toilet), pipe material and condition, whether a camera is needed, and the time of night all play a part. Ask the plumber for the price before any work starts.
One slow drain is usually a local clog in that fixture's branch line. If several fixtures slow down together, a toilet gurgles when the washer runs, or water shows up in the lowest tub or floor drain, the blockage is likely in the main drain or the sewer line to the street. Tell the plumber which of those you are seeing.
The phone line is answered 24/7, and we connect you with a plumber who takes emergency drain calls. We cannot promise an arrival time, because that depends on the plumber, so ask when you are connected. If sewage is coming up into the house, say so right away.
Per Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, the homeowner maintains the sewer lateral, and the county maintains the public sewer main and the cleanout at the edge of the right of way. If neighbors on your street are backing up too, the main may be the cause, and Gwinnett DWR is the one to call.
A lot of it comes down to habits. Keep grease out of the kitchen sink, use strainers in tubs and showers, and flush only toilet paper (so-called flushable wipes do not break down the way paper does). If roots are the cause in an older clay line, no habit will fix that, and the plumber may suggest cleaning on a schedule or a look with a camera.
Related Plumbing Services
Complete plumbing solutions for Lawrenceville homeowners.
Drain Cleaning in Lawrenceville and Gwinnett County Homes
What clogs look like depends on how old the house is.
Older Homes Near Downtown Lawrenceville
Houses close to downtown Lawrenceville tend to be older, and many still have clay or cast iron pipe somewhere between the house and the street. Clay lines are laid in short sections, and the joints are where roots get in. Cast iron roughens and scales inside, so even a little grease or paper catches. A line like that clogs more than once, and a cleaning is a good time for a camera run.
Newer Subdivisions and PVC
Homes in newer Gwinnett subdivisions generally have PVC. It seldom lets roots in at the joints, so clogs here are usually grease, wipes, paper towels or toys. Trench backfill can settle in red clay, though, and a sag in the line holds water and waste. If the same line keeps clogging in a newer house, ask the plumber to look with a camera.
Tree Roots and Red Clay
Gwinnett County sits on red clay, which stays wet after rain and dries hard in summer. That swelling and shrinking can pull old sewer joints apart over the years. Roots follow the moisture leaking from those joints, and hardwoods on older lots are a common reason a main drain keeps backing up. Cutting the roots clears the line for a while, and the camera shows where they are getting in.
Homeowner or Gwinnett DWR?
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources says the property owner is responsible for the sewer lateral, the private pipe that runs from the house out to the public sewer. The county looks after the public sewer main and the cleanout at the edge of the right of way. A second cleanout closer to the house is the homeowner's. If the stoppage is in the main in the street, that is a county job, and a camera run shows which side of the line the trouble is on. Call Gwinnett DWR if you are not sure where your responsibility ends, and do it before you agree to a dig. Homes in Buford are on the City of Buford's sewer system instead, so those calls go to the city.
Clogged Drain? Call and Ask for a Plumber
Slow drain or sewage backing up, the phone is answered 24/7 and we connect you with a local plumber who handles drain cleaning.