What drain cleaning involves
Drain cleaning starts at the fixture that complains first. We pull the trap or the cleanout plug, size the cable to the pipe, and run it until the line takes a full sink or tub of water without gurgling. Small branch lines get a hand cable or a drum machine with a 1/4 or 3/8 inch cable. Larger stacks and the building drain get a sectional machine.
- Find the lowest fixture that drains slowly. That tells us roughly where the restriction sits.
- Open the nearest access point rather than forcing a cable through a toilet or a fine sink trap.
- Clear the line, then flood-test it with running water for several minutes.
- Look at what the cable brought back: grease, hair, wipes, scale and roots all lead to a different fix.
If the cable keeps snagging on scale in old cast iron, we may suggest hydro jetting instead of a second visit with the same tool.
Why North York houses need it
Much of North York went up between the late 1940s and the 1970s. Those houses carry cast-iron stacks and galvanized branch lines that roughen inside with age, so debris catches where it would slide past in new plastic. Kitchens that were moved during renovations sometimes have long, shallow-sloped runs to the stack. Those collect grease within a few years. Basement laundry tubs tied into the floor drain add lint to the mix.
Plumber's tip: Before you call, run water in one fixture at a time and note which ones are slow. One slow sink is a branch problem. Every fixture slow at once, especially the basement floor drain, points at the main line.
How we write up the job
The order lists each fixture we cleared, the access point we used, how far the cable went in feet, and what we found. If the line is damaged rather than blocked, we write that down separately and do not charge you for clearing it twice. Kitchen lines are covered in more depth on the kitchen sink page.
Signs you should call
- The tub holds water for minutes once a shower ends.
- A sink gurgles when the washing machine drains.
- You have used a plunger on the same drain twice this month.
- Bottled drain chemicals have already gone down and nothing changed.
- A sour smell rises from a basement floor drain.
Costs and what affects them
Time on the job is driven by access. An open trap under a vanity is quick. A blockage forty feet down a line with no cleanout, or a fixture boxed in behind finished drywall, takes longer. Night and weekend calls cost more than booked daytime work. We tell you the price for the work in front of us before the cable goes in.
Job at a glance
| Category | Drains |
|---|---|
| Tools | Drum machine, 1/4 and 3/8 inch cables, trap wrench, drop cloths |
| Final test | Full-fixture flood test with no gurgle at neighbouring drains |
Tell-tale signs
- Tub water sits around your ankles after a short shower
- Bathroom sink gurgles when the toilet flushes
- Laundry tub burps grey water during the rinse cycle
Steps on the job
- Pull the P-trap or cleanout plug nearest the slow fixture
- Feed a 3/8 inch drum cable until it bites the blockage
- Back the cable out and bag whatever is wound on the head
- Run hot water for five minutes and watch the trap seal refill
Your questions on this one
Are chemical drain openers safe for my pipes?
They can soften old rubber seals and sit in a trap as a caustic pool we then have to work around. Tell us if you used one so we can protect our hands and your fixtures.
Should drains be cleaned on a schedule?
Not unless they slow. Routine cleaning makes sense for a line with a known problem, such as a long kitchen run or roots in the lateral.