A clogged drain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Sometimes it is hair and soap in a bathroom trap, and sometimes it is a restriction in the main line that will keep coming back until the cause is addressed. Our drain cleaning work starts by working out which one you have, so the fix matches the problem instead of just poking a hole through the blockage.
Signs of a developing problem include water draining slowly in more than one fixture, gurgling from toilets or tubs, a sewer smell in the basement, or water backing up in a floor drain when the washer runs. One slow sink is usually local. Several fixtures acting up together points to the main line, and that deserves attention sooner rather than later.
Fort Collins homes have their own habits. Older houses near Old Town and around Colorado State University often have clay or cast iron laterals where roots find joints, scale narrows the pipe and ground movement leaves low spots that hold debris. Expansive clay soil can shift a line just enough to create a belly where waste settles. Newer homes tend to have smoother pipe, but grease, wipes and construction debris still cause stoppages.
On the job, we start with the least invasive method that will work. That may be a hand auger at a sink or tub, a larger cable machine for a main line, or hydro jetting when buildup coats the pipe walls. When the cause is not obvious, we run a camera to see the pipe interior, then show you what is there. If the line has a crack, offset or root intrusion, we explain what cleaning will and will not accomplish.
Before we arrive, stop running water into the affected drains, because that can push more water into a line that is already restricted. Keep chemical drain openers out of the system if you can; they can sit in a standing line and make the work less pleasant and sometimes less safe. If water is coming up in a basement floor drain, move belongings off the floor and tell us when you call.
One more thing worth knowing is what not to put down the line. Grease cools and coats pipe walls, wipes labeled flushable do not break down the way toilet paper does, and coffee grounds and fibrous food scraps settle in low spots. In rental homes and shared houses around campus, where many people use the same drains, these habits add up quickly. We are glad to point out which of these is likely contributing in your home, because a few small changes can stretch the time between service visits considerably.
Call us when a clog returns within weeks of being cleared, when more than one drain is affected, or when you notice sewage smell or water in a low drain. Those are signs of a main line issue, and catching it early is usually less disruptive than waiting for a full backup.
Technician insight
In older Fort Collins neighborhoods, a main line that keeps clogging is often a clay lateral with root intrusion at the joints, or a cast iron line with heavy scale. Cabling restores flow for a while, but a camera pass tells you whether you are buying time or fixing the problem. Expansive soils can also leave low spots in a lateral that hold waste, and those show up on camera very clearly.
Drain Cleaning Services We Offer
✓Kitchen Sink Drain Clearing
Grease, food waste and soap buildup in the kitchen branch line, cleared and flow-tested.
✓Main Line Clearing
Clearing the primary drain that serves the whole home, including roots and heavy buildup.
✓Hydro Jetting
High-pressure water to scour pipe walls when cabling alone will not restore full flow.
✓Camera Drain Inspection
A look inside the pipe to find the cause of repeated clogs instead of guessing.
✓Floor Drain and Basement Drain Service
Clearing floor drains and laundry standpipes that back up during heavy use.
How it works
- 1
Pinpoint where it starts
We check which fixtures are affected and run water to learn whether the blockage is local or in the main line.
- 2
Clear the line
We choose the right tool for the pipe, whether that is an auger, cable machine or jetter, and clear the restriction.
- 3
Look at the pipe
If the clog is likely to return, we run a camera to check for roots, cracks or low spots and show you what we see.
- 4
Test and explain
We run water through the system, confirm it drains freely and explain any follow-up repair we recommend.
Pricing
Cost depends on which drain is affected, how far into the line the blockage sits, how easy it is to reach, whether a camera inspection is needed and whether jetting is a better fit than cabling. A fixture clog differs from a main line restriction, so we explain the scope before work begins.