When a clogged drain is an emergency
Not every slow sink needs a night call. A backup is different. If water rises in a floor drain or tub when you flush a toilet or run the washer, the clog is in the main line, and every minute of use pushes more wastewater into your home.
Stop running water in the house, keep the washer and dishwasher off, and leave toilets alone until the line is clear. If water is already on the floor, keep people and pets out of it. Then call, any hour, and we will schedule the visit, with same-day appointments when available.
- Water or sewage coming up in a tub, shower or floor drain.
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time.
- A toilet that gurgles when another fixture runs.
- A kitchen sink that backs up into the second basin after the line was just cleared.
Where the clog usually sits
Where a stoppage sits tells you how serious it is. A single sink or tub that drains slowly almost always has a clog in its own trap or branch line. Hair and soap film build up in bathroom drains, while grease, coffee grounds and food scraps are the usual cause in kitchens.
When two or more fixtures slow down together, the blockage is further downstream. That points to the main drain, which carries everything out of the house to the sewer lateral. Tree roots, a sagging section, flushed wipes and years of buildup are the common causes.
| What you see | Likely location | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| One sink or tub drains slowly | Trap or branch line | Cable or hand auger |
| Kitchen sink backs up into the other basin | Kitchen branch line | Cable with a cutting head, then a flush |
| Floor drain or tub backs up when a toilet is flushed | Main drain | Main line machine, then camera |
| Clog returns within weeks | Roots, belly or damaged pipe | Camera inspection, then a repair plan |
A plumber is on the 24/7 line now. Call before the next flush makes the backup worse.
Call (855) 575-2890How we clear a drain
We start by finding the clog instead of guessing. We ask where the water backs up, check the nearest cleanout, and run a cable sized to the pipe. A cable that is too heavy for a thin sink line can scratch the pipe, and one that is too light never reaches a main.
- Find the access point. A cleanout, a trap or a pulled fixture, whichever gets the cable closest to the clog.
- Cut or pull the blockage. The head is chosen for what is in the line, such as grease, hair or roots.
- Flush and test. We run water until the line moves freely, then check nearby fixtures for slow spots.
- Offer a camera look when it matters. If the same drain has clogged before, a camera shows whether roots, a crack or a low spot is the real cause.
If the line is packed with grease or scale, a cable only punches a hole through it. In that case we recommend hydro jetting, which scours the pipe wall with high-pressure water.
Kitchen sink clogs and the second basin
Kitchen drains clog differently from bathroom ones. Cooking grease cools inside the pipe, grabs coffee grounds and food bits, and slowly narrows the line until the sink drains in minutes instead of seconds.
If one basin fills while the other drains, the clog sits in the branch past the tee. A cable with a cutting head clears it, and a hot flush afterward carries off the grease that is left. If the dishwasher drain backs up into the sink, the shared branch is blocked, and running the dishwasher will make it worse.
A kitchen line that clogs every few weeks usually has grease built up along a longer run. That is the point where hydro jetting or a camera look makes sense, instead of another quick cable pass.
A wet cabinet under the sink is a different problem. If the cabinet floor is damp, a leaking drain joint or trap may be the cause, and a leak in a drain line needs a repair, not just a cleaning.
What drain cleaning costs in Hazelwood
Drain cleaning is priced by where the clog sits and how hard it is to reach. National cost guides put a basic sink or tub clog at roughly $100 to $275, and a main line or multiple fixtures at $175 to $600. A badly packed main that needs jetting can run $300 to $800 or more.
Those are national ranges, not a quote. We give a clear price before work starts, after we see the line.
Insurance generally does not pay for a clog caused by buildup, but ask your insurer about sudden backup coverage if water has damaged flooring or belongings.
Hazelwood sewer lines and who owns what
Hazelwood sits on the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District system, and MSD maintains the public sewers. The private lateral from your house to the public main is generally the owner's responsibility, which is why a main line clog is usually yours to fix. Confirm your own situation with MSD at 314-768-6260.
If a cable cannot clear the lateral, or the camera shows a collapse past the cleanout, the next step is a repair, covered on our sewer line repair page. Permits for plumbing work in Hazelwood run through St. Louis County, and we handle that paperwork when a repair needs one.
Cleanout placement and access come from model plumbing codes such as the International Plumbing Code (IPC), published by the International Code Council. That is why a missing or buried cleanout is worth correcting even when the clog itself is easy to clear.
Keeping drains clear between visits
A few habits do most of the work. Pour grease into a can instead of the sink, and run hot water for a short while after washing dishes. Use a hair catcher in tubs and showers, and keep wipes out of the toilet even when the package says flushable.
If a drain keeps slowing down, do not pour in drain cleaner, because the chemicals sit in a stopped pipe and can damage it and burn skin when a plumber opens the line. Call instead and we will find the cause.
For planned work on bigger problems, see sewer camera inspection, or sewer line cleaning when the whole lateral needs attention.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call, tell us which fixtures are backing up, and stop running water in the house until we arrive. We offer same-day appointments when available.
If more than one fixture is slow, or a tub or floor drain backs up when you flush a toilet or run the washer, the clog is almost certainly in the main drain. A single slow sink is usually a local clog.
We advise against it. Chemicals sit in a fully stopped pipe, can harm older pipe materials and are hazardous to a plumber who opens the line. A cable removes the clog instead of dissolving part of it.
The private lateral running from the house to the public main is generally the property owner's responsibility, while MSD maintains the public sewer. Confirm your situation with MSD at 314-768-6260.
Yes. We state a clear price before work starts, after seeing where the clog sits and what access we have.
Questions about your situation? A licensed plumber is on the line any hour.
Call (855) 575-2890