Drain Cleaning in Cincinnati: Kitchen, Laundry and the Main Line

Most blocked drains in Cincinnati houses fall into two groups: one fixture that has slowly choked on grease or hair, or the main line to the street, where roots in an old clay joint catch everything. They are different jobs at different prices.

Water running from a tap into a white sink drain

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One fixture or the whole house

The quick test: if only one sink or tub is slow, the blockage is in that branch. If running the washing machine makes the basement floor drain gurgle or overflow, or flushing upstairs backs water into a lower tub, the main line is the problem. Say which on the call, because the company will bring different equipment.

In a lot of older Cincinnati basements the laundry drains into a laundry tub or straight into the floor drain, so the first sign of a main line blockage is often grey water around the floor drain on wash day.

How the main line gets cleared

Rodding from the cleanout

A cable machine with a cutting head goes in through the basement cleanout and out toward the street. It cuts through roots and pulls back what it can. It is the standard first attempt on a clay lateral and the cheapest one.

Hydro-jetting

High-pressure water scours the pipe wall and flushes roots and grease downstream. It cleans more thoroughly than a cable, but on old clay with cracked or offset joints the company should camera the line first. Jetting a pipe that is already broken can make the break worse.

Camera inspection

A camera on a push cable shows what caused the blockage and where. On a line that has blocked twice, the camera is worth more than another clearing, because it is the difference between a maintenance schedule and a repair. Ask for a copy of the footage and the distance to any defect.

Why roots keep coming back

Clay laterals were laid in short sections with joints every few feet. As the joints age they open slightly, and the tree on the tree lawn finds the moisture. Clifton, Hyde Park and Westwood all have big old street trees over old clay pipe. Cutting the roots clears the pipe but leaves the joint open, so they grow back, typically within one to two years. Some owners put the main line on a schedule, cleared every year or eighteen months. Others decide that paying for clearing repeatedly is the expensive option and repair the joints. The camera footage is what lets you make that choice.

Kitchen drains and grease

The kitchen line in an older house is often a long horizontal run of cast iron or galvanized pipe to the stack, and grease that goes down warm sets solid along it. Pouring hot water after grease only moves it further down the pipe. Wipe pans before washing, keep grease in a can, and if the sink has been slow for weeks, get it cleared before it stops on a holiday weekend.

What to stop using

Chemical drain openers sit on top of a full blockage and do little to it, and they are hard on old metal pipe and on the person who then has to clear it. Flushable wipes do not break down the way paper does and are a regular cause of main line blockages. Enzyme products are fine for slow organic build-up and will not clear roots.

If it is backing up right now

Stop running water. Every gallon used upstairs ends up on the basement floor. If wastewater is coming up during heavy rain rather than on a dry day, the cause may be the public sewer rather than your drain, and that needs reporting to MSD within 48 hours before anyone clears anything.

Dry-day backup, or a drain that has stopped? Call and a local plumbing company can tell you whether it is a branch or the main.

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Common questions

How much does drain cleaning cost in Cincinnati?

Clearing a single sink, tub or floor drain is commonly quoted at about $150 to $350. A main line from a basement cleanout is usually about $250 to $600, more if there is no accessible cleanout, the job is after hours, or a camera inspection is added. Jetting usually costs more than rodding.

How often should a clay sewer line with roots be cleared?

Roots in an open clay joint typically grow back within one to two years. If your line has blocked twice, ask for a camera inspection and decide between clearing on a schedule and repairing the joints.

Is hydro-jetting safe on old clay pipe?

On sound pipe, yes. On pipe with cracks, offset joints or missing sections it can make damage worse, so a camera inspection should come first on an older lateral.

My basement floor drain smells. Is it blocked?

Often not. Floor drains have a trap that holds water to block sewer gas, and in a drain that rarely gets used the water evaporates. Pour a bucket of water in it. If the smell returns within days, the trap or the line needs a look.

Is there a cleanout in my basement?

Most Cincinnati houses with a basement have one where the building sewer leaves the house, usually a capped fitting near the front wall. Without one, the line is cleared through a toilet or a roof vent, which costs more, and many owners have a cleanout added during the first repair.

Can I rent a drain machine myself?

For a branch line, many owners do. For a main line in old clay, a rented cable can get stuck in a root mass or a broken joint, and retrieving it costs more than the clearing would have.

Do you clean the drains?

No. This site is an advertising and referral service. Your request goes to an independent local plumbing company, which quotes and does the drain work.

Also in Cincinnati

Also serving

Drain Cleaning is available beyond Cincinnati, across Norwood , Cheviot & Green Township , Delhi Township and Anderson Township .

Ask about drain cleaning

Say what is happening and where, and a local plumbing company will call you back. Answered Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm · after hours, the company's on-call rota applies Or call (513) 986-8088. If water is coming in right now, calling is quicker.