The main line is backed up
Water coming up in the tub when the washer drains is a main line problem, and it will not fix itself. Our 24/7 line is answered around the clock, so call whenever it starts. Until we arrive, stop using every drain, because water you send down has nowhere to go but back into the house.
If sewage is already on the floor, keep children and pets away and stay off wet electrical cords. Close the main water valve if the washer or a toilet tank is still refilling. Take photos of the damage for your insurer before you clean up.
How to tell it is the main line and not one sink
A single clogged fixture is a branch problem. A main line problem shows up in several places at once, and the pattern tells us where the blockage sits.
Several fixtures slow together
A shower that drains slowly while the toilet bowl also rises points to the shared line. One sink on its own does not.
Gurgling floor drain or toilet
Air pushed back through a floor drain or bubbling in a toilet after the washer runs means flow is blocked downstream.
Lowest drain backs up first
Sewage tends to surface at the lowest opening, such as a shower or tub on the ground level. That drain shows the blockage is beyond the branch lines.
Sewer odor with slow flow
A foul smell in a bathroom that comes and goes with slow drains can mean the line is partly blocked, not only that a trap has dried out.
Where the cleanout is and why it matters
A cleanout is a capped pipe, usually white or black plastic about four inches wide, that gives a machine direct access to the main line. Many homes have one in the yard near the house wall or close to the property line, and some have one beside the foundation or in the garage.
Do not open a cleanout with sewage backed up behind it. The cap may release a surge of wastewater. Leave it capped and tell us where it sits. If you cannot find one, we work from a toilet or other access point instead.
Cable machine or hydro jetting
Both clear a blocked main line, but they work differently. The right tool depends on what is in the pipe.
| Situation | Cable machine | Hydro jetting |
|---|---|---|
| Soft clog from paper or wipes. | Cuts through and pulls it out. Usually enough. | Works, but may be more tool than needed. |
| Grease buildup on pipe walls. | Punches a hole through the middle only. | Scours the walls clean for a fuller bore. |
| Roots at a joint. | Cuts roots back to restore flow. | Clears roots and debris, then flushes the line. |
| Heavy scale or sludge. | Leaves much of it on the pipe wall. | Strips it off with high-pressure water. |
| Fragile or damaged pipe. | Gentler on some old pipe. | Camera first, since pressure can stress a broken line. |
Our hydro jetting page covers when high-pressure water earns its place. We pick the tool after the first pass shows what the blockage is made of.
Need the line cleared tonight?
We offer same-day appointments when available, and the phone line never closes.
What happens on a main line visit
Locate access
We find the cleanout, or pull a toilet if there is none, so the machine can enter the main line.
Run the cable
A powered cable with a cutting head feeds toward the blockage. We note the distance where it stops, which hints at the cause.
Clear and flush
Once the clog breaks, we run the line until water moves freely, then test the fixtures one at a time.
Explain what we found
We tell you what came out, how far it was, and whether a camera is worth doing next.
When the roots come back
If a line clears and clogs again within months, roots are a common reason. Cutting them back restores flow, but the opening that let them in stays open, and roots regrow toward the moisture. Some lines need cleaning on a schedule, and some are better fixed once.
A sewer inspection with a camera shows where the roots enter and how many joints are affected. If one joint is the problem, our sewer line repair page explains the lining and spot repair options that close it.
What you can do and what needs a machine
Safe to try yourself
- Stop all water use right away.
- Close the main water valve if a tank is refilling.
- Move rugs and valuables off the floor.
- Photograph standing water for your insurer.
Leave it to us
- Opening a cleanout with sewage behind it.
- Running chemical drain products in a full line.
- Feeding rented cable into a main line.
- Pressure-washing a pipe you cannot see.
What affects the cost of clearing a sewer line
Clearing a main line is not a flat job. These factors decide your price, and we give a clear price before work starts.
What insurance may and may not cover
Policies treat sewer backup differently. Some include it only with an endorsement, and gradual causes such as roots may be excluded. Check with your insurer and keep photos of the damage.
For your real number, call us and say which drains are slow.
A cleaning is not a rebuild
Cleaning a main line does not change the pipe, so the code mostly matters if repairs follow. Those repairs fall under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing, which Florida builds on the International Plumbing Code (IPC), which is based on the IPC.
If the cleaning shows a defect, you will hear about the repair options and any permit step before we go further.
Sewer line cleaning questions
Yes. The phone line is answered around the clock, including nights and weekends, and we offer same-day appointments when available. Call with the details of what is backing up.
That points to a blocked main line. Water has to find the lowest opening, and the shower drain is often it. Stop running water and call.
Air trapped behind a blockage is pushed back up through the nearest opening. It often shows up before sewage does, so treat it as a warning.
We advise against it. Chemicals do not reach far enough to clear a main line, and they leave caustic water in the pipe that is unsafe for anyone working on it.
Not always. A cable suits a soft clog or a root cut, and jetting suits grease and scale. We choose after seeing what comes out on the first pass.
It varies with the tree, the soil and the size of the opening. A camera shows how bad the entry is, and that decides between periodic cleaning and a repair.