Signs a drain needs cleaning
Drains rarely block overnight. Water lingers in the basin a little longer each week, the tub burps after a flush, or the kitchen basin gives off a sour whiff in summer. In a basement, a floor drain that bubbles while the washing machine pumps out is a warning that the main line downstream is narrowing.
- Several fixtures slowing at once, which points past the branch lines to the main.
- Water appearing around the basement floor drain after laundry or showers.
- Gurgling in a nearby fixture when another one drains.
- Repeated clogs in the same sink within a few weeks of plunging.
How we clear the line
We begin at the fixture closest to the trouble. A small drum auger with a quarter-inch cable handles most bathroom basins and tubs; we pull the pop-up or tub stopper first so the cable enters cleanly and does not scratch the finish. Kitchen lines get a heavier cable with a cutting head, because grease and food solids cling along the horizontal run inside the wall.
When the blockage is out in the main building drain, we work from the cleanout in the basement. Most Markham houses built since the 1970s have a cleanout near the front wall where the line leaves the house; older homes in the village cores may have a cast iron cleanout plug that needs patience to free without cracking the hub.
| Line | Usual culprit | Tool we reach for |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom basin | Hair and soap scum at the pop-up | Hand auger, stopper cleaned |
| Tub or shower | Hair mats in the trap | Small drum auger through the overflow |
| Kitchen sink | Grease and food solids | Cutting head on a medium cable, then flushing |
| Main drain | Wipes, roots, scale | Sectional machine or jetting from the cleanout |
Clues pointing to drain cleaning
- Water standing in the basin a minute after the tap closes.
- Bathtub burping air each time someone flushes.
- Sour smell rising from the kitchen opening.
- The same sink clogging again within weeks of plunging.
After the clog is gone
With the line open we run hot water hard and try each fixture on that branch in turn. If the same line has blocked more than twice in a year, a sewer camera inspection tells us whether there is a sag, a broken joint or roots, rather than leaving you to guess. For kitchens specifically, our page on kitchen drain cleaning goes deeper.
Calling us about a slow drain
Tell us which fixtures are slow, whether the basement floor drain has shown water, and roughly when the house was built. That short description usually tells us which machine to carry down the stairs.
Markham note: village-core houses tend to hide cast iron and galvanized behind plaster, while Cornell and Box Grove builds run PEX to a manifold. We ask the year your house was built so the right fittings ride along on the truck.
Straight from the phone log
Can I keep using the plumbing while I wait?
Use as little water as you can. If the basement floor drain is showing water, avoid laundry, showers and the dishwasher until the main is cleared.
Is jetting better than snaking?
Each suits different jobs. A cable punches through and retrieves a blockage; jetting scours grease and scale off the pipe wall. We often cable first and jet when the walls are coated.
Ready to get it fixed?
One call, a clear explanation, and work finished tidily before we leave.