Short answer
One slow fixture usually means a clog close to that drain: grease in a kitchen line, hair in a tub or bathroom sink. Several fixtures backing up together, or water coming up through the basement floor drain, points to the main drain or sewer lateral. Shea Plumbing clears both and tells you which one you have before quoting.
What your drain is telling you
| What you're seeing | Likely cause | How soon |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen sink drains slowly | Grease and food scraps in the sink's branch line | Book a visit |
| Bathroom sink or tub drains slowly | Hair and soap in the trap or drain | Book a visit |
| Toilet gurgles when the tub drains | Partial blockage further down, or a venting problem | Book soon |
| Floor drain backs up when the washer empties | Blockage in the main drain or sewer lateral | Call today |
| Sewage in the floor drain, tub or toilet | Main line blocked | Call now, 24/7 |
| Sewer smell but everything drains | Dry trap or a vent issue | Book a visit |
How we clear it
First we work out which line is blocked and roughly where. Then we clear it with the right tool for that pipe: a drain auger for household lines, a larger machine for the main line, and a sewer camera when we need to see what's going on down there. Before we leave, we run water through every affected fixture to make sure it drains properly, and we tell you what caused the blockage.
If the same line clogs again and again, clearing it isn't a fix. We'll explain what we think is going on and what a permanent repair would involve, with a price, and let you decide.
Older Kingston homes and clogs that keep coming back
Many older houses downtown and in Sydenham Ward, Williamsville and Portsmouth still drain to the street through clay or cast-iron sewer laterals. Tree roots work their way into the joints of clay pipe, and cast iron scales up inside as it ages. Either can cause a main-line clog that returns every few months. Don't assume the material from the age of the house, though: plenty have had the lateral replaced. A sewer camera inspection shows exactly what you have, and where the problem is.
Utilities Kingston's Preventative Plumbing Program can help pay for some flood-prevention work on your lateral and basement. Check the current rules before you book.
Should you use a chemical drain cleaner?
We'd skip it. Caustic cleaners rarely clear a real blockage, they're hard on older pipes and fittings, and they leave the line full of chemicals for whoever opens it next. A plunger, or a cheap plastic hair-removal strip for a bathroom drain, is fine as a first try. If that doesn't work, call.
