The clog you can't plunge away
When one fixture clogs, it's a nuisance. When the tub, the toilet, and the floor drain all act up together, the blockage sits in your main line, and every gallon you run upstairs has nowhere to go but the basement floor. That's the moment to stop running water and get a professional cable machine on it.
Cable clearing vs. hydro jetting, and why it matters in Utica
Cable clearing, typically $350 to $600, punches a hole through the blockage and gets your drains moving today. It's the right first move in most emergencies. But in Utica's older neighborhoods the real enemy is what stays on the pipe walls: decades of grease and the fine root mats that grow back through clay joints every season. Hydro jetting, usually $400 to $900, scours the pipe back to bare wall with high pressure water. A jetted line stays clear for years. A snaked line often clogs again in months.
What we clear
- Main sewer line clogs and basement floor drain backups
- Kitchen lines choked with grease, the number one repeat offender
- Bathroom groups where tubs, toilets, and vanities all drain slow
- Root regrowth in clay laterals, cleared and then jetted
If the same drain keeps clogging on a schedule, the drain isn't the problem. The pipe is. A camera inspection after clearing shows whether you're looking at simple maintenance or a failing lateral, so you stop paying to clear the same clog over and over.
Why does my drain clog every few months?
Clogs that come back on a schedule almost always mean roots or a structural defect in the line. The clog is a symptom. A camera inspection finds the cause so you can fix it once.
Is chemical drain cleaner safe for old pipes?
Caustic cleaners generate heat that can damage aging cast iron, and they do nothing against roots. In pre-war Utica plumbing, mechanical clearing is safer and actually works.