Clogged Drain Cleaning in Indiana

The causes of a clogged drain change from one part of Indiana to the next. Older neighborhoods have cast iron and clay sewer lines under big trees, newer subdivisions mostly see grease and wipes in PVC pipe, and many rural homes depend on a septic tank. Look for your city below, or the nearest one. Every city page shows a rough cost range, what local soil and trees do to drains, and one number that connects you with a local plumber.

Groundwater in Indiana is hard in most areas, and the minerals build up in drain pipes and around the P-trap. Many older cities still use combined sewers, so heavy rain can send water back up through basement floor drains. Heavy clay soil holds water and freezes in winter, which stresses old clay and cast iron laterals. Maples, sycamores and oaks find those cracked joints, and rural homes depend on septic systems that struggle in wet clay.

• Hard water in most of the state
• Combined sewers in many older cities
• Heavy clay soil that stays wet and freezes
• Roots from maples, sycamores and oaks
• Septic systems in rural areas

Ask whether the plumber recommends a camera inspection after clearing roots, so you know if the lateral is cracked.

• Kitchen sink. Cooking grease and oil that cool and harden on the pipe wall, plus food scraps, coffee grounds and soap scum that stick to it. A garbage disposal sends more solids down, not fewer.
• Bathroom sink. Hair mixed with soap, toothpaste and shaving residue, caught on the pop-up stopper or in the trap. Small items dropped down the drain add to it.
• Tub or shower. Hair is the main cause, bound together with soap scum and conditioner. Older tubs with a trip lever drain collect it in the overflow and the drum trap.
• Toilet. Too much paper at once, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and toys. Low-flow toilets from before about 2005 clog more often.
• Floor or laundry drain. Lint from the washing machine, sand and grit, soap, and in basements the silt that washes in. A dry trap lets sewer gas up as well.
• Main sewer line. Tree roots coming in at joints in clay and cast iron pipe, grease built up from years of kitchen use, wipes, and pipe that has sagged or cracked.
• Outdoor or yard drain. Leaves, dirt, sand and roots in yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the pipes that carry downspout water away.