SOS Drain Cleaning

Tim in Roxboro called us when his shower started draining slowly.

We tried clearing the drain using a power auger, but kept hitting a hard object inside the pipe, so we used one of our drain inspection cameras to see what was going on.

It turns out that a test plug (a stopper used by plumbers while they're working on drain pipes) had somehow gotten into the pipe. We ended up having to cut out and replace the part of the pipe where it was stuck.

Afterwards, Tim asked us to post this on his behalf:

"I simply want to commend SOS and, in particular Travis, on a good job, well done.

We had a blocked drain and our regular plumber was unable to unblock it. He recommended SOS. Travis persevered, tried everything he could think of, diagnosed the problem as requiring "surgery" (cutting through the drywall ceiling) and performed the procedure successfully.

Throughout, he was friendly, patient, and courteous. He explained the rationale behind every step and he communicated very well. The invoice was very reasonable given the extent of the work.

We will recommend SOS to any of our friends and acquaintances who need this service. Thank you."

Thank *you* for the kind words, Tim! 🙂

If you're wondering why plumbers always tell you not to pour grease or oil into your kitchen sink drain, this is why. 😁

This sink still seemed to be draining well, but its drain line was filled with grease further downstream. Water that went down the sink drain was coming up out of nearby floor drain, and onto the kitchen floor. 😱

We cleared this clog quickly, and all is well again. We're always happy to help, but if you pour your used cooking oil into paper towel, sawdust, or kitty litter, then put it in your compost bin, you might not need our drain cleaning services.

SOS Drain Cleaning: we fix clogged drains! (But if you're careful with what you put down your drains, we might not have to. 🙂)

Thank you for the lovely card, Miriam! We were glad to help with your basement drain backup. 🙂

We were called to this home in Varsity after someone else had already tried and failed to clear a main sewer line blockage. Water had backed up out of the drains and onto the floor, and it was a mess.

All our technicians have three different power augers: a small auger for sink clogs, a medium auger for bigger or longer interior drain lines, and a large auger for main sewer lines. We used a large auger to cut a hole through the blockage, which allowed the backed-up water to drain away. We then used an inspection camera (which all our technicians also have) to find the cause of the blockage. We saw that the home's main sewer line was filled with roots, and that wet wipes that the tenants had been using had gotten caught.

We kept augering until the line was completely cleared. We removed enough roots and wipes to fill a small garbage bag, and flushed a lot more out of the pipe. Now the home's drains are flowing well again!

Do you have water backing up out of a basement floor drain, shower, bathtub, or toilet? If so, your main sewer line may be blocked by root intrusion or other problems. We clear main line blockages every day, and while we hope you never have this problem, if you do, we can clear yours too. 🙂

SOS Drain Cleaning: we fix clogged drains!

You might know that flushing wipes, hygiene products, or paper towels can cause drain clogs, but do you know why?

Flushing something down the toilet is just the start of its journey. It then needs to flow through your home’s plumbing, out through the main sewer line, and into the city sewer main, which is usually under the street in front of your house.

Water always flows downhill. A properly installed drain line slopes slightly downward for its whole length, so wastewater flows through it easily. Over time, pipes can move around as the ground around them settles, or tree roots push against them. This can cause parts of the pipe to have a flat slope, or even slope upwards. These spots are sometimes called “bellies”, “grade disturbances”, or just “low spots”.

When a low spot forms, water will pool in it. This isn’t a big problem by itself, but if you flush things like wipes, hygiene products, or paper towels, they’ll just sit in the pool of water and not dissolve. Once something’s sitting in your sewer line, anything else that flows through can get caught on it, and over time enough debris can build up to make a dam that blocks the pipe. When wastewater can’t travel through your sewer line, the results are… gross. If you have sewage coming out of your basement floor drain, bathtub, shower drain, or toilet, you probably have a main sewer line blockage.

How do you prevent this from happening? The easiest thing is to not flush anything but toilet paper. But if it’s too late and you have a sewage backup, call us at SOS Drain Cleaning, and we’ll be happy to fix the problem. Once we’re done, we can use our drain inspection cameras to see if there’s a low spot in your main sewer line, and if there is, we can fix it, and give you advice on how to avoid sewer and drain clogs until it’s fixed.

SOS Drain Cleaning: we fix clogged drains!

You’ve probably guessed that SOS Drain Cleaning can fix your clogged drains, whether they’re kitchen sink blockages, slow-draining tubs or showers, or backed-up floor drains or main sewer lines.

Did you know that we’re also a full-service plumbing company? Our experienced plumbers can diagnose and repair any plumbing problems, including broken hot-water heaters, dripping faucets, or in this case, leaky pipes.

This homeowner called us when they noticed water dripping from their basement ceiling. It turns out that some of the original 60-year-old copper drain piping had rotted through. Our plumber cut it out and replaced it with new piping, so they should be good to go for another 60 years. 🙂

SOS Drain Cleaning – we fix clogged drains! (And broken plumbing too!)

Imagine if the only way you could get a drink was to shove a straw into the ground. If someone installed a pipe full of water right next to you, you’d do anything you could to get your straw into that pipe, wouldn’t you?

That’s exactly what trees do when they’re near a sewer pipe. If there’s even the tiniest gap, they’ll push their roots through it to get to the precious water inside.

That’s great for the tree, but not great for your home’s sewer system. Once roots get into your main sewer line, anything flushed down your drains can get stuck. That makes the next thing that’s flushed down the drains more likely to get stuck, and the cycle repeats itself until there’s enough buildup to form a dam that blocks the pipe completely. When that happens, the results are messy and unpleasant.

Luckily, SOS Drain Cleaning can help. Our technicians carry augers with enough cable to reach the deepest clogs, and enough power to cut through the toughest roots. We can remove root blockages and get things draining properly in no time. Our technicians also carry inspection cameras so they can spot roots, low spots, and other problems with your sewer lines, and recommend the best way to keep them working well.

Are you having drain problems or backups? Whether the cause is root intrusion or something else, SOS Drain Cleaning can help. We fix clogged drains!

Plumbers never recommend using drain cleaning chemicals to open up a clogged sink or drain. Drain cleaning chemicals are hazardous to both you and the environment, they often don’t work, and if they don’t, they’re dangerous for any drain technician or plumber who you call to unclog the drain.

Here’s another good reason to avoid chemicals. This Canyon Meadows customer’s kitchen sink was stopped up, so they poured some drain cleaning crystals into it. When that didn’t fix the problem, the customer called a plumber who couldn’t get the sink flowing either. The customer called us next since we specialize in drains, and we were able to get it draining again, but only by cutting out the drain pipe and replacing it.

Why the heck did we do this? Because the drain cleaning crystals had solidified into a rock-hard mass in the pipe!

We’re happy to say that this customer’s kitchen sink is draining well again, and we bet that they’ll never use drain cleaning chemicals again. 🙂

Do you have a kitchen sink or other drain that’s not flowing how it should? Call SOS Drain Cleaning – we fix clogged drains!

Are your floor drains backed up? If wastewater is coming out of a basement floor drain, it’s often a sign that your main sewer line is blocked. It's important to fix main line blockages as soon as possible to avoid water damage, not to mention a big mess. SOS Drain Cleaning can help!

If your main sewer line’s blocked, then wastewater will come out of the lowest drain in the house, which is usually a floor drain, or a basement shower or bathtub. Common causes of main sewer line blockages are root intrusion, debris buildup, or a sewer pipe that’s actually coming apart. (We’ll have a whole blog post about that later.)

We’ve seen it all, though. In this customer’s case, we pulled chunks of concrete and a doorknob out of their floor drain!

Luckily, we have the tools to tackle even the toughest main line and floor drain clogs. Each of our technicians carries three power augers and 150 feet of cable in their vans. So, whether it's a typical blockage or a doorknob, we have the expertise and equipment to get the clog cleared fast so you can get back to your day.

Drain or plumbing problems? Call SOS Drain Cleaning today!

Every one of our technicians carries a drain camera. We don't usually share drain photos on social media though, because let's be honest: they can be gross. We're breaking that rule today because we're proud of this job. (But we did make the photos black-and-white to make them a bit less graphic.) 😆

A commercial customer had been calling another company every week, but their drain problems kept coming back, so the customer called us. We inspected the pipe with a drain camera and found rock-hard buildup that an auger couldn't remove.

Most plumbing companies do drains as a side gig, but we specialize in them, and we have specialized drain tools that most plumbing companies don’t. We came back to the building with a tool specifically designed for removing hard buildup, and a short while later we’d gotten it all out.

If you’re also having drain problems that other companies can’t fix, give us a call!

One of the drains in your house isn’t working. Now what?

If you call SOS Drain Cleaning at (403) 295-8989, we’ll make it easy and convenient:

* Our friendly dispatcher will answer your questions, including what the problem might be, and what our technician will do to fix it.

* If you’d like to book an appointment, our dispatcher will tell you when our technician will arrive. Most of the time we can send a technician the same day. Often we can send someone right away.

* We’ll call or text you when our technician is on their way. When they arrive, they’ll ask you to show them the blockage. They may test other drains to help locate the clog.

* Our technician will lay out a drop cloth to protect the work area, then bring in a power auger. A power auger has a long cable with a cutting head at the end, and all our technicians carry three in their vans. They have 150’ / 45 metres of cable, so they can reach even the deepest clogs.

* Our technician will push the cable into the drain line and run the machine until the blockage is cleared. They’ll then run the machine some more to clear out any remaining debris, and test with a lot of water to confirm that everything’s draining well again.

* Our technician can also use a drain inspection camera to identify any problems with the pipe, such as root intrusion, low spots, uneven joints, or even a broken or collapsed pipe.

* Once the clog has been cleared, our technician will explain what they found, and what you can do to prevent clogs in the future. They can then take a credit card payment on the spot.

At SOS Drain Cleaning, we’ve specialized in fixing clogged sinks, tubs, toilets, floor drains, and main sewer lines since 1992. We’d be happy to fix yours too!

We got an emergency call on Tuesday from a business that had water pouring out of the toilets and flooding their bathroom.

We rushed over, but when we arrived, everything looked... fine. Water had obviously been coming out of the toilets earlier, but it had stopped by the time we arrived. Also, water left over from the backup was clean and clear, which is not usually the case when there's a bathroom backup.

You might remember that we had a lot of rain on Tuesday. The business that called us had just opened recently, and this was the first heavy rainfall that we'd had since then.

It turns out that whoever had plumbed their bathroom had connected the bathroom drains to a storm drain line line instead of a sanitary drain line. During Tuesday's rainstorm, all the water going into the roof drains put so much pressure into the storm drain lines that water started coming up out of the toilets.

The moral of the story: don't trust your plumbing work to unlicensed handymen or contractors! Lots of people say they can do plumbing repairs, but not all of them are licensed plumbers or know what they're doing.

At SOS Drain Services, we're best known for fixing drain clogs, but we're licensed and insured for plumbing work as well. We're happy to help with any plumbing job, big or small, so call us today to take care of your plumbing repair, maintenance, and installation needs!