Drain cleaning in Smyrna
Most drain calls in Smyrna fall into one of three buckets: a kitchen line choked with years of grease, a bathroom drain full of hair and soap, or a main line that has been invaded by roots or collapsed. They look alike from the outside because the symptom is the same, water going down slowly or not at all. The fix is different for each, which is why we find out where the blockage actually is.
Kitchen lines
Grease does not stay liquid. It cools in the pipe, sticks to the walls, and catches everything that follows. A garbage disposal makes it worse, because food scraps add bulk to the grease. If your kitchen sink drains slowly, and the problem returns every few months, the line past the trap is probably coated.
Bathroom lines
Hair and soap scum build up in the trap and the pipe just past it. A tub or shower that is slow is usually one of these. If more than one bathroom is slow, the problem is further down the line.
Kitchens that never get a rest
A busy kitchen in a house with several people eating at different times puts a lot of grease down the sink over the course of a year, even when everyone thinks they are being careful. In neighborhoods off Sam Ridley Parkway and Old Nashville Highway, the kitchen line is where we find the heaviest buildup. The pipe past the trap is narrow, the grease cools and sticks, and the next batch of scraps lodges in it.
If your kitchen sink drains slowly after dinner and well by morning, the line is narrowing and will plug sooner or later.
What to do and what to skip
| Do | Skip | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scrape plates into the trash | Rinsing grease down the drain | Grease coats the pipe wall |
| Use a hair catcher in showers | Pouring drain cleaner repeatedly | Chemicals can damage fittings |
| Flush only paper | Flushing wipes | Wipes do not break down |
| Run hot water after the disposal | Putting rice or pasta down it | Starches swell in the pipe |
What helps between visits
- Use drain screens in tubs and showers
- Wipe greasy pans before washing them
- Do not flush wipes, even the ones sold as flushable
- Run hot water for half a minute after using the disposal
Backups into the lowest drain
If water is coming up in a floor drain or the lowest tub in the house when you run the washer, the main line is blocked. Stop using water and call us.
Drain questions
Can roots get into a sewer line in Smyrna?
Yes, anywhere there are trees near an older line. Roots find tiny cracks at joints and grow into the pipe, then catch paper and debris.
Do you repair the pipe if it is broken?
Yes. We replace damaged underground drain sections. See repiping and supply lines in Smyrna for the other side of your plumbing.
Garbage disposal habits that keep a kitchen line open
- Run cold water before, during and for half a minute after
- Feed scraps slowly, a little at a time
- Keep fibrous food out, such as celery strings, corn husks and onion skins
- Never put grease, oil or coffee grounds down it
- Skip rice, pasta and potato peels, which swell and gum up the pipe
What a disposal does and does not do
A disposal chops food into small pieces so it can travel down the pipe. It does not make the pipe bigger, and it does nothing about grease. In a house where the disposal is used heavily, the kitchen line carries a lot more than it was designed for. If your sink drains slowly even after a good run of hot water, the pipe past the trap is probably narrowing, and it is better to clear it before it stops completely.
More plumbing in Smyrna
- Leak Detection & RepairHidden leaks and high water bills traced and repaired in Smyrna, from Sam Ridley Parkway to Sam Davis Road.
- Water HeatersReplacing aging 1990s and 2000s water heaters in Smyrna, with the drain pan and relief line done right.
- Remodel & New Build PlumbingBathroom remodels, additions and garage conversions plumbed in Smyrna on your schedule.
- Fixtures & InstallsFaucets, toilets, disposals and washer boxes installed and tested in Smyrna.
- Repiping & Supply LinesReplacing worn supply lines in Smyrna homes, from a single failing run to a whole-house repipe.
Drain Cleaning & Sewer nearby
- Drain Cleaning & Sewer in MurfreesboroSlow drains and main line backups cleared at the source, including older downtown sewer lines.
- Drain Cleaning & Sewer in La VergneClogged kitchen sinks, slow tubs and main line backups cleared in La Vergne homes.
- Drain Cleaning & Sewer in NolensvilleClogged sinks and main lines cleared in Nolensville, plus drain repair in older homes.
- All drain cleaning & sewer service areasSee every city we cover for this service.
- Plumber in Smyrna, TNAll our work in Smyrna, from one page.
Drain Cleaning & Sewer in Smyrna?
(423) 227-6947Call or text, or send us a message and we will get back to you.