Residential Drain Cleaning Services

Need residential drain cleaning service? We can help!

A clogged drain pipe can be a real hassle, but Alpha Plumbing’s trained drain cleaning plumbers have the solution for you. We offer a full range of drain pipe cleaning services – from a simple toilet or sink clog to a main sewer pipe.

With over 25 years of experience in the business, we know a thing or two about clearing a clogged drain. Since 1991, we’ve been offering expert full-service plumbing repairs to clients throughout central Maryland, including Baltimore, Arnold, Crofton, Millersville, Pasadena, Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Severna Park, Odenton, Catonsville and Severn.

Thanks to our expert services and commitment to professionalism, we’ve earned an A+ rating from the BBB as well as the Angie’s List Super Service 13 years running. No job is too large or too small for our plumbing professionals!

In the case of a main sewer blockage, if the sewer cleanout is accessible, a municipal emergency crew (see our list of DPW contact numbers) will be able to determine if the blockage is in your sewer line or in the county/city line. If the blockage is in the county/city line, the crew will break the blockage or repair the pipe, ending the backup. If there’s not a cleanout or if the cleanout cannot be located, you’ll need to call a plumber to assist you.

But what causes these pesky backups?

K60 Drain Cleaning Machine

Waste water flows through relatively small lines on your property to the larger, county lines in the street (or to your private septic system). From there, the sewage travels by gravity or pressure to a water reclamation facility. The stream is constant, with peaks in the morning and evening. Each day millions of gallons of wastewater safely reach facilities to be reclaimed and returned to the environment.

Unfortunately, a blockage in the sewer line can interfere with this normally quiet, out-of-sight process. A blockage in a private or county line causes a back-up through shower drains, laundry drains or toilets at the lowest point in your home. The overflow will continue until the blockage is removed or until sewage is no longer entering the line.

K1500 Drain Cleaning Machine

For kitchen sink drains soap, grease and detergents slowly build up on the inner walls of your drain pipes and can eventually cause a backup. Or a bunch of potato peels will clog it right away!

For shower and tub drains, if you see yourself standing in water and the water covers the shower floor and your feet, you have a soft clog that can eventually lead to a complete backup.
Properly functioning bath drains should always drain water right away.

For bathroom sink drains hair, soap and toothpaste buildups are common causes for drain clogs.

Also, anything which should not be in a sewer line has the potential of causing a clog. For example:

Kitchen grease, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins and tampons can accumulate and cause a clog.
Tree roots seeking moisture can grow through cracks in the lines and cause a clog.
Vandals have stopped up lines by putting bricks, wood, oil filters, bed springs and even Christmas trees in manholes.
Illegal hookups allow excess water into the lines. Outside stairwell drains, sump pumps, roof leaders, and rain gutters should not be connected to the sewer system. A sewer system is designed to carry a predetermined amount of sewage. Rainwater not only overloads the system, but also raises the cost of the treatment process.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your property.

What You Can Do to Prevent Sewer Backups!

Do Not:

Put diapers, feminine products, or sanitary napkins in the toilet (or small toys)
Dispose of grease down the drain
Plant trees near sewer lines
Connect any area way drains or sump pumps to the sewer line

Do:

Hire a plumber to install a back water valve on the lowest drain line exiting your home. Regularly inspect and maintain the valve. The purpose of the back water valve is to prevent backups from entering from the county sewer line into your home. You don’t want all your neighbors’ sewage in your house.
Modify the plumbing line so that water is pumped to an upper level drain, eliminating the drains at the lower level.

And just in case…

Locate and keep accessible the sewer cleanout in your front yard and in your home. If you don’t have a cleanout, have one installed by a plumber. The cleanout is the property owner’s responsibility.

Check your homeowner’s insurance policy. If you’re not covered for back-ups, call your agent for information on costs and coverage options. If you experience a back-up, save all receipts related to any repair, cleaning or damages.