Plumbers Rockford IL Pros is a referral service. We connect you with independent local plumbers and do not do the plumbing work ourselves.
A slow sink is a nuisance; a basement floor drain backing up is an emergency. Call (815) 420-9933 and we will connect you with a local plumber who clears drains, inspects sewer lines by camera and repairs or replaces damaged lines across the Rockford area.
Is it one clogged drain or the main sewer line?
If only one sink, tub or toilet is slow and everything else drains fine, the clog is usually in that fixture's trap or branch line. If several fixtures are slow at once, drains gurgle when a toilet flushes, or water comes up through the basement floor drain, the blockage is in the main line and needs a plumber quickly.
- More than one fixture draining slowly
- Gurgling from sinks or tubs when a toilet is flushed
- Water or sewage coming up through the basement floor drain
- A sewer smell in the basement
How do plumbers clear a clogged drain?
Most clogs are cleared with a drain cable, a motorized cable with a cutting head that breaks up the blockage. Lines that clog again and again, or that are packed with grease or roots, are better cleaned with hydro jetting.
What is hydro jetting?
Hydro jetting cleans the inside of a drain or sewer line with a high pressure stream of water fed through a hose and nozzle. It scours away grease, sludge, scale and roots that a cable only punches through, so the line stays clear for longer.
Before jetting an older line, a camera inspection shows whether the pipe is in good enough condition to take the pressure.
What does a sewer camera inspection show?
A sewer camera is a waterproof camera on a flexible cable that the plumber feeds into the line, so you can see the inside of the pipe on a screen. It shows roots, breaks, cracks, sagging sections and separated joints, and it locates the problem so only that spot has to be dug up.
A camera inspection is also worth booking before you buy an older home, or when the same drain keeps backing up after it has been cleared.
Can a damaged sewer line be repaired without digging up the yard?
Often, yes. Trenchless methods repair or replace a sewer line through small access points instead of a long trench: pipe lining cures a new pipe inside the old one, and pipe bursting pulls a new pipe through while breaking the old one apart.
Whether a trenchless method fits depends on what the camera finds, such as how badly the pipe has collapsed or sagged. Where it does not, the damaged section is dug up and replaced.
What should I do if sewage backs up into the basement?
Stop running water anywhere in the house, because every flush and drain adds to the backup. Keep people and pets away from the water, then call (815) 420-9933; emergency plumbing is available 24/7.
How can I keep drains from clogging?
Keep grease, cooking oil and food scraps out of the kitchen sink, use strainers in tubs and showers, and only flush toilet paper. Wipes marked flushable still catch in sewer lines and on roots.
Rockford's hard water also leaves scale inside older drain pipes, which narrows them over time and gives clogs something to grip. Agree the price with the plumber before any work starts.
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Leaking water heater, backed up drain or a well pump acting up, day or night? Call and we will connect you with a local plumber.