Drain Cleaning and Repair in Las Vegas, NV
We clear clogged sinks, tubs, showers, toilets and main lines, repair drain pipes that leak or sag, and install new drains for remodels and additions.
- 24/7 emergency service
- Licensed technicians
- All makes and models
Reading the signs of a drain problem
Where a drain misbehaves tells you a lot about what is wrong and how far down the trouble sits.
- Kitchen sink. Slow draining that worsens over weeks is nearly always grease and food residue coating the pipe.
- Bathroom sink, tub or shower. Hair bound up with soap scum, usually within a few feet of the drain opening.
- Toilet. Too much paper, wipes or a dropped object. A toilet that clogs often may have a blockage farther down.
- Laundry. Lint and detergent residue, showing as water welling up from the standpipe.
- Several fixtures together. The main line is blocked, which belongs with sewer service.
Gurgling after a fixture drains points to a partial clog or a venting fault. A sewer smell from a drain that otherwise works fine is usually a dry trap, which we come back to below.
Drain cleaning, repair and installation
Clearing a clog starts with the least aggressive tool that will do the job. A hand auger or small cable machine handles most sink, tub and shower stoppages. Longer or tougher blockages get a larger cable with a cutting head, and lines coated with grease or sludge are better served by hydro jetting. When a drain clogs repeatedly, we put a camera in it to see why.
Sometimes the cause is the pipe. We repair or replace leaking traps, corroded or cracked sections, joints that have pulled apart, and runs that were laid too flat to carry waste away. Horizontal drain pipe needs a steady fall, typically about a quarter inch per foot, and every fixture needs a trap and a vent to drain properly.
We also install new drains: for an added sink or laundry, a relocated shower, a bathroom remodel, or a cleanout where the house never had one. That work is planned around slope, venting and the local code.
What not to put down your drains
Most of the clogs we clear were preventable. Keep these out of the plumbing:
- Cooking grease, fat and oil. They go down as liquid and set hard farther along the pipe. Let them cool and put them in the trash.
- Coffee grounds, eggshells, rice, pasta and stringy peels, even with a garbage disposal.
- Wipes of any kind, including those labeled flushable, plus paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and feminine products.
- Hair. A simple strainer over tub and shower drains catches most of it.
- Paint, grout, plaster and joint compound rinsed off tools.
Toilets are built for toilet paper and human waste, nothing else. Run plenty of cold water while the disposal is on and for several seconds after it stops.
Why chemical drain cleaners are a poor fix
Liquid and crystal drain openers work by a strong caustic or acid reaction that gives off heat. On a full blockage the product sits in the pipe against the clog, and the usual result is a small channel through the middle that closes again soon. Meanwhile the chemical can attack old metal pipe, soften plastic fittings, and damage rubber seals, disposals and fixture finishes.
They are also dangerous to people. A splash burns skin and eyes, and mixing two products, or adding one after bleach, can release toxic gas. If you have already poured one in, tell us before we start so nobody opens a trap full of it unprotected.
Safer first steps are a plunger, a plastic hair-removal strip, or taking out and cleaning the stopper and trap. Enzyme-based maintenance products are gentle but slow, and they will not open a blocked drain.
Drain care in Las Vegas homes, and when to call
Two local conditions are worth knowing. Our water is very hard, and hard water turns soap into a sticky scum that lines tub and sink drains faster than it would elsewhere; softening the water cuts that down. The dry air also evaporates the water seal in traps that are seldom used. If a guest bathroom or floor drain smells of sewer, pour a quart of water into it. That usually ends the smell.
Call 702-497-0888 when a drain will not clear with a plunger, clogs keep returning, or water backs up in more than one fixture. Sewage coming up through a drain should not wait. Our licensed plumbers respond 24/7 in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Summerlin.
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question? Call 702-497-0888.
Why does my drain keep clogging?
A drain that clogs again and again was never fully cleaned, or the pipe itself has a fault. Grease and soap coat the wall and catch new debris, roots regrow, and a sagging or back-pitched pipe holds solids. A camera inspection shows which it is, so the fix addresses the cause and not only the latest blockage.
Are chemical drain cleaners safe for pipes?
They are hard on plumbing and we do not recommend them. The heat and caustic action can damage older metal pipe, plastic fittings and rubber seals, particularly when the product sits against a full clog. They also rarely remove the whole blockage. A plunger or hand auger is safer, and a plumber's cable pulls the clog out instead of burning a hole in it.
Why does my drain smell like sewage?
The most common cause is a dry trap. The U-shaped bend under every drain holds water that blocks sewer gas, and in a fixture that is rarely used that water evaporates. Run the tap or pour water down the drain to refill it. If the smell persists, the cause may be buildup in the pipe, a venting problem or a leak that needs inspecting.
When is a clogged drain an emergency?
Treat it as urgent when sewage is coming up into a tub, shower or floor drain, when several fixtures back up together, or when the only toilet in the house is unusable. Stop running water and call for service. A single slow sink can wait for a regular appointment, though it is better dealt with before it stops completely.
What is the difference between snaking and hydro jetting?
Snaking pushes a rotating cable through the clog to break it up or pull it out, which restores flow quickly. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to scrub the whole inside of the pipe, removing grease and sludge a cable leaves behind. A one-time clog usually needs only a cable; a line that keeps clogging often benefits from jetting.
Related plumbing services
Schedule service
Tell us what is going on and we will call you back to set a time. For anything urgent, the phone is fastest.
702-497-0888- 24/7 emergency service
- 3200 Kings Way, Las Vegas, NV 89102
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