Drain cleaning services in Somerville, NJ

Older homes and their house traps

Older houses often have a house trap: a U-shaped fitting on the main pipe near the front wall, with a cleanout plug on top. It holds a water seal and also collects silt and debris.

See house trap clogs.

Two- and three-family houses

Shared pipes complicate who pays and who gives access. Clear the way to the drain and have a decision-maker on hand.

See two-family and multi-unit drains.

When the toilet clogs again and again

The toilet's branch is short and wide. A part-blocked branch makes the toilet clog in ordinary use.

See clogged toilet.

What a camera inspection shows.

With a camera, guesswork becomes evidence.

See sewer camera inspection.

Keeping a drain clear

In Somerville, what helps: strainers in sinks and tubs, grease scraped into the trash, wipes in the trash and a camera check after repeated clogs. What does not: chemical cleaners, which seldom clear a real clog and can harm old line, and products that promise to keep lines clean with no effort.

See preventive drain maintenance.

Before you phone

Tell the dispatcher where in Somerville you are, what you see and when it started. Say what else was running and whether the house has a basement, slab or crawlspace.

Odours that come and go

A smell that comes and goes is generally a trap that dries out. Refilling them is free. If it recurs, the trap may be losing water for another reason.

See sewer smell in the house.

A cleaning schedule

In Somerville, ask what the schedule would cost over a few years and compare it with what the camera says about the line. Repair is another trade, and a technician cannot quote it, but can say what the camera shows.

See repeat drain clogs.

Why the kitchen sink clogs

An Somerville kitchen line that has been slow for a year is likely coated with grease. Cabling opens the sink for a few weeks and leaves the lining behind. Jetting after a camera look is the most thorough choice.

See kitchen grease clogs.

Bathroom sinks, tubs and showers.

A shower that fills your ankles is a branch clog. The difference is whether it happens alone.

See shower and tub drain cleaning and bathroom sink drain cleaning. If the property in Somerville is rented, say who can give access.

Backups during storms

Storm backups are hard to place. They may be a house line issue, a public main at capacity or ground conditions. Give the street and the nearest cross street in Somerville when you call.

See sewer backup in the basement.

If water is rising

In the first minutes, the useful things are small. Call and describe the order. A short description of what the drain is doing helps the dispatcher match the call in Somerville.

From the phone call to the clear line

A technician arrives with questions and leaves with a diagnosis. You get the price between those two steps. Callers in Somerville are asked the same few questions, so have the answers ready.

Basement floor drains

A basement floor drain is the lowest opening in the house, so a part-clogged main shows itself there first. The washer is a frequent trigger, since it discharges a large volume immediately.

See basement floor drain backup.

Roots in older laterals

A root goes for a joint or crack that is already open; it does not make one. A joint that has opened a hair is sufficient. After they get in, roots fan out like hair in a drain and catch everything going by. Cutting opens the pipe; sealing the gap is a different trade.

See tree root removal.

The washer standpipe

A standpipe that overflows is a branch clog, typically lint and soap on a rough line wall. When both check out, clear the branch.

See laundry drain clogs.

Main or branch

In Somerville, the pattern of symptoms sorts most cases. A single slow sink is a local clog. A rising floor drain points to the main. Describe the order in which things happened, and you have done half the diagnosis.

See every drain backing up.

Cable or jetter

For a one-off sink clog, a cable is typically enough. For roots, a cutting head first and sometimes a jetter after. The technician should explain the choice, not just make it.

See hydro jetting.

Washer, floor drain, main line

Running the washer is the test nobody planned. If the floor drain, a utility sink or the lowest tub rises as it drains, the pipe is not carrying the flow. Check the hose position and the standpipe height first. If both are correct, the main is the suspect.

See main sewer line clogs.

Somerville by the numbers

Somerville is a borough in Somerset County. The 2010 census counted 4,951 housing units across 2.36 square miles, a housing density of about 2123.8 units per square mile.

Across 2.33 square miles of land, homes are built close together here, so mention whether neighbors have had the same problem. A shared or street-side line can affect more than one address.

In the 2020 census Somerville had 12,346 residents, up 2.0% from 12,098 in 2010. It is a borough in Somerset County and was incorporated in 1863.

What stands out in Somerville

Somerville's Wallace House, now a museum, served as George Washington's headquarters during the Middlebrook encampment.