Drain cleaning services in Pitman, NJ

House traps in older homes

In Pitman, a house trap is a plain U-shaped bend in the main with a plug on top, placed near where the pipe leaves the house. If the trap clogs, the entire house slows together, which can look like a street problem.

See house trap clogs.

More about drains in Pitman

Small Victorians with older pipe and later bathrooms. Iron and clay with traps.

Two- and three-family houses

Shared lines complicate who pays and who gives access. The technician can say where the clog is; who is responsible between tenants, owners and associations is not something the drain technician decides. Clear the way to the drain and have a decision-maker on hand.

See two-family and multi-unit drains.

Roots in older laterals

Roots go where water and nutrients are, and a lateral has both. Callers in Pitman are asked the same few questions, so have the answers ready.

See tree root removal.

Where smells come from

An odor tied to a single fixture usually comes from that fixture. In Pitman, say whether the property is a house, a two-family or a business.

See sewer smell in the house.

What happens when you call

In Pitman, you should leave a visit knowing three things: what was blocked, what it was made of and whether it is likely to return. If the technician cannot say, ask for a camera look. If the line is sound and the cause was a habit, that is useful to know too.

What to tell the dispatcher

Say which fixture went first and what followed. Mention any past clogs and whether you know where the cleanout is. Note which fixtures are affected so the technician in Pitman can plan the visit.

Cable or jetter

For a one-off sink clog, a cable is generally sufficient. For roots, a cutting head goes first, sometimes followed by a jetter. Tell the dispatcher which part of Pitman the property is in.

See hydro jetting.

The biggest single discharge

A floor drain that rises just during the wash cycle is telling you the main is part-blocked. Independent technicians do the work in Pitman; this site only connects the call.

See main sewer line clogs.

Finding the cleanout

The cleanout is a pipe with a cap that lets a technician reach the sewer line. Water can come out.

See cleanout location and access.

A sewer scope before you close

Sellers can scope too.

See sewer scope before buying a home.

A cleaning schedule

Plan the next visit before the next backup. In Pitman, a house with a history is a good candidate for a regular schedule.

See preventive drain maintenance.

Kitchen grease at home

A kitchen sink that clears and clogs again within weeks has a grease lining. Say you are calling about Pitman and the dispatcher will route the call to a technician who works that area.

See kitchen grease clogs.

Tubs, showers and bathroom sinks

A shower that fills your ankles is a branch clog. Water coming up in the tub as another fixture empties points to the main line.

See shower and tub drain cleaning and bathroom sink drain cleaning. Mention how long the problem has been going on when you call from Pitman.

Right now, before the technician arrives

First, shut off what is feeding it. Get valuables off the floor. Call us and go through it in order. This applies in Pitman just as it does anywhere else in Gloucester County.

Habits that keep drains clear

Helpful habits: strainers on sinks and tubs, grease and wipes in the trash, and a camera look after a second clog. Whether your Pitman property is on sewer or septic changes what the technician checks first.

See preventive drain maintenance.

Why drains gurgle

A gurgle is air being pulled through a trap because the line behind it is partly blocked or poorly vented. When it happens as another fixture empties, the shared branch is the cause.

See gurgling and slow drains.

Repeat toilet clogs

In Pitman, a toilet is the largest fixture on the branch and shows trouble first. If the toilet gurgles when the shower runs, or the tub bubbles when the toilet flushes, they share the problem.

See clogged toilet.

Laundry drains and lint

In Pitman, a standpipe that overflows is a branch clog, usually lint and soap on a rough pipe wall. Check that the hose is not pushed too far into the standpipe and that the standpipe is the right height. If both are fine, the branch needs clearing.

See laundry drain clogs.

Rainy-day backups

A storm is the toughest test a sewer line gets. Groundwater rises, storm flow increases and any part-blocked line is found out. In Pitman, a floor drain that rises only in storms is a different problem from one that rises on a dry day.

See sewer backup in the basement.

The lowest opening in the house

Most days a floor drain does nothing; on the wrong day it does everything. In a Pitman basement the drain is the lowest opening, and it is where a part-blocked main first shows itself. The drain itself is rarely the issue; it is the first place the water can go.

See basement floor drain backup.

Pitman by the numbers

Pitman is a borough in Gloucester County. The 2010 census counted 3,705 housing units across 2.31 square miles, a housing density of about 1634.8 units per square mile.

In Pitman, about 1634.8 housing units sit on each square mile. Lots are small and closely spaced in this part of the county. If a neighbor's drains have also been slow, say so when you call.

In the 2020 census Pitman had 8,780 residents, down 2.6% from 9,011 in 2010. It is a borough in Gloucester County and was incorporated in 1905.

If you are calling from Pitman, the dispatcher will ask for the street, the type of property and what the drain is doing, then connect you with a technician who works that area.

Spread over 2.31 square miles, the 2020 population of 8,780 works out to about 3,801 people per square mile in Pitman, which gives a sense of how close neighbors and shared street mains are.

What stands out in Pitman

Pitman Grove, the community that grew into the borough, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.