DrainCreaning, Stoppages, and Clogged Drains

   Stoppages and clogged drains can come from many different issues in the plumbing system, from hair and grease buildup to serious problems like tree roots or a blocked main sewer line. Understanding the common causes, warning signs, and first steps to take helps protect your home and know when it is time to call a professional.​

      Everyday use slowly coats the inside of drain pipes with soap scum, grease, food particles, hair, and other debris, which eventually narrows the pipe and catches more buildup. In toilets and main lines, “non‑flushable” items like wipes, feminine products, paper towels, and cotton swabs, along with grease poured down sinks, are major causes of hard blockages and repeated backups. Outside the home, shifting soil, broken or sagging pipes, and tree roots growing into older sewer lines can partially or completely block the main sewer, causing widespread stoppages.​

      A typical single‑drain clog shows up as slow draining or standing water in one sink, tub, or shower, sometimes with gurgling or foul odors at that one fixture only. A main line or sewer stoppage is more serious and usually affects multiple fixtures at once, such as toilets backing up when a shower runs, floor drains overflowing, or sewage coming up in tubs or lower‑level drains. Any time wastewater is backing up in several fixtures at once, or you see sewage in showers or floor drains, that points to a main line issue that needs professional equipment, not just a plunger.​

      If just one sink or toilet is clogged, stop running water at that fixture, try a proper plunger or tool, and avoid chemical drain cleaners, which can damage pipes and make professional cleaning harder. If multiple fixtures are affected, toilets are overflowing, or water is coming up from floor drains, stop using water throughout the home, avoid flushing, and call a licensed plumber to inspect and clear the line with the right tools before the backup causes serious damage.

 After‑hours drain and sewer stoppage service is available when clogs can’t wait for the next business day. Whether it is a backed‑up toilet, a kitchen sink that will not drain, or a main line overflowing, The Service Genie can respond after hours to help stop the backup, protect your home from further damage, and get critical fixtures flowing again so you are not stuck without usable plumbing overnight.