Drain Cleaning & Clog Removal · Nationwide
Drain Cleaning & Clog Removal — Cleared Completely, Not Temporarily
Slow drains and recurring clogs are a symptom of buildup that store products can’t reach. NorTech uses professional hydrojetting and drain snaking to clear the full pipe — not just the surface blockage — with upfront pricing and a 1-year labor warranty.
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Nationwide Coverage
1-Year Labor Warranty
Upfront Pricing
Satisfaction Guarantee
Every drain cleaning service is backed by NorTech’s 1-year labor warranty. If the cleared drain fails within 12 months due to our work, we return and fix it at no charge. View warranty details →
New Customer Offer
15% Off Your First Drain Cleaning Service
New customers get 15% off any drain cleaning or clog removal service. Apply the code when requesting your quote — no restrictions.
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Before You Call — Identify What You’re Dealing With
These checks help determine whether you have a single drain clog or a main line issue — which changes the repair approach entirely. Run through them before calling.
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Test every drain in the house — not just the problem one
If only one sink or shower is draining slowly, the clog is localized to that branch line. If multiple drains across different rooms are all slow or backing up, the main sewer line is blocked — individual drain snaking won’t solve it.
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Listen for gurgling sounds after flushing or draining
Gurgling in one drain when another is used (toilet flush causes the tub to gurgle, or the sink gurgles when the washing machine drains) is a strong indicator of a main line partial blockage or venting issue — not a simple clog.
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Stop using chemical drain cleaners before we arrive
Chemical products left in the drain create a caustic environment that is hazardous for technicians to work around. If you’ve recently used a chemical cleaner, let us know — it affects how the drain can be accessed and cleared safely.
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Note how long the drain has been slow and whether it’s getting worse
A drain that’s been progressively slowing over months points to gradual buildup — hydrojetting may be the right solution. A drain that suddenly went from clear to completely blocked suggests a physical obstruction like a foreign object, root intrusion, or pipe collapse.
Two Methods, One Right Choice
Drain Snaking vs. Hydrojetting — Which Does Your Drain Need?
Not every clog requires the same approach. NorTech technicians assess the drain before recommending a method — the right tool for the actual problem, not the most expensive option.
Drain Snaking
A motorized cable with a cutting head is fed through the drain to break up or retrieve the blockage. Best for:
- Hair and soap clogs in bathroom drains
- Food particle blockages in kitchen sink traps
- First-time or infrequent clogs in otherwise healthy lines
- Toilet blockages below the bowl
- Foreign object retrieval
Hydrojetting
High-pressure water (3,000–4,000 PSI) scours the full pipe wall clean from the inside out. Best for:
- Recurring kitchen drain clogs from grease accumulation
- Main sewer lines with years of buildup
- Lines where snaking only provides temporary relief
- Soft root intrusion (roots that haven’t hardened)
- Preventive maintenance on commercial drain systems
Every Drain in Your Home
Drain Types We Clean & Clear
Each drain type has a different cause of failure and a different approach to cleaning. NorTech technicians are trained on all of them.
Kitchen Sink Drains
Grease, oil, and fat are the primary cause of kitchen drain failure. They coat the pipe wall and solidify over time, narrowing the line. Garbage disposals process food solids but don’t prevent grease accumulation downstream. Hydrojetting is the most effective long-term solution for kitchen main lines in Houston, Phoenix, and high-heat climates where grease buildup is accelerated.
Shower & Tub Drains
Hair combined with soap scum creates a dense, matted blockage that forms just past the drain strainer and deeper into the P-trap. Most shower clogs are cleared with a hand snake in a single visit. Recurring shower clogs after proper cleaning suggest the branch line has a slope or joint issue allowing buildup to re-accumulate.
Bathroom Sink Drains
Toothpaste, soap, hair, and cosmetic products build up in the pop-up stopper assembly and P-trap. Most bathroom sink clogs are cleared without accessing the wall. If the stopper mechanism is corroded or damaged, NorTech replaces it as part of the same service call.
Main Sewer Line
The main line carries waste from every fixture in the home to the municipal sewer or septic system. Root intrusion, grease accumulation, and pipe collapse are the leading causes of main line failure. NorTech uses camera inspection to locate the exact blockage before clearing — essential for distinguishing a soft blockage from a structural issue that requires pipe repair.
Laundry & Utility Drains
Washing machine drain lines clog with lint, detergent residue, and fabric fibers. Utility sink drains accumulate similar debris plus whatever materials are rinsed down in workshop or garage settings. These lines often lack strainers and clog faster as a result.
Floor Drains
Basement floor drains, garage drains, and laundry room floor drains collect sediment, debris, and standing water over time. They often contain a trap that must be kept filled with water to prevent sewer gas from entering the home. NorTech clears and inspects floor drains and checks the trap condition as part of the service.
Chemical Cleaners vs. Professional Service
Why Drano and Liquid Plumr Keep Failing You
Chemical drain cleaners are designed to dissolve surface clogs near the drain opening. They don’t address what’s causing your drain to keep backing up — and repeated use creates its own problems.
Chemical Drain Cleaners
- Dissolve hair and soap at the surface — not grease deeper in the line
- Don’t clear main line buildup or root intrusion
- Degrade PVC fittings and rubber gaskets with repeated use
- Create hazardous conditions for technicians called in afterward
- Clog comes back within days or weeks
- No inspection of what actually caused the blockage
Professional Drain Cleaning
- Clears the full pipe wall — not just the blockage entry point
- Camera inspection identifies root cause before treatment
- Hydrojetting removes years of grease and scale accumulation
- Snaking retrieves physical obstructions that chemicals can’t dissolve
- No pipe damage — safe for PVC, copper, and cast iron
- Results last months to years, not days
Upfront — No Surprises
How Drain Cleaning Costs Are Determined
Drain cleaning cost varies by drain type, blockage location, and method required. NorTech provides a written estimate before any work begins — you know the full price before the technician starts.
Drain Type
A single bathroom sink drain, a main sewer line cleanout, and a floor drain are different jobs. Each is quoted based on the actual scope.
Method Required
Hand snaking and hydrojetting are priced differently. The technician recommends the appropriate method after assessing the drain — not the higher-priced one by default.
Camera Inspection
Main line clogs and recurring drain problems benefit from a camera inspection to locate the blockage precisely. Camera inspection is quoted separately and recommended when it changes the repair approach.
Number of Drains
Cleaning multiple drains in the same visit is typically more efficient than separate service calls. Multi-drain service is quoted as a package when applicable.
Equipment & Pipe Types We Service
Drain Systems & Pipe Types We Work On
NorTech drain technicians carry professional snaking and hydrojetting equipment for all common residential and commercial drain configurations.
Common Questions
Drain Cleaning — Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the most common questions about drain cleaning, hydrojetting, chemical cleaners, and recurring clogs.
Recurring clogs almost always indicate a buildup problem that extends beyond the P-trap — grease accumulation in kitchen lines, soap scum and hair in bathroom drain stacks, or root intrusion in main sewer lines. Store-bought drain cleaners dissolve surface blockages temporarily but don’t clear the full accumulation or address root causes. A professional drain cleaning with hydrojetting removes the buildup from the full pipe wall and typically resolves recurring clogs for years.
Hydrojetting uses a high-pressure water stream (typically 3,000–4,000 PSI) to scour the interior walls of a drain pipe, removing grease, scale, soap buildup, and soft root intrusion. It’s needed when standard drain snaking clears a clog temporarily but the drain slows again within weeks, when a kitchen drain has years of grease accumulation, or when a sewer camera inspection reveals heavy buildup throughout the line. Hydrojetting is not appropriate for old, fragile pipes — NorTech assesses pipe condition before recommending it.
Chemical drain cleaners can dissolve minor hair and soap clogs near the drain opening, but they have significant limitations. They don’t clear grease accumulation deeper in the line, they can damage older PVC and metal pipes with repeated use, and they create a hazardous chemical environment for the technician if you call for service after using them. For recurring or slow drains, professional snaking or hydrojetting is more effective and doesn’t damage your pipes.
Drain cleaning costs vary by drain type, blockage severity, and cleaning method required. A single bathroom drain cleared with a hand snake is priced differently than a main line hydrojet service. NorTech provides upfront written estimates before any work begins — no open-ended billing based on time. Request a free quote for an accurate estimate for your specific drain issue.
If only one fixture drains slowly — a single sink, shower, or tub — the clog is localized to that drain’s trap or branch line. If multiple drains throughout the home are slow, backing up, or gurgling simultaneously, the blockage is in the main sewer line. A main line clog requires snaking or hydrojetting at the cleanout, not at individual fixtures. Attempting to snake individual drains when the main line is blocked will not resolve the issue.
Kitchen drain clogs are almost always caused by grease, oil, and fat buildup. Even when liquefied, grease coats the interior of drain pipes and solidifies as it cools. Over time, this buildup narrows the pipe diameter significantly. Coffee grounds, food particles not captured by a strainer, and soap residue accelerate the process. Garbage disposals do not prevent grease buildup — they process solids but grease still passes through and accumulates downstream.
Professional drain snaking does not damage pipes in good condition. Hydrojetting uses water pressure only and is safe for PVC, copper, and cast iron pipes that are structurally sound. NorTech uses a sewer camera to assess pipe condition before recommending hydrojetting — if a pipe has significant corrosion, cracks, or joint deterioration, hydrojetting pressure could worsen existing damage and a pipe repair is addressed first.
A single drain cleared with a hand snake typically takes 30–60 minutes. A main line snaking service takes 1–2 hours depending on access and blockage location. Hydrojetting a full drain system takes 2–3 hours and includes a post-jetting camera inspection to confirm the line is clear. Most drain cleaning services are completed in a single visit.
Service Territory
Drain Cleaning Service Areas
NorTech dispatches drain cleaning technicians to major metros and surrounding areas nationwide. Check your service territory →
Slow Drain or Recurring Clog? NorTech Clears It for Good.
Upfront estimates, professional hydrojetting and snaking, and a 1-year labor warranty. Serving Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and cities across the U.S.
