Plumbing service
Main sewer line clearing
If every fixture in the house is sluggish together, the problem is the main line between the stack and the street. That pipe needs a heavier machine, the right cutter, and someone who knows how far the property line is.
- Pipe size: Usually 4" house drain
- Older materials: Clay tile, cast iron, early ABS
- Typical blockage: Roots at joints, wipes, a broken section
- Ownership: Homeowner side to the property line; city side beyond
- Licensed, insured trade work (details confirmed when you call)
- Diagnosis before anything is cut
- Emergency calls taken
- Etobicoke and the west end
At a glance
- Pipe size
- Usually 4" house drain
- Older materials
- Clay tile, cast iron, early ABS
- Typical blockage
- Roots at joints, wipes, a broken section
- Ownership
- Homeowner side to the property line; city side beyond
Signs it is the main
A toilet that bubbles when the washer drains, water at the floor drain when someone showers upstairs, or several fixtures backing up together are the classic signals. A single slow sink is a branch problem; the whole house struggling is the main.
- The front cleanout is usually a capped fitting near the front wall of the basement, sometimes hidden behind finished drywall or a storage shelf.
- If we cannot find it, we will come in through a toilet flange rather than a small trap.
Running the sectional machine
We feed a sectional cable with a root cutter or spade head down the drain, working the head through the blockage in short pulls. When the water drops, we keep going to the property line so the whole run is clear, not just the first plug.
- The cutter tells a story.
- Fine white root hairs mean clay joints have opened.
- Paper and wipes mean the line is open but rough.
- Hard chunks of tile mean the pipe has broken.
When the city side is blocked
If the clearing stops at the distance of the property line and the pipe beyond is the municipal connection, the City of Toronto investigates blockages on its side. We can document the finding on camera so your call to the city is straightforward. Check with 311 for the current process.
- Either way, you get the length and depth of the problem written down, so a repeat visit can go straight to the right spot.
Signs to watch for
- Toilets gurgle when other fixtures drain
- Water rising at the basement floor drain
- Sinks, tub and toilet all draining sluggishly together
- A sewer smell outside near the front of the house
- Roots visible in a cleaned-out trap
How the job runs
Find the cleanout
We locate the front cleanout or another straight access.
Open the line
A sectional machine with a sized cutter clears the blockage.
Run to the property line
The cable goes the full length of your side.
Camera record
We film the pipe and mark any root or break location.