Drain Cleaning in Chicago Homes and Buildings
Old Chicago plumbing has its own habits. Cast-iron stacks, galvanized kitchen lines, basement catch basins and floor drains that tie straight into the building sewer all clog in different ways and need different tools. Our trucks come into the city from our shop at 2093 Rand Road in Des Plaines — we don't keep a Chicago office — and the northwest side is a short run down the Kennedy.
In plain language: we find where the clog actually is, clear it with the right machine for that pipe, and tell you if something in the pipe is likely to make it come back.
Right Away Plumbing and HVAC is based at 2093 Rand Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016.
Kitchen lines in bungalows and two-flats
Kitchen sinks in older city homes often drain through galvanized steel pipe that narrows from the inside as it rusts. Grease catches on that rough surface, and the line slows a little more every year. In a two-flat, the upper kitchen often shares a stack with the one below, so a clog can show up in the first-floor sink even though it started upstairs.
We clear kitchen lines with a cable sized to the pipe and, when a line keeps coming back, recommend replacing the worst section of galvanized instead of cleaning it again and again.
Basement floor drains and catch basins
Many older Chicago basements have a catch basin — a trap in the floor that collects grit and grease before water reaches the sewer. When it hasn't been cleaned out, the basement floor drain backs up during laundry or after a heavy rain. Floor drains in the basement are also the lowest openings in the house, so they're where a main-line blockage shows itself first.
In plain language: water coming up through the basement floor drain doesn't always mean the floor drain is clogged. It often means the main line is, and we check that before treating it as a small clog.
Bathrooms and cast-iron stacks
Tub and sink clogs are usually hair and soap near the fixture. Toilets that back up repeatedly, or several fixtures draining slowly at once, point further down — a partly blocked stack or building drain. Old cast iron can scale inside and catch paper. We'll tell you when we see scale or a cracked section, because those don't get better with more cleaning.
When to call
Call us when a drain clogs repeatedly, when more than one fixture is slow, or when water appears at the basement floor drain. Stop running water to the affected fixtures and avoid chemical drain openers, which are hard on old pipe and on whoever opens it next. Call 773-250-6060 — same-day visits when the schedule allows. If the line keeps clogging, a camera inspection is the next step; see our Chicago sewer repair page.
What we check
- Which fixtures are slow and where the clog sits
- Galvanized and cast-iron condition near the clog
- Catch basin and basement floor drain
- Stack and building drain for shared lines in two-flats
- Whether a camera inspection is justified
See our full drain cleaning page, or go back to plumbing and HVAC in Chicago.
Chicago drain cleaning questions
Why does my basement floor drain back up when I do laundry?
The washer puts a lot of water into the drain at once. If the catch basin or the main line is partly blocked, the water has nowhere to go but up the floor drain. We check the main line before treating it as a floor-drain clog.
What is a catch basin in a Chicago basement?
It's a trap built into the floor of many older Chicago basements that collects grit and grease before water reaches the sewer. It needs cleaning out from time to time.
Should I use chemical drain cleaner on old pipes?
We don't recommend it. Chemicals rarely clear a real blockage and can be hard on older pipe. A mechanical cleaning is safer and tells us more about the line.
How do I book drain cleaning in Chicago?
Call 773-250-6060. Same-day visits are available when the schedule allows.
Request drain cleaning in Chicago
Call 773-250-6060 or request service online. Same-day visits when the schedule allows. We are licensed, bonded and insured.