A clog that comes back in the same place every few months, and the tree roots that are usually why.
Tree roots enter a sewer line at a weak point, not through the pipe wall itself — a separated joint, a hairline crack, a connection that has shifted. Once a fine root finds the moisture and nutrients inside a drain line, it thickens and branches inside the pipe, and the mat of roots catches paper and waste until the line backs up. Clay and older cast iron with mortar or oakum joints are more prone to this than modern PVC with solvent-welded joints, which is one reason root intrusion shows up disproportionately in the older parts of the valley.
Clearing it means a cable with a root-cutting head or a jetter with a root-cutting nozzle to chew the mass out of the line, and that part is routine. What it does not do is close the joint the roots got in through, which is why the same spot often re-grows roots within a year or two and the clog returns. A camera inspection is what tells you whether repeat cutting is a reasonable long-term plan or whether the joint itself needs a spot repair or a full relining — a decision worth making with an actual picture of the pipe rather than another round of guessing.
Tell us which fixture and how bad, and we'll match you with someone who runs the right tool the first time.
Get a Drain ClearedTell us which drain and how bad — we'll follow up to figure out whether it needs a cable, a jetter, or a camera first.
