Clogged Drain Cleaning in Tennessee

What clogs a drain changes across Tennessee. Cast iron and clay lines under big trees are the issue in older neighborhoods, grease and wipes in newer subdivisions, and septic tanks in much of the countryside. Find your city below, or the one closest to you. Each city page has a rough cost range, a look at what local soil and trees do to drains, and one number that connects you with a local plumber.

The ground changes a lot in Tennessee, from thin, rocky soil over limestone in the middle of the state to mountain slopes in the east and silty clay in the west. Rocky ground makes septic fields and sewer repairs harder, and much of the countryside uses septic. Heavy rain falls through much of the year. Older homes have clay and cast iron sewer lines, and oaks, maples and sweetgums send roots into the joints. Water is harder in the limestone areas.

• Thin, rocky soil over limestone in many areas
• Septic systems across much of the countryside
• Heavy rain through much of the year
• Clay and cast iron sewer lines in older homes
• Roots from oaks, maples and sweetgums

Ask whether rock under the yard will affect the price if the sewer line has to be dug up rather than just cleared.

• Kitchen sink. Cooking grease and oil that cool and harden on the pipe wall, plus food scraps, coffee grounds and soap scum that stick to it. A garbage disposal sends more solids down, not fewer.
• Bathroom sink. Hair mixed with soap, toothpaste and shaving residue, caught on the pop-up stopper or in the trap. Small items dropped down the drain add to it.
• Tub or shower. Hair is the main cause, bound together with soap scum and conditioner. Older tubs with a trip lever drain collect it in the overflow and the drum trap.
• Toilet. Too much paper at once, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and toys. Low-flow toilets from before about 2005 clog more often.
• Floor or laundry drain. Lint from the washing machine, sand and grit, soap, and in basements the silt that washes in. A dry trap lets sewer gas up as well.
• Main sewer line. Tree roots coming in at joints in clay and cast iron pipe, grease built up from years of kitchen use, wipes, and pipe that has sagged or cracked.
• Outdoor or yard drain. Leaves, dirt, sand and roots in yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the pipes that carry downspout water away.