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Austin Drain Cleaning
What Clogs Austin Drains Depends on the Age of the House
In the older neighborhoods inside the loop, Hyde Park, Crestview, Tarrytown and the streets around Mueller that predate it, the sewer line under the yard is often original cast iron or clay tile, and it runs beneath live oaks and pecans that have had sixty years to find the joints. Roots are the number one reason those lines back up, and the second is cast iron that has rusted rough enough inside to catch everything that passes. In the slab suburbs, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Kyle, Buda and Leander, the pipe is PVC and the roots are fewer, but the drains run under the slab, the cleanout is out in the yard somewhere, and the clogs are the ordinary ones: kitchen grease, hair, wipes, and the scale that Austin’s hard water leaves on the inside of every drain until it narrows.
Heavy Central Texas rain adds a third cause on both sides of town. Old joints let groundwater in, and a line that was just barely flowing surcharges when the ground is saturated, which is why the tub gurgles after a storm. We have cleared all of these since 1999, with cable, hydro jetting and a camera to show you what was actually in the line. Every drain and sewer clearing is backed by the no-backup promise in our Home Comfort Guarantee. The general explanation of each method is on our drains and sewers page.
- No-backup promise If drainage backs up or slows after we clear it, we check it at no charge and make it right if it relates to our work.
- Camera-verified On main lines we show you the pipe, so you know whether it was a clog or a broken line.
- Price before the cable A written quote, honored 72 hours, no hidden fees, at the same rate on a holiday night.
Warning Signs
How Austin Homes Warn You Before a Backup
A single slow drain is a fixture problem. Several at once, or the lowest one in the house, is the main line.
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The tub gurgles when the toilet flushes
Air pushing back through the lowest fixture. In an older central Austin house this is usually roots in the sewer line.
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Drains slow down after a heavy rain
Groundwater getting into an old sewer line through cracked joints. The clog was already there; the rain just made it obvious.
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The kitchen sink backs up every few months
Grease cooling and hardening in the line, with hard-water scale giving it something to stick to. Cabling clears it; jetting removes it.
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Water rising in the shower when the washer drains
A partial block downstream of both. In a slab home in Round Rock or Kyle that block is under the concrete, so it is worth finding it with a camera before it is a full backup.
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Sewer smell in the yard or at a cleanout
A line that is leaking or overflowing at the cleanout cap. Common where a cast iron or clay line has separated at a joint.
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A live oak or pecan right over the sewer path
Not a symptom yet, but in a pre-1970s Austin house it is a reason to camera the line before the roots close it.
Drain Services
Drain and Sewer Cleaning Across the Austin Area
From a slow bathroom sink to a main line packed with roots, with the right tool for each.
- Kitchen and bathroom drains Sinks, tubs, showers and floor drains cleared with the right cable and head for the pipe, without chemicals that eat old cast iron. See clogs.
- Main sewer line cleaning Cabling the line from the cleanout to the city tap, cutting roots and clearing the blockage so the whole house drains again.
- Hydro jetting High-pressure water that scours grease, scale and root hair off the pipe wall instead of just punching a hole through the clog. Details at hydro jetting.
- Camera inspection A look inside the line after clearing, so you know if you have a clean pipe, a root problem that will return, or a broken section. More at camera inspection.
- Adding a cleanout Many older Austin homes have no accessible cleanout, which turns every clog into a roof-vent or toilet-pull job. We install one where it belongs. See sewer line cleanouts.
- Sewer repair when cleaning is not enough Spot repairs and replacements for separated clay joints and collapsed cast iron, priced in writing after the camera shows the problem. See sewer repairs.
How a Drain Call Goes
From Standing Water to a Clean Line
The goal is not just to get water moving today. It is to know why it stopped.
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Call, day or night
Tell us which fixtures are affected and whether anything is backing up. Stop running water in the house until we arrive.
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Find the right access point
The cleanout, a fixture trap or the roof vent, chosen to reach the block without making a mess in your house.
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Quote, then clear
You approve a written price first. Then cable or jetting, depending on what the line and the clog call for.
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Camera and confirm
On main lines we run the camera afterward so you see the pipe. Then the no-backup promise applies.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Drain Backing Up in Austin?
Licensed plumbers 24/7, the price agreed first, and a no-backup promise on every clearing.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
I had Radiant Plumbing replace my tankless water heater, damaged in the Feb. 2021 snowmageddon storm with a new unit. The process was smooth and professional from start to finish. The plumber, James, was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly explained my options to me. The cost and time to perform the installation were just as estimated. When he was done, James explained how to maintain the system, what service would be needed and how to perform it, and answered all of my engineering geek questions. It was a thoroughly positive experience. I have used several different plumbers in Austin over the past 15 yrs, but my search is over - I will not hesitate to call Radiant next time and would recommend them unreservedly.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
★★★★★
We called Radiant Plumbing after we noticed a water leak in our kitchen. We were in a time crunch and they were able to schedule us quickly, before we left for vacation. They sent their representative, Preston Nichols, and he was excellent to deal with! He was on time, skillful, friendly, and very professional. It turned out to be a problem with our dishwasher but Preston was quick to diagnose it and set our minds at ease. While he was here, we mentioned that our one year-old water heater needed to be flushed. Preston was quick to take care of that, as well, saving us time and money in the process. Radiant charged us almost half the price another plumber quoted us for that service! While Radiant Plumbing isn’t our usual plumber, they gained a new customer. We won’t hesitate to call Radiant again in the future based on our VERY positive experience with them.
★★★★★
I had a clogged drain that was slowly getting worse. Radiant was timely in communication and arriving. I was presented with the options to unclog drain without any pressure. Even though I went with the cheapest option to snake the drain, they were thorough and after discovering there may be bigger issues, the manager was sent out and video scoped the pipes at no cost to show (while I watched) the actual issue, which was a half filled slow draining pipe due to foundation issues and the pipe rising. The location was pinpointed and was exactly where we had floor tiles crack due to ground fluctuations. All in, they were here for about three hours and I was only charged for the drain cleaning service and I now know my options for a long term solution. Again, all of this with no sales pressure not even to fix the ultimate issue after an estimate was given. Highest recommendation for their service, especially in an industry where it can be hard to find someone you trust.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Austin Drain Cleaning Questions
Should I pour liquid drain cleaner down a slow drain in an older Austin house?
We would rather you did not, and in a pre-1970s house with cast iron drains we would ask you not to. Caustic drain chemicals generate heat and sit in the low spot of the pipe when they fail to clear the clog, which corrodes old cast iron from the inside and can soften PVC joints. They also make the line hazardous for the plumber who opens it next. A plunger or a hand auger is fine for a hair clog at the tub. For anything the plunger does not fix, a cable clears it without harming the pipe, and if the drain keeps slowing we can look inside with a camera to see why. Our drains page has more on safe home methods.
Roots from my live oak keep clogging the sewer line. What are my options?
You have three, and the right one depends on what the camera shows. If the line is intact and roots are entering at a couple of joints, periodic cabling with a root-cutting head, or hydro jetting, keeps it flowing and is the least expensive path; many older Austin homeowners simply put it on a schedule. If the roots have separated a clay joint or cracked a section of cast iron, a spot repair on that section stops the intrusion at its source. If the line is failing in several places, replacing the run from the house to the city tap ends the problem for good. We show you the footage and price the options in writing, honored for 72 hours, before anything is dug. See sewer line replacement for the last option.
Where is the sewer cleanout on a slab home in Round Rock or Pflugerville?
Usually in the front or side yard, close to the house, where the main drain exits the slab and heads toward the street. Look for a round plastic cap a few inches across, often near a hose bib or along the line between the house and the water meter; it is frequently buried under mulch or grass. Some homes also have one at the back near the kitchen. Older central Austin houses often have no exterior cleanout at all, which means clearing a main line has to go through a roof vent or by pulling a toilet. If that describes your house, adding a proper cleanout is a modest job that makes every future drain call faster and cleaner.
What exactly does the no-backup promise cover?
It is part of the Home Comfort Guarantee: after Radiant clears a drain or replaces a sewer line, if the drainage backs up or slows again, we come out and check it at no charge, and if the problem is related to our work we make it right. It is not a promise that a root-bound clay line will never need service again; a camera inspection tells you honestly what to expect there. It is a promise that you will not pay twice for the same clearing because a job was done halfway. It also applies at the same rate around the clock, since there are no surprise fees for nights, weekends or holidays.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
