Cities We Serve
Austin Area:
San Antonio Area:
Not seeing your area? Give us a call at (833) 656-4056
Clogged Drains
What Is Actually Down There
Every drain in the house clogs on its own kind of junk. Bathroom lines stop on hair bound up with soap. Kitchen lines stop on grease that went down warm and set like candle wax in the cooler pipe under the slab. Toilets stop on wipes, which do not break down no matter what the package says, and on the things small children flush. Laundry lines pack with lint. And in the established neighborhoods of Austin and San Antonio, the main line stops on tree roots that found a leaking clay joint and moved in.
A plunger moves a clog a few feet. A store-bought snake reaches a few feet farther. Radiant’s plumber finds the right access point, whether that is the trap, a cleanout or the roof vent, and runs a cable with a cutter head sized to the pipe until the blockage is broken up and carried out, not relocated. Then we run water at every affected fixture to prove the line is open. If the clog is in the main sewer line, we clear it from the cleanout, and if it is the second or third time, we run a camera to show you why it keeps happening.
Our no-backup guarantee applies to every drain we clear: if it backs up or slows again, we check it at no charge and make it right if it is related to our work. For a clog that is also flooding a floor, our emergency plumbers are the same team, at the same price, any hour.
- The right tool for the drain A toilet auger, a sink cable and a main line machine are three different tools. We bring all of them so nothing gets forced.
- No surprise fees, ever Clogs happen at 10 p.m. on a Sunday. The price you approve is the price you pay, whatever the clock says.
- Backed by the Home Comfort Guarantee No backups after drain clearing, and a 10% inconvenience refund up to $1,000 if we cannot resolve the issue.
What to Watch For
How a Clog Shows Itself
The first three are a single fixture. The last three mean stop running water and call now.
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The toilet fills to the rim instead of flushing
A blockage in the trap or just past it. Do not flush again. One plunge is fine; if that fails, the clog is farther in than a plunger reaches.
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Standing water on both sides of the kitchen sink
The clog is past where the two bowls join, usually grease in the branch line. Running the disposal will not help and may flood the cabinet.
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A tub or shower that will not drain at all
A hair clog that has finally closed the pipe, or a stopper mechanism packed solid. Either is a quick clearing if we get to it before you try chemicals.
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Water rising in the tub when the toilet flushes
The lowest drain in the bathroom is taking what the toilet sends. The blockage is downstream of both, in the branch or the main line.
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Gurgling from a toilet or drain you are not using
Air being pushed back through the traps because water cannot get out the normal way. A main line warning, often a day or two ahead of a backup.
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Water or sewage at a floor drain or the yard cleanout
The main sewer line is blocked and the water is finding the lowest exit. Stop using every fixture in the house and call.
What We Clear
Any Clog, Any Fixture
From a single toilet to a main line full of roots, cleared by a licensed plumber with the tool that fits.
- Toilet clogs Cleared with a closet auger that will not scratch the bowl. If the toilet itself is the problem, we say so and offer a toilet repair instead of a third clearing.
- Shower and tub clogs Hair and soap, cleared through the drain or the overflow, with the stopper linkage cleaned so it does not start the next one.
- Kitchen sink and disposal clogs Grease, coffee grounds and the peels that did not make it. Cleared past the disposal into the branch line where the real blockage is.
- Laundry standpipe clogs Lint and detergent sludge that make the washer overflow on the spin cycle.
- Main sewer line clogs Roots, wipes and grease in the lateral, cleared from the cleanout with a main line machine. This is the clog that affects the whole house.
- Repeat clogs A drain that has clogged more than once in a year gets a camera look and an honest conversation about jetting or repair.
How It Works
From Your Call to a Clear Drain
Fast, but not rushed. The goal is a drain that stays open.
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Call and stop running water
Tell us which fixtures are affected. If more than one is backing up, shut off the washer and dishwasher and keep everyone off the taps until we arrive.
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We locate the blockage
The plumber checks every affected fixture, finds the cleanout or trap that gives the best shot at the clog, and tells you whether this is local or main line.
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You approve a written price
One price for the clearing. If we think a camera or jetting is warranted, that is a separate line you can say no to.
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We clear, test and explain
The clog comes out, water runs at every fixture to prove it, and you hear what caused it and how to keep it from coming back.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Something Backing Up Right Now?
Radiant answers 24/7 in Austin and San Antonio. Same price on a holiday as on a weekday.
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
Clogged Drain Questions
Why does my toilet gurgle when the shower drains?
Because the water leaving the shower cannot get past a blockage downstream, so it pushes air back up through the nearest trap, which is the toilet. It is one of the most reliable early warnings of a main line clog, and it usually shows up a day or two before the backup. The blockage is somewhere after the point where the shower and toilet lines join: the bathroom branch, the building drain under the slab, or the sewer lateral in the yard. It is not a shower problem and clearing the shower drain will not fix it. Ease up on water use and have us clear the line from the cleanout before it turns into gray water in the tub.
Can I clear a clog myself with a plunger or a store-bought snake?
Sometimes, and it is worth a try on a single fixture. A flange plunger on a toilet, a cup plunger on a sink with the overflow covered, or a short hand auger through a bathroom sink trap clears a fair share of simple clogs. Two things to avoid: chemical drain openers, which do not work on real clogs and make the pipe dangerous for whoever opens it next, and forcing a hardware-store snake through a toilet, which scratches porcelain and can wedge in the trap. If the clog does not move after a few honest tries, or if more than one fixture is involved, stop. That means the blockage is deeper than home tools reach, and the next step is a licensed plumber with a proper cable machine.
Why does the same drain keep clogging?
One of three reasons. The clog was punched through rather than removed, so the buildup on the pipe wall caught the next thing that came along. The pipe has a physical problem: a belly where the line sags and holds water and sediment, a root intrusion at a joint, or a cracked or offset section in old cast iron or clay. Or the habits feeding the drain have not changed, which is usually grease in a kitchen line. We handle the first with proper clearing or hydro jetting. The second we find with a camera and fix with a repair. The third we will tell you about plainly, with no lecture.
What should I do if sewage is backing up into my tub right now?
Stop all water use in the house immediately: no flushing, no washer, no dishwasher, no showers. Everything that goes down is coming up in that tub. If you have a cleanout in the yard, you can carefully remove the cap to let the line relieve outside instead of inside, but stand clear and expect a mess. Keep kids and pets out of the bathroom, and do not try to bail the tub into another drain. Then call us. This is the call we run 24/7 for, and the price is the same on a Sunday night as on a weekday. Once the line is clear, we will run water to confirm it and talk about why it happened.
*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.
