Professional Clogged Pipes Repair in Austin, TX

Have you noticed the water in your sink or bathtub taking longer and longer to drain? That mild hassle can turn into a major headache as a clog grows, and clogged pipes rarely clear up on their own. Westmoreland Plumbing has served Austin since 1976, and we repair clogged pipes for homeowners and businesses alike. We come to your location, find where the clog is, and clear it before it has the chance to do more damage to your pipes, system, or property.

What’s Clogging Your Pipes

The cause depends a lot on which fixture is giving you trouble, and that’s often the first thing we ask about. Each part of the house collects its own kind of buildup, so the location gives us a good head start on what we’ll find.

Kitchen sinks clog with grease and food. Grease goes down as a warm liquid, cools on the wall of the pipe, and catches everything that follows it, which is why a clogged kitchen sink so often comes back. Bathroom sinks and showers collect hair and soap, and the two bind together into a mat just past the drain. Toilets back up from too much paper or from things that shouldn’t be flushed. Austin Water names disposable wipes, even those marked “flushable,” among the common causes of sewer overflows.

One Slow Drain or All of Them

The most useful thing you can tell us is how many fixtures are affected. A single slow drain usually means a clog in that fixture’s branch line, close to where the trouble shows up. It’s inconvenient, but it’s contained, and it’s normally a straightforward repair.

Several drains acting up together is a different situation. When the toilet gurgles while the washing machine empties, or water comes up in the tub when you flush, the blockage is likely in the main line that carries everything out of the building. Stop using water if you see that, because whatever goes down the drain has nowhere to go and will come back up at the lowest opening. A clogged sewer line needs a plumber, and our drain cleaning team has the camera and hydrojetting equipment for it.

Why a Slow Drain Shouldn’t Wait

Clogs don’t just make your sink, tub, toilet, or shower a hassle to use. They can also damage your pipes and, eventually, your home or business. Water that can’t move adds strain at the blockage, and a full backup puts wastewater on your floor. Cleaning up after that costs far more than clearing the pipe would have.

Standing water carries its own problems too. A drain that holds water can start to smell as waste breaks down in the pipe, and it gives bacteria a place to grow. If you’ve been working around a slow drain for a few weeks, it’s a good time to have someone look at it.

How We Clear a Clogged Pipe

We start by tracking down where the clog is, since a blockage in a branch line and one in the main line call for different work. Our plumbers test the fixtures involved and, when the location isn’t obvious, use a sewer camera to see inside the pipe. Once we know what’s in there, we choose the method that fits the blockage and the condition of your line.

Then we clear the pipe. If we find any other problems, you can have us repair them, and we can take a look at the rest of your system at the same time if you’d like.

When to Try It Yourself and When to Call

A plunger is worth trying on a clogged toilet or one slow sink, and a small hand snake can reach hair just past a shower drain. Those are reasonable first steps, and plenty of minor clogs end there. If the drain clears and stays clear, you’re done.

Call a plumber when the clog comes back within days, when more than one drain is involved, or when you can smell sewage. We’d also suggest calling before you pour in a second bottle of chemical drain cleaner, because a clog that survives the first dose usually isn’t one that a second will fix. Tell us what you tried when you call, since it helps us know what to expect.

Clogged Pipes in Commercial Buildings

Businesses and multi-unit buildings put far more through their pipes than most homes do, and a clog there affects more people. Westmoreland Plumbing clears blockages for commercial properties around Austin. If a line keeps clogging, we can inspect it and help you set up regular maintenance.

Tell us which fixtures are affected and how many people or tenants they serve when you call. It helps us know what to expect.

Keeping Your Pipes Clear

Most clogs can be prevented with a few small habits. Austin Water asks residents to collect small amounts of grease in a can or jar with a lid, seal it in a bag once it’s cool, and put it in the trash. A paper towel over a greasy pan before washing helps too, and a strainer in the shower catches most of the hair.

Regular maintenance covers what habits can’t. We recommend having your drains cleaned every few years, and a little more often for sewage pipes, so that buildup gets removed before it turns into a blockage. Westmoreland Plumbing can set that up whenever you’re ready, and our page on drain cleaning explains what’s involved.