Commercial Drain Cleaning in Evansville, IN

Say a cable opened the kitchen line for a day and the floor drain slowed again by the next rush. Hydrojet drain cleaning is worth it over a standard clearing when grease and debris need to come out of the pipe rather than just be broken up, because that's where EPA's descriptions of the two methods part ways.

A power rod turns as it passes through the line, usually with an attachment of small blades on the end, and an appendix to EPA's 2004 report to Congress on sewer overflows says rodding is typically used for stubborn stoppages of roots, grease and debris. The same EPA appendix adds that rodding loosens and breaks up debris but doesn't remove it from the line, so it's most effective paired with flushing. Jetting aims a high-pressure stream of water at the blockage or debris instead, and EPA's 1999 fact sheet credits it with removing debris and grease build-up in small-diameter pipes.

Both EPA documents were written about sewer lines, not one under-sink branch, so read them as how the two methods differ rather than a rule for every fixture in the building.

If the restaurant floor drain or kitchen line is still standing after a pour-down fix, clogged drain cleaning is the next step — the chemical or home-style fix didn't clear the clog.

Grease is the usual commercial driver. The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) says fats, oils and grease from homes or businesses collect in sewer lines, form clogs and cause backups, and that FOG backups may damage homes and restaurants. EWSU's FOG page adds that flushing or draining FOG into the sewer violates local ordinances, so restaurants and food preparation businesses must take additional measures: grease interceptors (grease traps) on gray-water drain lines, with FOG wastes regularly removed or pumped from those traps. Questions about trap design or maintenance go to EWSU's FOG Coordinator at 812-436-7013. Pumping an interceptor is that FOG program's job; this page's work is clearing the commercial drains and lines that still back up.

In restrooms, keep "flushable" wipes, paper towels and sanitary items out of the fixtures: EWSU calls them unsuitable for the sewer system and says they should never be flushed or washed down the drain.

EWSU also describes a City-main backup. If the backup occurs in a City-maintained line, the utility says the wastewater will normally come out of the lowest possible opening, and in some buildings it may exit through the lowest drains. Plug the drains and call EWSU's Sewer Department at 812-421-2130; its crews are on call 24/7, and a blockage they find in the main gets cleared. If the main isn't blocked, EWSU advises calling a plumbing or sewer contractor to check the service line. When that City-main work is the job, it sits outside this page's heading.

When water is pooling under the slab or along the foundation rather than stuck in a commercial fixture drain, that points to other drainage jobs such as crawl space and basement drains or French drain / exterior drainage, not a kitchen or floor-drain clear.

What changes the cost of a commercial drain cleaning visit is which line is involved, how heavy the grease or debris is, how hard the cleanout is to reach, and whether the work is a clear versus a damaged pipe — not a single price on this page. A free quote settles the number for your building before anyone starts; there's no trip or diagnostic fee.

It also helps to know which pipe is yours. EWSU is responsible for the sewer mains in the street, off private property or in easements, while property owners maintain the line between the building and the property line. That split decides whose crew clears a City main versus a private service line.

EWSU's system connects nearly 63,000 customers in Evansville and Vanderburgh County; outside it, check with your own utility. If large shrubs or trees with deep roots grow near the sewer lateral, EWSU notes that tree roots may cause breaks or cracks in sewer lines, and that a plumber can determine whether the service line has been or could be damaged. A cracked or failed exterior drain line is exterior drain repair territory; a clear of buildup stays on this page.

We're open 24/7 for commercial drain cleaning across Evansville and the Tri-State. Call (812) 677-8484 when you're ready.