A clogged drain is not a leak — nothing is escaping the pipe, something is blocking it — but it is one of the most common calls we get in Compton, usually right alongside a leak inspection. Kitchen drains clog with grease that hard water keeps from breaking down the way it would in softer-water regions. Bathroom drains clog with hair and soap scum that binds with mineral deposits into a stubborn mass rather than a loose clump. And older cast iron sewer laterals, common under Compton's pre-1960s tract blocks, narrow with decades of scale the same way old copper pipe does, until root intrusion or accumulated debris backs the whole line up.
How we clear a drain
Most kitchen, bathroom, and single-fixture clogs clear with a drain snake — a flexible cable run down the line to break up or retrieve the blockage. For grease-heavy kitchen lines, recurring clogs, or anything beyond a single fixture, hydro jetting does a more complete job: high-pressure water scours the full interior of the pipe rather than just punching a hole through the clog, which is why jetted lines tend to stay clear longer than snaked ones.
Mainline and sewer lateral clogs
When more than one drain in the house is slow or multiple fixtures back up at once, the problem usually is not any single drain — it is the mainline or sewer lateral leaving the house. We run a sewer camera before recommending a fix on mainline calls, because a mainline clog and a mainline leak look identical from inside the house but need completely different repairs. If the camera shows a genuine leak or a collapsed section rather than a clearable blockage, see our sewer line leak page.
Signs you have a drain clog, not a leak
- Water backs up or drains slowly, but your water bill has not changed
- Gurgling sounds from a drain when another fixture runs
- Multiple fixtures slow at once, which points toward the mainline rather than one drain
- No standing water, wet spots, or warm patches anywhere — the water is going somewhere, just slowly
If instead you are seeing water where it should not be — a wet patch, a warm floor, or a climbing bill with no visible cause — that points toward a leak rather than a clog, and our general leak detection page is the better starting point.
What we clean
- Kitchen and sink drains, including grease-heavy lines
- Shower and tub drains, hair and soap-scum clogs
- Mainline and sewer lateral clearing
- French drains and yard drainage lines
- Commercial drain lines for restaurants and retail spaces
Slow or backed-up drain anywhere in the house?Dispatch answers 24/7. Written quote before any work.
✆ (424) 544-0235Drain cleaning questions from Compton homeowners
Snaking or hydro jetting: which do I need?
Snaking is faster and cheaper for a single stubborn clog. Jetting costs more but scours the full pipe wall and lasts longer, which is worth it for grease-heavy kitchen lines or a drain that clogs repeatedly.
Why does my kitchen drain clog more than my bathroom drains?
Compton's hard water keeps grease from breaking down in the pipe the way it would with softer water, so it congeals against the pipe wall instead of washing through. That buildup narrows the line over months until something finally catches on it.
Multiple drains are slow at once. Is that one problem or several?
Almost always one problem — the mainline leaving the house rather than each fixture individually. That is exactly the pattern that calls for a camera inspection instead of snaking each drain separately.
Do you offer commercial drain cleaning?
Yes, for restaurants, retail, and other commercial spaces in Compton and the surrounding Gateway Cities, including grease trap adjacent drain lines.