What is causing my drain to clog? 

Every drain in your house is different. 

Kitchen sinks are usually affected by grease, cooking oil and food scraps. Grease hardens after it cools and when that is being poured down your pipes, it will back everything else up. If you have grease you need to get rid of, let it cool in a can or jar and toss it in the trash.

Bathroom sinks and tubs are typically clogged due to hair and soap scum. When hair goes down the drain it can get stuck on the stopper and when soap flows into it, the water cannot flow properly. This builds up overtime until eventually water isn’t going down at all. To keep hair from going down the drain, a cheap mesh drain cover is one of the easiest fixes.

Toilets clog from too much toilet paper, flushable wipes (which is not possible, there are no wipes that are safe to flush) and items that shouldn’t be flushed in the first place.  

Main sewer lines and floor drains are different. Around Pittsburgh, we deal with a lot of older homes, many with original clay or cast iron sewer lines that are 50 years old or more. Combine that with mature, tree-lined streets, and you’ve got roots finding their way into pipe joints looking for water, aging pipes collapsing or shifting, and heavy rain overwhelming older sewer systems. If more than one drain in your house is backing up at the same time, that’s usually not a simple clog. That’s a sign of a bigger issue in your main line.

What can I try to unclog my drain?

A hot water flush can work for grease clogs in the kitchen sink to loosen things up. 

If it’s your toilet, try using your plunger first. It’s still one of the best tools.

For your shower, a drain snake can pull out hair and debris. 

Sometimes, a mixture of baking soda and vinegar can help clear the pipes and won’t cause any internal damage. 

How do I know I need a plumber for my clog?

• The clog keeps coming back no matter what you do
• Multiple drains are slow or backing up at once
• You’re hearing gurgling sounds from other drains when you run water
• There’s a bad smell coming from the drain
• Water is backing up into your basement or lowest floor drain

We can come to your home with the proper equipment to see what is happening. Our drain cameras allow us to know exactly what’s going on inside your pipes.

We’ll let you know what we see, whether it’s something to just keep an eye on or something that needs repair. 

Terry’s Plumbing has been part of this community since 1984 and we’ve built our name on doing the job right and being honest about what your home actually needs. Whether it’s a simple clogged drain or something bigger going on underneath your yard, we’re just a phone call away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Don’t go to bed with that drip tonight and don’t wait on that clogged drain either. Give us a call at (412) 364-9114 or reach out through our website to schedule a service.