Drain cleaning services in Burbank, CA

Drain conditions in Burbank

Burbank has many bungalows on raised floors, with clay laterals running through the crawl space. The ground rolls toward the foothills, so some streets give good fall and others flatten out. Old trees along the streets put roots close to those clay joints. Remodels and added rooms are common, and a new bathroom or laundry can add a branch to a line that was laid for fewer fixtures, while some small offices and shops near the studio area bring their own kitchen lines.

Tell the call-taker whether the house has a crawl space, which drains are slow, and whether any rooms were added. The cleanout is often a capped pipe near the front or side, and a remodel may have buried or moved it. Clear the crawl-space hatch if there is one. If cleaning clears the line only briefly, ask for a camera look at the clay run. Repair advice comes after the technician has seen it. Glendale, North Hollywood, Sun Valley and Tujunga are near the service area.

Bungalows and raised floors

Many Burbank homes are older bungalows built on raised foundations. The drain run under the floor is short on paper but crosses crawlspace, footings and old joints before it meets the lateral, and a clog there can look like a street problem.

If a crawlspace cleanout is the only access, tell the call-taker so the right reel comes along. See raised-foundation drain clogs.

Slopes toward the foothills

Streets near the foothills fall steadily, so a lateral there moves solids quickly until it reaches the flatter ground below. Debris often stops where the grade eases, and that low end is where a backup first shows.

Studio-area offices and shops

Offices, small production buildings and restaurants line the commercial streets. Their lines are longer and carry more, and a floor drain in a back room may share a stack with the unit next door.

Clay laterals and old trees

Clay laterals from the early decades run in short sections with a joint every few feet. Mature trees on the older blocks send roots to any joint that weeps, and the roots thicken into a mat that traps paper.

Remodels and added rooms

A back bedroom, a second bathroom or a converted garage adds fixtures to a lateral sized for the original house. The new branch may be long and shallow and join an old pipe at an awkward angle.

When something was added to the house

A bathroom, a laundry room or a back unit puts more fixtures on a line that was sized for the original house. The new branch can be shallow, long or joined at an awkward angle. This is general information, and your Burbank property may not match it exactly.

Tell the call-taker what was added and when the clogs started. A camera shows the connection and the lateral together. See adu and added-bathroom drain clogs. The age of a Burbank home is a useful clue, and the camera confirms the rest.

Trees, roots and how often to look

A camera every few years on a heavily treed block costs less than an emergency visit. Where the lateral runs, how old it is and how the tree grows decide how frequently a line needs a look. If you are in Burbank, mention your cross street so the right technician is matched.

If the line has been cleared twice in a year, the interval is the clue. See tree root removal. A technician serving Burbank can explain what applies to your property.

How grease builds up

Grease cools in the pipe and clings to the wall. Food particles stick to it, and the bore narrows week by week until the line barely drains.

Wipe pans, jar the fat and keep a strainer in the sink.

Scale and old iron

Iron pipe builds a rough crust of scale inside, narrowing the bore. Paper and grease catch on it, and a once smooth line becomes a trap. Every Burbank home is a little different, so describe yours when you call.

A camera shows the crust and the wall under it, so the method suits the pipe.

What to say when you call from Burbank

• Say whether a tree stands between the house and the street, and how large it is.
• Say whether the house has a raised floor or a crawl space. It tells the technician how the line runs under the home.
• Give the build decade if you know it. Homes from before the war are more likely to have clay in the lateral.

Quick answers for Burbank