Drain cleaning services in Los Alamitos, CA

Drain conditions in Los Alamitos

Los Alamitos is flat, and most of its housing is postwar, built on slabs with clay laterals that now run under mature trees. The blocks are level, so the pipe has only a slight fall toward the street, and roots find clay joints easily. Many of the original houses have been added onto over the years, which can put new bathrooms or laundry drains far from the old cleanout and add a second branch to the same lateral. Small commercial strips nearby feed the same local mains.

Tell the call-taker where the cleanout is and whether the house has been extended, since a blockage can sit on the original branch or on the addition. Say which fixtures are slow and how long it has been going on. If the line slows again after clearing, ask for a camera look to see root entry and sags in the clay. Neighbouring areas include Hawaiian Gardens, Cypress, La Palma and Cerritos.

Postwar clay under mature trees

Homes built in the early postwar years have clay laterals in short sections with a joint every few feet. Trees planted at the same time are now tall, and their roots follow moisture to the first joint that weeps.

A camera shows where roots entered and how far the mat extends. See tree root removal and clay sewer lateral clogs.

Flat blocks, slow laterals

The ground is flat, so laterals fall only slightly and any dip holds paper. A line that clears on a quiet day can fail when the whole household is washing and showering at once.

If the clog returns in the same spot, say so. Every Los Alamitos home is a little different, so describe yours when you call.

Additions to the original house

Many homes have had a room added or a garage converted. The new plumbing ties into the old lateral, frequently through a long shallow branch that was not part of the original design. Every Los Alamitos home is a little different, so describe yours when you call.

Tell us what was added and when the first clog came. See main sewer line clogs.

Small commercial strips

The small strips of shops and restaurants send grease down long floor drains. These clog at peak hours, and the stoppage often shows first in the back room.

Ask about a cleaning schedule outside opening hours. See hydro jetting. Every Los Alamitos home is a little different, so describe yours when you call.

Selling a postwar home

Buyers often ask for a camera look at the lateral before closing. The footage shows roots, offsets and low spots, and it can save a negotiation.

Ask for a copy and keep it with your papers. See sewer scope: buying or selling.

Neighbors and the street main

Homes on one block often share a connection to the same main, and a blockage there can show up in several homes. If a neighbor has had trouble, mention it.

A camera at the main connection shows where the blockage sits.

What to say when you call from Los Alamitos

• Mention the year the house was built if you know it. Tract homes from the same years tend to share pipe material.
• Say whether the house is on a slab. It decides whether the technician works from a yard cleanout or from inside.
• Say if you have already had the line cleared once. A repeat clog is the case for a camera.

Common questions