Drain cleaning services in Chico, CA

Drain conditions in Chico

Chico has many prewar raised homes with crawlspaces, and the older ones commonly have clay laterals that have been repaired or partly replaced over the years. The ground is flat, so fall to the street is shallow. Huge old street trees are part of the town's character, and their roots can find clay joints and fill a lateral slowly.

Crawlspace access matters here, so tell the call-taker where the cleanout is, or whether you cannot find one, and whether you can reach under the house. Where a house is rented, say who can unlock the cleanout. In hot, dry summers roots are often at their most active for moisture, so a line that slows then may deserve a camera look rather than a repeat clear. Ask for one if the same drain returns. Calls also come from Paradise, Magalia, Orland and Oroville.

Prewar raised homes

Blocks near downtown have prewar homes on raised floors, with clay laterals and iron branches repaired a piece at a time.

Read more: raised-foundation drain clogs and clay sewer lateral clogs.

Huge old street trees

Sycamores, oaks and other very large trees line the streets, and their roots follow moisture toward any joint that leaks. A mat forms in the pipe.

A camera reveals where roots entered. See tree root removal.

Student rentals and shared houses

Many homes near the campus are rented to groups, so a lateral built for one family carries far more load. Wrong items flushed add to it.

Tell the call-taker how many people live in the home. See multi-unit building drains. Your own Chico line may behave differently, which is why a camera look can help.

Flat ground

The ground is flat, so laterals fall slowly and any dip holds paper. Not every Chico home is affected the same way.

See sewer camera inspection.

Hot dry summers

Dry summers loosen pipe bedding, and winter rain carries soil toward weak joints. If you are near Paradise, the same general points apply.

See main sewer line clogs.

Buying a rental or older home

It is common to run a camera before the sale closes.

More on this: every drain backing up and sewer scope: buying or selling.

What to say when you call from Chico

• Say whether the house has a raised floor or a crawl space. It tells the technician how the line runs under the home.
• Say whether a tree stands between the house and the street, and how large it is.
• Note which fixture slowed first. On a long old run, the first slow drain points to the stretch of line that is failing.

Common questions