Clogged Drain Cleaning in Wisconsin

The causes of a clogged drain change from one part of Wisconsin to the next. Older neighborhoods have cast iron and clay sewer lines under big trees, newer subdivisions mostly see grease and wipes in PVC pipe, and many rural homes depend on a septic tank. Find your city or the closest one below. On each city page you will find a rough cost range, notes on local soil and trees, and one number for a local plumber.

Deep frost, hard water and older basements shape a lot of drain trouble in Wisconsin. Minerals scale up cast iron drains over the years, and clay laterals under maples, oaks and ash crack and let roots in. Some older city neighborhoods have combined sewers, and even separate systems can push water back into basements during a heavy storm or a fast thaw. Many lake homes and farms rely on septic systems.

• Deep frost and long winters
• Hard water that scales older cast iron
• Basement floor drains that back up in storms or a fast thaw
• Roots from maples, oaks and ash in clay laterals
• Septic systems at lake homes and farms

Ask whether roots or scale is the main problem in your line, since the right cleaning method differs.

• Kitchen sink. Cooking grease and oil that cool and harden on the pipe wall, plus food scraps, coffee grounds and soap scum that stick to it. A garbage disposal sends more solids down, not fewer.
• Bathroom sink. Hair mixed with soap, toothpaste and shaving residue, caught on the pop-up stopper or in the trap. Small items dropped down the drain add to it.
• Tub or shower. Hair is the main cause, bound together with soap scum and conditioner. Older tubs with a trip lever drain collect it in the overflow and the drum trap.
• Toilet. Too much paper at once, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and toys. Low-flow toilets from before about 2005 clog more often.
• Floor or laundry drain. Lint from the washing machine, sand and grit, soap, and in basements the silt that washes in. A dry trap lets sewer gas up as well.
• Main sewer line. Tree roots coming in at joints in clay and cast iron pipe, grease built up from years of kitchen use, wipes, and pipe that has sagged or cracked.
• Outdoor or yard drain. Leaves, dirt, sand and roots in yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the pipes that carry downspout water away.