4 services · Memphis
Drains & sewer in Memphis, TN
A single slow sink is usually a local clog a plumber can clear in one visit. Several drains backing up at once, gurgling toilets or water at a basement floor drain point to the main sewer line, which may need cleaning, a camera inspection and sometimes repair.
- Licensed local plumbers
- The problem explained before work starts
- Price agreed before the job begins
Drains & sewer services in Memphis
Drain cleaning
UrgentIf one fixture is slow, the clog is usually in that fixture's branch line. If several drains back up at once, or the basement floor drain fills when you run the washer, the main sewer line is blocked and needs a larger cable or a jetter.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting cleans the full width of a drain pipe with high-pressure water, washing out grease, scale and fine roots that a cable only punches a hole through. It works best on sound pipe and is usually done after a camera inspection confirms the pipe can take it.
Sewer camera inspection in Memphis
A sewer camera inspection runs a waterproof camera through the line from your house to the city main and records what it finds: roots, cracks, sags, offset joints or collapsed pipe. It's the best way to decide between cleaning, spot repair and replacement.
Sewer line repair
UrgentA damaged sewer line can be fixed with a spot repair, a trenchless liner, pipe bursting or an open-trench replacement. Which one fits depends on what the camera shows, how deep the pipe is, and what's on top of it, such as a driveway, trees or landscaping.
Local conditions
Drains & sewer in Memphis: what's different
Mature trees in Midtown and Cooper-Young send roots into older laterals, and aging cast-iron and clay pipe cracks.
The City of Memphis handles sewers.
Aging cast-iron and clay pipe in older neighborhoods cracks and clogs, and low crawl spaces make repairs under the house slower. A camera inspection shows whether a recurring clog is roots or a broken pipe, and scoping before buying an older home is a common step. The lateral from the house to the main belongs to the owner.
The City of Memphis handles the public sewer system.
- Water and sewer in Memphis
- Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) provides water and gas service; the City of Memphis handles sewers.
- Permits in Memphis
- Plumbing permits are issued by the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development.
Memphis housing and plumbing
Midtown and Cooper-Young have early 1900s homes with crawl spaces, clay laterals and older supply lines.
Other Memphis conditions that affect plumbing
- Hard freezes: Occasional deep freezes burst crawl-space pipes in homes built for warm weather.
- Tree roots: Mature trees send roots into older laterals.
- Older drains: Aging cast-iron and clay pipe in Midtown cracks and clogs.
- Aquifer water: Memphis draws its water from deep aquifers, giving it a reputation for very clean, soft water, so leaks and old pipe matter more than scale.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
Plumbers on Thawline cover Memphis and Shelby County, including Midtown, Cooper-Young, East Memphis, Germantown, Whitehaven, Harbor Town. ZIP codes: 37501 · 37544 · 38101 · 38103 · 38104 · 38105.
When to call a plumber in Memphis
- Water backing up in the tub or shower when a toilet flushes
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time
- Water or sewage at a basement floor drain
- Gurgling from drains or toilets
- Sewer smell inside or a soggy patch in the yard
- The same clog returning within weeks of being cleared
How these problems start and how to choose between repair options is covered in the drains & sewer guide.
Drains & sewer questions in Memphis
Why do Midtown Memphis drains clog?
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
More plumbing in Memphis
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