4 services · Philadelphia
Drains & sewer in Philadelphia, PA
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 Philadelphia
Drain cleaning in Philadelphia
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 Philadelphia
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 in Philadelphia
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 Philadelphia: what's different
Philadelphia property owners are responsible for their sewer laterals, and repairs often involve the street. Older combined sewers can back up into rowhouse basements during heavy rain, even with the Water Department's Green City, Clean Waters stormwater program.
Some older rowhouses share sewer lines with neighbors, which complicates repairs and requires coordination between owners. Permits come from the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
- Water and sewer in Philadelphia
- The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) provides water, sewer and stormwater service.
- Permits in Philadelphia
- Plumbing permits are issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I).
Philadelphia housing and plumbing
Brick rowhouses from the late 1800s and early 1900s dominate, typically with basements, cast-iron drains and older service lines.
Other Philadelphia conditions that affect plumbing
- Homeowner-owned laterals: Philadelphia property owners are responsible for their water and sewer service lines, and repairs often involve the street.
- Basement backups: Older combined sewers can back up into basements during heavy rain.
- Frozen pipes: Cold snaps freeze pipes in rowhouse basements and exterior walls.
- Rowhouse shared lines: Some older rowhouses share sewer or water lines with neighbors, which complicates repairs and requires coordination between owners.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
Plumbers on Thawline cover Philadelphia and Philadelphia County, including Fishtown, South Philadelphia, Germantown, Manayunk, Fairmount, Northeast Philadelphia. ZIP codes: 19019 · 19092 · 19093 · 19099 · 19101 · 19102.
When to call a plumber in Philadelphia
- 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 Philadelphia
What if my Philadelphia rowhouse shares a sewer line?
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
More plumbing in Philadelphia
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