Family-owned · Plainfield Local

Drain Questions, Answered Straight

Q: Ready to Clear It for Good?

Call Leto Plumbing & Heating at (815) 609-3150. We're in Plainfield, we answer at any hour, and we carry the camera and jetting equipment on the truck.

Real answers to the drain problems Plainfield homeowners call us about most.

Call or text(815) 609-3150

Request an estimate

Tell us what you need

gurgling toilets work, project example in Plainfield, IL

Common Drain Problems in Plainfield Homes

Slow sinks, gurgling toilets and surprise backups are some of the most common calls we get from homeowners in Plainfield and across Chicagoland. Some are a plunger job. Some point to something deeper. If an answer below sounds like your house, our drain cleaning and inspection service can find the cause fast.

Why is my kitchen sink draining slowly?

Almost always buildup: food particles, grease and soap scum collecting inside the pipe. Store-bought chemical cleaners may help for a while, but they can erode pipe walls, especially in older homes. Try a plunger, or baking soda followed by hot vinegar. If it keeps coming back, the pipe needs a professional cleaning.

Product Warning

Is it safe to use chemical drain cleaners?

On a minor clog in a fairly new pipe, occasionally. The caustic reaction makes heat that can soften PVC fittings and corrode older metal pipes, so regular use can trade a clog for a leak. Enzyme cleaners are gentler. Past an occasional slow drain, call a licensed plumber.

Preventing Clogs Before They Start

Small habits at the drain make a real difference over time.

Keep grease and cooking oil out of the sink, put a drain screen in every shower and kitchen drain, and run hot water down them once a week. An annual cleaning by a licensed plumber gets what home care can't. More in our toilet and shower care tips.

Basement floor drain beside a water heater

What should I do if my drain smells bad?

Debris in the drain, mold or bacteria in the pipe, or a dry P-trap. The P-trap is the curved pipe under the fixture that holds water to block sewer gas; if a fixture sits unused, it dries out. Run the tap for a minute. Still smells? Flush with baking soda and hot vinegar and clean the drain cap. If it lingers, there's likely a deeper blockage.

Signs Your Drains Need a Professional

Water Backing Up Into Other Fixtures

Flushing sends water up the tub drain, or the washer makes the toilet gurgle: the blockage is in the main sewer line. Turn off the water supply and call.

Gurgling Toilets

Air can't move freely through the system, so it pulls through the toilet trap. Often a partial clog in the main drain or vent stack.

Multiple Slow Drains at Once

One slow drain is a local clog. Two or three at once usually means the main line. Hydro jetting and a camera inspection will find it.

Sewage Odors in the House

A dry trap, a cracked pipe or a venting failure. None get better on their own.

Basement Floor Drain Backup

The lowest drain in the house, so it's often where a main sewer line backup shows first.

Recurring Clogs

A clog that returns within weeks is a symptom: tree roots, pipe damage or a partial obstruction deeper in the line.

Water backing up into other fixtures when you run the washer or flush a toilet
Multiple drains slowing down at the same time
Gurgling sounds coming from the toilet when other drains are used
Sewage odors anywhere in the house
Water pooling around a basement floor drain
Recurring clogs in the same drain despite repeated clearing

Sewer Lines

How do tree roots damage drain lines?

Roots follow moisture. A hairline crack in a sewer joint lets them in, and they grow until they break the pipe or fill it. Homes with mature trees or clay tile sewer lines (common in older Chicagoland construction) are most at risk. Any clog left sitting builds pressure that can crack older cast iron or galvanized steel pipe; see our corroded pipe warning signs. A camera inspection confirms roots, and our trenchless repair options fix the damage without tearing up your yard.

drain faqs work, project example in Plainfield, IL

How We Diagnose and Clear Drain Problems

Video Camera Inspection

A waterproof camera shows us what's in the line, roots, a collapsed pipe, grease or a foreign object, before we touch anything.

Hydro Jetting

High-pressure water scours grease, mineral scale and root fragments off the pipe wall that rodding leaves behind.

Sewer Rodding

A motorized rod breaks through routine clogs fast. We pair it with a camera when a clog keeps coming back.

How often should drains be professionally cleaned?

Once a year for most Plainfield homes. Every six months with four or more people, a garbage disposal, older plumbing or a history of clogs. A camera inspection on the same visit catches roots or pipe wear early. Ask about our repair and maintenance specials.

Easy Payments & Low Financing Options

Drain service and financing that works around your budget.

Easy payment options and low financing mean a needed drain or sewer line repair doesn't have to wait. Ask when you call, and check our plumbing coupons for current savings.

Easy payment options available: Ask when you call, no paperwork hassle
Low financing for larger repairs: Sewer line work and more
Free estimates before any work begins: Know the cost before we start
Available 24 hours a day, every day: Including weekends and holidays

Call the family (815) 609-3150

Ready to Clear It for Good?

A drain problem that keeps coming back has a root cause. Let's find it.

★ 4.8 on Google
BBB A+
Licensed & insured

24/7 emergency service (815) 609-3150

Request an estimate Easy payments & low financing

Next step

Tell us about the job

Your name, your number and what needs doing. A person from Leto Plumbing & Heating, Inc. gets back to you.

Rather talk now?(815) 609-3150