When every drain in the house backs up at once
Your house has one pipe that carries everything out. Branch lines from the sinks, tubs, toilets and laundry all join it before it leaves the building and runs to the street. When that pipe clogs, the water has no exit and it comes up at the lowest opening, usually a tub, shower or floor drain.
Sewer line cleaning is the work of clearing that main pipe from a cleanout or an opened access point. It uses a large cable machine or a jetter, and it is a different job from clearing one sink.
Sewer backup: what to do first
A backed-up main is an emergency because the water is wastewater. Treat it as unsafe to touch and keep it off bare skin.
Before the plumber arrives
Call the 24/7 line first, then work through these steps.
- Stop flushing, showering and running the washer and dishwasher.
- Keep children and pets out of the room with the backup.
- Move rugs and boxes away from the drain. Wear rubber boots and gloves if you must step in it.
- Open a window if the smell is strong, and do not mix cleaning chemicals.
- Take photos of the water and the affected drains for your records.
- If you smell natural gas, leave and call the gas utility or 911 before us.
Nights and weekends are when many main lines choose to fail, after a long day of showers and laundry. We answer around the clock and dispatch licensed, insured plumbers with a cable machine and a camera.
Signs the main line is the problem
Several fixtures at once
A toilet, a tub and the washer all slow down or gurgle together.
Lowest drain backs up first
Water shows in the floor drain or ground-level shower before anywhere else.
Toilet flush pushes water elsewhere
Flushing makes the tub bubble or rise, because the air and water have nowhere to go.
Repeat backups
The line clears for a while and then fails again. Roots or a belly in the pipe are likely.
Smell near a cleanout
A sewage odor around the yard cleanout or a wet patch of lawn can signal an issue in the line.
Why mains clog in Royal Palm Beach
The Village is on county sewer through Palm Beach County Water Utilities, and the main in the street is the utility's. The pipe from your house to that main is the one that tends to clog, through roots, grease, wipes and years of use. Ask PBCWUD at (561) 740-4600 where its responsibility ends.
If your home is south of Southern Blvd, Wellington Utilities at (561) 791-4010 is the provider. We also serve nearby Wellington, so the same questions apply there.
Sewer drain cleaning and cleanouts
A cleanout is a capped pipe, often in the yard or by the house wall, that gives a machine direct access to the main. With one, cleaning is quick. Without one we pull a toilet or use another access point, which takes longer and costs more.
If your home has no cleanout, installing one is worth discussing. It makes every future cleaning faster and it lets a camera in without lifting a toilet.
How we clear a sewer main
- 1
Find the blockage point
We check cleanouts and fixtures to learn whether the blockage sits in the house line or farther toward the street.
- 2
Cable the line
A large drum machine with a cutting head opens the main. For roots we use a root cutter, for soft blockage a spear head.
- 3
Jet if needed
If grease or scale lines the pipe, we recommend hydro jetting to scrub the wall after the cable opens it.
- 4
Camera to confirm
We send a camera after cleaning to confirm flow and to look for cracks or a sag that caused the clog.
Cable or jet: choosing the cleaning method
| Cause of blockage | Usual tool | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Tree roots | Cable with root cutter | Camera to find entry point |
| Grease and soap buildup | Jetter | Habit changes at the kitchen |
| Wipes or a dense wad | Spear head or auger | Stop flushing wipes |
| Broken or sagging pipe | Camera, not a cable | Repair, see sewer line repair |
Grease and commercial lines
Restaurants and shops send more grease into the sewer than a home does. If your business has a grease trap, it needs regular emptying, because a full trap spills fat into the line. We can advise on cleaning, though trap pumping is a separate service.
What we do not do
We do not run a cable through a line we believe has collapsed. We do not dig your yard without showing you the problem first. We do not work on the county's main in the street, and if the blockage is there we tell you to contact the utility.
Cleaning a main costs more than a sink, and the size of the job drives the price.
Length of the line
A short run to the street is faster than a long one across a lot.
Access
A cleanout makes the work simple. Pulling a toilet adds time.
Cause of the clog
Roots and hard buildup take more passes than a soft blockage.
Equipment
A larger cable machine or jetter is used for a main. A camera pass may be added.
After-hours
Night and weekend calls can cost more than a weekday visit. We tell you on the call.
Some home policies cover water damage from a sewer backup, but the cleaning itself may not be covered. Call the 24/7 line and we will give you a clear price before work starts.
Call the 24/7 line. We send licensed, insured plumbers, with same-day appointments when available.
County sewer in the Village
Palm Beach County Water Utilities provides sewer, so a main-line backup may involve both your pipe and the utility's. Our camera helps show where the problem sits.
Stormwater is separate
Public Works handles canals and drainage. A flooded yard after rain is a different problem from a sewage backup, and the cleaning is different too.
Sources and standards
Sewer lines on private property fall under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th Edition (2023), and the Village of Royal Palm Beach building department at (561) 790-5128 can say which work needs a permit. The Village states that most work done in Royal Palm Beach requires a building permit.
Royal Palm Beach sewer line cleaning questions
Do you handle sewer line cleaning emergencies at night or on weekends in Royal Palm Beach?
Yes. The 24/7 line is staffed through the night, weekends and holidays. Tell the dispatcher what is backing up and where, and we will send a plumber with a cable machine and a camera.
How can I tell if it is the main sewer line or just one drain?
One slow fixture is local. If several fixtures back up together, or the lowest drain fills first, the main is likely blocked.
Is it the county's line or mine?
Ask Palm Beach County Water Utilities at (561) 740-4600. The camera shows where the blockage sits, and the utility can say where its responsibility ends.
Will the clog come back?
If the cause is roots or a damaged pipe, it can. The camera shows the cause, so we can discuss a repair if the line is the real problem.
Should I pour anything in the drain while waiting?
No. Chemicals do not clear a main line. They sit in the pipe and make the work less safe.
Do I need a cleanout?
It is not required for cleaning, but it makes access easier and cheaper. We can discuss adding one.
Question not answered here? Call the 24/7 line at (561) 448-8545 and talk to a plumber.