Why Does My Drain Keep Clogging? When a Camera Inspection Helps

What usually causes a clog to come back?

Snaking a line often punches a hole through the blockage. Water flows again, but the buildup on the pipe walls is still there, so the next clog forms faster.

• Kitchen sinks: grease and food that cool and stick to the pipe walls, narrowing the line a little more each time.
• Bathroom sinks, showers and tubs: hair bound up with soap residue.
• Toilets: too much paper, or wipes. Even wipes labeled flushable break down far more slowly than toilet paper.
• Main sewer line: tree roots entering through joints or cracks, a sagging section where waste settles, or a damaged pipe.

One slow drain, or a main line problem?

If only one fixture is slow, the problem is usually in that fixture’s own drain or trap. These signs point further down the line, toward the main sewer:

• Several drains are slow at the same time.
• The toilet gurgles or bubbles when the washer drains or a tub empties.
• Water backs up into a shower or tub when you flush.
• Sewage odor, or water coming up from a floor drain or the outdoor cleanout.

Should I keep using chemical drain cleaners?

We would not. Liquid drain cleaners rarely remove the real cause of a recurring clog, they can be hard on older pipes, and they leave caustic water sitting in the line for whoever opens it next. If a store-bought product has not worked once, a second bottle is unlikely to.

What can a sewer camera inspection show?

A waterproof camera on a flexible cable is fed through the line and records what it sees. It can show:

• Roots growing into the pipe.
• Grease or scale buildup narrowing the line.
• Cracks, separated joints or offsets where pipe sections have shifted.
• Low spots (often called bellies) where water and waste collect.
• Objects that should not be there.

Seeing the problem changes the conversation. Cleaning makes sense for buildup; a broken or collapsed section needs a repair, and cleaning alone will not solve it.

Are there limits to what a camera can see?

Yes. The camera needs an access point, such as a cleanout, and a line full of standing water or a solid blockage can hide the view. Sometimes the line has to be partly cleared first. A good inspection tells you what was seen, what could not be seen, and what that means for the next step.