Clogged Drain Cleaning in New Hampshire

What clogs a drain changes across New Hampshire. Older neighborhoods have cast iron and clay sewer lines under big trees, newer subdivisions mostly see grease and wipes in PVC pipe, and many rural homes depend on a septic tank. Look for your city below, or the nearest one. On each city page you will find a rough cost range, notes on local soil and trees, and one number for a local plumber.

Granite ledge and rocky soil sit close to the surface in many parts of New Hampshire, which makes digging up a sewer or septic line slow work. Most homes outside the cities rely on septic systems, and deep winter frost can freeze a shallow septic line. Older houses often have cast iron and clay pipe, and maples, oaks and white pines find the joints. Water is soft in most areas, so roots, grease and age cause more clogs than scale.

• Rocky soil and ledge that make digging slow
• Septic systems at most homes outside the cities
• Deep frost that can freeze shallow lines
• Cast iron and clay pipe in older houses
• Roots from maples, oaks and white pines

Ask whether the plumber can find and open the septic tank lid, since a full tank looks a lot like a clogged drain.

• Kitchen sink. Cooking grease and oil that cool and harden on the pipe wall, plus food scraps, coffee grounds and soap scum that stick to it. A garbage disposal sends more solids down, not fewer.
• Bathroom sink. Hair mixed with soap, toothpaste and shaving residue, caught on the pop-up stopper or in the trap. Small items dropped down the drain add to it.
• Tub or shower. Hair is the main cause, bound together with soap scum and conditioner. Older tubs with a trip lever drain collect it in the overflow and the drum trap.
• Toilet. Too much paper at once, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and toys. Low-flow toilets from before about 2005 clog more often.
• Floor or laundry drain. Lint from the washing machine, sand and grit, soap, and in basements the silt that washes in. A dry trap lets sewer gas up as well.
• Main sewer line. Tree roots coming in at joints in clay and cast iron pipe, grease built up from years of kitchen use, wipes, and pipe that has sagged or cracked.
• Outdoor or yard drain. Leaves, dirt, sand and roots in yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the pipes that carry downspout water away.