Drain cleaning and sump pump repair in Maplewood, MN 55109

Maplewood grew in waves, and the plumbing tells you which wave you're in. Homes on the south and west edges near Saint Paul may still have galvanized supply pipe and cast iron drains. Ramblers from the 1950s and 1960s usually mix copper supply with cast iron below the slab. Houses built later run on copper or PEX with PVC drains.

That history changes what we look for on a visit. In an older home, a slow drain may be scale buildup inside cast iron. In a newer one, it's more often grease, wipes, or a sagging section of plastic pipe. We figure out which before we start cutting or clearing, so you aren't paying for the wrong fix.

Maplewood has a lot of ponds, wetlands and low ground, especially around Keller Lake and the nature preserves. When the snow melts fast or a spring storm parks over the east metro, the water table rises and sump pumps in these neighborhoods run for days without a break. Older pumps tend to fail right when they're needed most.

If your pump cycles constantly, hums without moving water, or the pit fills faster than it empties, call us before the next storm. We test the float, check valve and discharge line, and replace the pump if it's worn. Many Maplewood homeowners add a battery backup so a power outage during a thunderstorm doesn't mean a wet carpet downstairs.

A kitchen drain that keeps slowing down usually has years of grease coating the inside of the pipe. Pouring chemical cleaners down it can soften the clog for a while, but they're hard on older cast iron and rarely reach the real buildup. We clear the line mechanically and, when the pipe is long or badly coated, use hydro jetting to scour the walls.

Laundry standpipes are another frequent call here. Washers move a lot of water fast, and if the standpipe is too short or the drain below it is partly blocked, water spills onto the basement floor. We check the trap, the drain run, and the floor drain it feeds, then fix whatever is holding the water back.