Drain Cleaning
Drain Cleaning in Montrose, MI
Clear a Stubborn Drain or Backed-Up Line Today
A sink that takes forever to empty, a toilet that gurgles every time the washer drains, a floor drain that backs up for the second time this month. Each of these points to a different problem, and the right fix depends on where the blockage is and what it's made of.
Sloan’s Septic Tank Service provides drain cleaning in Montrose, MI, for homes, farms, and businesses, and we've been clearing lines across Mid-Michigan as a family business since 1965. Free estimates are provided before any work is done, so you'll know the plan and the price first.
Is It One Slow Drain or Your Main Line?
One slow drain usually means a clog close to that fixture. When several drains slow down at once, or water comes up through a basement floor drain, the problem is usually farther down in the main line.
Here's how we tell the difference:
Knowing which pattern you're dealing with tells us where to start before any equipment goes into the line.
What Happens During a Drain Cleaning Service?
A drain cleaning service starts with finding the blockage, not just pushing a tool down the drain. We ask what you've noticed, check which fixtures are affected, and when the symptoms point past a single fixture, run a sewer camera into the line to see the problem directly.
From there, we pick the cleaning method that fits what we find. Most residential clogs are cleared in a single visit, depending on how severe the blockage is and where it sits.
Is Drain Snaking Enough, or Do You Need Hydro Jetting?
It depends on what's in the pipe. Drain snaking works well for a localized clog. Hydro jetting is the better choice when the walls of the pipe are coated with buildup.
Drain Snaking
A flexible cable with a rotating head travels through the pipe and breaks up the blockage. It's effective on hair, food particles, and small debris.
Hydro Jetting
Hydro jetting sends highly pressurized water through a special nozzle that scours the inside of the pipe. It removes grease, mineral scale, and roots from the pipe walls instead of just punching through them.
What Clogs Drains in Montrose Homes and Businesses?
Most clogs build up slowly from everyday use:
Underground conditions add to the problem. Mid-Michigan's freeze-thaw cycles shift the ground around buried lines and can loosen joints. Tree roots find those openings looking for moisture, and older clay and cast iron sewer lines are especially prone to cracks and scale.
Could a Backup Mean Your Septic Tank Needs Pumping?
On a property with a septic system, a backup isn't always a drain problem. If the tank is full, wastewater has nowhere to go, and it backs up into the lowest drains in the house no matter how clean the lines are.
Signs that point to the tank rather than the drain line include slow drains throughout the home, sewage odors near the tank, and soggy ground over the septic area. Because we handle septic tank cleaning as well as drain cleaning, we can check both and tell you which one is actually causing the backup.
What Happens If the Camera Finds Damage?
A sewer camera can show clogs, roots growing through a joint, a cracked section, an offset where pipes have shifted, a sag that holds water, or heavy scale. Cleaning will clear the line, but roots and buildup tend to come back if the pipe itself is damaged.
What we recommend depends on the footage:
CIPP lining and trenchless repair fix the line without digging a trench through your yard, driveway, or parking lot. We'll show you the camera footage so you can see the problem for yourself before deciding anything.
How Often Should Drains Be Cleaned?
Routine drain cleaning works best on a schedule set by how the drains are used. A household with a light load needs it less often than a restaurant kitchen or a busy multi-unit building. Regular cleaning removes buildup before it hardens, cuts down on odors and slow drains, and gives us a chance to spot early signs of root intrusion or pipe wear.
Skip the chemical drain cleaners in between. They can damage pipes over time and rarely clear the buildup that caused the clog in the first place.
Current Drain and Sewer Offers
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10% Off Mainline Sewer Cleaning
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FREE Camera Inspection with Accessible Cleanout
See our Special Offers page for current terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do before the technician arrives?
Make a note of which drains are slow or backing up, and clear space around your sewer cleanout if you know where it is. That helps us get to the problem faster.
Can I keep using water while I wait for service?
If the main line is backed up, limit water use. Running the washer or dishwasher can push wastewater out through the lowest drain in the building.
Are "flushable" wipes really safe to flush?
They don't break down the way toilet paper does. Over time, they snag on rough spots and roots inside the line and build into a blockage.
Should I call your emergency line for a backup at night?
If sewage is coming up into the home or the business can't operate, call our 24/7 line. A fee applies to emergency calls, so for a slow drain that can wait, calling during regular hours makes more sense.
Don’t Clear the Same Drain Twice
If you're clearing the same clog over and over, get solutions that actually work from Sloan’s Septic Tank Service. Call us at (989) 845-6280 for drain cleaning in Montrose, MI, and ask about our free camera inspection with an accessible cleanout the next time you need cleaning done.
