Slow water, bad odors, gurgling, water coming back up
A drain rarely stops without warning. The sink that takes a little longer each week, the smell that comes up from the floor drain, the gurgle when the washing machine empties, the tub that fills while the shower runs: those are the signs a line is narrowing, and they are easier to deal with before the water is on the floor.
Drains By James clears drains in homes, in businesses and outdoors: sinks, tubs, floor drains, laundry lines, disposal lines, storm drains and roof drains. The shop in Wilmington is open 24 hours, seven days a week, for appointments and emergencies, and the crew is in-house, with no subcontractors.
One landlord with a clogged bathroom sink in a tenant's unit wrote that the technician "got it done in 10 mins." Technicians arrive on time with the tools to finish most jobs on the spot.
Snake first, hydro jet when the snake cannot finish it
A snake goes in first. When snaking will not finish the job, hydro jetting takes over: a high-pressure water blast for roots, pipe scale and the stubborn debris a cable leaves behind. That order keeps the job as small as the clog allows.
The prices are published, so there is no guessing at the door. Any inside drain 2 inches or less, whether a sink, a tub or a floor drain, is $289. Augering a toilet is $289. One additional drain on the same visit is $145, and so is lifting and resetting a toilet bowl, new standard wax seal included. A 3 inch drain line runs $389 to $489, depending on access.
Hydro jetting is safe for most pipes, and the company is straight about its limit: "While safe for most pipes, Drains By James is not responsible for the failure of pipes that are already broken, paper-thin due to rust, or improperly installed."
Keeping it clear: knowing why it clogged, and maintenance contracts
Reviewers keep mentioning the explanation. One wrote that the technician explained exactly where the clog was and why it happened. That answer is worth having before the truck leaves, because it tells you what to change.
For businesses and buildings with a lot of drains, Drains By James offers preventative maintenance contracts, with special pricing for preventative maintenance and multiple-drain work. Grease trap cleaning, up to 40 gallons, is $429.
If the same drain keeps stopping up, a video inspection ($489, 2 hour minimum, $300 per hour after) shows what is in the line. And if the pipe itself is the problem, zero-dig pipe lining can repair it without a trench.
