Drains that change levels
- A bathroom on the upper half-level may drain across the ceiling of the family room, drop through a closet wall, then run under the lowest level to reach the main. Each change of direction is a spot where paper and hair can catch, and the long cable runs needed to reach them take a careful hand. We use a camera to map the route before choosing where to open the line.
- Many of these houses also have a lower-level laundry or bathroom that sits below the level of the street sewer at its deepest point. A working backwater valve and a clear floor drain matter more here than in a two-storey house.
Crawlspaces and cold corners
- Part of a split-level often sits over a crawlspace rather than a full basement. Supply lines and drains run through that space, sometimes close to an outside wall with little insulation. The kitchen supply and any hose bib lines in those corners are the ones we thaw most often in a hard February.
- We check crawlspace lines for proper hangers, insulation and access. A pipe sitting on the dirt or resting on a cold foundation wall is worth moving before it splits.
Signs you need this
- Upper bathroom drains slowly while lower fixtures are fine
- Pipes in the crawlspace freeze in cold snaps
- Nobody knows where the main cleanout is
- Water on the lowest level after heavy rain
- Drain noise in a closet or family-room ceiling
Finding the cleanouts
- Renovations over the years tend to bury cleanouts behind panelling or under carpet. When a main line plugs, a lost cleanout means pulling a toilet to get a cable in. On a first visit we locate every accessible cleanout and note it in the job book, so the next call is faster.
How the job runs
- 1
We walk each level and note where fixtures sit relative to the main.
- 2
Crawlspace lines are checked for support, insulation and leaks.
- 3
A camera maps the drain path between half-levels.
- 4
Cleanouts are found, opened and recorded for next time.
Richmond Hill note: most houses here sit on York Region municipal water with fairly hard supply, and many basements have a floor drain tied to the sanitary lateral. Mention both on the phone; it changes what goes on the truck.
A split-level drain takes the stairs too. We follow it down one half-flight at a time.
Want a second opinion on your own pipes first? Dial (365) 363-1575; the person answering holds the wrench.