A drain that backs up into a sink or tub is an emergency in a Brookline apartment, and our 24/7 dispatch treats it that way. While you wait, stop running water in the unit, keep the dishwasher and washer off, and move rugs and electronics away from the wet floor. Skip the chemical drain opener, because it sits in standing water and splashes on whoever opens the trap next.
Drain cleaning means clearing a blockage from a kitchen line, a tub or shower drain, a floor drain or the main line that leaves the building. We pick between a hand auger, a drum cable machine, a camera and hydro jetting based on the pipe material and what is actually plugging it.
Signs the clog is deeper than the trap
One slow sink is usually a local clog. Several fixtures misbehaving at once points further down the line.
- Gurgling elsewhere. The toilet bubbles when the kitchen sink drains, which means air is fighting through a partial blockage.
- Water in the lowest fixture. A basement shower or floor drain fills when the washer or an upstairs unit drains.
- Slow everywhere. Tub, bathroom sink and toilet all drain sluggishly on the same morning.
- Sewer smell. A sour, rotten odor near a drain often means waste is sitting in the pipe instead of moving.
- Repeat clogs. You cleared it last month and it is back, so something in the pipe is catching debris.
Backed up right now?
Stop the water, then call (617) 752-0573. We answer around the clock.
Kitchen sink clogs: grease, food and a long horizontal run
Kitchen lines clog more often than any other drain we open. Cooking grease cools inside the pipe, coats the wall and catches coffee grounds, rice and eggshell until the opening is the size of a pencil.
A small auger on a cordless drill clears most sink clogs in one visit. If the cable pulls out greasy gray sludge, we follow with a second pass so the pipe wall is scraped and not just poked through. The Town of Brookline's own sewer guidance says the same thing about grease: never pour it down a sink drain, and wipes do not break down in the sewer.
A garbage disposal that hums but will not spin is a separate repair, covered under garbage disposal repair.
Why shared drains in older Brookline buildings clog differently
Census ACS five-year estimates (2020 to 2024) put the median year built for Brookline housing at 1938, and about 77 percent of units sit in buildings with two or more units. Stacks in those buildings carry waste from several kitchens and baths, so a clog can start in one unit and show up in another.
If your ground-floor tub backs up when the upstairs neighbor runs the dishwasher, the blockage is below both of you. Tell dispatch which floor you are on and whether neighbors have the same problem. Renters should also call the landlord or property manager, since the shared line is usually their responsibility.
Choosing between a cable, a camera and a jetter
The right tool depends on the blockage and the pipe. A cable breaks through. A jetter scours the wall. A camera tells us which one you need before we guess.
| Method | Best for | Honest limit |
|---|---|---|
| Hand or drill auger | Sink, tub and shower clogs within about 25 feet of the fixture | Pokes a hole through grease and leaves the wall coated |
| Drum cable machine | Hair, paper and soft debris in 3 and 4 inch branch and main lines | A cutting head can snag on a broken joint or a bellied section |
| Drain camera | Repeat clogs, odd gurgling, finding where a cable stops | Needs the pipe cleared enough to pass the lens |
| Hydro jetting | Heavy grease, rust scale and fine roots in main lines. See our jetting page | Not for a collapsed or open-jointed pipe, where water escapes into soil |
A camera run can also show a cracked or offset pipe, which moves the job into sewer line repair.
Tub, shower and washer drains
Tub and shower drains clog with hair wound around the stopper and soap film. Pulling the stopper and clearing it by hand is a fair first try, and we do the same before bringing out a cable.
A washer that backs up through its standpipe often has lint packed in a small 2 inch line. If the washer drains into the main stack, a clog there can push gray water up through a basement floor drain. A quick leak at a joint on a drain line shows up as a damp ceiling or a smell in a cabinet, and we check for it while the line is open.
Drain backup: what to do first while we are on the way
Stopping the flow protects floors and neighbors. A few minutes of prep also speeds up the visit.
Stop adding water
No flushing, laundry, dishwasher or showers until the line is open. Every gallon you run has to go somewhere.
Protect the floor
Lay towels along the base of the wet fixture and lift anything electrical off the floor. Stay out of standing water near outlets.
Note what else is slow
Tell dispatch which fixtures are affected and whether neighbors or other floors are too. It tells us how far down the blockage sits.
Clear the path
Empty the cabinet under the sink and make room around the basement cleanout so the machine can reach the line.
Same-day appointments are available when the schedule allows, and dispatch answers overnight and on weekends for backups.
What moves the price of a drain cleaning
You get a clear price before work starts. The number depends on a short list of things we can see or find out quickly.
- Where the clog sitsA trap or the first few feet of a sink line is a smaller job than a clog 40 feet down a basement main.
- AccessA removable cleanout is quick. A line with no cleanout may mean pulling a toilet or working through a roof vent.
- Tool neededA hand auger, a drum machine, a camera run and a jetter each take different time and equipment.
- Pipe conditionRough old iron holds debris and can need a second pass. A cracked section may mean a repair quote after the camera.
- Time of dayOvernight and weekend dispatch is available, and the timing can affect the price.
Homeowner policies often exclude sewer or drain backup unless a separate endorsement was added. Check your policy before you file, and ask us for an itemized description of the work to send along.
Want your real number? Call (617) 752-0573.
Drain cleaning questions from Brookline callers
Yes. Dispatch is open 24/7, and a backed-up kitchen line or tub at 2 a.m. gets the same attention as one at noon. We schedule same-day appointments when available and tell you plainly what the technician can reach that night.
We would rather you did not. The liquid sits above the clog, can burn skin if the trap is opened, and does little against grease or a packed wad of hair. Plain hot tap water and a plunger are fine.
Usually yes, because the dishwasher drains into the sink line or the disposal. If the disposal is jammed we look at that first, and if the sink line is fine the clog is further down the branch toward the stack.
If only one fixture is slow, the clog is on your side. If every drain in the building backs up and the lowest fixture fills first, the main may be involved. Our sewer line cleaning page explains the owner and Town split in Brookline.
We start with the cable for a fresh single clog. We bring the camera when clogs repeat, when the cable stops at the same spot or when the pipe may be damaged.
Yes, in condos, triple-deckers and larger buildings. Tell dispatch which unit and floor you are in, and if you rent, have the owner or manager's approval ready since shared lines usually belong to the building. We run the same calls in Allston, where most housing is rented.
Get the drain moving again
Call (617) 752-0573 and tell us which fixture is slow. If it is Allston or Brighton, we dispatch there too.