Drain Cleaning in Ardmore, PA

Advanced Drains and Underground Solutions provides drain cleaning, sewer camera inspection, hydro jetting, and sewer line repair for homeowners and property managers throughout Ardmore. We serve both the residential neighborhoods east and west of Lancaster Avenue and the denser rowhome blocks that characterize much of the town’s original development.

Ardmore’s Housing and What It Means for Your Drains

Ardmore developed primarily between 1910 and 1940, and most of the housing stock in its residential neighborhoods reflects that era: brick twins, rowhomes, and semi-detached houses built with the materials and construction methods of the time. Drain cleaning in Ardmore properties built in this period regularly involves cast-iron drain stacks, cast-iron branch lines under floors and in walls, and clay sewer laterals connecting the house to the street main. Neither material is inherently problematic, but both deteriorate in predictable ways over the 80 to 110 years many of these systems have now been in use.

Cast-iron drain piping develops mineral scale and biological growth on its interior surface as the pipe corrodes slowly from the inside. That roughened surface catches grease, soap residue, and debris far more readily than smooth modern pipe. Kitchen drains in Ardmore homes from this era typically need periodic clearing to manage accumulation in branch lines that are running at reduced capacity due to internal buildup. Hydro jetting addresses the full length of the line at once, removing grease columns and scale that a cable machine cuts through without removing.

Clay sewer laterals in Ardmore’s pre-war housing are typically vitrified clay tile — individual sections of glazed clay pipe, joined with cement mortar. Over decades, the mortar joints weather, root systems find the gaps, and the pipe sections settle unevenly. Drain cleaning in a clay lateral clears the immediate obstruction but does not address the joint condition that allowed root intrusion. A camera inspection after clearing identifies how many joints are compromised and whether the lateral needs repair work to prevent recurring blockages.

Shared Laterals in Ardmore Twins and Rowhouses

A significant share of Ardmore’s housing is attached — twins and rowhomes where two or more units sit side by side. In many of these configurations, adjacent units share a single sewer lateral from a common point back to the public main. This is called a party lateral or shared lateral, and it creates a specific complication when drain cleaning is needed: the problem may be in the section serving only your property, in the shared section downstream of your connection, or at the municipal connection point.

We run a camera inspection before recommending repairs on any lateral in an attached Ardmore property. The camera tells us where the pipe is and where the problem is — the private section, the shared section, or the city-side connection. That map determines what can be repaired unilaterally, what requires coordination with the adjacent owner, and what needs to go to the municipal authority. Skipping the camera and digging based on symptom alone is how shared-lateral repairs go wrong.

Common Drain Problems We Find in Ardmore

Kitchen drain buildup in cast-iron branch lines is the most frequent drain cleaning call we receive in Ardmore’s older neighborhoods. The accumulation builds slowly over months; the first sign is usually slow drainage followed eventually by a backup. Hydro jetting at high pressure clears cast-iron branch lines effectively and leaves the pipe interior clean rather than just open.

Bathroom drain blockages in pre-war Ardmore homes often involve hair and soap accumulation in galvanized steel drain arms that connect bathroom fixtures to the cast-iron stack. Galvanized steel corrodes from the inside, reducing the bore over time, and the buildup accelerates as the interior surface roughens. We clear these with cable equipment and assess whether the branch line has enough remaining diameter to function reliably.

Main lateral backups typically present as slow drains on the lowest floor first, followed by backup at floor drains. In Ardmore’s clay lateral system, root intrusion, joint gaps, and pipe settlement are the most common causes. Repeated clearing without repair produces repeated backups.

Trenchless Sewer Repair in Ardmore

For lateral repairs in Ardmore, where many properties have limited side-yard space, close-set neighbors, and mature landscaping that would be disrupted by a full-length excavation, trenchless repair methods are often the practical choice. CIPP lining installs a new structural liner inside the existing pipe from small access pits at each end of the repair run, without excavating along the full lateral length. The existing pipe becomes the form for the liner, and the cured liner becomes the new pipe wall.

Pipe bursting replaces the existing lateral by pulling a new pipe through while fracturing the old one outward into the surrounding soil. Pipe bursting is appropriate when the lateral is collapsed, severely deformed, or in a condition that would not hold a liner. We assess which method fits based on the camera inspection before we propose any repair.

Already Have a Quote? Get a Second Opinion.

Trenchless equipment is easy to buy. A trailer and a liner kit do not make someone a sewer contractor. If you have been told the whole line has to be replaced, or handed a price that does not add up, bring us the written estimate and the video. The site visit is free. We will tell you plainly what we see, including when the answer is that you do not need the work.

Underground Is All We Do

• Craig Devakow has done trenchless sewer work since 2014, five years before he founded this company. Well over 2,000 sewer lines in that time.
• More than 12,000 service visits on record since 2020.
• Owned and run by a licensed master plumber. Pennsylvania HIC #PA151129.
• We own our lining and pipe bursting equipment, and we line pipe from 2 inches to 6 inches.
• You get a camera video of the finished line, yours to keep.
• Everything in writing. We beat any written estimate.

What to Ask Any Trenchless Contractor

1. How long have you done trenchless work, and is it your main trade?
2. Is a licensed master plumber on the job?
3. Do you own the equipment, and what pipe sizes can you line?
4. Will I get video before and after?
5. Who makes the liner, and what does the written warranty say?

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a drain in an older Ardmore home be cleaned?

Kitchen branch lines in cast-iron plumbing typically benefit from cleaning every one to two years if slow drainage has been a recurring issue. The right interval depends on the pipe condition and how the kitchen is used. After the first cleaning, we can give you a realistic maintenance recommendation based on what the pipe interior looked like.

My neighbor and I share a lateral — what happens when it fails?

Both properties are typically affected by a shared lateral failure. Responsibility for the shared section usually splits between the two property owners, though the specific arrangement depends on local ordinance and any recorded easements. We document the lateral map clearly so both parties understand exactly where the shared section begins and what repair options apply.

Can hydro jetting damage old cast-iron pipe?

Hydro jetting is safe for intact cast-iron pipe. The concern arises with pipe that has through-wall corrosion or is actively failing — high pressure jetting can accelerate failure in pipe that is already at end of life. We camera-inspect before jetting any line in an older home to confirm the pipe condition before applying pressure.

Reach Us in Ardmore

For drain cleaning, sewer camera inspection, or sewer line repair in Ardmore, call Advanced Drains at 1-855-DONT-DIG. We are local to Delaware County and the Main Line area and typically dispatch same-day for drain service calls.