Do I Need Drain Cleaning or a Full Sewer Repair?

When your sinks are slow, your basement smells like sewage, or your toilet keeps gurgling, it’s hard to know if you need a cleaning or if something more serious is happening underground.

At CPR—Complete Pipe Repair, we help homeowners in Troy, Dayton, and the Miami Valley determine exactly what’s wrong and fix it correctly. Here’s how to tell the difference between a clogged drain and a failing sewer line.

Signs You May Only Need Drain Cleaning

If your issue is relatively new or isolated to one area of the home, it could be a simple blockage.

Common signs:

• Slow draining in one fixture (like the kitchen sink)
• Minor odors near one drain
• Gurgling or bubbling only in one area
• You haven’t had the drains cleaned in years

In these cases, hydrojet or mechanical drain cleaning usually solves the issue quickly and affordably.

Signs You May Need Sewer Repair

If the problem involves multiple drains, keeps coming back, or affects your whole home, it could point to a damaged or collapsed sewer line.

Watch for:

• Frequent backups in multiple fixtures
• Foul sewer smells in the basement or yard
• Water is pooling around the basement floor drains
• Soggy patches or sinkholes in the yard
• Previous root issues or aging clay/cast iron pipe

In these cases, we may recommend video pipe inspection to confirm whether sewer repair or CIPP lining is needed.

Why Diagnosing It Matters

Guessing wrong could result in wasted money on ineffective treatments or expensive property damage from an unresolved issue. That’s why CPR always starts with a proper inspection, so you get the correct fix the first time.

Serving Homes Across the Miami Valley

From older homes in Dayton and Troy to newer builds in Vandalia, we’ve helped homeowners save money by knowing exactly what their plumbing needs — and nothing more.

Not Sure What You Need? We’ll Help You Find Out

Whether it’s a clogged drain or a cracked pipe, CPR has the tools to find and fix the problem with no mess and no guesswork—call (937) 703-1811 to schedule your inspection today.