Drain Cleaning in Jacksonville, FL

Riverside, Avondale, Springfield and San Marco hold some of the largest collections of historic homes in the Southeast, built from the 1890s through the 1930s. Many sit on raised foundations, with clay or cast iron laterals running under huge live oaks draped in moss.

After World War II, neighborhoods like Arlington, Lakewood, Ortega Forest and much of the Westside filled with concrete-block homes on slabs, usually with cast iron drains under the floor. Florida's cast iron has a reputation for rotting out from the inside, and many of those lines are now failing.

Mandarin, the Southside and the beaches grew through the 1970s and 1980s, and Nocatee, Bartram Park and the fast-growing areas along the St. Johns County line have been built since 2000 with PVC drains.

Jacksonville sits on sandy soil over a high water table. Laterals settle in the sand, groundwater seeps into cracked pipe, and heavy rain can overload mains.

Some older parts of the city were built on septic systems, and JEA has been converting neighborhoods to sewer for years.

JEA, the city-owned utility, provides sewer service across most of Jacksonville and operates the treatment plants. The private service line from the house to the JEA main or cleanout at the property line is the owner's responsibility. Some neighborhoods still use septic tanks.

Summer afternoon thunderstorms and hurricane season, June through November, bring heavy rain that can overload sewers. Nor'easters in fall push high tides up the St. Johns River.

Winters are mild, though rare hard freezes can burst exposed pipes. Thanksgiving fry-ups and holiday gatherings bring grease clogs.

Riverside and Avondale, along the west bank of the St. Johns, have bungalows, Prairie-style homes and grand houses from the early 1900s under live oaks that are among the city's treasures. Laterals there are often original clay or cast iron, and oak roots find every crack. Many owners line their laterals to protect both the pipe and the trees. Restaurants along Park Street and King Street need regular grease trap service.

Springfield, just north of downtown, has Victorian homes being restored block by block, many tied into century-old laterals. San Marco, across the river, has 1920s Mediterranean-style homes with similar pipes. Scoping the lateral during a renovation is the smart move.

Arlington, Lakewood and much of the Westside were built in the 1950s and 1960s with cast iron drains under concrete slabs. In Florida, that iron corrodes from the inside, and the bottom of the pipe can rot away entirely, letting water wash out the sand beneath the slab. Slow drains, sewer smells and soft spots in floors are warning signs. Lining and rerouting are common fixes.

Homes from the 1970s and 1980s in Mandarin and the Southside often have early PVC or a mix of materials. Big oaks planted then are now reaching laterals. At the beaches, salty air corrodes metal, and sand gets into drains from outdoor showers.

In August, a family in a 1962 block home in Arlington notices the hall bath toilet gurgling and a sewer smell in the bedroom. The plumber clears the main from the front cleanout and runs a camera, which shows the cast iron under the slab has rotted along the bottom. The family gets quotes for lining versus a reroute through the attic.

Jacksonville's sandy soil drains well but settles over time, leaving bellies in laterals. The water table is high, so cracked pipe takes in groundwater, especially after storms. Sealing a lateral with a liner reduces infiltration and backups.

Hurricane Irma in 2017 pushed record flooding up the St. Johns into downtown and San Marco. Nor'easters can also drive high tides into low neighborhoods. After a flood, silt and debris can stay in drains, and a jetting and camera inspection clear them.

JEA has been replacing septic tanks with sewer in older neighborhoods for years. If your home was converted, the old tank should have been abandoned properly. If you're still on septic, pump it every few years and watch for wet spots over the drain field.

Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport bring many military families who rent and move often. Find the cleanout on move-in and report slow drains early.

Give your neighborhood and the home's age, whether it's on a slab or raised foundation and whether you're on sewer or septic. Mention big oaks and whether the trouble started during a storm or high tide.