Nobody likes callbacks, especially those that involve clogged drains. But there is no reason to fear drain calls.

One can take steps to ensure the drain is flowing like new. Not only that but drain calls provide an opportunity to fix issues that your customer may not be aware of. 

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

Before we talk about the steps to a callback drain call, let’s discuss the opportunities you might be missing.

If your company provides a free home plumbing safety inspection, some of this will be discovered. If not, take the time to inspect everything they see in front of you. Let’s use a kitchen sink backup as an example. Let’s also assume this is an initial visit and you are on site and ready to evaluate the issue. 

If there is no standing water in the sink, leave it that way. Open the cabinet and look at everything that is plumbing-related, especially the P-trap, waste tailpiece and basket strainer. If any, or all, of these are in very poor condition, is there a chance they will fall apart as you remove them? What conditions are the angle stop valves in? If one were to attempt to close them, would they leak? If there is a disposal that is in bad shape and looks like it may leak one day soon? Look at supply lines, the bottom of the faucet and any other plumbing-related items that may have issues. Has there been a leak that has gone unnoticed? If there is a basement, what condition are the exposed drainlines in? Is there a line of rust on the bottom of the drainline? That could be a sign of a pipe that could leak after a cable is run through it. 

Make a note of any conditions that should be addressed while you are on site. List the cost to repair everything you feel needs to be repaired, starting with the clogged drain and then in order of importance after that. This is an opportunity to make those needed repairs and it’s the first step in preventing a callback.

On drain calls, callbacks aren’t just because the drain backed up again, your customers may call back because the P-trap that should have been replaced, or the rusted-out disposal is leaking. If your plumber had noted this on the initial call, had shown the customer the poor condition of the now leaking part, and the customer refused to have this additional work done, you have a leg to stand on. If not, you’re probably fixing that leak for free. 

WORKING ON THE DRAIN

Now it’s time to check the drain. If the sink is holding water, check to make sure the stopper isn’t in the drain. If it is, pull it and see how long it takes for the line to back up. If the stopper isn’t in, put it in. If the sink isn’t holding water, turn the faucet on and let it run. It’s important to know how long it takes for the line to back up. If it backs up immediately, the issue could be in the P-trap. If it takes a long time, the line could have a lot of buildup in it, or the clog is farther away. 

Regardless, drop the P-trap. Before you run the line, figure out how far away the closest bathroom is. In a house with a crawl space, or a house on a slab, this is easy enough. In a house with a basement, often the kitchen sink line drops into the basement floor and runs across the floor to the main. When the drainline is run, it’s important to know this because you want the whole line to be cleared, not just the spot where the clog was. Remember, the goal is no callbacks. 

In homes with basements, it’s a good idea to plug the floor drain until you’ve determined the drain is working properly. If you push the clog beyond the floor drain, you may have a lot of black sludge that may back up out of the drain. If the basement is finished, this could be an expensive property damage claim. 

Once the line has been run to the main sewer and the cable has been removed from the line, put the stopper in and fill the sink with water. Don’t just turn the faucet on to test it. You want the high volume of water to hit that debris, or the loose sludge and to flush it to the main sewer. Just turning the faucet on doesn’t give you a high volume of water. When the sink is about halfway full, pull the plug and watch the water level. If it drains completely, fill the sink two more times, and pull the plug. If the line is going to back up again, you want it to happen while you’re there. 

If the sink drains for a while and then stops, keep the plug out, fill the sink about half full, and let it sit for a few minutes. Sometimes the weight of the water takes time to push that clog to the main. Sometimes you just have to run the drain again until it’s clear. No matter how many times you cable the line, run at least three sinks of water to test it. If there is a disposal, use that to force the water down even faster. 

GUARANTEE YOUR WORK

Once you have cleared the drain, check under the sink, and in the basement, for any leaks. If you have done a good job of clearing this drain, give it a guarantee. 

Protect yourself by noting that any guarantees are void in cases of abuse. If you clear that drain and your customer dumps a bunch of rice down the drain, that will void the guarantee. Make sure your customer understands this. 

Following these steps will cut your drain callback dramatically and open the door to additional revenue on each drain call.  

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Dave Bailey is the vertical market manager, plumbing for Service Nation Inc. and has 25 years working in the plumbing industry — 23 in the field. If you would like to send a message to him, email dbailey@servicenation.com.