Veteran Owned Family Operated The RightFirst Standard
Slow drains and sewer backups need the right fix before dirty water finds a way out.
A slow kitchen sink, a clogged shower, an overflowing toilet, and a main sewer stoppage are not the same call. Dave's provides drain cleaning and sewer service across the Upstate from our Spartanburg home base. We clear the stoppage, work through proper access when possible, and explain when roots, grease, scale, a belly, or damaged pipe calls for a closer look.
Serving Spartanburg, Boiling Springs, Greer, Greenville, and nearby Upstate communities.
Licensed plumbing pros • Drain clearing is only one tool
A clogged drain looks simple from the room you’re standing in. Water stops, a sink fills, or a toilet won't clear. Behind that fixture is a system of traps, branch lines, vents, cleanouts, and a main sewer line that all have to move waste the right way. We treat the whole system, not just the standing water.
Dave's is based in Spartanburg and serves homeowners across the Upstate with professional drain cleaning, sewer service, and pipe repair when cleaning is not enough. We bring licensed plumbing experience, clean workmanship, and the RightFirst Standard to every call.
We start by reading the symptoms. A kitchen sink loaded with grease is different from a shower packed with hair. One slow fixture is different from a toilet that gurgles when the washer drains. The fix has to match the actual restriction and the access we have to reach it.
Cable clearing, main-line service, cleanout access, camera inspection when useful, jetting, descaling, and repair options from one plumbing contractor.
Use a camera when repeat backups, roots, offsets, bellies, breaks, or repair decisions need proof inside the line.
Stronger cleaning for grease, sludge, scale, and heavy buildup when access and pipe condition support it.
Targeted repair or replacement when roots, offsets, collapse, bellies, or damaged pipe keep the line from carrying waste.
A no-dig repair option for candidate lines after the pipe is cleaned and verified. Some damaged lines still need excavation.
What the symptoms point to
A clogged drain usually starts small. You notice slow water, a bad smell, a gurgle, or one fixture that will not clear. Sometimes it is a local clog. Sometimes the pattern shows the main sewer line is starting to back up. The sooner we know which one it is, the better we can protect the home.
Kitchen lines collect grease, food residue, soap film, and disposal debris. A cable may open the stoppage. Heavy grease on the pipe wall may need a different cleaning approach. We check whether the restriction is at the trap, branch line, disposal connection, or farther downstream.
Hair, soap scum, shampoo residue, and buildup can choke a tub or shower until water stands around your feet. We clear the drain and watch how nearby fixtures respond. That helps show whether the clog is local or part of a larger drainage issue.
A toilet can back up from paper, wipes, an object in the trapway, or a restriction farther down the line. If plunging does not solve it, stop forcing water into the bowl. We check the symptom before turning a simple toilet clog into a bigger mess.
When a toilet, bathtub, shower, floor drain, or laundry drain acts up at the same time, the issue is usually deeper than one fixture. A main-line restriction can involve roots, grease, scale, a belly, or damaged pipe. That is when you should stop using water and call before wastewater finds the lowest opening.
The lowest drain in the house often tells the truth first. If a floor drain, basement drain, or lower bathroom backs up when other fixtures run, the main line may be restricted. Wastewater is taking the easiest path out, and continued water use can make the damage worse.
Gurgling, bubbling, or sewer odor can point to a drain that is not venting or flowing the way it should. It may be a dry trap, a vent issue, a local clog, or a deeper line restriction. We check the symptom before the smell turns into a backup.
If wastewater is coming out of a cleanout, stop using water and call for help. That usually means the sewer line is blocked downstream of that access point. Once flow is restored, we can tell you whether asewer camera inspectionwould help confirm roots, a belly, or damaged pipe.
A repeat clog is a pattern, not bad luck. Grease, scale, roots, rough pipe, low spots, and damaged fittings can catch waste again after a cable opens the line. Depending on what we find, the next step may behydrojetting or sewer line repairbut only when clearing alone will not hold.
When flow comes back and the clog returns
A line can be cleared and still have a reason the clog comes back. Grease can stay on the pipe wall. Roots can re-enter through a crack or joint. Scale and sludge can narrow the pipe. A belly or damaged section can hold waste instead of carrying it away. A buried or missing cleanout does not cause a clog, but it can make every future service call harder.
If one fixture is clogged, the line clears cleanly, and nearby fixtures drain normally afterward, good. That may be the whole job. We clear it, test it, clean up, and move on.
A cleanout gives us a safer, cleaner way into the main line. If the only route is through a toilet, roof vent, crawlspace, buried access point, or awkward fixture opening, adding proper access can make future sewer service faster and less invasive.
A cable can punch open a stoppage, but it may leave buildup on the pipe wall. For lines loaded with grease, scale, sludge, or roots,hydrojettingor descaling may clean better when the pipe and access support it.
If a line keeps backing up, several fixtures are affected, the cleanout overflows, or the pipe condition is in question, asewer camera inspectioncan show visible roots, offsets, standing water, breaks, buildup, or bellies before you spend money on bigger work.
If inspection shows roots entering through cracks, rough pipe, offsets, or damaged sections that keep catching waste,trenchless pipeliningmay be an option if the pipe can be cleaned and lined correctly. If the pipe is collapsed, badly bellied, severely offset, or missing sections,sewer line repairmay be the right next step.
Drain & Plumbing Reviews
When a drain backs up, people want more than a quick cable-and-go visit. They want someone who shows up, explains what is happening, respects the home, and gets the plumbing system moving again. The Google review excerpts below come from homeowners across Spartanburg and the Upstate who trusted Dave's for drain, plumbing, and related service work.
Alice H.
“Joe kept at it until he got the sink unclogged.”
Todd S.
“Fast response and very knowledgeable.”
Sarah B.
“Dave repaired our issue quickly and was friendly and helpful.”
Yolunda G.
“Answered questions and fixed the problem right.”
Donald M.
“Came prepared and got it fixed right.”
Bradd P.
“Competitively priced, highly skilled, and honorable.”
P. Springfield
“Excellent service and great communication at a reasonable price.”
Nathaniel H.
“Great customer service and communication. Very thorough work.”
Tim S.
“On time, professional, friendly, and very clean.”
Marquite D.
“He not only repairs, he educates. Amazing work.”
Local Drain & Sewer Service
Choose your city for local drain cleaning, sewer backup, and sewer-service information from Dave's.
Each city page covers local drain and sewer service details and the fastest way to schedule.
Drain and sewer answers
Straight answers for slow drains, clogged sinks, toilet backups, main-line stoppages, sewer smells, cleanout access, hydrojetting, descaling, camera inspections, trenchless options, and repeat clogs across the Upstate.
No. Spartanburg is one of Dave's core service areas, but Dave's provides drain cleaning, sewer, and plumbing service across much of the Upstate. Our regular service area includes Boiling Springs, Greer, Greenville, Taylors, Duncan, Lyman, Inman, Moore, Roebuck, Wellford, Cowpens, Woodruff, and nearby communities. If you are not sure whether your home is in range, visit our service areas page or call 864-384-5349 and we will tell you straight.
Drain pricing depends on what is clogged, where we can access the line, whether the stoppage is isolated or in the main sewer, and what it takes to clear it safely. Camera inspection, descaling, hydrojetting, cleanout work, trenchless lining, excavation, slab work, and permits are separate decisions. We explain the options before work begins and offercompetitive, easy financing for bigger repairs when needed.
We do not recommend it. Chemical drain cleaners can be hard on piping, may not reach the real blockage, and can leave harsh chemicals in the line for the plumber who has to open it later. They do not fix grease buildup, roots, scale, damaged pipe, bad slope, venting problems, or a main-line restriction. If plunging does not solve it, stop adding water or chemicals and call a plumbing professional.
A drain can be cleared and still have a reason it keeps coming back. Grease, sludge, hair, wipes, scale, roots, rough pipe, low spots, bad fittings, or a damaged sewer line can keep catching waste even after the water drops. A cable may open a path through the blockage, but if the pipe walls are loaded with buildup or the sewer line is damaged, the same drain may keep giving you trouble.
One slow sink, tub, shower, or toilet often points to a local clog near that fixture, trap, or branch line. Multiple fixtures backing up at the same time points deeper. If a toilet, bathtub, shower, floor drain, laundry drain, or cleanout backs up with another fixture, the main sewer line may be restricted. Gurgling, bubbling, sewer smell, or wastewater at the lowest drain are warning signs.
A sewer camera inspectionmakes sense when the same line keeps backing up, multiple fixtures are affected, roots are suspected, a cleanout is overflowing, or we need to verify pipe condition before jetting, lining, or repair. It is not required for every routine clog. Camera locating can also help show where the problem is underground.
Not always. Snaking or rooter equipment is often the right tool for opening a stoppage and getting water moving again.Hydrojettingcan be a better option when the line is packed with grease, sludge, roots, or heavy buildup and the pipe is a good candidate. Descaling can be the smarter tool when scale or hard buildup needs to be removed from the pipe wall. The right method depends on the pipe, the blockage, access, and flood risk.
Not every home needs a new cleanout. A proper cleanout can still make a big difference. If the only way to clear the main line is through a toilet, roof vent, crawlspace, awkward fixture opening, or buried access point, a cleanout can make future sewer service faster, cleaner, and less invasive. It gives us a better path into the line if it backs up again.
Trenchless pipeliningmay make sense after a camera inspection shows that the sewer line is a good candidate. It can be an option for certain cracks, root intrusion, rough pipe, or damaged sections that keep catching waste. It is not the answer for every line. If the pipe is collapsed, badly bellied, severely offset, missing sections, or too damaged to line correctly,sewer line repair or replacement may be the honest answer.
Sewer smell is not something to ignore. It can come from a dry trap, faulty trap, broken or disconnected vent pipe, cracked drain line, bad wax ring, poor venting, or another drain, waste, and vent problem. We inspect the affected drains, traps, venting, and accessible piping to narrow down where the odor is entering and what needs to be corrected.
Stop using water throughout the home. Do not flush, shower, run faucets, or use the washing machine or dishwasher. Keep kids and pets away from contaminated water. Do not pour chemicals into a sewage backup. If dirty water is coming from a floor drain, tub, shower, toilet, or cleanout, call Dave's at864-384-5349so we can help get the line moving and figure out what the plumbing system is telling us.
