Drain Cleaning & Rodding in Ashburn

Built in the 1950s and 1960s

Ashburn developed largely in the 1950s and 1960s, later than most of the city, producing brick ranches and Georgians on wide lots with driveways and garages.

Laterals here are among the younger ones in Chicago, which shifts the common problems from deterioration toward roots and grade.

Sixty Years of Tree Growth

Trees planted when the subdivisions were new are now sixty or more years old, with root systems that have reached the depth of the service lines.

Newer pipe does not prevent root intrusion where joints exist; it just means the pipe itself is generally sound when the roots are cleared.

Finished Lower Levels

Finished basements are near-universal in this housing type, and they are the reason preventive work pays here.

A known service interval plus a functioning backwater valve is a modest ongoing cost against a substantial potential loss - see basement drain backup.

Postwar Homes on the Southwest Edge

Ashburn is one of Chicago's largest community areas on the far Southwest Side, and for much of its history it was open prairie, farmland and even an early airfield, Ashburn Flying Field, where pioneering aviators trained in the 1910s and 1920s. Significant residential development waited until after the Second World War, when thousands of brick Cape Cods, Georgians, raised ranches and bi-levels were built for families seeking more space than older city neighborhoods offered. The area known as Scottsdale, developed in the 1950s, and Wrightwood are among its well-known sections. Ashburn has since become one of the city's larger Black middle-class communities, with high rates of homeownership and many residents who work for the city.

Because most of Ashburn was built between roughly 1945 and 1970, its homes share common plumbing characteristics: cast iron drains, clay laterals and full basements or lower levels. Those systems are now fifty to eighty years old, an age at which joints begin to separate and roots find their way in.

Ashburn's larger lots, wide streets and suburban feel set it apart from denser neighborhoods closer to downtown, and its sewers connect to Chicago's combined system.

Cape Cods, Raised Ranches and Bi-Levels

The brick Cape Cod is a common Ashburn house type, with a full basement, a kitchen and bath on the main floor and an expansion attic above. The basement floor drain is the lowest opening, and main line clogs appear there first.

Raised ranches and bi-levels, very common in Ashburn, put family rooms, bathrooms and laundry on a lower level close to sewer elevation. Many use ejector pumps to lift wastewater from those fixtures to the main. When lower-level drains back up while upstairs fixtures work normally, the pump or its check valve is often the cause.

Knowing your house type and which fixtures are affected helps the crew identify the problem quickly.

Maturing Trees and Clay Laterals

The parkway trees planted when Ashburn was built are now fifty to seventy years old, large enough that their roots reach the joints of clay laterals. Root intrusion is a leading cause of recurring main line backups.

Rodding with a root-cutting head clears the blockage, but roots return within a year or two unless the joints are sealed. A camera inspection after rodding shows how many joints are affected and whether spot repair or lining makes sense.

Regular rodding every one to two years prevents most root-related emergencies.

Storms and Lower-Level Flooding

Ashburn drains into Chicago's combined sewer system, and heavy storms can surcharge mains, pushing water into basements and lower levels. Homes with finished lower levels, very common in raised ranches and bi-levels, face significant costs when a backup occurs.

Overhead sewer conversions and backwater valves are the most effective protections. Sump pumps with battery backups handle groundwater from drain tile.

Downspout disconnection, where permitted, reduces the storm load. Report block-wide backups to 311.

Ejector Pumps and Sump Pumps

Because so many Ashburn homes have lower levels below sewer elevation, ejector pumps and sump pumps are common. An ejector pump lifts wastewater from lower fixtures; a sump pump removes groundwater collected by drain tile.

Signs of a failing ejector pump include constant running, an alarm, sewage odor near the basin or intermittent lower-level backups. Sump pump failure during a storm can flood a basement even when the sewer works normally.

Test both pumps at least once a year and consider replacing units older than ten to fifteen years before they fail.

Interior Cast Iron

Cast iron drain lines in Ashburn's postwar homes may have developed internal scale. Kitchen lines are especially prone to grease buildup.

Descaling or replacing corroded sections restores normal flow. A camera inspection of interior lines shows the condition of the pipe.

Renovations are the ideal time to address interior drain problems.

Commercial Corridors

Ashburn's commercial areas along Pulaski Road, Kedzie Avenue, 79th Street and 87th Street include restaurants, shopping centers and services. Restaurants should maintain grease interceptors and schedule regular line cleaning.

Churches with kitchens and fellowship halls should also keep lines clean, especially before large events.

If you operate a business in Ashburn, ask about commercial service when you call.

Maintenance for Postwar Homes

For a typical Ashburn home, rodding the main every one to two years, a camera inspection every few years and annual pump testing provide good protection.

Keep grease out of kitchen drains, avoid flushing wipes and use hair catchers in showers.

Keep a record of every service visit, including what was found and how far the cable reached.

Service in Ashburn

Crews serving the Southwest Side cover Ashburn, Scottsdale and Wrightwood along with West Lawn, Chicago Lawn, Auburn Gresham and neighboring Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn. When you call, share your address, the type of home and which fixtures are affected, and mention if you have an ejector pump, overhead sewer or backwater valve.

For main line clogs, the crew will rod from the most accessible cleanout. For recurring problems, a camera inspection is recommended. Pricing is confirmed on site before work begins.

Many residents work city shifts; let us know your availability for non-emergency service.

Buying in Ashburn

Ashburn's postwar homes offer space and value, and many are now reaching the age when original clay laterals begin to fail. Before closing, schedule a sewer camera inspection. If the home has an ejector pump, ask how old it is and when it was last serviced.

If you plan to finish a lower level, install a backwater valve or overhead sewer during the renovation.

Coverage Area

Local crews in our network serve all of Ashburn, from 71st Street south to 87th Street and beyond to the city limits, and from Western Avenue west to Cicero Avenue, including Scottsdale, Wrightwood and the blocks around the Ford City area. Share your cross streets when you call.

From Flying Field to Family Neighborhood

Ashburn Flying Field, which operated near 83rd Street and Cicero Avenue in the 1910s and 1920s, was one of the Chicago area's earliest airfields and a training ground for early aviators. Its open land, like much of Ashburn, stayed undeveloped long after neighborhoods closer to downtown had filled in. When homebuilding finally arrived after the war, it came quickly, and entire subdivisions were laid out with similar lot sizes, sewer depths and house designs. That uniformity means neighbors often face the same drain problems at about the same time. If the house next door recently needed its lateral lined or its ejector pump replaced, yours may not be far behind, and a proactive camera inspection lets you plan ahead rather than react during a storm.

Frequently Asked Questions