A flat industrial city in Allen County
Lima is in Allen County in western Ohio, northwest of Columbus, and the 45804 and 45805 ZIP areas cover it. The older neighborhoods have brick and frame houses and doubles from the late 1800s through the 1950s, built around the railroads and the plants, and postwar and newer homes spread out beyond.
Houses of this age tend to have a basement, cast iron stacks indoors and a clay lateral out to the street.
The land is flat, so a house lateral has little fall to spare, and a small sag or a build-up of grease has a bigger effect than it would on a hillside.
Winters are cold and snowy, and spring rain soaks basements.
For a Lima home, rental doubles are common, and the owner often lives elsewhere.
Around Lima, a street and cross street help the dispatcher pick the closest crew.
Refinery, rail and plant workers have long made up much of the city's population, and shift work means laundry and kitchens run at all hours. Tell the dispatcher what time of day the trouble tends to appear.
A house that has been added to may have more than one stack. Raise any addition, given that each stack can have its own route to the main.
Cast iron indoors: scale and narrowing
Cast iron lasts, but the inside of an old stack does not stay smooth. Years of wastewater leave rough scale on the wall, and the opening tightens. Grease, hair and paper catch on that surface much sooner than they would on plastic.
Cabling opens a path and jetting cleans the wall, though how aggressive the crew gets depends on the condition of the iron. Drains on several floors that slow, clear and slow again are the classic sign of a narrowed stack.
Talk to a Drain TechClear help, no pressure.
Typical Lima drain jobs
Find answers to the cast-iron, grease and flat-lot calls we take most from Lima.
Cast Iron Drain CleaningKitchen Grease ClogsClogged Kitchen SinkBasement Floor Drain BackupMulti-Unit and Two-Family DrainsSewer Camera Inspection
Water at the floor drain: what it points to
The basement floor drain is the lowest opening on the sewer connection, so a restriction downstream shows there first. Water at that drain as the washer empties, or after a hard rain, suggests the main line or building drain and not a single fixture.
Shut off any running water, keep kids and pets clear, do not wade near outlets or appliances, and call. In a double, say which unit saw water first.
In Lima, if the basement has a sump pit or a bath with its own drain, point it out. They follow their own paths and can react differently.
Water in the Floor Drain? Call UsKeep water off and phone.
Kitchen grease and why it clogs faster in winter
Fat and oil leave the sink warm and runny. Further down the pipe they cool and cling to the wall, and food particles stick to the film. The opening shrinks week by week until a heavy dishwasher cycle finishes it.
Cold speeds this up, since chilled pipes cool grease before it travels far, and a flat lateral lets it settle. A disposal chops food but does nothing for fat.
In an old house with rough iron, grease holds even better, so a kitchen line that has clogged before will clog again unless the habits change.
Getting help anywhere in Lima
Help is available throughout Lima, OH, ZIP codes 45804 and 45805, from the older streets and doubles to the postwar neighborhoods and the roads around the city.
Tell the dispatcher your street, the nearest cross street and how many units are in the building.
Call for PricingA clear price, agreed.
Common questions about drain cleaning in Lima, OH
Why does the kitchen drain clog in winter in Lima?
In cold weather the grease sets within a few feet of the sink instead of moving on.
Can hot water clear a greasy drain in Lima?
Only briefly. The grease moves along the pipe and sets again, typically somewhere harder to reach.
How do old iron drains compare with plastic in Lima?
For a Lima home, iron grows rough scale inside over decades, which gives debris something to grab. Plastic stays smooth.
Why does my drain slow when the lot is flat in Lima?
A line calls for fall to carry waste. Flat terrain leaves almost no extra fall in the pipe, which makes a minor sag more consequential.
Can a camera find a low spot in the line in Lima?
For a Lima home, yes. Pooled water on the recording indicates a sag, and the crew tells you how that affects the cleaning.
Who approves the work in a rental double?
For a Lima home, the owner or manager. Tenants can place the call, and the dispatcher will ask for the owner's contact.
Does a disposal help with grease in Lima?
Around Lima, no. It chops food, but fat still flows into the pipe and coats the wall.
Why do my drains slow, clear and slow again in Lima?
Rough iron and a tightened bore offer debris something to catch on. Cleaning helps for a though, then the pattern repeats.
Flat lots and slow-falling laterals
A drain line moves waste by gravity, so it calls for a steady downhill run. On a flat lot, the fall from the house to the street can be slight, which means any settling, grease or silt has an outsized effect.
A flat-lot line is not a bad line, but a small restriction shows up sooner, and a clog can return where debris keeps settling in a slow stretch.
Ask About a Camera InspectionSee the line on screen.
Surrounding towns
The crews for Lima also run to Bluffton and Wapakoneta nearby, Kenton and Upper Sandusky to the east, and Bellefontaine around the region.
BlufftonWapakonetaKentonUpper SanduskyBellefontaineAll of Northwest Ohio