Drains & Sewers
Commercial Drain Cleaning in Albany, NY
A slow floor drain, a backed-up kitchen line or a restroom that keeps clogging costs a business time and customers. Farrell Brothers clears commercial drains across Albany and the Capital Region, finds out why they clogged, and tells you what it will take to keep them flowing.
We work in restaurants, multifamily buildings, offices, retail stores, healthcare facilities, schools and older masonry buildings with cast iron and clay lines. If water is backing up right now, call us. We dispatch by severity, so urgent problems get handled first.
Call Farrell Brothers at (518) 462-5454 to schedule service or request an estimate.
- 100+ years serving Albany, since 1921
- Severity-based dispatch, reachable anytime
- Licensed and insured
- Call (518) 462-5454
Signs your commercial drains need cleaning
Call if you notice any of these:
- Sinks, floor drains or toilets draining slower than usual
- Gurgling from drains or toilets when other fixtures run
- Sewer odors in restrooms, kitchens or basements
- Water coming up through floor drains or lower-level fixtures
- Several fixtures slowing down at once, which often points to the main line
- The same drain clogging again a few weeks after it was cleared
If wastewater is actively backing up into the building, say so when you call. That helps us judge severity and send someone right away if needed. See our emergency commercial plumbing page for more.
How often should commercial drains be cleaned?
There is no single schedule that fits every building. It depends on what goes down the lines, how many people use them, and the age and condition of the pipe.
A busy commercial kitchen usually needs its lines cleaned far more often than an office restroom. The best guide is your own history. If a line clogs every few months, schedule cleaning before that point instead of waiting for the next backup.
Scheduled cleaning can be built into a commercial maintenance agreement, so it happens on a set calendar and does not depend on someone remembering.
Your options: snaking, hydro jetting and camera inspection
Snaking (drain cabling)
A motorized cable with a cutting head is fed into the drain to break up and pull out a blockage. It works well for a single clog in a branch line, such as a restroom or a sink.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting sends high-pressure water through the pipe to scour grease, scale and sludge off the walls. Read more on our hydro jetting page, including how it compares to snaking.
Sewer camera inspection
When a drain keeps clogging, a small camera on a cable shows what is inside the pipe. It can reveal roots, cracks, sagging sections or heavy buildup. Learn more about sewer camera inspection.
When cleaning is not enough
If the camera shows broken, collapsed or root-filled pipe, cleaning will only buy time. In that case we explain the repair options, including trenchless methods where the site allows. See sewer line repair.
Grease buildup in restaurant and kitchen lines
Grease is the most common cause of restaurant plumbing problems. Fats and oils go down the drain warm, then cool and harden on the pipe walls. The opening shrinks until the line backs up, often mid-service.
Regular cleaning of kitchen lines keeps that buildup under control. For heavy grease, hydro jetting usually does a more complete job than snaking. Grease traps are a related maintenance item that affects how fast kitchen lines build up. Client to confirm: whether Farrell Brothers services grease traps or refers that work out
Commercial properties we clean drains for
Restaurants and commercial kitchens
Grease lines, prep sinks, dish areas and kitchen floor drains.
Multifamily buildings
Shared drain stacks, where one clog can affect several units at once.
Offices and retail
High-traffic restroom lines that clog from paper and misuse.
Healthcare facilities
Lines that must keep working with minimal disruption.
Schools
Restrooms and cafeteria kitchens with heavy daily use.
Older Capital Region buildings
Many commercial buildings in Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Cohoes and Watervliet still run on older cast iron and clay drain lines that scale, crack and let roots in.
Floor drains in kitchens, mechanical rooms, garages and basements often go unnoticed until one backs up, so they are worth checking during routine service.
Our drain cleaning process
- 01
Call
Reach us at (518) 462-5454 and tell us what you are seeing.
- 02
Severity assessment
We judge how urgent it is and schedule or dispatch to match.
- 03
On-site evaluation
The technician checks the affected fixtures and finds where the blockage is.
- 04
Explain findings and options
We tell you what we found and the methods that fit, such as snaking, hydro jetting or a camera inspection.
- 05
Agreed scope before work
Nothing starts until you approve the plan.
- 06
Complete and review
We clear the line, test the drains and go over what we did and anything to watch for.
Why Farrell Brothers
Farrell Brothers has served Albany since 1921, when Martin E. Farrell Sr. started the company. Our first trucks were called the "Plumbing Shop on Wheels" because they carried enough stock to finish jobs in one visit.
We do commercial and institutional plumbing and HVAC only. We are licensed and insured, reachable anytime, and our office is open Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Drain cleaning is part of our full drains and sewers service, alongside general commercial plumbing.
Service area
We clean commercial drains across seven Capital Region counties: Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Columbia, Montgomery and Schoharie. That includes Albany, Troy and Schenectady. See all service areas.
Commercial Drain Cleaning FAQs
How often should commercial drains be cleaned?
It depends on use and pipe condition. Busy kitchens need it more often than office restrooms. If a line clogs on a pattern, schedule cleaning before the next expected clog.
Is hydro jetting better than snaking?
Snaking clears a single blockage. Hydro jetting scours the whole pipe wall, which is better for grease and scale. We recommend the one that fits your line.
Why does my drain keep clogging after it is cleaned?
Repeat clogs usually point to buildup, roots, or damaged pipe. A sewer camera inspection shows the cause so it can be fixed instead of cleared again.
Do you work on old cast iron and clay drain lines?
Yes. Much of the older building stock in the Capital Region uses these lines. We choose cleaning methods that suit the pipe's condition and tell you if repair makes more sense.
What if a drain backs up after hours?
We are reachable anytime. Call and describe the problem. Emergencies are dispatched right away, and other issues are scheduled same-day or next business day depending on severity.
Get on the schedule
Schedule commercial drain cleaning
Slow drains rarely fix themselves. Get your lines cleared and find out what is causing the problem.
- Emergency dispatch 24/7/365
- Licensed & insured · NY Master Lic. #19-04421
- Upfront pricing before work starts
Something down right now?
We pick up your call day or night.