Refton homes along Route 222 south of Lancaster. We clear drains and sewer lines, including lines to septic, with upfront pricing.
Refton is a small crossroads village in Strasburg Township along US Route 222, about halfway between Lancaster and Quarryville. Around 300 people live here, many in homes that predate the highway, and the village is bordered by Pequea Creek on one side and Big Beaver Creek on the other.
The big infrastructure story here is new: in 2016, Strasburg Township completed the Refton Sewer Project, a low-pressure sewer system in which each connected home runs its wastewater through its own grinder pump. Homeowners got certified letters when connection became mandatory, and quarterly sewer bills have been going out ever since.
So Refton is unusual for Lancaster County: most homes here are on public sewer, but the sewer works nothing like the gravity systems in Strasburg or Lancaster. Your grinder pump, its alarm, and its control panel are part of daily life - and the source of most drain calls we get here.
Village laterals in Lampeter Township: clay tile vs. mature trees, and the public-sewer-vs-septic split.
Grinder pumps change the drain conversation, so here is what Refton homeowners actually tell us.
“The alarm on the grinder pump box went off at 11 at night. Turns out the kids had been flushing wipes for a week straight. Lesson learned.”
“Our place is off Route 222 on an older lot near Pequea Creek. The pump has been fine since 2016, but every time the power flickers I go check that box.”
“Water started coming up in the laundry tub during a storm. They found the grinder jammed with grease from the kitchen sink.”
“We had no idea what a grinder pump was when we bought the house. The township connection paperwork was in a kitchen drawer and nobody explained it.”
“The control panel kept tripping its breaker. They rewired the dedicated circuit and replaced a burnt float switch.”
“Backed up on a Sunday and I was sure we would be without water all day. The tech came out, cleared the pump, and walked me through the alarm panel so I understand it now.”
We provide complete drain cleaning that Refton homeowners and businesses trust, from emergency calls to routine maintenance. If you searched “drain cleaning near me” or “clogged drain service near me,” our local team serves homes and businesses across Refton and the surrounding 717 region of central Pennsylvania.
If a sink, tub or floor drain in your Refton home has slowed down, our team clears it fast. We handle kitchen sinks, bathroom drains, showers, tubs, toilets and main lines using the tool matched to the pipe, not one method everywhere.
We serve homes and businesses across Refton with the same careful diagnosis and upfront pricing on every visit, aiming for a lasting result rather than a temporary fix that returns within a month.
We start by asking which drains are slow and for how long, then clear the line with the tool that fits it and run water through every affected fixture before we leave your Refton home.
Not when the method matches the pipe. Old cast iron and clay get a gentler cable or nozzle than modern PVC.
The hard limestone water here gradually narrows pipes with mineral scale, and combined with grease, hair and aging cast-iron or clay laterals, that causes blockages faster than in soft-water areas.
The main drain carries wastewater from every fixture at once, so a blockage there affects the whole Refton home. We clear grease, scale, roots and sediment with camera-guided snaking or hydro-jetting depending on severity.
Because Refton mixes older clay lines with newer PVC, we assess pipe material first and adjust pressure to protect older lines while still fully clearing the main.
For a main line we find the cleanout, clear it with a cutting head or jetter, and camera the run to the street so you see whether roots, grease or a sag caused the backup.
If two or more fixtures back up together, especially the lowest ones like a basement floor drain, the main is the usual cause.
Most appointments are scheduled the same day across Refton, and urgent backups get priority dispatch.
When a backup happens without warning, our 24/7 team responds fast to restore flow before it turns into water damage. We clear grease, roots, scale and debris with professional snaking and hydro-jetting any hour.
A backup during a heavy Refton storm escalates quickly, so we keep trucks stocked and technicians on call day and night.
On an emergency call we stop the backup first so water can leave the house, then track down the cause and tell you what cleanup is needed in your Refton home.
Stop running water, do not flush, keep people away from any sewage, and move valuables off the floor.
Yes. We provide a free, no-obligation quote before any work begins, so you know the exact price upfront with no surprises on the invoice.
Our clogged drain removal clears the everyday blockages that build up from soap, hair, grease, food and hard-water scale, using snaking and calibrated hydro-jetting for a thorough fix, not a quick push down the line.
Many Refton homes share similar plumbing layouts, so we usually know where a slow drain originates and resolve most visits in one trip.
We locate the clog, protect the floors around the fixture, clear it at the source, and check the connected fixtures so the whole branch is open, not just one spot.
Usually buildup on the pipe walls was left behind. A deeper cleaning or jetting removes it.
When snaking alone cannot clear a line coated in years of scale, hydro-jetting uses controlled high-pressure water to scour the pipe wall and restore it close to original diameter, important given how much scale Refton’s hard water leaves.
We always camera the pipe before applying pressure and adjust carefully to protect older cast-iron, clay or galvanized lines.
We camera the line first to confirm it is sound, pick a nozzle for grease, scale or roots, jet it in passes, then show you the clean pipe on camera.
For sound pipe, yes. We run a camera first, because high pressure can make an existing crack worse.
Our sewer line cleaning clears the main connection carrying wastewater from the whole house. We diagnose and remove grease, debris, roots and sludge with camera inspection plus hydro-jetting when needed.
Given the age of many Refton sewer lines, we watch for shifted joints and root penetration and coordinate repair when cleaning alone will not solve a structural issue.
We clear the lateral between the house and the street, then camera the full length and walk you through any roots, cracks or sags we find in your Refton sewer line.
Every two to three years for most homes, and yearly with big trees nearby or an older clay lateral.
We clear perimeter, surface and yard drains before heavy rain causes flooding. Refton properties rely on working drains to keep yards and foundations protected when storms arrive fast.
Regular outdoor drain cleaning protects foundations, landscaping and walkways from repeated water exposure.
We clear grates and catch basins of leaves and sediment, flush the outlet line, and test it with water so stormwater moves away from your Refton foundation.
Late fall after the leaves drop, and again in early spring before heavy rain.
Our HD camera inspection takes the guesswork out of diagnosis, examining drain and sewer lines without any digging and giving you a real look before deciding next steps.
Regular inspections help Refton homeowners catch small issues early and avoid an unexpected backup later.
We feed an HD camera from the cleanout to the main, mark the distance and depth of any problem, and give you the footage so repair quotes are based on facts.
Yes. We walk you through it live and can usually provide the recording.
Decades of rust and hard-water scale close up older cast-iron pipes common in Refton homes. Descaling mechanically restores the full diameter so the line flows properly again.
We camera the line first and finish with a second pass so you can see the restored pipe.
We check the cast iron wall thickness on camera, grind away rust and scale with a head sized to the pipe, flush the debris out, and camera the line again.
Usually, as long as the pipe walls are still sound. A camera check tells us which applies.
When a line is cracked, collapsed or corroded, cleaning is not enough. We repair or replace damaged sections with durable modern materials suited to Refton’s soil and climate.
We offer trenchless options where possible to avoid tearing up landscaping, and show you camera footage before recommending any repair.
After a camera locates the damage, we explain spot repair, lining or replacement options for your Refton line and verify the finished repair on camera.
Not always. Spot repairs and trenchless methods often fix the damaged section with far less digging.
Our grease trap cleaning keeps fats, oils and grease out of shared sewer lines for Refton restaurants and commercial kitchens, with complete pumping and interior cleaning.
We schedule around your kitchen hours and provide documentation for compliance records.
We pump the trap, scrape the walls and baffles, check the outlet line for grease that slipped past, and set a pumping schedule that fits your kitchen.
Often every one to three months, depending on the size of the trap and how busy the kitchen is.
A sewage backup is a health hazard. Our cleanup clears the cause, removes the waste and leaves the area safe and usable again across Refton.
We confirm the line is genuinely flowing before we leave, not a temporary fix that fails in days.
We stop the backup at its source first, then explain which surfaces can be cleaned and sanitized and which materials should be removed for a safe home.
Yes. Sewage carries bacteria, so avoid contact and keep children and pets away until it is cleared.

Sewer here comes from the Strasburg Township low-pressure system built in 2016. Instead of gravity mains, each connected home has its own grinder pump and control panel that grinds wastewater and pushes it through small pressure lines to the treatment plant. Most Refton homes draw water from private wells.
The pump is the weak point: wipes, grease, and feminine products jam the cutters, power outages stop it cold (the tank holds only limited storage), and a dead float switch or tripped breaker reads exactly like a drain backup. Because the pump basin sits outside near the old septic tank location, winter freeze-ups and saturated soil from the nearby creeks can also cause float problems. We service pumps, clear jammed cutters, and troubleshoot alarm panels - and when we service a pump we check the whole setup (basin, floats, check valve, and the dedicated 30A circuit), not just the symptom.
Prices depend on which drain, how we reach it and what is causing the clog. These are the typical ranges we see in Refton and the rest of Lancaster County.
| Job | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|
| Single drain (sink, tub, shower) | $150 to $350 |
| Kitchen line with grease | $160 to $400 |
| Toilet clog | $150 to $350 |
| Main line through a cleanout | $250 to $600 |
| Main line with no cleanout | $350 to $750 |
| Hydro jetting, residential | $400 to $900 |
| Sewer camera inspection | $150 to $400 |
| After-hours or holiday charge | add $150 to $400 |
Typical ranges only. The final price is set after inspection. See the full Pennsylvania drain cleaning cost guide.
Refton is part of our Lancaster County drain cleaning service area. The same crew covers these nearby towns:
Most Refton calls are for drain cleaning, main line clogs and hydro jetting. For backups that cannot wait, our emergency line is answered any time.
Stop using water right away - every flush adds to the tank while the pump is not running. Check the breaker on the dedicated circuit, then silence the alarm if your panel has a silence button. If the red light stays on, call us at (717) 674-8498. We diagnose jammed cutters, failed floats, and electrical faults, and we carry common repair parts.
Not long. Without power the pump cannot run, and the tank only holds a limited volume above its normal operating level - in practice a couple dozen flushes, depending on the tank. Limit water to essentials during an outage. If your alarm sounds when power returns, that is usually the tank catching up - give it a few minutes before you worry.
No. "Flushable" wipes do not break down fast enough for a grinder pump, and they are the number one cause of jammed cutters we see in Refton. The same goes for feminine products, paper towels, and dental floss. Toilet paper only, plus what the pump was designed for - that is how you avoid an expensive service call.
Usually a jammed cutter or a stuck check valve - the pump is trying but cannot move anything. Sometimes it is a failed float telling the pump the wrong level. Either way, do not keep running it; a stalled pump burns out. Turn the water off, kill the breaker if it smells hot, and call. We clear jams and test floats before recommending any replacement.
Clearing a jammed pump and resetting the panel typically runs in the low hundreds; float switches, panels, and full pump replacements cost more. We quote before we start. Office hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 to 6 at (717) 674-8498, and the emergency line is answered around the clock - pump alarms do not wait for business hours.
Generally, the homeowner is responsible for the pump, the tank, and the control panel on their property, including the dedicated electrical circuit the township required at installation. The township handles the treatment plant and the pressure mains in the street. When a boundary question comes up, we can help you document it - and we deal with Strasburg Township billing regularly.
Talk to a real person, get an upfront price, and get it cleared.