[1] Roto-Rooter is one of the two subsidiary divisions of the publicly traded Chemed Corporation, of which the other one is a hospice care provider VITAS Healthcare.

The rotating motion cut tree roots out of sewer lines, eliminating the need to dig up pipes and clear obstructions by hand, thus inventing the world's first heavy-duty plumber's Snake.

In the 1930s and 40s, Roto-Rooter featured an illustration of a mound of dirt over a recently excavated sewer pipe with the caption, "Why put a grave in your yard?"

[3] In the 1980s, some Roto-Rooter franchises and company-owned locations began to offer around-the-clock service and general full-service plumbing repair for both residential and commercial customers.

Roto-Rooter is the largest provider of plumbing repair and sewer and drain cleaning services in both countries.

[citation needed] International franchise operations have been established in Canada,[4] Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia.

[citation needed] For the first five years of Roto-Rooter's existence (1935-1940), the company had no official logo and allowed its franchisees to paint their trucks however they saw fit.

The logo featured the patented Roto-Rooter electric sewer cleaning machine inside of an outline of the United States proclaiming, "A Specialized Service From Coast-to-Coast".

The new emblem was used on service vehicles, on guarantees, and in all advertising to help homeowners select the original Roto-Rooter.

[5] In 1953, Roto-Rooter updated the logo to a much simpler design which incorporated a new black and white font with “SEWER-DRAIN SERVICE” inside a drainpipe.

The Roto-Rooter advertising jingle used today on TV and radio was created in 1954 and has been one of the longest-running and best-remembered musical jingles in history:[6] Call Roto-Rooter, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain.The memorable bass voice in the commercial was that of Tom Fouts, more widely known as Captain Stubby of Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers.

The commercial, which began airing on television and in targeted internet ads, features a nosy neighbor asking a Roto-Rooter plumber standing at the curb "what are you doing with the Johnsons' sofa?"