Hydro Jetting in Tempe, AZ

Why do Tempe drains seem to clog so often?

Age is a big part of it. Tempe is an older inner-ring suburb, and its median home was built around 1983, earlier than most of the East Valley. Homes from that era and before can have cast iron drains under the slab, which slowly develop a rough, scaled inner surface that snags paper and grease. Mature trees in established neighborhoods also send roots into older sewer joints. Jetting addresses all of these by scouring the pipe back to its full diameter.

Is jetting going to damage an old pipe?

Not if the pipe is in decent shape and the plumber matches pressure and nozzle to the material. The risk is a pipe that is already cracked, separated or collapsed, where water pressure can make a bad section worse. That's why camera-first is the norm on older Tempe lines. If the camera shows damage, jetting may still be used to clean the line before a repair, but the fix itself becomes the main job.

Who handles what?

The City of Tempe Water Utilities Division provides water, wastewater and stormwater service. Public sewer mains are the city's; customer service is 480-350-8361, and the city keeps a separate line for water emergencies, 480-350-2837. The private lateral from your home to the main is the owner's to maintain. On permits, Tempe's homeowner guide says repair work is exempt only when it doesn't involve replacing or rearranging valves, pipes or fixtures, so a straight cleaning doesn't change anything, but replacing a section of drain would go through the Community Development permit counter.

One local note

Neighborhoods around Mill Avenue and the older parts of north Tempe tend to have the oldest drain lines and the biggest shade trees, so root intrusion is a familiar problem there. South Tempe's lower-density neighborhoods are generally newer. Tempe also reports hardness that varies widely across its system, from about 9.5 to 29 grains per gallon. Hard water mostly affects supply-side fixtures and water heaters, but mineral deposits can also add to the crust inside old iron drains, which is one more reason older Tempe lines respond well to jetting. When you call, mention the age of the house and any past sewer work so the plumber arrives with the right nozzle and a camera.