The drain cleaning services we provide to our Scottsdale customers are second to none.

Drains come in various sizes and are attached to many different plumbing fixtures. Their sizes can range from 1 ½ inches to 12 inches and can be found in sewers, roofs, kitchens, sinks, bathtubs, floors, toilets and mainlines. Drain clogs are caused either by improper pipe installation or by things interfering with normal water flow such as roots, pipe erosion, slime, and unflushable materials. There are many factors involved when a clogged pipe occurs, but clearing them can always be achieved.

There are two ways to clean drains, snaking (rootering) or hydro-jetting. Snaking is usually for pipes ranging from 1 ½ in to 4 inches in diameter and works spinning in a circular motion. The snake head actually has a few blades on it that chops up and removes any waste particles from the pipe. Hydrojetting, on the other hand, uses highly pressurized water to propel a device through a pipe and clear anything in its way (the same process works when you turn your outside hose on high and the hose will move around because of the pressure). Not only will this remove anything caught in a pipe, it will also completely clean the walls of the drains from and sludge or buildups; this is especially good for grease buildups.

Believe it or not, most clogged drains are caused by things that should never be flushed down the toilet, baby wipes and industrial strength paper towels are just a few examples of things that should never travel through your drains. A good rule of thumb is to never flush something that you think might cause drains to clog.

Of course, there are other factors the play into clogged pipes, things such as collapsed pipes, city sewer lines, roots, backgrades, grease & slime.  Pipes deteriorate over time and can cause major plumbing problems such as clogged drains if they fail. If city sewer lines are clogged, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect someone’s house to flood even if none of their drain lines are actually clogged. If you have many trees or bushes, their roots can actually work their way into your pipes and not only damage your pipes, but clog them and cause your water bill to increase. Sometimes however, houses are not constructed or repaired properly, and you can end up with something called a backgrade in your pipes which cause water not to drain properly. Also, drains can be clogged by grease, which sticks to the inside of the pipe and it keeps coating itself until the while pipe is choked off.

If you notice your drains clog more often than not, here are a few things to examine:

• Age of drain
• Roots
• Improper installation

If you think any of these factors might be the reason why your drains clog frequently, it would benefit you to call us and have us look at your pipes to see if your clogged drain can be repaired for more efficient use.

Drains with slime or grease coated on them are usually the reason why some drains produce a very rancid odor. If you have ever been to a mall and smelled something bad outside, it isn’t the sewer, but grease sitting in their grease traps. This phenomenon can also occur in residential houses with things such as toothpaste. Some of these materials, especially grease, are considered bio hazard waste and need to be removed professionally.

A money saving tip when trying to clear a clog yourself would actually be not to buy over the counter drain cleaning chemicals. For the majority of the time, if you have a legitimate clog, these chemicals are going to be diluted and actually never remove what is causing the clog. We recommend not using the chemicals as they can as well make a drain clog even worse.

On a closing note, one of the best things you can do to make sure your waste is draining properly, is to make sure you are using adequate amounts of water. Waste needs enough water to be disposed of properly.  If you suspect a clog, it is important to fix it as soon as possible. A clog can lead to leaks which, if unnoticed and left untreated, could cause many other problems to occur. If you suspect any of the topics discussed above to be a source of clogging for you, please do not hesitate to call us at (480) 256-8313 or fill out the webform located on our contact us page, Our plumbers provide complete and quality drain cleaning services to the Scottsdale area and we look forward to assisting you soon.

Scottsdale Plumber | Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors Inc
4400 N Scottsdale Rd Suite 9-303
Scottsdale AZ 85251
(480) 256-8313