For an El Mirage home, hydro jetting is a deep clean of the main drain or sewer lateral using a hose that sprays water at high pressure, clearing grease, sludge and roots that a cable leaves behind. It is the common fix for a line that keeps clogging. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in El Mirage.
El Mirage sits on the west bank of the Agua Fria River and was settled by farm workers in the early 1930s, so the city has some older homes alongside much newer neighborhoods. The City of El Mirage Wastewater Services division collects and treats the city's wastewater at its own reclamation facility. The public sewer mains belong to the city; the line that runs from your house to the main is private, and that's where most one-house backups start.
What to do now
- Stop sending water down the drains. Skip laundry, dishes and showers until the line is cleared.
- Find out whether it's just you. If neighbors on the street are backing up too, contact the City of El Mirage about the public main.
- Locate the cleanout, a capped pipe usually near the front or side of the house. If it's overflowing, the blockage is between it and the street.
- Keep people and pets away from any sewage, and don't use chemical drain products on a backed-up main line.
- Call a plumber and describe which fixtures failed first and how long the trouble has been building.
Symptoms and what's usually behind them
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Toilet water rises when the washer drains | Restriction in the main building drain |
| Sink slows a few weeks after being snaked | Grease or soap film left on the pipe wall |
| Root fibers on the cable | Roots growing into a lateral joint |
| Rusty flakes in the debris | Scale inside older cast iron |
| Every fixture slow | Blockage near the property line |
What affects cost
- Where the plumber can get into the line
- How long the lateral is between the house and the city main
- Whether the clog is grease, roots, wipes or scale
- Camera inspection added before or after the cleaning
- After-hours or weekend timing
El Mirage's water is on the softer side for the Valley, with the city reporting about 4 to 9 grains per gallon, so heavy mineral crust is less of a factor in drains than in some neighboring cities. Grease, roots and wipes are still the main culprits. If the camera turns up damaged pipe, the city's Building Safety division handles permits for repair work that requires one. In older homes near the original townsite, ask the plumber to inspect before jetting so pressure can be set for the pipe's condition.
Hydro Jetting questions in El Mirage
Is hydro jetting safe for an older cast iron or clay sewer line?
Who do I call first when sewage backs up, the sewer provider or a plumber?
Can jetting clear grease out of a kitchen drain line?
How often should a main drain line be jetted?
More plumbing services in El Mirage
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