A slow drain is easy to ignore until it backs up entirely at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday. At American Home Pros of Arizona, we handle drain calls the way they should be handled: we show up the same day, we tell you exactly what's causing the problem before any work starts, and we fix the actual issue instead of putting a temporary patch on it.
Our plumbers carry the equipment to handle everything from a basic kitchen sink clog to a main sewer line backup — and we use camera inspection to diagnose before we recommend, so you're not paying for a service your drain doesn't need.
Our Drain Cleaning Services
Drain Snaking & Rooter Service
For most household clogs — a backed-up sink, a slow shower drain, a clogged toilet — a professional drain snake is the right first tool. We run a motorized cable through the drain to break up or retrieve the blockage and restore flow. It's fast, effective, and appropriate for localized clogs that haven't spread further into the line.
When snaking alone isn't enough — or when the same drain keeps clogging every few months — it's usually a sign there's buildup on the pipe walls that a snake can punch through but not remove. That's when hydro jetting is the right call.
Hydro Jetting
Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water — typically 2,000 to 4,000 PSI depending on pipe material and condition — to scour the full interior diameter of your drain and sewer lines. Where snaking creates a hole through a clog, hydro jetting removes the grease, mineral scale, soap buildup, and debris coating the pipe walls entirely. The result lasts significantly longer than snaking alone.
Arizona's hard water makes hydro jetting particularly valuable here. The Valley's 12 to 20+ grains-per-gallon mineral content accelerates scale buildup inside drain lines over time, and that scale traps grease and debris more aggressively than it would in softer-water markets. Hydro jetting is also the most effective method for clearing tree root infiltration in main sewer lines, which is a common problem in established neighborhoods across the East Valley.
Important: We always perform a sewer camera inspection before hydro jetting a main line. High-pressure water can damage pipes that are already cracked, corroded, or structurally compromised. We check first so we don't make a bad situation worse.
Sewer Camera Inspection
A sewer camera inspection is exactly what it sounds like: a waterproof high-definition camera on a flexible cable, run through your drain or sewer line so we can see what's actually happening inside the pipe. Live video feeds to a monitor so we can show you the problem in real time — grease buildup, root intrusion, a cracked pipe section, an offset joint, or a foreign object lodged in the line.
Camera inspection is valuable in three specific situations:
- Recurring clogs — if the same drain keeps backing up, a camera tells you why
- Multiple slow drains at once — a whole-house slowdown usually means a main line problem, and a camera finds it without guesswork
- Before buying a home — a pre-purchase sewer scope is one of the most overlooked inspections a buyer can add; a failed sewer line can cost $5,000 to $15,000 or more to replace, and a $200 camera inspection before closing is inexpensive insurance
After inspection, we show you the video, explain what we found, and give you upfront pricing on the repair or cleaning method that actually fits the problem.
CIPP Trenchless Sewer & Drain Lining
When a camera inspection reveals a cracked, corroded, or deteriorated sewer line, the traditional fix is excavation — digging up your yard, driveway, or landscaping to access and replace the pipe. Trenchless CIPP (Cured-In-Place Pipe) lining is the modern alternative. We insert a resin-saturated liner into the existing pipe and cure it in place, creating a new structural pipe inside the old one — no digging required in most cases.
CIPP lining is particularly valuable for:
- Older homes in established East Valley neighborhoods with original clay or cast-iron sewer lines
- Sun City and historic Florence properties where the sewer lines are 40 to 60+ years old
- Homes with mature landscaping or concrete flatwork over the sewer line where excavation would be destructive and expensive
- Pipes with cracks, root infiltration, or corrosion that haven't completely collapsed
A lined pipe typically carries a 50-year manufacturer warranty and restores full flow capacity. In many cases, lining costs significantly less than full excavation and replacement — and the yard stays intact.
Learn more about our Trenchless Sewer Lining service
What's Actually Clogging Your Drains
Kitchen drains
Grease and cooking oil are the most common culprits — they go down liquid and solidify on cooler pipe walls further down the line. Food particles, coffee grounds, and soap buildup compound the problem over time. A drain that's been slow for months and suddenly stops flowing entirely has usually been accumulating a grease-and-debris blockage for longer than anyone noticed.
Bathroom drains
Hair is the primary cause of shower and tub clogs, usually combined with soap scum that binds the hair into a solid mass. Bathroom sink clogs typically involve toothpaste, hair, and skincare products building up on the pop-up stopper or in the P-trap.
Toilets
Most toilet clogs involve too much toilet paper, paper towels, or items that should never have been flushed. Main-line backups that show up first in the toilet (water rising when you flush, or backing up into the tub) indicate a problem further down the line that a plunger won't touch.
Main sewer lines
Tree roots are the single most common cause of main sewer line blockages in established Arizona neighborhoods. Roots follow moisture and will infiltrate the smallest crack or joint gap in a sewer line, then grow until they restrict or completely block flow. Grease accumulation over years is the second most common cause, particularly in older homes.
A Word on "Flushable" Wipes
This comes up on almost every drain call we go to, so we're going to say it directly: flushable wipes are not flushable.
The "flushable" label means they will physically go down your toilet when you flush. It does not mean they break down in your plumbing system the way toilet paper does. Toilet paper is engineered to dissolve rapidly in water — it starts breaking apart within seconds of contact. Flushable wipes do not. They move through your toilet and into your drain line largely intact, where they catch on pipe walls, accumulate at bends and joints, and combine with grease and other debris to form blockages that a plunger cannot clear.
We've pulled wipe clogs out of sewer lines and septic systems that were years in the making — a dense, rope-like mass of intact wipes that had been slowly accumulating with every flush. It's one of the most preventable calls we make.
The only things that should go down a toilet
- Toilet paper (single or double ply — not "premium" thick varieties in large quantities)
- Human waste
Never flush
- "Flushable" wipes of any brand
- Baby wipes
- Paper towels or facial tissues
- Cotton balls or cotton swabs
- Feminine hygiene products
- Dental floss
- Medications (flush these at a pharmacy take-back program, not your toilet)
- Anything with the word "disposable" that isn't toilet paper
If you're on a septic system, this list is even more critical — septic systems depend on bacterial breakdown of waste, and non-dissolving materials accumulate in the tank and can cause system failure that costs thousands to repair.
Signs You Need a Drain Cleaning Call Today
- One or more drains are completely stopped
- Multiple drains in the house are slow at the same time
- Water backs up into the tub or shower when you flush the toilet
- Gurgling sounds coming from drains when water is running elsewhere in the house
- Sewage odor coming from drains — especially in a floor drain or basement
- You've used chemical drain cleaners repeatedly and the problem keeps coming back
- A drain has been "a little slow" for longer than a few weeks
The last two deserve special attention. Chemical drain cleaners (Drano, Liquid-Plumr, and similar products) dissolve organic material but don't clear grease coating the pipe walls, and the caustic chemicals can damage older pipes over time. If you've been pouring chemicals down a drain every few months, you're masking a problem that's getting worse — not fixing it. A professional cleaning that addresses the actual buildup is a better long-term answer.
What to Expect When You Call
- Same-day scheduling across our full service area — Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Anthem, New River, Florence, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Surprise, and Sun City
- Diagnosis before recommendation — we assess the drain and tell you what's causing the problem before recommending a service
- Upfront flat-rate pricing — you know the cost before we start
- Camera inspection when warranted — for recurring clogs or main-line issues, we show you what's inside the pipe
- The right tool for the job — snaking for simple clogs, hydro jetting for buildup and roots, lining for structurally compromised pipe
- 5-year workmanship guarantee on all repairs and installations
- Clean work area — we protect your floors and clean up before we leave
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does drain cleaning cost?
It depends on the drain location, the severity of the clog, and the method required. A simple kitchen or bathroom drain snake is on the lower end; hydro jetting a main sewer line is more involved. We provide upfront flat-rate pricing before any work begins — no surprise invoices.
Why does the same drain keep clogging?
Recurring clogs almost always mean there's buildup on the pipe walls that snaking punches through but doesn't remove. Hydro jetting clears the full pipe interior. If a drain clogs again within a few weeks of being snaked, it's time for a camera inspection to see what's actually happening.
Can I use chemical drain cleaners instead of calling a plumber?
Chemical cleaners can dissolve a soft organic clog temporarily, but they don't remove grease coating the pipe walls, they don't work on roots or foreign objects, and repeated use can corrode older pipes. They're a short-term fix that often delays a longer-term problem. If a drain is slow or backing up regularly, a professional cleaning addresses the actual cause.
Do you do sewer camera inspections for home purchases?
Yes — a pre-purchase sewer scope is one of the smartest inspections a buyer can add, especially for homes built before 1990. We run the camera, show you the video, and give you a written report. If there's a problem, you know about it before closing instead of after.
Is hydro jetting safe for older pipes?
Yes, when performed correctly — with a camera inspection first. We inspect the pipe condition before using high-pressure water so we know what we're working with. We don't hydro jet pipes that are already structurally compromised; those need lining or repair first.
What's the difference between a drain clog and a sewer line problem?
A single slow or clogged drain is usually localized — a blockage in that drain's line. Multiple slow drains, gurgling sounds across fixtures, or water backing up in one fixture when another is used are signs of a main sewer line problem. That's a different, more serious issue that needs a camera inspection and professional clearing, not a plunger.
Do you handle drain calls for homes on septic systems?
Yes — with specific attention to what goes into the tank. We use septic-safe cleaning methods and flag any issues we find with the tank-side connection during drain service.