Plumbers in Moon Valley

The mesquite in the front yard may well be older than the people who live in the house. It has had decades to find the sewer line, and it has. Moon Valley filled in from the 1960s through the 1980s below the Phoenix Mountains, much of it custom homes on generous, sloping lots around the country club, and the landscaping grew up with the houses. The shade is one of the best things about the neighborhood. Underground, it’s another story.

Sewer laterals from that era were often clay or cast iron, laid in sections with a joint every few feet. Roots don’t break pipe on purpose. They follow moisture to a seam, slip in as hair-thin strands, and thicken until they fill the line. The first sign is usually a slow tub or a toilet that gurgles when the washer drains. The second, if nobody acts on the first, is a backup into the lowest drain in the house.

Snaking clears roots for a season. Hydro jetting scours them off the pipe wall and buys longer. Neither one fixes a joint that has pulled apart, which is why we run a camera inspection and show you the footage before recommending sewer line repair. Some laterals need one section replaced. Some can go years on a cleaning schedule. The video tells you which kind you have.