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Kalona calls itself the Quilt Capitol of Iowa. It's in Washington County, about 20 miles south of Iowa City, and it sits next to one of the largest Amish settlements west of the Mississippi. The railroad founded the town in 1879, and about 2,600 people live there now. A-1 Sewer Service clears drains, replaces sump pumps and handles plumbing for houses in town, farms outside it, and shops on Main Street. Our shop is off Bay Ridge Ave on the south side of Iowa City, about 25 minutes from Kalona. Call (319) 600-4224 or use the contact form.
Kalona is small, but the area it serves is large. Mid-Prairie schools pull students from town and from farms around it. The Amish and Mennonite communities have been here since the 1840s, and the Kalona Historical Village keeps some of that history, along with the Iowa Mennonite Archives.
For a plumber, that mix means two kinds of jobs. A house on a street in town is on the city sewer. A farmstead a few miles out has its own drainage setup, and it might be anything. We're comfortable with both. We'll look at what's actually there, tell you plainly what it means, and give you options that fit how you live.
The older part of Kalona grew up along the tracks, and a lot of the buildings downtown and nearby are over a century old. Plumbing in a house like that has been patched, extended and repaired by several owners. The drains are often narrow and rough inside. The line under the street could be clay, cast iron or something nobody wrote down. Roots from old shade trees get into those lines, and decades of grease cling to the walls.
We clean main lines, kitchen drains, bathroom drains and floor drains in older houses and commercial buildings. If a pipe is in bad shape, you'll hear about it. If it just needs a good cleaning, we'll tell you that, too, and you won't pay for more than you need.
People drive to Kalona for quilts, bakeries, cheese and a long lunch, and fall brings festival crowds. That puts a load on restaurant and shop plumbing. A kitchen drain that backs up on a Saturday in October is a serious problem for anyone who runs a restaurant. We help business owners keep lines moving and respond when a drain quits, and we schedule around your hours where we can.
The land around Kalona rolls, and a spring thunderstorm can drop a lot of water in a short time. In town, basements take on water when downspouts empty next to the foundation or when a sump pump falls behind. Out in the country, the lower level of a farmhouse can collect water with no easy way out.
The simplest fix is usually the cheapest: a working pump, a discharge line that carries water well away from the house, and downspouts that are extended or buried. We install and replace pumps and run the drain lines. If the same corner of the basement is wet every year, we'll go through waterproofing options with you. A pump that's been running for fifteen years is overdue. Replacing it on your schedule is better than doing it at 2 a.m. during a storm.
We also install faucets, sinks, toilets, tubs and showers, repair leaks, and replace water heaters. Hard water is common in eastern Iowa and wears out tank heaters faster than most people expect. If yours is noisy, leaking or over ten years old, have it looked at. We put in tank and tankless units. The plumber page and the water heater installation page have details.
We cover Kalona and the countryside around it in Washington and Johnson counties, including farms and acreages outside town. We also serve West Liberty, Iowa City and the Amana Colonies. If you're not sure we reach your address, call and ask. The drain cleaning page explains how a drain cleaning call goes, and the projects page has finished work.
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“First time using A1 and I can’t say enough positive. Andy came within the hour that I called to unclog a basement floor drain. He was very thorough and checked to make sure the blockage was not coming from more than one area. He cleaned it out in a short time, got things moving and had good suggestions to help minimize future problems. Reasonable charges for good work and an honest pleasant person. Highly recommended.”
“Fantastic service! Called, told him the bottom of my water heater is leaking, sent him pics of everything and he was out the next day replacing it at a reasonable price! Highly recommend 👌 Thank you!”
“10 Stars if I could. Coming from someone who builds systems and processes for a 9 figure company, Andy does it all right and keeps it simple. Easy to find in search, stands out in reviews, easy to see why. Answered the phone 8am first try, flexible to when I needed, arrived within hours of first contact. Followups easy in text. Got pertinent info, walked the house, got to work, fixed it and another issue after quick run to store for parts. More than reasonable price. In my phone for next time if I ever need it! Thanks Andy!”
Yes. Many of our calls are on acreages and farmsteads. Give us the address when you call and we'll confirm.
Yes. Older houses are among our most common calls.
Keep grease out of the sink, put a strainer in the tub and shower drains, and don't flush wipes, even the ones labeled flushable. If a main line has clogged before, cleaning it once a year costs less than an emergency visit.
About 25 minutes from our shop, heading south on Highway 1. Farms and acreages outside town can add a few minutes, so give us the address when you call.
In town, on the farm or on Main Street, call A-1 Sewer Service at (319) 600-4224 or send a message through the contact page. Tell us what's going on and we'll tell you what we think it'll take.
Drain cleaning and plumbing from our shop off Bay Ridge Ave on the south side of Iowa City.