Hydro jetting
High-pressure water for a line that keeps plugging up. It takes a sewer contractor’s equipment, and it has no business in a plumber’s faucet call.
What jetting does that a snake doesn’t
A cable machine pokes a hole through a clog and lets water pass. Whatever was stuck to the pipe wall stays stuck, and it starts catching waste again the same afternoon.
A jetter sends water through a nozzle that faces backward, which pulls the hose down the line while the spray works on the full circle of the wall. Grease, scale and fine roots come loose and wash out toward the main.
Pressure and flow
Two numbers matter. Pressure cuts, and one manufacturer’s guide puts residential roots and grease-packed restaurant lines at around 4,000 PSI. Flow, in gallons per minute, carries the loosened material away so it doesn’t settle ten feet farther along.
When jetting is the wrong call
Water at that pressure belongs in sound pipe. Orangeburg that has started to blister, a collapsed run or a badly cracked clay section can come apart under it. That’s why a camera should see the line before a jetter goes in, whenever the line’s condition is in doubt.
- Good fit: grease buildup, scale, sludge, fine root growth
- Good fit: a line prepared for lining or a camera run
- Poor fit: Orangeburg pipe that’s failing
- Poor fit: a collapse, where the fix is repair or replacement
Where it fits in a repair
Jetting often comes first. A line has to be clean before anyone can read it on video, and it has to be clean before a trenchless liner can bond to it.
Related work
Hydro Jetting across 77 Illinois towns, including Granite City, Collinsville, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Alton, O'Fallon, Godfrey, Belleville.
Answers
Hydro Jetting: common questions
Is hydro jetting worth it?
It is worth it when a sound line keeps clogging with grease, scale or fine roots, since it clears the whole pipe wall rather than a channel through the middle. It isn’t worth much on a broken pipe. A camera run beforehand tells you which situation you are in.
Can hydro jetting damage pipes?
It can damage pipe that is already failing. Orangeburg, cracked clay and collapsed sections may not survive the pressure, while sound PVC, cast iron and intact clay generally handle it well. That is the reason to look at an older line on camera before putting a jetter in it.
How long does hydro jetting last?
That depends on what put the buildup there. A residential line cleared of an old grease plug can stay clear for years if the habits change. Roots regrow from the joint they entered, so a line with open joints will need attention again until those joints get repaired.
What does hydro jetting cost?
No flat price appears on this site, because length, access and the buildup all change the job. A line with a reachable clean-out is simpler than one without. Tell us what the line has been doing, and a company representative will talk through an estimate when they call back.
What is the difference between hydro jetting and snaking a drain?
Snaking punches through a blockage with a rotating cable, while jetting washes the pipe wall clean with pressurized water. A cable can clear a clog quickly and cheaply, though the residue stays behind. A jetter removes that residue, which is why a line that reclogs often is usually jetted.