When your drain or sewer line becomes clogged, it can create many problems throughout your home. However, if you have the right technology and an experienced team on your side, you can prevent a lot of drain and sewer problems. While many people have heard of a drain or sewer snake, rooter, or auger, hydro jetting (aka water jetting) is one of the best ways to ensure your drain and sewer are completely clean and free of roots, debris, grease, and other build up.
What is Hydro Jetting?
An ideal method to unclog drains and sewers is hydro jetting. The solid particles or materials in the drain are removed using an extremely high-pressure water jet. It is a very efficient and cost-effective method to get rid of any waste or grease that is blocking your pipes.
Hydro jetting is very safe. It reduces the risk for snags that can damage a pipe. It cleans thoroughly enough to create a very smooth surface inside of the pipe, but gently enough to not damage it. Before hydro jetting and when possible, a tiny camera is used to assess the location of obstructions and to guide the user in selecting the proper nozzles and water pressure.
Hydro jet drain cleaning is the most cost-effective method for removing severe, dense, and tenacious obstructions. This is especially true when you consider the repair costs involved with a broken pipe, which can reach thousands of dollars. Damage to a drain or sewer line may even sometimes require temporary relocation until repairs are done, incurring hotel or temporary rental expenses for the homeowner and tenants on top of the repair costs.
How Does Hydro Jet Drain Cleaning Work?
The hydro jet drain cleaner comprises a large, pressurized water pump attached to a long, flexible hose used in the manhole or pipelines. Attached to the hose are nozzles specially designed to blow away filth, dirt, and grease. These nozzles allow the operator to customize water pressure and flow to the operation at hand and give superior cleaning capacity compared to conventional approaches.
The flexible hose enables the hydro jet to access most of the pipes that are large enough for the hose to fit into. The water pressure can be adjusted from an average of 1,500 psi up to 5,000 psi for exceptionally difficult blockages. Some versions have a choice of cold or hot water, which aids in the removal of grease, fat, and oils by melting them away while flushing the material through the drainage system.
What is a Snake?
After attempting to clean a drain with a plunger, many people may try using a drain snake. While battling a tough drain clog, this tool can come in handy if you are trying to unclog it yourself.
You will find a variety of drain snakes in the market and you can choose between hand-cracked augers to motorized electrical augers. The auger has a rotating tube that cleans all the dirt and blockage.
Electric and motorized versions can also partially clear tree roots and larger debris. Due to the absence of water and manual operation of the auger, they are unable to remove debris as thoroughly as a plumbing hydro jet system. This frequently makes the plumber’s snake a temporary remedy rather than a permanent solution to the plumbing problem at hand. There is also the possibility of pipe wall damage as a result of the rotating metal tube’s scratching and gouging the surface.
Hydro Jet Drain Cleaning Vs. Plumbing Snake
Each of the strategies mentioned here has inherent advantages and disadvantages. As previously stated, the snake’s inclination to move around within the pipe can cause scratches, dings, and divots, which will lead to degradation and lower flow during the life of the drainage system. Plus, a smoother pipe has less for debris and grease to grab onto, so a more damaged pipe is far more likely to have more problems for the rest of the life of that pipe. Due to the lack of pressured flow and the mechanical action of the system, a plumber’s snake may also leave behind dirt clumps, grease, and other deposits.
When hydro jet drain cleaning, it is essential to clean the entire system, not simply remove obstructions. Over time, the residual deposits tend to re-accumulate, leaving the homeowner or business owner in the same position a few months or years later. The snake lacks the ability to clear obstructions such as thick tree roots.
The high-pressure drain cleaner, on the other hand, thoroughly cleans the sewage system, using pressurized water to ensure any clogs, sludge, and debris are totally removed and flushed. While water jet plumbing has the potential to damage old, broken, or brittle pipes, a professional is able to examine their condition with a drain camera system and choose the appropriate flow rate for the application. Additionally, it will likely still be safer than a drain auger. In some cases, a liner is recommended to reinforce the pipe from within, as well.
Without sufficient training, inexperienced users should never attempt to use hydro jet plumbing. In the hands of an experienced technician, this approach is the most efficient and can keep your drain lines clear up to four times longer than conventional methods.
Cost-wise, the snake tends to be the less expensive option initially, until you consider frequent calls to the plumber, pipe damage, water damage from overflowing fixtures, and other factors. In the end, hydro jetting is most often the best option for stopping plumbing issues and preventing future clogs.
