Hydro Jetting

When Hydro Jetting Is the Right Fix

Hydro jetting is usually the answer when a line has been snaked before and clogged again. Snaking opens a path; jetting cleans the whole pipe wall, which is what stops grease and roots from catching debris again.

• Clogs that come back soon after snaking
• Grease buildup in kitchen lines
• Tree roots in the sewer line
• Slow drains throughout the house

How Hydro Jetting Is Done

Before jetting, the plumber checks the pipe with a camera to make sure it can handle the pressure. Then a high-pressure hose with a jetting nozzle is fed through the cleanout, scouring the walls as it moves along the line.

1. Camera-inspect the line to check its condition and find the problem.
2. Choose the nozzle and pressure for the pipe size and material.
3. Jet the line from the cleanout, working through the blockage.
4. Camera-inspect again to confirm the pipe walls are clean.

Hydro Jetting vs Snaking

• Snaking pushes a cable through the clog and opens a path. It's quick and suits a single, soft blockage.
• Jetting scours the whole inside of the pipe with high-pressure water, removing grease, scale and fine roots that a cable leaves behind.
• If a line has been snaked more than once and keeps clogging, jetting after a camera inspection is usually the better next step.

What Affects the Cost of Hydro Jetting

Jetting takes more equipment and time than snaking, and the cost reflects the length of line being cleaned and how much buildup there is.

• Line size and length.
• How much grease, scale or root mass has to be removed.
• Camera inspection before and after jetting.
• Access to a cleanout big enough for the jetter hose.

When a Jetting Job Is Urgent

• A kitchen or main line is fully blocked and backing up.
• A restaurant line is backing up during business hours.

Hydro Jetting and Older Pipe

Jetting pressure has to suit the pipe. In cities with a lot of older housing, like San Francisco (median home built in 1946) and Boston (1947), drain lines may be decades-old cast iron or clay that is too fragile for full-pressure jetting. That's why a camera inspection should come first; a badly deteriorated line should be repaired or lined instead.

Local plumbing details: San Francisco, Boston

Tree Roots in Sewer Lines by City

What our city pages say about tree roots in sewer lines:

• Glendale, CA: Old clay laterals on hillside streets crack and fill with roots.
• Memphis, TN: Mature trees in older neighborhoods like Midtown and East Memphis send roots into older clay and cast iron sewer lines.
• Longview, TX: Pine and oak roots enter joints in older clay and cast iron pipe.
• Salt Lake City, UT: Clay laterals under mature trees in the Avenues and Sugar House crack and fill with roots.
• Atlanta, GA: Atlanta's mature tree canopy sends roots into older clay and cast iron sewer lines, causing recurring backups.
• Birmingham, AL: Old clay sewer lines under mature trees crack and fill with roots, causing backups that keep returning.
• Vancouver, WA: Early-1900s homes in Hough and Arnada can have galvanized pipe and clay sewer lines full of roots.
• Portland, OR: Mature street trees and older clay sewer lines lead to root intrusion and recurring clogs.

Before the Plumber Arrives

• Tell the plumber how often the line has clogged and what was done before.
• Clear a path to the cleanout.

Other Drain Cleaning Services

• Main Sewer Line Cleaning
• Kitchen Sink Clog Repair

Hydro Jetting Questions