Are you dealing with issues with your home’s drain and sewer system? Hydro jetting is an effective option for overcoming clogs, cleaning drains and unblocking sewer lines. In this article, we’ll discuss how it works and what signs to watch for.
Understanding the Hydro Jetting Process
Hydro jetting is much like pressure washing the inside of a pipe. It is most commonly used for cleaning and/or unclogging sewer lines, but plumbers can also sometimes perform the same process to clean drain pipes inside a building. To perform this, plumbers use a high-power jet of water that flows through a long, flexible hose and sprays out of a special nozzle. After turning the machine on, a plumber can adjust the water pressure coming out of the nozzle based on what task they’re performing. They may also use different nozzles for different situations.
If the plumber is trying to clear a sewer line that is clogged by toilet paper, waste and other solids, they’ll turn the pressure up fairly high so that the blast of water coming from the nozzle breaks straight through the clog. If there are larger tree roots growing inside the sewer line, they’ll usually turn the pressure up even higher so that the jet of water slices right through all of the roots. A rooting machine or drain auger can also be used to cut through and break up roots inside a sewer line, but hydro jetting is typically quite a bit faster and more effective.
When cleaning or unclogging a sewer line, the plumber will insert the nozzle and hose through one of the sewer cleanouts outside or inside the house. They’ll then continue feeding the hose down through the pipe until they reach the municipal sewer line just to ensure that everything is fully clean and any debris inside the pipe gets washed away.
In some cases, the plumber may also use a nozzle that has additional holes to spray smaller jets of water out at an angle. This is useful for scouring away rust and grease and fully cleaning the insides of the sewer line. The same type of nozzle can be used when cleaning drain pipes, but the plumber will turn the pressure down to avoid potentially damaging the pipes since indoor pipes generally aren’t as strong as a sewer line. When cleaning indoor pipes, you sometimes also have to plug drains and take other precautions just to ensure the water flows out into the sewer line and doesn’t end up coming up elsewhere.
Is Hydro Jetting Safe for Your Plumbing?
Hydro jetting is generally safe, but it depends on the condition of the sewer line or drain pipe. As long as the pipe is in good shape and the plumber knows what they’re doing, there is almost no risk of the hydro jet causing any damage. If you have an old pipe that is brittle, corroded or already damaged, you definitely don’t want to attempt to hydro jet it or else the pipe could end up breaking or collapsing. That’s why a plumber will usually first perform a camera inspection just to make sure the pipe they need to clean or unclog is still in good condition. This involves inserting a waterproof camera and fiber-optic cable down through the sewer line or drain pipe and monitoring the video feed to check for any signs of damage.
A camera inspection also enables the plumber to easily determine what the specific issue is, i.e. if there are roots inside the sewer line that are causing it to clog. It also enables them to determine how the tree roots got inside and the extent of the root intrusion. Tiny roots can often end up growing inside a sewer line through the joints that connect each section of pipe and then eventually growing much larger as they feed on the water and waste flowing through the sewer line.
In this case, you can usually hydro jet the pipe to remove the roots without causing any damage. Larger roots can sometimes instead just punch a hole in the pipe or the roots can eventually grow big enough that they break part of the pipe and create a bigger hole. Hydro jetting could still remove the roots in either of these situations, but you’ll definitely want to have your sewer line repaired or replaced due to it leaking.
Signs You Should Have Your Sewer Line Hydro Jetted
It’s not a bad idea to have your sewer line hydro jetted every year or two just as a preventative measure to eliminate anything inside the pipe and help keep it from clogging. There are also situations where you should immediately contact a plumbing company to get your sewer line hydro jetted or rooted. The most obvious one is if your sewer starts backing up to where you have sewage coming up out of floor and shower drains on the lowest level of your house.
Although sewage backups can indicate an issue with your plumbing vent, they most commonly occur due to the sewer line being clogged, damaged or having tree roots growing inside it. Any time a backup occurs, you need to take immediate action since you’ll almost always just end up with more waste coming out of your drains every time you flush a toilet, shower, do dishes or laundry, etc.
The good news is that you will almost always see some signs that can tell you your sewer line is beginning to clog before it fully backs up. One thing to watch for is if your toilets start flushing slowly or incompletely and make a chugging or gurgling sound. Slow drains that make a gurgling sound as the water goes down is another thing to watch for. If you only have an issue with one plumbing fixture, it indicates that the fixture’s drain pipe is partially clogged. If you notice issues throughout your entire house, you can be certain that it’s due to a clog or some other issue with your sewer line.
For the past 40 years, Perfect, Plumbing Heating & Air has been helping residents in Boise and throughout the Treasure Valley area with all of their plumbing, drain and sewer needs. We offer expert drain and sewer cleaning services, and we’re also the company to turn to if you need a sewer inspection, repairs or sump pump solutions. Ask us about all of our plumbing repair solutions!
If you’re having any issues with your heating or air conditioning or need to replace your HVAC, you can count on our team of certified technicians to take care of that as well. To schedule an appointment to have your sewer inspected any hydro jetted or for any other plumbing or HVAC service, give us a call today.
