Your plumbing system might be on the brink of disaster! Clogged drains or even worse, a polluted water supply could be lurking in your home. Hydro jetting emerges as one potential knight in shining armor.

Have you lost track of the countless drain cleaner bottles you’ve emptied into your sink? Has your attempt to rescue your plumbing network fallen flat? I’ve been there!

You might need to dial up a trusted plumber. The devil is in the details – significant debris buildup not only sabotages your water pressure but also, if not addressed, can stick to your pipe walls. Cracks might soon follow.

What Is Hydro Jetting?

It’s a powerful method to free your plumbing system from stubborn clogs and gunk on the pipe walls. How does it work? It employs high-pressure water jets blasting through your pipes. The rigorous cleaning aids in reducing the risk of future blockages. It’s like giving your pipes a thorough scrub, ousting grease, food remnants, mineral scale, debris, and occasionally, tree roots too.

Ever taken a closer look at your home’s plumbing system? No? Well, now is as good a time as any to acquaint yourself.

How Does Hydro Jetting Work?

The operation begins with your plumber’s careful inspection of your system. This is to locate the best point to introduce a hose and kickstart the water pumping. This surge of water pressure compels the obstructing material to comply, journeying down the sewer system and ultimately exiting your home’s pipes.

However, don’t be fooled into thinking hydro jetting is a piece of cake. It’s not about mindlessly thrusting the hose down the drain and switching on the hydro jetting device. Mess it up and you might find yourself with broken pipes and a crippled plumbing system.

The resulting repair bill could be an unsavory surprise. For that very reason, I strongly recommend leaving this task to a seasoned local plumber. They possess the right blend of tools and experience to execute this job safely. You’ll thank yourself later.

Let me take you through the steps of hydro jetting and what you might anticipate from this service, assuming it’s the savior you’re in search of.

Step 1: Your Plumber Scans Your System and Pinpoints Hefty Blockages

First things first, the plumber needs to get the lay of the land. They’ll use video technology to spot significant blockages and zones with excessive buildup.

Plus, they’ll assess the pipes to determine their compatibility with hydro jetting. Not all pipes are cut out for this – notably those that are very old or fragile, which might crumble under the intense pressure.

If your pipes can’t handle hydro jetting, they’ll opt for the snake method (a gentler approach—I’ll elaborate on that shortly) or use an auger to annihilate any tree roots threatening your plumbing system.

If your plumber concludes that hydro jetting is a risk given your pipes’ current condition, it may be worth contemplating the installation of new, more efficient pipes, particularly if frequent clogs and drainage issues have become an unwelcome routine.

Step 2: High-Pressured Water Scrubs Your Pipes Clean

With the troublesome spots identified, it’s time for action. Your plumber will introduce hoses into your pipes and power up the hydro jetting machine. This beast can amp up water pressure to a whopping 35,000 psi. But worry not, your plumber will fine-tune the pressure in line with your system’s requirements.

As the water charges through, the hose ventures throughout the plumbing system, stripping the pipes of unwanted buildup and stubborn blockages.

The hydro jet’s task is simple: force the debris off the pipe walls.

Once dislodged, the debris yields to gravity, making a swift exit from your plumbing system. And just like that, the storm passes, leaving cleaner pipes in its wake.

Can Hydro Jetting Tackle Tree Roots?

You bet! In certain instances, hydro jetting triumphs over tree root invasions. Your plumber’s eyes will be glued to the inspection video, evaluating the havoc wreaked by the roots on your system. If the damage is minimal, hydro jetting could step up to the plate.

However, if the damage is severe or the pipe’s waterproofing has abandoned ship, hydro jetting might compound the problem.

In this case, you need a local auguring service. Their mission: chop up and evict the roots without adding insult to injury for your pipes.

What’s the Difference Between Hydro Jetting and Snaking a Drain?

At first glance, hydro jetting and snaking a drain may seem like two sides of the same coin, but they differ significantly. Hydro jetting takes pipe cleaning and clog removal to the next level, providing a thorough flush of the system. And the beauty of it? It’s an all-natural affair, no chemicals, just water.

On the flip side, snaking punctures clogs, ripping them apart, yet it often leaves the pipe walls untouched, making it less successful with ultra-stubborn debris. Nonetheless, snaking becomes the hero of the day for older or delicate pipe systems. It’s a gentler process, sparing the pipes from the brunt of hydro jetting’s pressure.

What Can You Remove with Hydro Jetting?

Hydro jetting displays remarkable prowess in eliminating a myriad of pipe invaders. The contenders are:

• Hair bundles causing blockages
• Stubborn mineral buildups
• Grease and fat, silently lurking
• Leftover food debris
• Silt, a silent offender
• Sand, hidden yet harmful
• Tree roots, though not always their match

How Do You Know When You Need Hydro Jetting?

A few warning signals may flash, hinting your system is yearning for hydro jetting:

• A plumbing system that keeps throwing tantrums, with recurrent backups
• A bathroom or kitchen drain releasing foul odors
• Pipes that put on a noisy, gurgling performance
• Persistent clogs, despite you playing by the book with what goes down your drains
• Drains performing a slow dance

Should there be any shadow of doubt concerning your need for hydro jetting? Pick up the phone and dial your local plumber.

Request a video line inspection—it’s an investment worth every penny. After all, compared to a sewer line overhaul, the cost of a camera inspection is a drop in the bucket.

What Can You Remove with Hydro Jetting?

On average, you’re looking at a ballpark of $350 to $600. But brace yourself: complicated cases with severe clogs could see the costs to over $1,000.

Here’s a note of caution: this isn’t a DIY adventure. You’ll need a professional plumber in your corner, equipped with a hydro jet, ready to wage war on those stubborn pipe foes.