Hydro jetting for drains and sewers in northern Utah

Hydro jetting is pressure washing for the inside of a pipe. A pump sends water at high pressure through a hose to a nozzle. The nozzle has jets that point backward and forward. The rear jets pull the hose up the pipe and scrub the wall all the way around. The front jet cuts into the blockage ahead.

A cable punches a hole through a clog. Jetting removes what is stuck to the pipe wall: grease, soap sludge, scale, sand, and small roots. The loosened material washes down the line.

Different nozzles do different work. Some spin to cut roots. Some are made to break up grease. We pick the nozzle and the pressure to suit the pipe size, the pipe material, and what the camera shows.

Neither is better every time. They do different jobs.

A cable machine, also called a snake, is the right first tool for most clogs. It is quick, it works in small lines, and it pulls out hair, paper, and objects. Its limit is that it opens a path and leaves buildup on the pipe wall.

Hydro jetting cleans the full width of the pipe. It is the better choice when:

• Grease or sludge has narrowed a kitchen or restaurant line.
• The same line clogs again soon after it was cabled.
• Roots keep growing back into the line.
• Scale or sand has settled in the pipe.
• A line has to be clean before a camera inspection or a pipe lining.

Jetting does not fix a broken, collapsed, or sagging pipe. Those need a repair.

The visit follows the same steps each time.

1. We find the cleanout and check that the line is open enough to drain. A fully blocked line may get a cable first.
2. We run a camera through the line to see the pipe material, its condition, and what is in it.
3. We feed the jetter hose in through the cleanout and work it through the line in passes.
4. We keep going until the water runs clear and the flow is strong.
5. We run the camera again to confirm the pipe wall is clean and to look for damage the buildup was hiding.
6. We show you the video and explain what we found.

Most home lines take a couple of hours. Long runs, heavy roots, and hardened grease take longer. If the line has no cleanout, we talk with you about adding one before we start.

It is safe for pipes in sound shape. That is why the camera goes in first.

Hydro jetting is hard on pipes that are already failing. High-pressure water can get behind a cracked clay pipe, a rotted cast iron bottom, or a joint that has pulled apart. If the camera shows that kind of damage, we do not jet at full pressure. We lower the pressure, switch to a cable, or recommend a repair.

This matters in older homes. Ogden City, for example, tells owners of older homes with jointed lateral pipe to consider whether the roots of large trees or shrubs near the line could invade and break it. Pipe like that needs a look before anyone puts pressure on it.

Plastic drain pipe in good condition handles jetting well. So do sound cast iron and clay. The condition of the pipe matters more than its age.

We give free estimates. These are the things that change the price of a jetting job:

• Pipe size and length. A long main line takes more time and water than a short kitchen line.
• Access. A cleanout in the right spot makes the job simple. If there is none, one may have to be installed.
• What is in the pipe. Soft sludge washes out quickly. Hardened grease and roots take more passes.
• Camera work. Inspecting before and after adds time, and it is how you know the pipe is clean and sound.
• Home or business. Commercial kitchens often have several branch lines and may need the work done outside business hours.
• Pipe damage. If the camera finds a break, the line needs a repair as well.

You get the estimate before any work starts.

Most homes do not need jetting on a schedule. A house line in good shape can go years without it. Jet when there is a reason: buildup the camera can see, or clogs that keep returning after a cable.

Commercial kitchens are different. Grease builds up in kitchen drain lines every day, even with a grease trap in place. Many restaurants have their lines jetted on a regular schedule so the buildup never closes the pipe. How often depends on the menu, the volume, and how well the grease trap is kept.

Roots are a special case. Jetting clears them, but roots grow back through the same crack or joint. If roots return, the lasting fix is to repair or line that section of pipe.