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What is Hydro Jetting Drain Cleaning?

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Keeping your commercial or residential drains clean isn’t an easy task, especially once your drain has a strong debris wall built up. Not only is a clogged drain not allowing your water to run freely, but it could also be having other, more serious effects on your building or home. 

If your drain is clogged, it is best to call a professional plumber. When the plumber arrives, there are a few cleaning methods, but none are more effective than hydro jetting. If you are wondering what hydro jetting is and why it’s so effective, we’re going to break it all down for you below. 

What Is Hydro Jetting?

While hydro jetting isn’t a new technique used by plumbers, it used to be quite costly and required extensive equipment. Today, hydro jetting is a long-term, cost-effective way to clean your drains, requiring two plumbers on-site and taking a minimum of two hours.

The process of hydro jetting uses high pressurized water (up to 3500 psi) to clean the inside surfaces of drain pipes. When it comes to drain pipes, they can be clogged from years of use, potentially even before you moved into your house if you purchased it from someone else. 

Before most plumbers start hydro jetting kitchen sinks, bathroom drains, or any other part of your plumbing system, they’ll most likely begin with a video inspection. With a thorough inspection, the professional will be able to understand the severity of the blockage and where it is located. This will allow the plumber to devise an accurate course of action.

Once the plumber has determined that the drain is clogged, they will feed a hose-like device with a specialized nozzle down your drain. The attachment at the front of the hose is what sets hydro jetting apart from all others. On the front, there are multiple water jets, one spraying forward, with the others spraying sideways and backward. The sideways and backward sprayers work to propel the debris forward and clean the sides of the drain. 

While the hydro jet is working, the clogged debris will be pushed through the drain to the other side. This process ensures that not only are major blockages cleared but that the drain is completely clean, reducing the risk of blockages in the near future. 

What Is the Cost of Hydro Jet Drain Cleaning?

If you’ve thought about scheduling hydro jetting services, it’s important to be informed about how this drain-cleaning process works. This way, you can make an informed decision that benefits you and your home in the long run. However, just as equally crucial is understanding the factors that can impact the cost of these services.

The cost of hydro jetting varies depending on various factors, such as the severity of the blockage, the location of the clog, and the size of the plumbing system. For example, the size of your plumbing system is most likely going to be the most significant factor influencing the cost of hydro jetting. The larger your system is, the more it will cost you to have it jetted.

The location of the blockage is another factor that affects the cost of hydro jet drain cleaning services. For instance, if the blockage is located deep underground or in an inaccessible area, it may be more challenging and time-consuming to remove, leading to higher costs.

Additionally, if the blockage is minor, it may take less time and effort to clear it out with hydro jetting. However, if the clog is severe or there are multiple blockages, it may take longer and require more water and pressure to achieve a complete resolution.

Why Clean Your Drains?

It is clear to everyone when their drain is severely clogged. Water and other liquids aren’t even breaking the surface of the drain. However, even if your drain doesn’t seem to be clogged, blockages may be occurring, causing other negative effects on your plumbing. 

These are all common signs that your drain may be clogged:

  • Increased water bills 
  • Slowed draining 
  • Noisy pipes (hissing and squeaking) 
  • Bad smelling sink 
  • Constant clogs

If you are experiencing any of the signs listed above, it is best to call a plumber

Cleaning your drains before the blockage creates too much of a problem will protect your drains from major backups and more serious plumbing issues. 

Hydro Jetting vs. Drain Snaking

A similar technique that is often used to unclog drains is snaking. Snaking is also used to clear major blockages in a drain, but without using water. Snaking is done by inserting a rod into the drain, then allowing the rod to spin around, cleaning up any major debris. 

While snaking can effectively clear blockages, it does not clean the drain nearly as well as hydro jetting. Snaking relies on the debris getting attached to the rod and then being pulled out by the plumber instead of it being pushed clearly through the drain. This leaves your drain open to problems in the future.

It is worth noting that because hydro jetting does use highly pressurized water, it could be potentially dangerous if not done by a professional. If you are inexperienced with hydro jetting, it is best to leave it to a plumber. 

Pros of Hydro Jetting

Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing problems that homeowners face. As the water starts to accumulate in your sink, shower, or bathtub, it can be frustrating to deal with the slow drainage or unpleasant smells that often come with it. However, clogged drains are more than just an inconvenience — they can actually have serious consequences for your wellbeing and the health of your plumbing system. Fortunately, there are many methods to address these plumbing problems, including hydro jet drain cleaning.

In addition to successfully cleaning your drain, there are other pros worth noting when choosing hydro jetting. Let’s discuss some of the most noteworthy advantages in more detail below.

Long-Term Solution

Whether they’re hydro jetting kitchen sinks or sewer lines, plumbers understand that homeowners want a long-lasting solution. After all, no one wants to deal with clogged pipes in their homes.

You may be pleased to learn that hydro jetting doesn’t just clear large blockages that are causing the immediate problem. Its high-pressurized water system leaves drains nearly spotless after cleaning. After your pipes have been hydro jetted, they are not at risk of a blockage in the near future, allowing you to focus on the things you care about most.

Environmentally Friendly

Before calling a plumber, many people will often try to fix the blockage themselves. Often unsuccessful, the toxins in the store-bought chemicals are no match for hydro jetting. In addition to them not working properly, they can be extremely harmful to the environment and your drain. 

Since hydro jetting is powered by water alone, it is completely environmentally safe. This makes it a great choice not only for people who have clogged drains but for people who are looking for a safe solution to their plumbing issues.

If you’ve been looking for a safe yet effective alternative to store-bought products, hydro jetting could be a suitable solution. Whether plumbers are tasked with hydro jetting kitchen sinks or shower drains, they always use high-pressure water jets to get the job done. Since only water is used in this method to break down clogs, you can rest assured knowing that you’re investing in a more eco-friendly method than chemical drain cleaners.

Versatility

Do you need a sewer line cleaning? Or maybe, is it time to have one of your sink drains cleaned? The good news is that hydro jetting cleans just about any part of residential plumbing systems. Whether there are tree roots in your sewer pipes or grease blockages in your bathroom drains, the high-pressure hose used for hydro jet drain cleaning services can blast them apart.

When it comes down to it, hydro jetting equipment is more versatile than store-bought drain cleaners and plumbing snakes. So, while some plumbers may say they specialize in hydro jetting kitchen sinks and bathroom shower drains, there are also experts that can use this technology on sewer lines as well.

Unclog Your Drains Today

If you are dealing with a clogged drain either in a commercial building or a residential home, calling a plumber to help you out will save you the hassle of fighting with the drain yourself.

Now that you understand how effective hydro jetting is, you can rest assured that if your drains are clogged, you have an easy solution to clear them up and get your water back to flowing normally. At Lee’s Air, Plumbing & Heating, we can provide you with a professional drain cleaning in Fresno, CA, or one of the surrounding areas.

No matter your needs, you can rest assured knowing that our plumbing experts will exceed your expectations. We truly care about delivering stellar results and excellent customer service. Whether we’re hydro jetting kitchen sinks or performing repiping services in Sacramento, you can count on us for a long-lasting solution.

Looking for more information on hydro jetting and our services? Book an appointment now! 

Thomas Howard

Written by Thomas Howard

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