The persistent stinking from your clogged drains can hinder your home’s comfort. Even worse, sewer drain clogging promotes the growth of bacteria in the pipes, which can lead to health issues in your household.
Hydrojet drain cleaning is one of the most effective ways of keeping your drains clog-free. It also helps to protect your household against diseases and allergies caused by foul odor and bacteria.
But what do you know about drain hydro jetting? Which type of drain blockage can it remove? And is it costly to unclog your drains using this method?
In this article, we will answer all these questions and more.
What is Hydro Jetting?
Hydro jetting refers to the process of cleaning clogged drain pipes using high-pressure water. The hydro-jetting equipment includes a pressure hose connected to a specialized nozzle at the end. The other end of the hose connects to a pressure machine that helps to pressurize the water to around 3,000-8,000 PSI, depending on the machine.
Back in the 1800s, when it was invented, hydro jetting was used by mining companies to blast minerals. However, with the advancement in technology, it has evolved to become one of the best means of unclogging sewer drains.
Professional plumbers use this method to get rid of stubborn blockages in sewer lines, leaving them clean and allowing wastewater to flow freely.
How Does Hydro Jetting Work?
The end of the hose with a nozzle is dipped into the drains through the cleanout. The high-pressure water jet breaks through any oil, grease, food particle accumulation, or even tree root infestation. It pushes these broken particles down the drain leaving your plumbing clean and free of bad odors.
But before a plumber uses a hydro jet to clean your drain, they must first inspect the plumbing. This helps them to establish whether hydro jetting is the best method or not. However, this method can’t be used on damaged, old, or weak drain pipes.
For this reason, the plumber uses a drain inspection camera to establish the type and cause of the blockage in your drains. The camera is inserted into the drains through the cleanout, allowing the plumber to see the extent of blockage and the material causing it.
One good thing about a hydro jet machine is that it can clear a clog even 100 meters inside the drain. Not many drain-unclogging methods can do this. The method is both effective and thorough, meaning you won’t have to deal with drain clogging issues any time soon.
In most cases, hydro jetting is reserved for those stubborn clogs that other unclogging methods can’t handle. It’s the only method that leaves the drains perfectly clean.
Note: Hydro jetting can only be performed by a professional plumber. If wrongly done, it can cause more harm to your sewer system, leading to even more costs.
How much does Hydrojet Drain Cleaning Cost?
While hydro jet drain cleaning is quite effective, it’s also not a cheap method. The process will usually cost you an average of $250 to $800. This cost depends on several factors, such as the severity of the blockage, the type, and the accessibility to your sewer line.
However, if the clogging is too severe, the cost can go even up to $1,000 for a residential sewer. On the other hand, a commercial sewer will cost between $500 and $3,000 to hydro jet.
So, in general, hydro jet cleaning costs will depend entirely on the specific needs of your plumbing system.
When do you need Hydrojet Drain Cleaning?
With the high cost of hydro jetting, why would you still need to use the method?
- When the blockage defeats all other unclogging methods
- If you notice recurring clogs, slow drainage, sewage back-up, or multiple drains clogging
- During maintenance of your plumbing system (hydro jetting will help to remove buildup in your system, making the work easier)
Main Benefits of Hydrojet Cleaning
What makes hydro jetting a more desirable method?
1. Does More than Just Unclogging
While most other methods are designed only to remove debris to let the wastewater flow, hydro jetting accomplishes more.
Generally, clogs are caused by the accumulation of oils, grease, fats, soap, dirt, detergents, mineral deposits, etc. Other unclogging methods like snaking will only drill a hole as wide as its blades. This will undoubtedly restore wastewater flow but still leave so much debris inside the pipes.
However, with hydro jetting, expect clean and healthy pipes free from possible bacteria growth. The high-pressure water jet cleans the entire drain, ensuring that clogging does not recur any time soon.
2. Efficient and Effective
Hydro jet cleaning is undoubtedly among the most efficient and effective drain cleaning methods. Not only does it clear the stubborn clogs, but it can also penetrate deeper into the system, reaching those buildups located far down the drains.
3. It Can be Economical
Despite being an expensive process, it can also be economical in the long run. Unlike many other unclogging methods, hydro jetting clears everything inside the sewer lines. This means that it will take a while before you notice any clogging issues in your plumbing.
The longer you stay without making that call to a plumbing company, the lesser the costs you incur over time. With other methods like snaking, clogging might recur sooner than you think.
Therefore, while some of these methods might be a bit cheaper than hydro jetting, you might have to repeat them frequently, leading to higher sewer service costs. Schedule an appointment with drain cleaning services to help you with this issue.