What to Expect During a Water Jetting Service

To clear a tough drain clog, sometimes you’ll need to go beyond the usual plungers and plumbing snakes. High-pressure hydro jet drain cleaning uses the power of pressurized water to blast away clogs and clean your pipes — and it’s one call away at a Roto-Rooter location near you.

What can you expect when you call Roto-Rooter for water jetting? Let’s discuss how this process works and what you can expect when hiring our hydro-jetting service for your business or home. 

What is Hydro-Jetting/Water Jetting?

Hydro jet drain cleaning uses a high-pressure hose with a variety of specialized nozzles to shoot ultra-pressurized water through your plumbing at up to 4000 psi. The force of the water breaks through tough clogs caused by tree roots, mineral buildup, or oil and grease. 

Water jet cleaning is one of the most powerful drain cleaning tools available today. It’s especially useful for business owners, who frequently face tougher clogs that require more powerful cleaning methods. For more info, see our full guide to water jet sewer cleaning.

So, can you put a high-pressure hose down your drain and try a DIY water jetting? Not so fast! Water jetting requires a trained professional with specialized equipment. Without the right tools and expertise, you could damage your pipes and end up with more problems than before. 

Water Jetting vs. Snaking

Water jetting and snaking are two different ways to achieve the same goal: a clean, well-functioning drain. Snaking uses a long, flexible cable with a mechanical spinning head. It’s a good option for residential drain cleaning, chopping through tree roots, and less severe commercial clogs.

However, there are some clogs that can defeat even a powerful drain snake. Commercial drains, in particular, are often packed with grease, mud, sludge, and other such materials that a traditional drain snake may struggle to remove. High-pressure water jetting packs a big-league punch that scrubs away grease and sludge and can also obliterate solid obstructions like tree roots, dried mortar, concrete, and other severe pipe obstructions, so it’s a great choice for municipal, industrial, and commercial drain cleaning (as well as tough residential jobs). 

Water Jetting Service: The Process

Whether it’s residential or commercial hydro-jetting, the basic process works approximately the same. Here’s what you can expect when you hire a qualified professional plumber for water jetting:

Assessment

The jetting technician will inspect your drainage situation, including connected slow drains. As part of the assessment, he may inspect the pipes and locate the clog with an HD plumbing camera and also make sure that your pipes can handle high-pressure water jetting. Some very old pipes may be too fragile for hydro-jetting. If that is the case, the plumber will suggest an alternative. 

Preparation

The technician will set up the equipment and the workspace. Roto-Rooter’s experienced jetting technicians are careful and conscientious, always taking precautions to protect your property. 

Clog Removal

Here’s where the magic happens. The jetting technician uses the hydro-jetting equipment to blast high-pressure water through your pipes at up to 4,000 PSI, destroying clogs and washing away debris. After the initial high-pressure blast clears the clog, a 360-degree cleaning head flushes your pipes to remove remaining debris and help prevent future blockages. 

Inspection

Your plumbing professional will check to be sure that your clog is cleared and that your pipes are clean, and in good condition. The majority of water jetting service jobs are finished in two hours or less, although the time can vary depending on the job. 

How Much Does Hydro Jetting Cost?

In most cases, you can expect hydro jet cleaning to cost more than mechanical cleaning, simply because jetting machines and trailers are expensive to purchase and maintain. Although, the cost can vary between individual jobs and most Roto-Rooter locations provide special rates for regular commercial customers who need jetting performed on a regular schedule. This is especially true of restaurants and food processing facilities that produce lots of grease. Roto-Rooter’s pricing is upfront and transparent, with flat-rate pricing at most locations and no bait-and-switches or hidden fees. 

The Roto-Rooter Difference

Roto-Rooter brings you professional hydro jet drain cleaning when you need it most. We’ve been the industry leader in sewer and drain cleaning since 1935, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. It’s simple to schedule your water jetting service online — or call our 24/7 service line at 800-768-6911 to speak to our team.