Here’s Why Hydro Jetting is Good for Your Plumbing

We accept in our lives that everything we have needs to be cleaned, maintained and often deep cleaned. But we never think about the things we can’t see. Our sewer and drain systems for our homes and business in particular. We deep clean our cars, our homes, our refrigerators. We dry-clean our clothes. But have you ever thought about cleaning your sewer and drain system? Here’s why hydro jetting is good for your plumbing.

What’s the difference between a sewer system and a drain system?

A drain system is the technical term for the drain work within the foundation of your home or business. This includes all of the plumbing for your drain system underneath the foundation. It also includes the drain work in the walls that you can’t see that connect your sinks to your drain system.

Your sewer system is the plumbing drain system that is on the outside of your home or business that connects your property to either your septic tank or the city sewer system.

Hydro Jetting is the only way to clean your sewer and drain system

Plumbing drain systems deal with a lot of sh….stuff, and that “stuff” can be sticky and can build up over time. Drain and sewer systems can greatly benefit from a deep cleaning, as most things in our lives can. Hydro jetting is good for your plumbing because it helps prevent buildup in your sewer and drain lines. It can also drastically reduce the efficiency of flow and create stoppages. Imagine your entire family using your kitchen sink every single day, all day and never washing it out.

(That’s the nicest analogy I could come up with) That sink would become riddled and caked with debris from use. Grease, food, soap buildup – I’m not even getting into paper products. Are you with me on this? The sink is in constant use all day. Of course water is going to get all over the sink. Yes some things wash away. But what’s left behind we wipe out of our sinks with each use. Your sewer and drain system doesn’t get that same benefit and it is used by more than your kitchen sink.

Water flowing down your drain system and your sewer system isn’t enough to clean it, just like rinsing your sink isn’t enough to keep it clean either. This is where hydro jetting your drain system and your sewer system becomes so beneficial.

Your drain system branch lines ( the drain lines for your individual fixtures) are likely only 2” in diameter. Years of use without deep cleaning can take that pipe and drastically reduce the diameter to less than half or even zero. This eventually will create stoppages. Hold up a piece of 2” pipe. It’s surprising how small it is. That is also the size pipe for your washing machine, tub, shower, and your kitchen sink. Your toilet will have a larger diameter pipe of 3” but let’s be real – that’s for a reason.

Your sewer line is typically 3” or 4” diameter. With grease build up, paper products, wipes, feminine products, waste, food, and that goldfish you didn’t want your kids to be upset about, can drastically reduce the diameter. This inevitably creates a stoppage.

Will using hot water clean my pipes?

I’m always asked this question. I also see some blog content that says it’s fine to put grease down your lines as long as you use hot water. Well, let’s go back to that kitchen sink analogy. If you never clean the sink but use hot water, will your sink be clean? It won’t. It’s even harder to ask your drain and sewer lines to be clean just by running hot water through the line. Your drain system is like 20-70’ long on average. That’s before it even hits the sewer system outside.

The average sewer line in the Phoenix Metropolitan is usually 30-100’ long. That hot water isn’t hot for long! Soap isn’t even enough to get the job done. Going back to that kitchen sink analogy. Does the sink or  your dishes become clean by just applying some soap and running hot water over them? We need real scrubbing power for what we put our drain and sewer systems through.

Will running a cable through my line clean it?

I’ve had lots of folks in my day ask for preventative drain cleaning with a cabled machine, and that’s just simply not going to work to prevent a stoppage from general use. Cables poke through a stoppage and break it loose, they do not clean. It’s like sticking a fork in that dirty sink after years and years of not washing it and expecting the fork to clean the sink while you’re blindfolded trying to clear the debris. A cable will not clean your drain and sewer system. it can break through a stoppage, it can break through roots and sometimes even pull back something that was flushed that shouldn’t have been but a cable can not clean your drain and sewer lines.

What is Hydro Jetting?

What is hydro jetting? Great question! Hydro jetting, or known in the plumbing profession as “jetting” is the only way to clean your drain and sewer lines. It’s a piece of equipment very similar to a pressure washer. It’s specifically for drain and sewer lines with different nozzles and adjustable pressure to clean your pipes with high pressure that washes away years of buildup leaving the pipe in much cleaner than it was before. Jetting can’t get every little thing – but it can get a LOT of it and put your sewer and drain line back into great shape again.

How often should I jet my sewer and drain line?

Once you’ve had your sewer and drain system jetted and cleaned the plumber will usually advise annual jetting and maintenance to ensure your sewer and drain system are running optimally and to prevent stoppages and buildup that is difficult to remove after too much time has passed. Your sewer and drain system may require more frequent or less frequent cleaning based on the type of drain and sewer pipe you have and the condition of your plumbing, along with the type of usage of your home or business.

Is Hydro Jetting Safe for all drain and sewer systems?

Not all sewer and drain systems are able to have jetting performed on them without risk. High pressure jetting is perfect for stable sewer systems like ABS and PVC. Older drain and sewer systems like cast iron may or may not hold up. If you have a type of sewer pipe called orangeburg it is not strong enough to handle the jetting process. A replacement is necessary for orangeburg pipe.

Services in Phoenix & Beyond

When you find yourself in need of hydro jetting services in the Phoenix metropolitan area, call a Robin! You can trust Robins Plumbing to provide you with a higher level of service! In addition to our plumbing services, we also offer a variety of residential and commercial plumbing services. Contact us if you need help with drain cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, sewer camera inspection and locating, backflow prevention, commercial and residential jetting, water treatments, and more. Visit our reviews online to see what others have to say about our local plumbing company!