A main line that backs up every few months is telling you the clog is not the real problem. The pipe wall is coated with grease, scale or roots, and a cable machine only punches through the middle. Hydro jetting uses a nozzle that sprays water at high pressure against the full circumference of the pipe, washing the wall clean. Our 24/7 emergency line takes jetting calls when a backup cannot wait.
Jetting suits grease-packed kitchen lines, scaled cast iron, silt and root fibers. It is not for every pipe, and a camera pass should come first. If the line is broken or collapsed, the answer is sewer line repair, not more water.
Urgent signs.
When a backup calls for jetting.
Jetting makes sense after a cable has failed to hold, or when a camera shows heavy build-up along the pipe wall. If sewage is already in the house, a plumber may open the line with a cable first, then jet to prevent the next backup.
Repeat main line backups.
Three or four clogs in a year point to wall build-up that a cable does not remove.
Grease-heavy lines.
Restaurant, bakery and busy household kitchen lines build fat layers that jetting can strip.
Scaled cast iron.
Old cast iron develops rough internal scale. Jetting can restore much of the bore if the pipe is sound.
Slow drains throughout.
A uniformly sluggish system often means narrowing along the whole run.
Same clog, again?.
Call the 24/7 line. We can look at the line before choosing a method.
Comparison.
Hydro jetting versus snaking.
Cable or snake.
- Bores a hole through the clog.
- Fast and inexpensive for a simple blockage.
- Can leave grease and scale on the wall.
- Fine for a first call on a new clog.
Hydro jetting.
- Scours the full pipe wall.
- Removes grease, scale and fine roots.
- Best for repeat clogs and heavy build-up.
- Needs a sound pipe and an access point.
For a one-time sink clog, a cable is enough, and drain cleaning covers that. For a line that returns to the same condition every season, jetting is the better value because it removes the cause.
Method.
How jetting is done.
Camera first.
We look at the pipe to confirm it is intact and to see what is coating it.
.Open a path if needed.
A heavy blockage may need a cable pass before the jetter can move through.
.Jet from the cleanout.
The hose and nozzle are fed through the cleanout. Water pressure drives the nozzle forward and pushes debris back toward the opening.
.Final camera pass.
A second look shows the result and any damage that the cleaning exposed.
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Local fit.
Where jetting helps in Salem.
Salem's old cast iron and clay laterals scale and silt over decades, and the commercial kitchens on Derby Street, Pickering Wharf and around the Downtown pedestrian mall add grease to shared lines. A restaurant backup on a Saturday night during a busy season is a business emergency, and our commercial plumbing team treats it that way.
Jetting also fits homes with large trees. Roots that have invaded a clay joint can be cut and washed out, though if the joint is failing the roots will return. A camera pass after jetting shows how long the cleaning is likely to last.
Standards.
Code, permits and safety for hydro jetting.
Sewer and drain work follows the Massachusetts Uniform State Plumbing Code, 248 CMR 10.00, and local sewer rules set by the City of Salem. Ask Inspectional Services at 978-619-5641 when a permit applies.
What to do before we arrive.
- Stop using water in the house so the backup does not rise.
- Keep children and pets away from standing sewage and wear gloves if you must touch anything.
- Do not pour chemical drain openers into a standing backup, because they can splash and injure a plumber.
Pricing.
What hydro jetting costs.
Jetting is priced to the line and the build-up. These factors change the total.
Homeowner insurance seldom covers cleaning a line that is clogged from wear, grease or roots. A sewer backup rider may cover resulting damage. You get a clear price before work starts. For your real number, call (339) 216-9771.
FAQs.
Hydro jetting questions from Salem homeowners.
Yes. The 24/7 line is answered every day. For a backup that cannot wait, a plumber can often start with a cable and schedule jetting right after.
It depends on the pipe. Sound cast iron and clay can usually take it. Cracked, collapsed or heavily corroded pipe may not. That is why a camera pass comes first.
It clears the roots in the pipe, but if the joint they came through is still open, they can return. A camera shows the joint, and a lining or spot repair may be the longer-term answer.
A cable opens a path through the clog. Jetting washes the whole pipe wall. Jetting does more for repeat clogs.
Used correctly on sound pipe it does not. Pressure is set for the pipe and the job, and the camera check confirms there is no existing damage first.
All of Salem, including Downtown, Salem Neck, North and South Salem and the Highland Avenue area, in ZIP codes 01970 and 01971, plus nearby Beverly.