Hydro-Jetting vs. Drain Cleaning: What’s the Difference and When Do You Need it?

If your plumbing system has ever fallen victim to a major drain clog, you know just what a hassle it can be.

Sometimes, you can get it out with a good plunger and maybe a little bit of skill and strength.

But pouring a chemical over-the-counter drain cleaner is never a good option for helping your clogged drains. These products are highly caustic, rarely resolve the problem and may burn your piping, causing damage to your plumbing.

Scheduling drain cleaning with a trained plumber allows you to feel confident that the problem is found and removed ASAP and with little damage to your pipes. In today’s guide, we’ll take a look at why you should choose a professional who uses hydro jetting in Denver as part of their drain cleaning methods.

And if you have any questions, or are ready to book your drain cleaning or hydro-jetting service, contact our Centennial plumbers or Denver plumbers at Bell Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical today!

What is a Hydro Jetter?

Professional plumbers have a number of tools in their arsenal to clean your bathroom drains. One of these is a hydro jetter. A hydro jetter is very much like a power washer that is designed to go into plumbing pipes. Pressurized water shoots out of a 360-degree nozzle, which ensures that every inch of your drain is cleaned. The water pressure is high enough to scour your pipes, loosening all kinds of buildup and debris, but gentle enough that there’s no fear of damage. In fact, hydro-jetting is so effective that it can be used to remove tree root intrusion in water and sewer lines!

How Are Hydro Jets Used?

Hydro jetters are designed to spray inward in your plumbing system so they can effectively dislodge whatever debris may be in your pipes. To do this, your plumbing professional will attach the hydro jet to an opening on your plumbing system known as a “cleanout.” Once the hydro jet is securely in place, rear-facing jets propel the nozzle forward through the line, while forward-facing jets cut through hard obstructions, dislodging any buildup and debris, which will flow down and out of your system.

What are the Benefits of Hydro Jetting?

Hydro-jetting offers several benefits compared to other drain cleaning methods, including:

• Effectiveness: It efficiently eliminates stubborn clogs and residue, leaving pipes clear.
• Eco-friendly: Unlike some alternatives, hydro-jetting doesn’t involve harsh chemicals or toxins, making it an eco-conscious choice.
• Cost-effectiveness: By clearing pipes and deterring future clogs, hydro-jetting helps avoid expensive repairs and replacements down the line.
• Speed: It’s a swift process, minimizing disruptions to your daily routine. Tough clogs can vanish within just a few hours.

Can I Do Hydro Jetting Myself?

Hydro jetting involves a specialized plumbing tool, so you aren’t going to find it in the local hardware store, and for good reason: only a trained expert should use this tool. Hydro-jetting equipment is also potentially dangerous to DIYers because of the high-pressure of the water spray, so only allow professionals with the proper training and safety gear to do this job. Professionals will also know the right pressure level for your drains to do the cleaning job you need without causing damage.

Professionals have a couple of tools at their disposal when it comes to drain cleaning, none of which include these toxic chemicals. You may expect your plumber to show up with a drain snake or drain auger. These may be electronic or hand-operated. The plumber feeds a wire into the pipe, which then latches onto a clog and either pulls it out or breaks it up.

The problem is that these only remove large clogs and don’t target other problem areas throughout the plumbing system. A good drain cleaning session should be both effective and preventive. And with hydro jetting, you get just that. A thin hose inserted into the pipes blasts them with water, which takes care of stuck-on grease, food, hair, debris, dirt, tree roots and buildup within the line.

Snaking vs. Hydro Jetting: Which Drain Cleaning Method Is Right For Your Home?

When a drain backs up, most homeowners have one goal: get the water flowing again.

But how a professional clears the drain can make a big difference in both the immediate result and how long the solution lasts. While both snaking and hydro jetting can clear blockages, they work in very different ways—and neither is automatically the right choice for every drain.

Your drain specialist will consider what's causing the blockage, the condition of your pipes, where the blockage is located, and what you want the service to accomplish.

Here's how the two methods compare and how a professional plumber determines which approach makes the most sense.

Drain Snaking:

• Uses a flexible cable to break through or remove a blockage
• Ideal for many localized or straightforward clogs
• Often breaks through or retrieves the obstruction
• Has limited cleaning properties
• A professional evaluation is recommended for difficult or recurring problems

Hydro Jetting:

• Uses high-pressure water to scour the inside of the pipe
• Best for heavy build-up, recurring blockages, and dirty pipes
• Flushes debris and buildup out of the pipe
• Cleans pipe walls on pipes that are not fragile due to deterioration
• Requires professional evaluation, a camera inspection, and often requires a team to operate the equipment

The most simplified difference between snaking and hydro jetting is this. A drain snake is primarily designed to clear an obstruction. Hydro jetting is designed to clean the inside of the pipe. But there is a little bit more to it.

What Is Drain Snaking?

Drain snaking — also called cable drain cleaning — uses a long, flexible cable that is fed into the drain. The cable has an auger or cutting head on the end that can break through a blockage, loosen debris, or retrieve an obstruction. Think of it as creating a path through the clog so water can flow again.

When is snaking a good choice?

Snaking can be an effective solution for many common drain problems, including:

• Hair and soap buildup in bathroom drains
• Localized kitchen sink clogs
• Paper or waste-related toilet blockages
• Smaller obstructions
• A drain that has recently become slow or stopped flowing
• Certain localized blockages in branch lines

For a straightforward clog, a snake may be all that's needed.

What Is Hydro Jetting?

Hydro jetting takes a different approach. Instead of using a mechanical cable, a plumber uses specialized equipment to send highly pressurized water through the drain line. The water can break apart and flush away accumulated material on the interior walls of the pipe. 

Depending on the application and equipment, the process can remove buildup such as:

• Grease
• Soap residue
• Sludge
• Mineral deposits
• Organic debris
• Certain types of scale
• Tree-root intrusion

Rather than simply punching a hole through a blockage, hydro jetting can clean a significant portion of the pipe's interior circumference. That's why hydro jetting can be particularly useful when the problem isn't simply one isolated clog.

Call Bell Plumbing Heating, Cooling & Electrical for Hydro-Jetting!

If you need targeted cleaning now to eliminate a clog, calling a professional plumber who uses hydro jetting can take care of it. However, if over a year has passed since you had a visit from a plumber, you should consider scheduling a regular cleaning with hydro jetting (and other tools) to deter future clogs. You know how aggravating clogs can be; imagine having their threat cleared almost immediately!

For top-quality drain cleaning in Denver, CO, turn to the trusted staff at Bell Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We are proud to be locally-owned since our inception in 1926. Whether you need hydro jetting, plumbing repairs, a sewer replacement, or assistance with other plumbing jobs, we can help. Call us today!

Call (303) 731-5469