Drain Snaking vs. Hydro Jetting: Which One Should You Choose?

You always want to ensure that your home plumbing system is working optimally at all times. The pipes within your system are constantly transferring wastewater and sewage away from your home. Once there is an obstruction within your system, your plumbing is no longer functional. Now you will need to hire a professional drain cleaning service to come into your home and fix the issue. However, if the clog is relatively insignificant, and if a technician can easily remove it, then you will have two options: hydro jetting or drains snaking.

Drain snaking involves the use of a flexible and narrow metal cable that has a coil on one end of it and a manually-operated crank on the other. This tool is also referred to as an auger. This is how the process works: you insert the auger into an access point and you activate the crank so that the cable will extend into the deepest areas of your drainage system. Once the drain snake makes contact with the blockage inside your drain pipes, you will turn the crack to try and burst through it. You will know that you have located the clog when you feel a lot of resistance. Most drain snakes have a J-shaped bend and they are most effective when removing toilet clogs. However, some augers are a straight-tube style and they are often used to remove clogs from a sink.

Hydro jetting is a more modernized approach to residential drain cleaning services. It consists of using a highly pressurized water hose to remove debris and clear out the inside of your drain. A professional plumber usually performs hydro jetting via cleanouts. These are openings within your drainage system that allows the plumber to remove the clog. The pressurized water makes its way through your drain and forces out the buildup and gunk inside your system. With enough power, hydro jetting can even break up and remove tree roots. Before any hydro jetting takes place, a professional plumber will need to undergo a non-invasive camera inspection of your plumbing system.

We often recommend drain snaking for minor clogs or when a single item gets lodged in your system, such as a child’s toy. When your plunger isn’t doing enough to remove the clog, then you should undergo the proper drain snaking procedures to remove the clog. A drain snake will also alert you to any serious plumbing issues. For example, You are drain snaking your toilet but you are faced with a lot of resistance from the clog inside your pipes. This could be an indication of tree root intrusion, which will require professional sewer line repair services.

Hydro jetting will not only remove the clogs that are plaguing your drain, but it will flush out your entire system. Hydro jetting removes all the materials building up inside your plumbing, such as grease, hard minerals, and other debris. Hydro jetting is going to clean out our pipes thoroughly, whereas with drain snaking, you are only removing an obstruction at best. Hydro jetting is going to allow you to remove most clogs so it is a much more viable solution. However, you will need to hire a professional plumber to undergo any hydro jetting procedures. Also, if your pipes are weak and compromised, then hydro jetting can end up causing more damage. This is the main reason why a technician will need to inspect your system beforehand.

The best way to clear your drain will depend on the scope of the issue. Hydro jetting makes more sense when you can’t remove the clog with a drain snake. Some of the situations that won’t work for a drain snake include the buildup of heavy sludge or grease. Also, if you do encounter tree root intrusion, then you will need to consult with a professional plumber to determine your best option moving forward. Drain snaking is more ideal for situations where you will need to remove the occasional blockage caused by toilet paper or food.

What is a drain inspection? It is a fairly straightforward process where a professional plumber will evaluate your drainage system. They are ultimately determining if there is a reliable transferring of wastewater from your pipeline to a sewage system. Inspections are incredibly useful in detecting problems early on before they become something a lot more significant. A plumber’s main goal is to detect any signs of pipe cracks, corrosions, frost, and major clogs including tree roots, toilet paper buildup, and food waste.

Drain inspections will certainly come in handy if you own and operate a business. It will enable you to prevent any major leaks or flooding which can pose a major health risk to you, your employees, and your customers. Also, sewer line inspections are a must because you don’t want your system to be backed up.

Camera inspections are a non-invasive method that allows you to avoid digging up your property to locate a clog or leak. They also allow you to avoid any guesswork which can end up backfiring (if you guess wrong, of course). Plumbers now make use of high-definition video technology to get a good look at the inside of your plumbing. The camera is attached to a snake-like cable that they feed into your drainage system to locate and diagnose the cause of the issue. A transmitter feeds the video back to the plumber in real-time so that they know exactly where the clog or leak is taking place. Camera inspections can detect the following:

• Tank leaks
• Tank corrosion
• Tree root damage
• Overflowing tanks
• Damaged tank outlet baffles

Have any questions about drain snaking, hydro jetting or drain inspections? Contact us today and one of our technicians will tell you everything you need to know. Our team has plenty of experience with residential and commercial drainage systems. They can provide you with additional information on drain cleaning and leak detection services.