Most people have heard of drain snaking—the rod-and-auger procedure that can break apart clogs inside pipes and restore flow through drains. And because most homeowners know what drain snaking is, it’s often the first thing people try when they’re dealing with a slow drain or stubborn pipe blockage.
But while a drain snake can be effective, it can also cause unseen damage inside a homeowner's pipes. And when it comes to effectively breaking up tough clogs, snaking isn’t the best method for cleaning out a super-dirty drain.
What is then? A procedure called water jetting, which can break through clogs and thoroughly flush out a pipe in a matter of minutes. Never heard of it? Then learn more about water jetting and its many benefits below.
What is Water Jetting?
Before we break down the many benefits of water jetting, let’s break down what it actually is.
Water jetting is a highly effective method of busting through drain clogs and thoroughly cleaning out pipes. It relies on the indisputable power of pressurized water to break apart and disperse even the toughest of clogs—tree roots in a main sewer line don’t even stand a chance.
Pressurized water jets are used in several commercial applications that require cutting through wood, granite, rubber, metal, and other hard substances. Water jetting simply takes that functionality and applies it to slow and stopped-up plumbing systems.
Water Jetting Is Safe for Plumbing
During a water jetting procedure, the water is pressurized, but not to a degree that’ll damage your plumbing system. Water jetting uses just enough pressure to break apart and flush out stubborn drain clogs and remove stuck-on residue from the interior of the pipes.
A drain cleaning specialist will assess the interior of the pipes with a drain camera inspection before performing the procedure. If your plumbing appears to be damaged or too old to safely perform water jetting, a pro will recommend a safer method of cleaning.
Water Jetting Is Sanitary
Using water jetting as a method of clearing your drain also means that the contents of that clog wind up where they belong—in your septic system.
Snaking a drain, on the other hand, inevitably involves pulling disgusting gunk from the end snake’s auger that broke apart the clog. And cleaning up that nasty drain debris doesn’t just make for a smelly home; it could also cause exposure to harmful microbes that could make people sick.
Water Jetting Reduces the Risk of Future Blockages
Although drain snaking is often referred to as a drain cleaning procedure, it’s really more of a drain clearing procedure. Snaking a drain only breaks apart the clog that’s causing liquid to back up inside the pipe—it doesn’t actually clean the inside of the drain.
Water jetting, however, thoroughly cleans any drain. It completely cleans stuck-on debris from the interior walls of the pipe, and incoming solid debris can’t get caught up in grime that’s no longer there.
The cleaner the inside your pipes are, the better they’ll perform long term because it takes quite a bit of time for sludgy debris to build back up along the pipes’ interior walls.
Learn more about the difference between drain cleaning and drain clearing.
Water Jetting Offers Powerful Yet Gentle Drain Cleaning
Water jetting isn’t just gentler on your pipes, it’s also highly effective at blasting out virtually any type of solid material. Paper is no match for the power of water jetting. Even super-dense and traditionally tough-to-clean substances like glass and grease are no match for properly pressurized water.
Why Not Use a Drain Snake?
Although drain snaking does work to break apart blockages, it uses a metal auger and corkscrew motion to power through debris and obstructions inside a pipe. And because the tool is fashioned from metal, it can damage some kinds of pipes even as it clears the clog.
Sure, the damage might be minor, but why opt for a procedure that could damage your pipes when there’s a safer, much more effective, and long-lasting drain cleaning option?
Check out these other benefits of water jetting if you’d like to learn more about what you can expect from the service.
Need Draining Cleaning Near Stillwater, MN?
Whether you need to clear a tough drain clog or simply want to maintain your drains in tip-top condition, water jetting will get the job done. And our team at Drain Blaster Bill's Sewer & Drain Cleaning would love to help you out! We specialize in full-service residential and commercial drain cleaning and offer 24/7 emergency service and same-day appointments for your convenience.
To learn more about water jetting or schedule service, give us a call at 763-913-8719 or request a drain cleaning estimate online, and we’ll get in touch with more info!